2021 in Review

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Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 15 total)

  • DavidSmith2
    Participant

    Well I suppose that 2021 was a marginal upgrade on 2020 for some people, if not all. For me 2020 saw the return leg of a holiday at the beginning of January, and a 3-day trip to London in December. 2021 was definitely an improvement on that.

    3 return trips from Accra to London (two on the A350 and one on the 777-200). One trip from London to Tirana with BA and one from Exeter to the Isles of Scilly with Skybus.

    If I try to generalise, then the worry and effort of researching, then getting all the paperwork sorted in advance, and booking the tests etc. was more stressful than the actual flying experience. We were checked in successfully for all flights and, even if it took a little longer than usual, there were no unexpected surprises. Online apps, whether Verifly or the African Panabios were of little use at the cross-continental level so hard copies of all certificates, proofs of payment and vaccine cards were the best option.

    Masking up for a 7 hour flight is no fun, but if you take out the drinking and meal breaks, it’s bearable. Actual in-flight service is now back to ‘normal’, more or less, with BA at least (Club World and Club Europe). Lounges seemed to improve a little as the year went on, but I didn’t use them much anyway.

    So, many more miles than last year, many more COVID tests (all negative) and one proper holiday (in Cornwall). Let’s hope that 2022 brings further improvements!

    Wishing Tom, the BT team and forum contributors a very merry Christmas and a more travel-friendly 2022.


    ASK1945
    Participant

    [quote quote=1183165]Wishing Tom, the BT team and forum contributors a very merry Christmas and a more travel-friendly 2022.[/quote]

    The travel information supplied by the BT team – indeed by so many Forum members also – has been absolutely and astonishingly useful, not just for me but for the many other people I know to whom I was able to help, from time to time.

    Thank you all Forum contributors – and I wish you a Happy, Healthy and Successful 2022.

    8 users thanked author for this post.

    Montysaurus
    Participant

    Greetings to all.

    2 users thanked author for this post.

    AlanOrton1
    Participant

    A whopping 9 sectors this year, with the final one being today. (Am at LHR currently).

    VeriFLY, brilliant, extremely smooth check in for the 4 of us a few minutes ago, for our trip to the US.
    Quite nerve wracking in the days before with the test taking reduced to the day before.

    Wearing a mask overnight coming back from the US last month and trying to sleep about the only (first world) struggle.

    Marry Christmas and wishing all more enjoyable travels in 2022.

    2 users thanked author for this post.

    Tom Otley
    Keymaster

    Thank you, all of you, for being so thoughtful and engaged in a year – well, nearly two now, when it has been so difficult to be a business traveller.

    I am optimistic about next year, even allowing for the present situation and new strain. Terrorism changed the way we travel for ever, yet it didn’t stop travel, and eventually, some time in 2022, I hope we will all put this behind us as much as possible.

    As far as wishes for the New Year….

    I always wished that if Air Passenger Duty had to be charged, the money raised should go to environmental initiatives – it doesn’t, of course, it’s just a tax.

    Likewise, if we are going to keep paying for these tests – lateral flow, PCR – perhaps the profits made by the companies can be taxed at a higher rate with the extra revenue going to support the supply of vaccines to those parts of the world that are short of them ‘No one is safe until all is safe’ , and support to the families of those who have died…

    We are all in this together, so while we all have strong – and differing – options about the virus and the measures against it – I hope at Christmas we can wish one another well and enjoy the company of loved ones, wherever we are in the world.

    Thank you for all your contributions.
    Merry Christmas.
    Tom


    esselle
    Participant

    [postquote quote=1183822]

    Well said Tom!!

    BT has been a valuable friend during these difficult days. Although long retired, and therefore not technically a business traveler (although I was a fully paid up member for many decades!), I still love reading the articles and contributions to this forum.

    Best wishes to all and here’s to a more serene travel horizon in 2022.

    8 users thanked author for this post.

    PatJordan
    Participant

    Thank you Tom and all the Forum members for being a fountain of information and wise words over the past year. BT has been a rock during this time and as much as I enjoy (and appreciate) the forum, I really look forward to the magazine arriving in my postbox: a little normality in these strange times.

    I wish everybody a Happy and Safe Christmas & New Year.

    Pat

    9 users thanked author for this post.

    Inquisitive
    Participant

    I am all for vaccination and I am vaccinated.

    However as Tom and many highlighted before, a global common standard and acceptance is required to make the travel industry normal again.

    The drug companies need to reduce profit margins and make various drugs, tablets and test kits affordable. UN, USA and EU need to work together to press these companies. As long as the R&D cost is recovered, these companies need to reduce the profit margins.

    If the PCR or rapid antigen test is very accurate then just one test before the flight could be standard. At destination people shall be given option between another test or short quarantine.

    And what about UN or World court find the culprit from where this virus originated that killed millions of people and provide some justice?

    2 users thanked author for this post.

    stevescoots
    Participant

    A merry xmas and happy new year or if preferred happy holidays to my fellow posters and of course the admins here.
    Travel wise I have managed 12 sectors this year all UK to Vietnam transiting in HKG or maybe DOH. To be honest my memory, and notes are somewhat fuzzy as last year rolled into this I forget just how many flights booked, cancelled, changed!
    Things I rather forget. Certainly the 50+ covid tests!
    The entire months of June and July where I spent in effect 5 and a half weeks in quarantine in Saigon for nothing. 3 weeks scheduled in a pretty basic hotel then directive 16+ hit and they did not have manpower to process my release so ended up doing another 3 days. Then to my home there where I spent another week as the city was locked down so could not get to work…then got a call to say my building was being locked down as a positive case so bailed out in 10 mins to a city center hotel where I spent another 4 nights until I could get out of dodge. It could have been worse, I had 70+ staff stranded in factory for 2 months and at one point living of one pot of instant noodles for several days!

    3 users thanked author for this post.

    Poshgirl58
    Participant

    Merry Christmas to you all and thanks for providing very informative topics and the opportunity to discuss without causing offence!

    Hoping for some semblance of normality/stability in 2022….

    3 users thanked author for this post.

    LuganoPirate
    Participant

    Safe travels all and many more I hope in 2022.
    I only managed CPT-FRA-MXP in September and returned to S. Africa via JNB in November adding one local flight.

    Lots of trips hoped for, kicking off with Korea end February, then a road trip to Namibia, Botswana and Zambia.
    Several rail trips planned for Europe in May/June and hopefully will finally get to New Zealand end of the year.
    A few others in the pipeline being planned as well.

    But, and it’s a big BUT, not sure how many will actually be realized depending on the situation. Still, stay optimistic and fingers crossed!!!

    Have a wonderful Christmas everyone.

    4 users thanked author for this post.

    MartynSinclair
    Participant

    Happy Christmas all and here’s to a healthy 2022. I was lucky to travel in 2021, 13 sectors in total, 4 trips to Malta and 1 to BKK.

    My wish for 2022 is to know who to believe in terms of the reasons for the ongoing travel and travel restrictions and rules. Nothing highlights this confusion more than being able to socially distance walking through Suvarnabhumi Airport (mainly because there are very few flights and passengers) and then experiencing the ‘buzz’ of Doha airport which reminded me so much of transiting Hong Kong on my way back to London pre pandemic. Full lounges, all shops open, busy transit q’s.

    All I do know is we are all very keen to restart our normal full programme of international travel.

    I am sure this and more will be revealed over the coming weeks and months….

    Thank you… to Tom and his team for running the Forum and to the many people who contribute and have assisted to make our travels, smooth, efficient, cost effective and enjoyable.

    Roll on a HEALTHY 2022…

    8 users thanked author for this post.

    esselle
    Participant

    Hopefully a trip to Melbourne early in 2022 to see our eldest daughter, not seen since 2019.

    3 users thanked author for this post.

    DavidSmith2
    Participant

    I’ve certainly taken a ‘positive’ approach to Plan A for 2022. Over the last couple of days I have planned four trips from Accra to London (two trips already booked), plus trips from the UK to Slovenia and UK to Toulouse for holidays and family visits (all flights also booked). Also a train trip up north to show Mrs S the Yorkshire dales.

    That is before any decision is taken on whether business trips will be permitted at some point.

    The first trip isn’t until Easter though, so plenty of time for things to change in a whole number of directions. Let’s hope the changes are largely in the right direction though, particularly when it comes to family reunions and meet-ups which I know many of us have been waiting for since this nightmare began.

    In the meantime, I think we’ll hunker down this evening with a bottle of merlot and Jools’ Annual Hootenanny. Happy New Year to all.

    2 users thanked author for this post.

    AllOverTheGaff
    Participant

    I managed to squeeze in some travel as outlined below.

    I spent all of Lockdown II in Rio de Janeiro flying with KLM on their terrific 787 in November of 2020 returning same way in May of ’21. I have nothing but good things to say about KLM and their handling of my repeated changing of return flight, all-in-all it was changed 6 times, cost me a little bit of money but a damn sight cheaper than rebooking all. Oh, Schiphol airport is great. I more-or-less always have to connect living in the Great White North of Scotland and find Schiphol probably the best organised airport I fly through. Conversely, Mexico City Airport I found a dire experience all times I had to fly through there.

    Back to Mexico in October with BA in 1st class, it was good. Not great, but good. Then from Mexico to Sao Paulo on LATAM and a hateful old 767 where the flight-attendant expected me to pull my mask down to sip wine then put it back on again. I don’t know why I fly LATAM, it is awful every time.

    Best flight by far was GRU – DXB via DOH in the Q Suite aboard the fabulous A350-1000. This product would rival a lot of 1st class and is by some margin the best business class I have flown. A long-old-flight at around 15 hours but a real joy and the 1st lounge in DOH is tremendous. I had the option of flying direct with EK but at over £1K less I thought I’d give Qatar a go, had to cancel return leg and they refunded no-fuss all done online.

    Then DXB to LHR / ABZ with BA in their new Club Suite. It was ok but nothing remarkable. Was V late and I had to sprint onto the train at LHR to connect at A gates, a real hassle but thankfully my ABZ flight was also late. The layout on non-ying-yang is a lot better of course but the overall experience is light-years behind Qatar.

    4 users thanked author for this post.
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