Travel Advise Latest Update from the UK Foreign Office

[Seasider]

The balance for my holiday to Algarve (cancelled from March) has to be paid by Friday. Do I cut my losses and cancel? . After discussion with my wife and talking to my travel insurer, I paid the balance. My wife said she was not going to let the covid stop us from making decisions. We are going to learn to live with this virus, partial lockdowns and quarantine so reduce the risks as much as possible and get used to the new "normal".
We both believe we have as much chance catching the virus in the UK where people are not social distancing a lot of the time and have a "couldn't care less attitude" to everybody else.
If there are any problems in the meantime, we will deal with them then.

I hope not, but I may change my attitude after flying but I have got to do it to find out.

 

[KARFA]

The balance for my holiday to Algarve (cancelled from March) has to be paid by Friday. Do I cut my losses and cancel? . After discussion with my wife and talking to my travel insurer, I paid the balance. My wife said she was not going to let the covid stop us from making decisions. We are going to learn to live with this virus, partial lockdowns and quarantine so reduce the risks as much as possible and get used to the new "normal".
We both believe we have as much chance catching the virus in the UK where people are not social distancing a lot of the time and have a "couldn't care less attitude" to everybody else.
If there are any problems in the meantime, we will deal with them then.

I hope not, but I may change my attitude after flying but I have got to do it to find out.

I think the main issue would be is your travel insurance still covering you if you travel to an area which the FCO has advised against all but essential travel? Did your travel insurer confirm either way? An EHIC will cover some health care costs, but it isn't a substitute for travel insurance.

 

[Aviador]

The government is adding a number of Greek islands to the quarantine list. I'm guessing that will just about finish the summer charter season.

 

[KARFA]

Yes, for England if you arrive anytime after 0400 from the following Greek islands you will have to self isolate for 14 days:

Crete, Lesvos, Mykonos, Santorini, Serifos, Tinos, and Zakynthos

The rest of Greece and any other Greek islands remain on the exemption list. Also this is just for England, the position in Scotland/Wales/NI will differ.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Yes, for England if you arrive anytime after 0400 from the following Greek islands you will have to self isolate for 14 days:

Crete, Lesvos, Mykonos, Santorini, Serifos, Tinos, and Zakynthos

The rest of Greece and any other Greek islands remain on the exemption list. Also this is just for England, the position in Scotland/Wales/NI will differ.

The Welsh Government put six Greek islands on its quarantine list last week but they don't all appear to be the same ones as the Westminster Government has decreed for England.

Wales's islands are Crete, Zakynthos, Mykonos, Lesvos, Paros and Antiparos

 

[Aviador]

What immediately stands out to me is if they can single out the Greek islands, why not the Balearic and Canary Islands?

 

[KARFA]

What immediately stands out to me is if they can single out the Greek islands, why not the Balearic and Canary Islands?

I suspect we will see more of these regional distinctions. However, Spain's data is so bad atm they may not wish to put any of it back on the list currently. In fact Balearic and Canary Islands are both above 120 new cases for the last 14 days per 100k, so no better than the mainland.

 

[airforced]

Trying to use logic, which seems a silly thing to do as far as all this is concerned, how in heavens name do they intend to police this latest announcement. OK the vast majority of folk visiting Lesbos, Zante and Crete will have arrived there by direct flight from wherever. A fair proportion of visitors to Santorini and Mykonos will also have arrived by direct flight but certainly not all as many arrivals will be by air from Athens or ferry from Piraeus or Rafina or other islands as the Cyclades are popular island hopping group. As you are unable to fly into Tinos and Serifos (no airport) their visitors will have arrived by ferry from wherever. Plus the fact that Tinos is a religious visitor island mainly frequented by Greeks during August I wonder why it has appeared on out list at all.

The mind boggles with this latest piece of thinking and decision making. No wonder the airlines are tearing their hair out. I quite understand their frustration. There seems no logic to these decisions.

 

[KARFA]

I don't know, you do it by country and people complain, then you do it by region and people complain again

 

[Sherburnflyer92]

Didn’t they say they will struggle with regional and island corridors? Welsh suddenly did it without any struggle and now we can to in England? What’s changed?

someone care to tell me what the hell Grant Shapps and his useless bunch of nodding dogs did during April May & June to get U.K. ready for international travel? Cause it appears they didn’t do anything and are now playing catch up.

Conservatives - the party of business & Industry. Apart from aviation and tourism industry. And events and theatres.

 

[KARFA]

Didn’t they say they will struggle with regional and island corridors? Welsh suddenly did it without any struggle and now we can to in England? What’s changed?

Presumably it wasn't done because of the issues airforced noted.

 

[airforced]

Presumably it wasn't done because of the issues airforced noted.

Only him upstairs will ever know where the reasoning behind the latest crackpot idea came from and HE doesn't usually share such information with us mere mortals.

 

[Aviador]

Portugal has just been re-added to the UK 14 day quarantine list.

 

[Seasider]

Bang goes our holiday next month.

 

[airforced]

Here is a link to a Greek Travel Pages report re a change in legislation concerning refunds/vouchers. https://news.gtp.gr/2020/09/24/greece-revises-law-on-vouchers-canceled-travel-due-covid-19/
It is double dutch to me but I haven't been following things too closely recently but it may be of interest to someone.

 

[KARFA]

Here is a link to a Greek Travel Pages report re a change in legislation concerning refunds/vouchers. https://news.gtp.gr/2020/09/24/greece-revises-law-on-vouchers-canceled-travel-due-covid-19/
It is double dutch to me but I haven't been following things too closely recently but it may be of interest to someone.

Rather awful attempt to help their airlines get out of the legal responsibilities as set out in the European Regulation EC261.

The suggestion is for cancellations between the 25 February 2020 – 31 August 2020 period you will get a voucher. And only for cancellations beyond 1 September 2020 onwards will you be able to get a refund.

In the event flights are cancelled you are entitled to a refund (or reroute) under Art. 8 EC261. The Commission have made it clear several times since March that this remains the case, and that vouchers can be offered as an alternative but the customer is always entitled to choose to get a refund to the original payment method. I feel sorry for those trying to get refunds from Greek airlines since I am sure they will attempt to wriggle out of giving refunds now and cite this Greek law.

 

[Aviador]

The UK government has just said the Spanish Canary Islands have been taken off the quarantine list. This will give a huge boost to winter sun holidays.

 

[Seasider]

Let's hope it lasts for the full winter.

 

[Sherburnflyer92]

Let's hope it lasts for the full winter.

It has to for the industry. Canaries is fine in winter even alone for an airline without ski, but like you say, it needs to last the full winter. None of this on, off, on, off shake it all about nonsense.

Also I wonder why this has come about? I know Spanish are re assessing cases now, you have to show a number of symptoms to have “coronavirus” which is probably why cases are on the decline.

 

[JENNYJET]

The solution lies with preflight testing with a stamp or visa attended to the passport indicating ' clear of Covid ' leaving responsibility to the traveller. This is done successfully with Yellow Fever and could be extended to Coronavirus if only a rapid and low cost test becomes available at the booking point to avoid congested airport terminals.