UK Advised – Don’t Book your Summer Holiday

[71 Trans Am]

Newsflare Fri 17th April 15.30pm

Don't book your Summer Holiday.

• It is not a good idea to book a summer holiday amid ongoing uncertainty about the coronavirus pandemic, according to a UK government minister.
• 'I won't be booking a summer holiday at this point, let's put it that way,' Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said on Friday.
• His comments suggest the current UK lockdown measures may be enforced until the autumn.
• A group which represents the travel industry said Shapps' comments showed 'a complete disregard for the UK travel industry.'

The public should not book a summer holiday due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, according to the UK's Transport Secretary.
Grant Shapps advised against booking a summer break because the number of coronavirus cases had not dropped sufficiently to be sure that current restrictions would be lifted by then.
"On the travel advice – should you book your holidays? – clearly people will want to see what the trajectory of this disease is in the next few weeks," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
"We've just started to see a flattening of that daily tragic curve which shows the deaths each day. But we're not seeing the declines yet."
"I won't be booking a summer holiday at this point, let's put it that way."
Shapps' comments suggest that government ministers believe the current lockdown measures may be enforced at least until the autumn.
His comments provoked a furious reaction from Abta, the chief lobby group for the travel industry.
A spokesperson said: "It was a thoughtless comment and not based on any facts about what we know today about the future of the pandemic, but it shows complete disregard for the UK travel industry, the hundreds of thousands of people it employs and the struggle it is facing in this current crisis."
They added: "It would be better if the government focused on taking the necessary steps to support the sector rather than undermining confidence in it."
A spokesperson for Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that current guidelines did not allow for holidays.
"In terms of travelling... that is not something that current social distancing guidelines allow for," he said on Friday.
He added: "On travelling abroad the Foreign Office advice remains that you should only travel abroad if absolutely necessary... the current advice does not allow for going on holidays."
Dominic Raab, the foreign secretary who is deputising for Boris Johnson as he continues his recovery from the coronavirus, yesterday said the social distancing measures currently in place would continue for at least another three weeks until May 7, the longest time they can be legally extended.
Raab said there was "light at the end of the tunnel" because the UK was starting to see a flattening of the curve in the number of people dying from the coronavirus.
But he said lifting the measures now would "risk sacrificing all the progress we have made" because it would risk a "second peak" in a few months time, which would overwhelm the NHS

[PhotoLady]

ABTA aren't very happy with his remarks...

[paulaf]

It was an off the cuff comment, it's not official government advice at the moment.

[71 Trans Am]

It may well be an off the cuff comment as you say but there is no smoke without fire and as i posted previously - Jet 2 are already trying to get you to move your Holiday to 2021 rather than have you cancel it altogether

[Dominic]

What would happen if people did book but were unable to go? I doubt the credit card companies would be keen on giving refunds under such circumstances.

[paulaf]

It may well be an off the cuff comment as you say but there is no smoke without fire and as i posted previously - Jet 2 are already trying to get you to move your Holiday to 2021 rather than have you cancel it altogether

That's just to preserve their cashflow and keep you tied in.

[Mrblobby]

I think it is a common sense remark . The U.K. is not doing enough to get themselves virus free .

They are still allowing lots of flights in from virus hot spots and not doing any tests or quarantine on arrivals .

We are lucky to be in Cyprus where they are taking it seriously .

https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2020/0 ... ing-in-uk/

[paulaf]

I think it is a common sense remark . The U.K. is not doing enough to get themselves virus free .

They are still allowing lots of flights in from virus hot spots and not doing any tests or quarantine on arrivals .

We are lucky to be in Cyprus where they are taking it seriously .

https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2020/0 ... ing-in-uk/

That article is dated 22 March so it's nearly a month old, so what's the current situation? Scientists have said a few flights arriving make little difference once the virus is well established in a country.

[71 Trans Am]

Paulaf

You are correct - My neighbour and colleague was stressed to bits over this and has moved his Holiday to 2021 after a conversation he had with Jet 2 - When he asked if he could move his holiday from June to September the girl advised him that he may be better moving it to next year as she could not be sure the holiday would happen in September.

Dominic - Ref the Credit Card Companies -
I was told when i enquired about my next visit that the Credit Card Companies will only take up your case if all else fails. With reference to Holiday Company refunds, They are duty bound to refund you if the Holiday cannot take place - But as Paulaf said the chain of people involved all want to hang on to deposits, payments etc to preserve their cashflow so a refund could be a long way off

But with credit card payments you should be able to just ask them for a refund then the credit card company should try and get their money back from the Holiday Companies

[mike strand2]

My friend has been refused a refund due to cancellations. They are referring to Force Majuer clauses in the contract.

[71 Trans Am]

A lot of insurance companies tried to play the " Act Of God " card when Yorkshire was flooded out But it didn't hold any water when contested ( excuse the pun )

[Lazydaze52]

HIC
I had problems last year with one of the major holiday companies.They acknowledged was due compensation for a delay, then put up all sorts of obstacles to avoid payment, including couldn’t pay compensation to UK account as did not reside in UK (yet they accepted my payment from that very bank account when I booked); then they didn’t have full info for Cy bank though I had provided everything including IBAN no etc.
Eventually threatened them with small claims court if didn’t pay up within a week, they didn’t so I followed through. Got my refund and court costs within a fortnight of making the claim, suggest you do the same. Can’t name them as I had to sign a non disclosure, but not Jet2 or EJ, so make your own assumptions!

I also had a long delay with a Jet2 flight (spent a lot of time hanging round airports in 2019) and I had my compensation within a month from them.

Re the opening post my OH had Jet2 flights booked for next weekend to visit his mum, and was given the option of rescheduling FOC. Have rescheduled online for November (hopefully) but his seat bookings were not transferred so had to email a complaint form, which they have now rectified for us. Would have left it till 2021 if possible but as it’s to visit a very elderly mother ....

I also have flights booked for July so assuming flights will not have recommenced will probably reschedule that for 2021, it’s the best way of trying to keep the travel companies operating IMHO

[trevnhil]

Hopefully if you move a booking onwards a year are the holiday and flight prices the same.. I ask because my daughter (UK) has holiday accommodation booked for June in Coral Bay with Jet 2, but it
is booked with a travel agent

[boycott]

An article from in-cyprus about touris in Cyprus following C19.
https://in-cyprus.philenews.com/cyprus- ... BdyIDqq_H4

The coronavirus reality will dictate new rules and habits in the tourism sector and businesses will need to adapt to offer visitors what they want at this moment, Demetra Landou reports in Phileleftheros.

Catering and events establishments will need to take into consideration the new reality created by coronavirus with rules expected to be introduced as regards distancing, she adds.

The deputy ministry of tourism in cooperation with hoteliers is working on a series of regulations instructing hotels how to operate under the new conditions.

These will cover issues such as tables in dining areas and sunbeds at the pools, as well as instructions regarding tourist arrivals, the newspaper added.

Hotels will have to acquire thermometers to take the temperature of their clients. Other issues being discussed relate to visitors’s actual entry into the country — for example whether they will require some kind of certificate and what checks will held at the airport. The checks that may be carried out by airlines is also being reviewed.

Consultations kicked off with hotels but will expand to the tourism sector as a whole and to catering establishments.

Deputy tourism minister Savvas Perdios told the newspaper that he has been in consultation with tourism stakeholders for several weeks.

“Certainly we are not going back to the old model where everyone who wanted to come to Cyprus could do so. No country will operate in this way this summer,” he said.

“The first thing that a visitor wants this year is not the beach or the food or the hospitality. The first thing they are interested is hygiene measures to ensure they are not at risk,” he added.

Perdios said the tourism sector will prepare suggestions to be sent to the Health Ministry for discussion so that they can be adopted or amended.

For example, the Health Ministry may say that as the situation in July and August may be still in flux there will be a maximum to the number of visitors. This is something that must be complied with, Perdios added.

Businessmen will need to change their mindset.

“It doesn’t mean that because a restaurant has a capacity for a certain number of people it should fill up. They will have to leave more space between tables, chairs and sunbeds. We need to understand how visitors are thinking and each one should take the corresponding measures at their business so as to be in line with what the client wants at this moment,” he concluded.

[Lazydaze52]

Trevnhil - my OH had booked flights only quite a while ago when the flight was really cheap, his rescheduled flights were more expensive and he had to pay the difference of about €100, only charge waived was the admin fee to change the booking. His reserved seats were honoured, he didn’t have luggage but presume that would have been carried over from his original booking

[trevnhil]

My daughter will have to see what happens to her booking as it gets nearer the June departure date.

[Cookie]

Hopefully if you move a booking onwards a year are the holiday and flight prices the same.. I ask because my daughter (UK) has holiday accommodation booked for June in Coral Bay with Jet 2, but it
is booked with a travel agent

We were due to fly out with Jet2 on 8 June and they have emailed to say this has been cancelled.

[Yioula]

Even when restrictions are lifted many will be wary of booking a holiday especially those who are retired until such time a vaccine has been found.

[galexinda]

I think it is a common sense remark . The U.K. is not doing enough to get themselves virus free .

They are still allowing lots of flights in from virus hot spots and not doing any tests or quarantine on arrivals .

We are lucky to be in Cyprus where they are taking it seriously .

https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2020/0 ... ing-in-uk/

That article is dated 22 March so it's nearly a month old, so what's the current situation? Scientists have said a few flights arriving make little difference once the virus is well established in a country.

Just had a quick look at the scheduled arrivals at Heathrow today.

A few from these countries have already landed : Hong Kong, Singapore, Colombo, Boston, Chicago, Addis Ababa, New York City...

On Time: Amsterdam, Rome, Los Angeles, Doha, Malta, Paris, Nice, Tokyo....

Not keeping up-to-date with UK news, so do the passengers still just walk off the plane and disperse throughout the UK?

[WHL]

Are people really thinking about holidays ? , its the last last thing on our, to do list at the moment