Birmingham Airport - General Thread

[rollo]

Potential family trip to Zakynthos next year. The accommodation we use was previously bookable through Thomas Cook but with that no longer an option it's now quicker, easier and usually cheaper for us to book directly with the owner.

Still early days but trying to get a flight from BHX is proving rather difficult. Jet2 only have Mon and Wed available for flight only, which is of no use to us, and just the flights with TUi is almost the same price as a whole package.

I'm going to give it a few weeks and see whether there are any connections that may work but I have a feeling that it may be a trip to London for this one

We have had similar problems with our regular trip to Puerto Mogan (LPA) we always book accommodation direct when visiting there so go flight only Monarch were ideal for us I still miss them. We are due to go on our twice cancelled trip in September with Jet2 flight only if we had booked the package with Jet2 it was around 30% more expensive although we would have had transfers included, not worth it for us as the express bus gets you there in under an hour for 13 euro return while the Jet2 coach will likely be still at the airport waiting stragglers or starting out on its tour of various resorts before arriving in Mogan which always the last drop and first pick up on return.

We book through Travel Republic so are ABTA bonded so fingers crossed we get there 3rd time lucky.

 

[kfs]

Potential family trip to Zakynthos next year. The accommodation we use was previously bookable through Thomas Cook but with that no longer an option it's now quicker, easier and usually cheaper for us to book directly with the owner.

Still early days but trying to get a flight from BHX is proving rather difficult. Jet2 only have Mon and Wed available for flight only, which is of no use to us, and just the flights with TUi is almost the same price as a whole package.

I'm going to give it a few weeks and see whether there are any connections that may work but I have a feeling that it may be a trip to London for this one

How confident are you that by the date of your holiday all travel restrictions and advisories will have been lifted? By booking individual components direct with the provider you will have no protection under package holiday regulations. I'm currently looking into options for a group in summer 2022, but am only considering packaged arrangements. I hope by then travel within Europe will be functioning seamlessly, but I am not confident yet.

 

[Coathanger16]

How confident are you that by the date of your holiday all travel restrictions and advisories will have been lifted? By booking individual components direct with the provider you will have no protection under package holiday regulations. I'm currently looking into options for a group in summer 2022, but am only considering packaged arrangements. I hope by then travel within Europe will be functioning seamlessly, but I am not confident yet.

Frankly if by Summer 2022 travel within Europe is not seamless, we'll have far bigger problems to worry about than going on holiday.

The UK looks likely to hit its target of offering all adults their first dose by the end of July, which means the entire adult population will be fully vaccinated by the end of October at the latest.

Europe is currently lagging behind us by about 6 weeks, so by the end of the year the whole of Europe will likely be fully vaccinated.

If travel restrictions within Europe aren't back to pre-pandemic levels by Summer 2022, that'll mean the vaccines haven't worked, in which case all bets are off.

Also, package holidays aren't the only safe option. You can book hotels/villas with late cancellation policies and most airlines (except Jet2) are offering free changes for this summer.

 

[Wrightfly73]

I think that you can book with a high level of confidence as most airlines are offering fantastic flexibility, some airlines even allowing changes even if it is you who opts to fly another day. The same can be said for hotels. I have not long returned from Faro and I could cancel/change flights and hotel right until date of departure/arrival.

Continuing to book helps to secure your price (before rocketing up when announced as green list) and also helps to support the industry.

 

[JENNYJET]

Ah! But will this flexibility become a permanent feature or might future abuses of flexibility force tour companies to revert to old practices?

 

[Wrightfly73]

Ah! But will this flexibility become a permanent feature or might future abuses of flexibility force tour companies to revert to old practices?

A good point, it'll be interesting to see what happens in the long run, going forward it may turn out that airlines maintain greater flexibility if it is what it takes to lure passengers back to the skies. In these times though it is good to have that piece of mind, knowing that you can't lose out and can swiftly change to an alternate destination.

 

[Coathanger16]

Ah! But will this flexibility become a permanent feature or might future abuses of flexibility force tour companies to revert to old practices?

Some airlines such as United have permanently dropped change fees:

https://www.businesstraveller.com/business-travel/2020/08/31/united-permanently-drops-change-fees-for-us-flights/

I suspect we'll probably end up somewhere in the middle.

 

[Ray Finkle]

How confident are you that by the date of your holiday all travel restrictions and advisories will have been lifted? By booking individual components direct with the provider you will have no protection under package holiday regulations. I'm currently looking into options for a group in summer 2022, but am only considering packaged arrangements. I hope by then travel within Europe will be functioning seamlessly, but I am not confident yet.

It's a great point and if I were arranging it myself I'd definitely opt for the package deal (we often do anyway) but it's not our call on this one.

 

[Ray Finkle]

In other news, now it's been made public, it seems that BHX will be joining LHR as a designated red list arrival airport.

Using T2 exclusively for arrivals from red list countries has been talked about for a couple of weeks but it looks as if it will finally happen.

 

[JENNYJET]

Why not use the Elmdon building to process Red arrivals, thus providing excellent separation from safer travellers in the main terminal?

 

[Kevin Farnell]

Why not use the Elmdon building to process Red arrivals, thus providing excellent separation from safer travellers in the main terminal?

It would probably require a lot of money and time to get it anywhere near ready to handle passengers. T2 already has the facilities, is currently unused (as far as I know) and is some distance from T1 although connected by a link building.

Kevin

 

[Ray Finkle]

Why not use the Elmdon building to process Red arrivals, thus providing excellent separation from safer travellers in the main terminal?

I can only assume that anything of real volume may possibly be a headache for UKBF.

Arrivals into T2 could be processed and boarded directly onto coaches waiting outside the terminal. There is/was a shutter between the two terminals at ground level which would ensure separation. I'm assuming that aircraft could then be towed to T1 to take on board any departing pax.

 

[IanFarquharson]

Elmdon building is not an option as not in a fit state, this is why the GA handlers moved out !

 

[IanFarquharson]

Looks like the first flight will be Tuesday - a nice one too

 

[Ray Finkle]

Looks like the first flight will be Tuesday - a nice one too

Might have to dust off my camera

 

[Llandudno]

Have I missed something, as I thought BHX was always a red list airport. The only difference now being the designated terminal space?

Hence a follow up question, why are the ‘special movements’ only just starting?

 

[JENNYJET]

Can it be possible that Elmdon is being left to become derelict? A waste of a historical asset that should be used is something the BBC , cough splutter, might consider newsworthy!

 

[Kevin Farnell]

Can it be possible that Elmdon is being left to become derelict? A waste of a historical asset that should be used is something the BBC , cough splutter, might consider newsworthy!

It's now a listed building (Grade II I believe) and therefore the owners should have an obligation to it's upkeep.

Kevin

 

[IanFarquharson]

BHX will have a dedicated Red List Terminal from next Tuesday so along with its Red List Hotels we should see various flights heading to BHX, the first of which is in the system !

Have I missed something, as I thought BHX was always a red list airport. The only difference now being the designated terminal space?

Hence a follow up question, why are the ‘special movements’ only just starting?

 

[Llandudno]

BHX will have a dedicated Red List Terminal from next Tuesday so along with its Red List Hotels we should see various flights heading to BHX, the first of which is in the system !

But it doesn’t change the demographic that BHX has been red list all the way through and wasn’t stopping any airline operating these flights anyway.