Balkan Holidays

[LBA787]

Balkan Holidays Summer 2022 is now on sale. The tour operator's Leeds/Bradford - Bourgas service remains 1x weekly rotation on Saturdays as follows.

Operates May 21st to September 24th
BGH5569 = BOJ 15:35 - LBA 16:35 / BGH5570 = LBA 17:25 - BOJ 22:50

TU-154 ?

 

[Seasider]

I would assume it would be an Airbus A320 of BH Air. They haven't operated TU 154 for about 12 years.

 

[White Heather]

TU-154 ?

I wish!!

 

[lbaspotter]

Balkan Holidays have cancelled their planned holiday flight programme up until May 31st at the earliest.

View attachment 23287

 

[LBA4EVER]

As ive predicted this will go on and on, we need to live with covid and not stop for it!

 

[Sherburnflyer92]

It isn't going on & on. They are clearly cancelling out the programme towards end of may considering the countries that are considered for Green list are now been rumoured which doesn't include Bulgaria.

 

[LBA4EVER]

It isn't going on & on. They are clearly cancelling out the programme towards end of may considering the countries that are considered for Green list are now been rumoured which doesn't include Bulgaria.

It is going on and on in europe and spreading in many parts of the world!

 

[Finger66]

I know LBA4EVER does have a habit of spouting some rubbish but I am right behind him on this one. There are still Too many countries where things are going the wrong way, not the right way. 2021 could yet be another write-off. I hope not but a lot of depressing signs. And I am speaking from what I am seeing, hearing and experiencing at work. My own interpretation is that the situation is very delicately poised. It could absolutely go one way or the other just now

 

[Sherburnflyer92]

It is going on and on in europe and spreading in many parts of the world!

India one example. Brazil the other. However I don't for a second believe the data is accurate - both deaths and infections. Nor do I believe the hype surrounding the variants considering it is press doing much of the hype. Just look at Texas and Florida. Life has gone back to normality. There is no wave, no increase in fatalities, no huge surge for hospital beds.

Meanwhile in Europe vaccination now seems to be hitting new daily records. Europe has some of the best health care infrastructure even in comparison to our NHS. I believe Balkan have taken the decision to delay re-start until June when things may look that little bit better. Also what is Bulgarias vaccination rate/numbers looking like?

 

[LBA4EVER]

I know LBA4EVER does have a habit of spouting some rubbish but I am right behind him on this one. There are still Too many countries where things are going the wrong way, not the right way. 2021 could yet be another write-off. I hope not but a lot of depressing signs. And I am speaking from what I am seeing, hearing and experiencing at work. My own interpretation is that the situation is very delicately poised. It could absolutely go one way or the other just now

Im not spouting out any rubbish, im looking at all whats happening with a common sense approach with some knowledge ive gained thru research and relations, the truth is though all ive mentioned so far has sadly occured, many on here cant handle the truth and the truth is im afraid air travel is going to be seriously affected this year, also when air travel does recommence its fairly certain that the virus and new strains will spread again. Just take india as an example, 200,000 new virus cases in just 24hrs with what appears to be a new strain inc 73 cases recorded in the uk today and this is with hardly any air travel atm, it aint going away! Like ive mentioned before we need to just live with this pandemic. Quarantines, continuous tests, traffic lights, qr codes, forms etc just creates more and more stress for the public, quite a few of my customers inc one today are cancelling or changing flights to next year, my customer today has had his inghams swiss holiday cancelled this week.

 

[Sherburnflyer92]

If, for example, the UK adult population is all vaccinated please could you tell me @LBA4EVER what effect a "variant" will have on us?

I am in no denial that air travel will take some time getting back to before 2020 levels however I do not believe that European travel will be that substantially effected. If we all have the same level of vaccination levels, or varying but decent amount, of vaccination levels across Europe there will be no "certainty" of any "new strain" spreading. We do need to learn to live with it, but you keep on spouting the same crap that comes from the Media. This paranoia and obsession of Variants/'New' strains is becoming so unhealthy amongst our Media, Government, Social Media and in life. I'm over it. I honestly couldn't give one iota about a new strain or variant anymore. Any virus that comes back to the UK will be met with a wall of vaccinated people. Vaccine does not stop infection, a Vaccine does not stop illness, however what a vaccine does is lessen the impact.

I've read something today which makes perfect sense. This government do not want anyone to travel. Their ambition is to ensure we do not leave the country. You only have to look at some of the countries on Red and Green list to figure out it's mostly BS. Maldives is on the Red List but India on the Green list - go have a quick check of both their data tabs and tell me it makes perfect sense.

There is no need for that useless crap; not when they are keeping India on the Green List but hey this is this government. It almost feels like they have some form of connection to a PCR testing company (MP's, Donors, Families of MP's) and that is where this useless policy comes into place.

Back to Balkan, as I mentioned, it makes sense given that the rumour is that Bulgaria won't even be on the list to cancel out to the 31st May. Sensible business decision. Given that if they were taking more bookings for the period up to then they'd have to honour with refund or movement of holiday. It is easy now, given they have the figures to hand on bookings, to cancel out to the end of the First month. I suspect it will be reviewed at the end of this month. It could well be Balkan do not begin until Mid June depending if Bulgaria are on the Green List. What we don't need; and I hope we don't get; is unless policy chasing destinations around Europe. We need a definite policy. If for example Canary Islands are open from May they remain open.

 

[Finger66]

Hear hear Sherburnflyer. Uncertainty drives unnecessary situations. Believe me on that one. As I said it’s all very delicately poised and I hope it falls the right way for the travel and aviation industry, whatever it takes to achieve that.

 

[Sherburnflyer92]

Hear hear Sherburnflyer. Uncertainty drives unnecessary situations. Believe me on that one. As I said it’s all very delicately poised and I hope it falls the right way for the travel and aviation industry, whatever it takes to achieve that.

I agree. Me and you both hope its the right way but this government don't give me confidence.

Amazing that travel has been quite quiet when it comes to government policy but within the last week the whole of the industry from differing bodies and airlines have taken to attack the government. Quite rightly so.

 

[LBA4EVER]

This is not your typical virus and its certainly not natural, its spreading to every nation hot or cold, a virus generally weakens as it mutates, this one is not if anything some of the new variants are more serious such as the brazil and indian strains, there are many reasons why it will mutate but one reason is its fighting the vaccine, that i can tell you is a fact, they will be cases where the virus has entered a vaccinated person, it then has to alter its structure to attack the body, think the borg from star trek, best way to explain it!
The current vaccination program is a quick fix and yes it will benefit the older generation but like mentioned it will create many problems ahead, the new variants would suggest that regular jabs will be required but its to be hoped we keep on top of this situation as a world community.

 

[rollo]

Good grief.

Here's me looking at this thread expecting more information or news about Balkan Holidays and end up reading tripe about Star Trek and the Borg.

By the way it is perfectly normal, typical and natural for a virous to mutate in the way Covid-19 is just as happens with influenza every year and is happening slowly with SARS-Cov-2. It's usually through a process called Antigenics either by drift or shift and mutations are countered by modifying vaccines fairly easily and quickly. Sometimes (rarely) when a virous is copying itself as it tries to transmit to survive an error occurs in the process creating a possible mutation which can be more or less virulent than the original so its not really trying to fight the vaccine although that can be the effect.

The above bit of info is off a website called breakthroughs. Com and is run and owned by Pfizer who I assume know more about viruses than me and most others on here have in our little finger.


Anyway thats my little bit for the Balkan Holidays thread maybe someone could move it to a more appropriate part of this forum, have we got a Star Trek one hidden anywhere?

 

[Finger66]

Well if someone uses a little bit of enterprise I am sure a Star Trek thread could be created. To get back on the BH track I am sure they and the rest of the travel industry will be hoping for positive news coming out of the UK and Europe in the next few weeks and then their program can return at some point in 2021. Personally I think 1st June is optimistic but will be overjoyed if that actually happens. I can assure you that people are itching to get travelling but just aren’t due to on going uncertainty and indecision from governments. I think the time may just have come to get on with life again and try fight this naturally, thus restoring some repair to those beleaguered industries, including travel. That way folks can make up their own minds on what they feel is safe or not. It’s also surprising how many people have travelled, but have ended up having to quarantine as countries are added to the red list. So that is proof people will take the risk if governments make it legal to actually travel. So perhaps it’s time they did. Personally I again think 17th May is too early but think they should make a decision now to say 1st July onwards is fine and then the peak summer period and school holidays can be maximised. BH and others can make definite capacity plans then

 

[rollo]

Like you Finger66 I think the government will begin to open up around start of June and much more so in time for the main holiday season allowing companies including BH to plan accordingly. We were booked to fly to Gran Canaria with Jet2 next week but now moved to end of September so we are optimistic on that but then again was optimistic when we booked last summer for this April flying fromBHX.

Meanwhile just Klingon.

 

[LBA4EVER]

I was using the borg from star trek as an easy way to describe this as it does not seem to be registering with some on here haha, anyway im sorry to be abit full on but this is a situation in the modern world we have not really had to deal with before and it is pretty obvious it aint some normal virus! Anyway enough of borg cubes and more about balkan A320s!

 

[rollo]

No worries about being full on I can be the same and did reflect on my "tripe comment " as a bit harsh and thought of changing the wording but couldn't as you get timed out.

Keep posting mate you make some good points on LBA etc. although on some other stuff -well you know, keep smiling and I do have a sense of humour.

 

[Finger66]

We do so because we are all passionate about LBA. We are all entitled to our opinion and it’s only natural that some things won’t agree to others. So yes let’s all keep posting in support of our Local Big Airport and have Loving Banter Always