Canaries at xmas

Jaco70

Can somebody please clear up a few things regarding a holiday we have booked for Xmas. It is to Gran Canaria, we booked just before lockdown, paid on a credit card, but it isn’t a package. We did it through a website called opodo and the flights are with Ryanair and the hotel accommodation direct with the hotel company. There are no transfers included.
Will we be entitled to a refund if quarantine restrictions are in place by then (I run a small business and so 14 extra days off work is a non starter), or is there an option to take a test on our return and then if (almost certainly when) it’s negative, crack on regardless?

eskbanker

Separate non-packaged bookings like this won't qualify for refunds if the flights operate and the hotel is open (assuming you didn't book on a refundable tariff?), so in those circumstances you'd need to see if your travel insurance would cover you if you choose not to go ahead.  Some hotel companies may be amenable to negotiating a rebooking to a later date but Ryanair aren't renowned for such generosity.

Obviously nobody knows at this range what the situation will be at Christmas time regarding testing regimes and quarantining....

[Deleted User]

Christmas Jaco70?   People don't know what they are doing next week never mind in December.   Think you need to forget about it until nearer the time t.b.h.  

Generally if the flights are cancelled at the time you want to go then you should get a refund.  Same with hotel.  Any UK quarantine restrictions, in place, will not normally entitle you to a refund unless you have insurance in place which covers you for FCO advice against travelling.

Answer to your question about quarantine as it stands is no!  You wouldn't be able to take a test to see if you have covid on arrival back because it can take up to 14 days to incubate (debate as to whether it can be longer but...), which is the reason you have to quarantine for 14 days.   Testing negative on arrival doesn't mean you can't develop symptoms a few days down the line.

Jaco70

Tedber said:

Christmas Jaco70?   People don't know what they are doing next week never mind in December.   Think you need to forget about it until nearer the time t.b.h.  

Generally if the flights are cancelled at the time you want to go then you should get a refund.  Same with hotel.  Any UK quarantine restrictions, in place, will not normally entitle you to a refund unless you have insurance in place which covers you for FCO advice against travelling.

Answer to your question about quarantine as it stands is no!  You wouldn't be able to take a test to see if you have covid on arrival back because it can take up to 14 days to incubate (debate as to whether it can be longer but...), which is the reason you have to quarantine for 14 days.   Testing negative on arrival doesn't mean you can't develop symptoms a few days down the line.

Oh well, all bad news as I expected. I think it’s wrong that refunds aren’t mandatory when fourteen day quarantine regs are imposed. I’ve never taken 14 days holiday, let alone 21, in my working life. It takes enough effort to get away for seven. Choosing not to go on hols isn’t really a choice at all for many people. I can’t work from home under any circumstances. 

Personally I’d ignore it, but busybodies always know you been away and can’t wait to cause aggro for you, so it makes it difficult. 

Just have to see how it pans out.

mattyprice4004

I wouldn't worry about it just yet - the picture 4 months ago was incredibly different to that of today, and in 4 months it'll be very different again. 

Unfortunately while you think it's wrong, in reality it'd cause untold hardship to airlines and travel companies if they suddenly had to pay out millions for an issue that's not of their making - the quarantine isn't their decision, so they shouldn't be on the hook for your flights if the Government advice changes.

Luckily there are people checking that people are actually at home (calling and asking them to turn on a random channel on the TV to verify they're in etc) and not disobeying quarantine - the irony is people ignoring it like you propose to will only make this drag on longer, and put more people in your very situation in the future. 
They're not 'busybodies', they're normal people like you and I who just want life to go back to normal ASAP - and want everyone to follow the rules. 
Not to mention imagine how it would look if people found out the owner of your business was ignoring the quarantine rules, despite your posts on previous threads showing you clearly understand incubation times etc, so it's purely a case of putting profit before other people's health. 

sheramber

 You might contract the virus there and be unable to return. 
Personally I’d ignore it,  Just like the footballers in Aberdeen did and look where that led.   That attitude will  see the virus be around for longer and more restrictions being out in place.
Choosing not to go on hols isn’t really a choice at all for many people.  Many hundreds of people have had to choose not to go on holiday for many reasons. Nobody HAS to go holiday abroad. Have a staycation instead.

Neil49

Heathrow is currently trialling 20 second Covid tests to overcome travel issues so who knows what the situation will be by the time you intend to travel.

Forget about it for now as the situation changes by the day. 

Jaco70

sheramber said:

 You might contract the virus there and be unable to return. 
Personally I’d ignore it,  Just like the footballers in Aberdeen did and look where that led.   That attitude will  see the virus be around for longer and more restrictions being out in place.
Choosing not to go on hols isn’t really a choice at all for many people.  Many hundreds of people have had to choose not to go on holiday for many reasons. Nobody HAS to go holiday abroad. Have a staycation instead.

I love staycations, unfortunately I booked the Canaries before lockdown and before I realised the virus would come to anything. Plenty of people are experts in hindsight (I don’t mean you, but there are plenty), but I haven’t forgotten previous scares (SARS, MERS etc) where worldwide doom was predicted and then came to precisely !!!!!! all. I’m an optimist and anticipated the same outcome this time. It wasn’t to be, although I think our reaction has been out of proportion, disastrous, embarrassing, but that’s just a personal opinion. When I die of something eventually, I don’t expect it to be recorded as a hay fever death, even though I will die ‘WITH’ it, but that seems to be the way we record deaths now. 

Jaco70

mattyprice4004 said:

I wouldn't worry about it just yet - the picture 4 months ago was incredibly different to that of today, and in 4 months it'll be very different again. 

Unfortunately while you think it's wrong, in reality it'd cause untold hardship to airlines and travel companies if they suddenly had to pay out millions for an issue that's not of their making - the quarantine isn't their decision, so they shouldn't be on the hook for your flights if the Government advice changes.

Luckily there are people checking that people are actually at home (calling and asking them to turn on a random channel on the TV to verify they're in etc) and not disobeying quarantine - the irony is people ignoring it like you propose to will only make this drag on longer, and put more people in your very situation in the future. 
They're not 'busybodies', they're normal people like you and I who just want life to go back to normal ASAP - and want everyone to follow the rules. 
Not to mention imagine how it would look if people found out the owner of your business was ignoring the quarantine rules, despite your posts on previous threads showing you clearly understand incubation times etc, so it's purely a case of putting profit before other people's health. 

You misunderstood me about compensation. I don’t think the burden should fall on airlines, hotel companies etc. Not at all. It should be government compensation, as they make the quarantine rules. They’ve been incredibly generous in other areas, finding money I never thought possible, and I booked my holiday before lockdown and therefore didn’t realise I was risking anything. I agree it’s different if you booked a holiday last week. We would have happily headed to Cornwall for Xmas rather than risk our holiday/money.
There are plenty of busybodies, so we’ll have to disagree on that, and I can’t be as pious as some when it comes to protecting public health. It’s a numbers game, like almost everything else in life, and the virus is another threat to health, not the ONLY threat to health. I understand people have died in road accidents in the past, but personally I wouldn’t be in favour of banning motor vehicles to eliminate this threat. Nothing makes me roll my eyes more than the ‘if it saves one life’ brigade. If it saves one life, that’s not enough lives. Simples.

I know that the thought that making a profit is important feels unsavoury to some, but let’s get real. And let’s get back to living this short life we’re given.
Stay well.

Thrugelmir

Jaco70 said:

mattyprice4004 said:

I wouldn't worry about it just yet - the picture 4 months ago was incredibly different to that of today, and in 4 months it'll be very different again. 

Unfortunately while you think it's wrong, in reality it'd cause untold hardship to airlines and travel companies if they suddenly had to pay out millions for an issue that's not of their making - the quarantine isn't their decision, so they shouldn't be on the hook for your flights if the Government advice changes.

Luckily there are people checking that people are actually at home (calling and asking them to turn on a random channel on the TV to verify they're in etc) and not disobeying quarantine - the irony is people ignoring it like you propose to will only make this drag on longer, and put more people in your very situation in the future. 
They're not 'busybodies', they're normal people like you and I who just want life to go back to normal ASAP - and want everyone to follow the rules. 
Not to mention imagine how it would look if people found out the owner of your business was ignoring the quarantine rules, despite your posts on previous threads showing you clearly understand incubation times etc, so it's purely a case of putting profit before other people's health. 

 It should be government compensation

I think you'll find that the majority of taxpayers will disagree with that notion. As it is they that foot the bill. Particularly those that cannot even afford to even take a holiday. Since when was foreign travel an entitlement and a right? 

Jaco70

Thrugelmir said:

Jaco70 said:

mattyprice4004 said:

I wouldn't worry about it just yet - the picture 4 months ago was incredibly different to that of today, and in 4 months it'll be very different again. 

Unfortunately while you think it's wrong, in reality it'd cause untold hardship to airlines and travel companies if they suddenly had to pay out millions for an issue that's not of their making - the quarantine isn't their decision, so they shouldn't be on the hook for your flights if the Government advice changes.

Luckily there are people checking that people are actually at home (calling and asking them to turn on a random channel on the TV to verify they're in etc) and not disobeying quarantine - the irony is people ignoring it like you propose to will only make this drag on longer, and put more people in your very situation in the future. 
They're not 'busybodies', they're normal people like you and I who just want life to go back to normal ASAP - and want everyone to follow the rules. 
Not to mention imagine how it would look if people found out the owner of your business was ignoring the quarantine rules, despite your posts on previous threads showing you clearly understand incubation times etc, so it's purely a case of putting profit before other people's health. 

 It should be government compensation

I think you'll find that the majority of taxpayers will disagree with that notion. As it is they that foot the bill. Particularly those that cannot even afford to even take a holiday. Since when was foreign travel an entitlement and a right? 

Thanks for that, although I am aware how tax works. I won’t bother to say any more, as I feel you clearly didn’t actually read my previous post.
Stay well.