The world of travel is pretty difficult to navigate at the moment. Obviously we are not allowed to go anywhere at the moment except for essential travel. However, given that Matt Hancock said last week that there is a chance we may be able to travel in July, what are the government’s plans and what do we need to know before travelling?
In this post:
What does the UK government have planned?
To describe the government’s approach to travel and aviation as shambolic in the crisis would be being kind in my opinion. When every other country shut their borders, we left ours wide open with not even a health questionnaire or temperature check insight. Now that things are gradually starting to return to normal, they decide to implement a 14-day quarantine that many have called unenforceable and ill-advised. As well as being far, far too late, it is in danger of decimating the aviation and tourism industry even further. Large groups of travel companies are lobbying the government and it does appear that they are listening.
Airport measures and UK quarantine
The government finally seems to be trying to enable a return to travel and have called in management consultants from KPMG to advise on appropriate airport safety measures according to The Telegraph. KPMG are considering whether we should have mandatory face masks, testing or temperature checks at airports. Most are implementing these types of initiatives anyway but they have been calling for a unified approach from the government, or ideally Europe or worldwide standards.
These new measures would be introduced on 8 June along with the start of the 14-day quarantine for arrivals. They are even considering the use of a 20 minute COVID test as an alternative to quarantine. Sadly there is no simple answer, even a test is not conclusive as you don’t show as positive immediately after contracting the virus and the quick tests have had issues with reliability. Emirates recently withdrew their tests from Dubai airport for that reason.
The good news is that the government is working hard to establish air bridges with other countries and these are due to be finalised by 15 June. They were purported to be in discussions with Portugal already. However, given the high rate of infection still in the UK, they may have an uphill battle with this.
The 14-day quarantine measures are due to be reviewed every three weeks and I predict that they won’t last much beyond the first review in their current form. Hopefully, there will be enough air bridges formed that UK residents can travel to relatively safe countries and not have to quarantine on arrival home.
What to consider before booking or travelling
Choice of airline
I wrote recently about the standard of what is being served in business and first class as many airlines have downgraded catering, shut lounges and facilities. Make sure you know what you are getting. We are hoping for more clarification from BA this week but I would expect most airlines to start making medium-term plans for service onboard as we return to flying over the next few months.
Foreign Office advice
At the moment the FCO advice is
As countries respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, including travel and border restrictions, the FCO advises British nationals against all but essential international travel. Any country or area may restrict travel without notice. If you live in the UK and are currently travelling abroad, you are strongly advised to return now, where and while there are still commercial routes available. Many airlines are suspending flights and many airports are closing, preventing flights from leaving.
I predict that this will change over the next 2 months into a more country-specific warning. If they ease lockdown further on 4 July as expected, I would expect the advice to change by then, if not before with the announcement of air bridges.
If you want to find out the official FCO advice for specific countries you can find it here.
This brings us onto…
Travel Insurance
This is the biggest hurdle to travel currently. You should have travel insurance in place from when you book travel. If you don’t have a policy through a credit card or bank, it can be worth taking out an annual policy. These can start for as little as £45. With an annual policy, you are more protected if things change rather than taking out a new one everytime.
Most travel policies will not cover you if you travel against FCO advice. So make sure even when the UK allows travel, that the country you wish to travel to is OK on the FCO website.
If you already have a travel insurance policy or buy a new one and the FCO have said it is OK to travel, you still need to check that you are covered if you fall ill with COVID-19. Again, many policies will not currently cover this. I would expect this to change as pandemic levels fall. In the EU make sure you have an EHIC card – you are still covered for free emergency treatment until the end of the year. Many hospitals (as I know from personal experience) will ask to see it even in the ambulance or you will have to give them a credit card.
Country entry requirements
Some countries like Australia and New Zealand are requiring a national passport before you can even book, but other countries like the US are more complex.
The best resource I have found is the IATA page here. This has an interactive map that when you click on the country, will show you the latest restrictions. They normally update within 24 hours of any changes. The darker the colour the more restrictive the country. This could also be a handy tool deciding where to go when borders do start to reopen.
The chart also brings home the ridiculousness of the UK situation, other than Mexico and Serbia we are pretty much the only country with no entry restrictions due to COVID. But now as things improve we decide to implement a blanket one!
You should also remember to check e-visa such as your US ESTA even if you are sure it is still in date. There were a number of people that ended up with issues with their ESTA due to being listed on a flight to the US after restrictions came in. The best thing to do is to check your ESTA online here.
Check your other documents
The Passport Office are asking for people to only submit renewals for essential travel and compassionate reasons due to coronavirus. If it looks like your passport will expire before you travel again, get everything together now. I expect a huge backlog when they open, so be ready to submit yours as soon as they allow it. You can check the official statement on the page here.
Staying safe
When choosing which country to travel to you may want to check what EASA thinks of your destination. The European Aviation Safety Agency has a useful list of airports in regions where it considers there to be a higher risk of COVID-19.
Most airlines are requiring that passengers wear masks onboard and in the airport. Some provide them but not all. Either way, you will probably want to bring your own so you know it is comfortable. Make sure you bring enough for the length of the journey. You will also want to bring hand gel and wipes that are effective against coronavirus.
Refunds and vouchers
As the world returns to travel again, I predict that policies with existing bookings will tighten up. Currently, most airlines allow you to cancel your trip for a voucher even if the flight is still going. I predict that airlines will allow flexibility for new forward bookings to stimulate demand, but I expect that to be reduced as time goes on. For existing bookings, if the FCO says it is safe to travel and there are no restrictions at the destination, I can see airlines being a lot tougher if passengers don’t want to travel.
Tomorrow I will put together an update of all the countries that have indicated potential or definite opening dates. In the meantime, if you want some more to read:
If you enjoyed my article on air traffic control last week, here is a more general look:
The Most Stressful Job In The World? What it’s Really Like To Be An Air Traffic Controller
An air traffic controller stares in confusion at his screen, while his colleagues start shouting instructions at him and running over to watch the unfolding situation. Just another day for an air traffic controller in what is called the most stressful job in the world?
If you have ever considered a private jet (I’ll be doing a more UK focussed and in-depth look this week)
Are Private Jets The New Business Or First Class? How To Fly One For Less
With future air travel looking less and less pleasurable during the crisis, people are looking for alternatives. For those used to flying in business or first class, private jets may be the answer as a temporary measure.
4 comments
Very useful Michele, depressing though. You might remember, I got stuck in Oz (having travelled out in January) and got back a week ago courtesy of Qatar Airways. As an ex travel industry exec for thirty plus years, I’ve been lucky enough to travel the world. Imagine feeling frightened to return to your own country but that’s exactly how we felt. When we left, 101 people had died in Australia whilst tragically we were approaching 40,000 here. I watched as flights from hotspots such as NYC, TEH, Italy, Spain and elsewhere continued to fly into London, admittedly with reduced frequency and continue to do so. My own wanderlust has completely evaporated and I am so angry that we haven’t had the sense to lock down our borders at any point. Nor have I any confidence that any quarantine will be followed up by a knock on the door by an official to verify that someone is in fact in a designated place and fine them heavily if they are not. In Oz, a visit and a heavy fine was a given. Our amazing travel industry and the people who work in it has suffered irreparable damage just because we failed to follow basic protocols and I just hope we have learned lessons for the future. What a mess.
Agreed Doc. We’ve done too little too late in the UK and paid a terrible toll in terms of lives lost and and a shattered economy.
Insurance is the big worry as all previously booked trip were cancelled so everything counts as a new booking. Only found Staysure for an annual policy but they only cover covid medical repatriation.
Yes, it will be very interesting to see what happens with insurance. I’m lucky I took out an annual policy just before it started so I am covered. But at some point insurers will have to start being more lenient with countries where levels are low. Otherwise, nobody can or will travel and then nobody takes insurance and then they have effectively put themselves out of business.
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