[stevescoots]

I have been in Saigon the past 2 weeks and surprised how things have changed in that time. When I arrived it was eerily quiet on the streets. Now however it’s pretty much back to business as usual. Very few wear any masks, everywhere is open. I would say apart from reduced tourist from affected areas there is almost no impact at all.
As for myself I have had to stop going over to China for the time being. Not because I worry about the virus, but I really cannot take 2 weeks out sat in quarantine in HK or not being allowed into Vietnam for 2 weeks. Until those rules change I am controlling things there remotely. I usually book my flight on a month by month basis, this year I decided to book up to June, big mistake. My cx schedules have all been changed as has my Avios burn run on BA. Not really any inconvenience compared to what is happening operationally in Asia. My residence Visa is due for renewal in China in April, if I cannot get back in to do it then it will need to be done in UK which I really do not want to do as it would be classified as a complete new application. The way that the China immigration has been since the HK protests, I doubt I would get away with getting a business visa to get in to then renew my residence, knowing how dogmatic they are at the border. Add to that then my passport will then get low on pages meaning a new one, which will then mean having to do my Vietnam residence again (unlike china you must transfer it over) 1st world problems I know

1 user thanked author for this post.

TupeloKid

[K1ngston]

[postquote quote=991385][/postquote]

So what is your point Swissdiver? according to the report the 11 or 12 Israelis were taken away in an Ambulance to hospitals for checks and it was decided not to let the Koreans into the country, I dont see that as segregation on a race level, I see that as totally practical and as a country populated by people who all have ancestors that were segregated in the past some would find your comments distasteful …

It seems that the Israelis were looking out for their own, and after the events of this weekend where the next biggest epicentre of the virus in Asia is Korea maybe they were justified and just didn’t want the cost and inconvenience of quarantining a whole plane

[MarcusGB]

Thanks to all for their contributions, which demonstrates the benefits of The BT Forum. Information is useful from people around The World.

In Australia, there has been a sharp Government response, which has protected this large continent, but the impact is clearly now obvious in dramatic downturns in Tourism, Local Business, The Airlines reductions in services.
The Federal and State Governments are already preparing for the effect on GDP, Nationally there was to be a surplus, which is now unsure.
Complete Restrictions to those travelling from China, their own citizens were repatriated quickly but with a 2 week isolation either on Christmas Island, or Darwin, where a former Mining camp accommodation has been re-opened.
Considerations of adding Seoul and Italy were being made in recent days.
Over 100,000 students from China, have not been able to travel into the Country to start their University Courses. The ban is being extended week by week by a Special Government Group.
Australia being a vast Island, in itself offers some protecting as also isolated, so you would have to arrive by Air or Sea.

Many Airlines are cutting back flights due to lack of demand into Australia, even Singapore Airlines, and Virgin Australia & Air NZ to Hong Kong also.
The areas of the major cities have a distinct absence of tourists, and many hotels are running low on capacity.
Cabin crew are wearing face masks, which seems rather strange on a flight, and impairs communication being unable to see people talking and even then a muffled sound.
As outlined before, these masks are generally ineffective for more than some minutes, and people have to lower them to eat, drink speak, some wearing them uncomfortably with their nose out! However, we must consider crews are very exposed in their work situations, and even if pretty ineffective, wish to take some precautions.

As much concern would be your hair, face ears, hands, so unless we all wear Medicalised hoods and suits as Health Care Professionals are. What of our clothes?
Masks have sold out, and in Asia peoples were selling them on the streets for up to equivalent of $100 each, i heard from friends and colleagues around different cities.

In The Far East, certainly KL and BKK see a reduction in hotel capacity, with many cancellations.
Clearly a huge impact is being spread across Asia, which if you travel down towards the Pacific, you need to change or stopover also, so this is an impairment to travel down under.

It is worrying that Italy has been hit so hard, the last i heard was that a trace of why had not been found. Within the EU, with border free travel, unless an island, this is going to be a problem. In that respect, the UK has some advantage, being an Island.

Sadly, this issue will be one of the most prominent in recent years that is going to affect our Travels, especially World Class Airlines, such as Cathay with over 35% of flights cut and more being added. (Of course with HKG, there has been some time the Civil unrest also).
Governments are already trying to compensate their economies and wind down their GDP forecasts and budgets.
It is affecting not only travel, as pointed out above, but many local Businesses relating to tourism or visitors to countries, and will become even more far reaching.
It has reached The Middle East now also, as well as SE / NE Asia more prominently.
Meetings, conferences are being cancelled Worldwide, group travel appears dropped, and the Cruise ship Business, may well turn out to take a major hit also.
It is worrying that Italy has become a European Centre

I wonder if other BT Readers, will be reconsidering their travels ahead, as this situation remains unpredictable, growing, not yet reached a peak.
No sure information on its treatments, containment, and not a hold yet on its Management, Worldwide, it is an ever changing situation.
Clearly it will be affecting very broadly and every aspect of travel for some time, and Businesses internationally, small businesses within countries, with less people mobile Worldwide.

I certainly will be suspending mine until the peak, and clearer Management is established, and be guided by the WHO, who are stating this may become a Pandemic.
This is a very serious Worldwide Situation, and already is impacting travel in every aspect.

[SimonS1]

My work is India, ME, Africa – I haven’t changed plans at all or had any clients cancel meetings.

I do think there is a lack of awareness and knowledge and of course the media love a good crisis. Yes it is serious, but the world will not end. I cam through Dubai airport twice over the weekend – no measures at all. In Mumbai the immigration officer asked if I had visited China but otherwise – nothing, and in fact I noticed posters about Zika were still there too.

The vast majority of preventative measures will make no difference, you can stop the flow of people but it only takes one or two to get through the net or have delayed symptoms and new clusters appear – Iran, Italy, Korea etc. In fact it’s a surprise to me that it hasn’t spread faster given the volume of people heading through hubs like Dubai.

The UK quarantine model on the Wirral works OK with a handful of cases, if infections appeared in any volumes it would not cope.

I see a lot of people wandering around in facemasks, however most doctors will tell you that in 95% of cases this will do nothing to prevent the spread at all. Poor education is rife, with some really odd stories here like the numpty over on FT complaining that BA crew on a flight to HK refused to wear masks when he/she asked!!

My gut feel is we will need to ride this out until a solution appears be it warmer temperatures, a vaccine or something similar. At some stage things must start to normalise, or there will be serious failures in businesses and transport companies.

2 users thanked author for this post.

MarcusGB, cwoodward

[K1ngston]

[postquote quote=991423][/postquote]

So I agree with your final sentiments SimonS1 there has to be a normalisation at some point. In the meantime we will have to ride out the storm, its a pleasure to travel at the moment in Asia and immigration is a “nice” place to be ….

[Swissdiver]

[postquote quote=991414][/postquote]

Sorry, K1ngston, you find this “distasteful”. It is factual I am afraid.

[Swissdiver]

Currently in Sri Lanka. I flew via AUH. Normally the last leg (4ish hours) on Sri Lankan should have been on a A320. But the airline moved its A330 normally used on the Chinese routes to AUH. And the flight was packed (on a Friday night). Interestingly the crew members wore masks, as some people do here.
On a side note, the authorities take temperatures even in front of the WTC building which ads up to the fear of some, in a country that was only very mildly affected in January.

[capetonianm]

I see nothing ‘distasteful’ in a nation looking after its own people before others, in fact it’s an example others might do well to follow, and it seems pragmatic and fair and a sensible step to take in avoiding further potential spread of the virus.

Unfortunately in these times everyone is fast to jump on ‘prejudice’, ‘racism’, and ‘segregation’ and to look for reasons to be offended.

I am no lover or defender of the Israeli regime, but in this I consider them to be 100% correct.

1 user thanked author for this post.

TupeloKid

[MarcusGB]

Indeed the contributions of many on the BT forum, show their benefit as we can contribute from many parts of the World we experience.
This is very useful for subjects such as this as it is a fast moving developing situation.

Having been in Australia for some weeks, and travelling via Asia, i can certainly reflect the news, Governments actions and what i see travelling, and in the cities, hotels, and airports. Coverage is probably more in depth than in Europe when in the region here.

It has been clear in Australia that strict restrictions, especially from China, have had a managing effect. Quarantine when Australians have been repatriated on the Qantas 747, has been either on Christmas Island, or a former Mining camp residence in Darwin.
However, their is also discussion of restrictions now from S Korea, and Italy’s outbreak.
The impact has been clear around the cities, with much less tourism being taken up, 16% of all visitors being Chinese, who spend more than others.
Over 100,000 students for Universities in Australia, were unable to gain entry to the country with a complete ban on travel from China, unless you showing you have been out of there for 14 days prior to entry.
The State and Federal Governments, are expecting budget surpluses to be wiped out.

This means hotels, and restaurants, leisure activities, and many small businesses are feeling the impact, not great after the Bush fires, and subsequent floods.
Hotels and Tourism as well as Airlines are clearly showing less demand, and several Airlines are cutting flights down to Australia.
These add to Cathay reducing over 35% of overall flights Company wide, and Virgin Australia ceasing flights to Hong Kong, (also taking into account the civil unrest recently).
Many conferences and groups around The World are being cancelled, as are Business & Leisure trips.
In Asia, even travelling out end of January, Kuala Lumpur was very quiet, and remains so, inter Asian travel is lessening considerably.
Today it is emerging on the stock markets Worldwide, with considerable % values lost.
These impacts are now being measured in Economics of whole countries, with still no stable information on this health Emergency

The WHO are assuming this may well turn into a Pandemic, and that we should be aware of this.
On return to the UK, i will certainly be suspending travels for the coming months, especially long haul, as all aspects of this remain unpredictable and uncertain, and currently not reached a peak. We have yet to see a Management of this Worldwide.

No Borders in the EU, is a distinct disadvantage, when countries are connected, where-as Islands such as Australia and the UK, may well have advantages, with limited abilities of transiting into a country. Controls can be more easily imposed.

Most areas mentioned have run out of “Face Masks” that provide little if any protection. these are being sold on the streets, for excessive amounts in Asia i understand in many countries, but running out.
Cabin crews are also wearing these masks on flights to and from Australia and within Asia, which is quite off putting. It is difficult to hear or see muffled sounds or people speaking to you on board.
However, i have understanding that being exposed in your work place on aircraft, if it makes them feel some caution, then they must have the right to do so.

More than ever, i think the use of alco-gel is important when we are travelling, as is the thorough washing of hands.
Studies have shown we can be touching our faces up to 200+ times per hour!
Think of the thousands of people going through Security and your contact with the boxes, as with door handles and many places around an airport?
Avoidance of the hubs of this virus now appearing in Seoul, parts of Italy, Tenerife are emerging, but this will also impact Airlines of those countries.
Bare in mind, if we do travel to these centres, Other Countries may not allow us back through or in, without quarantine, as in Australia.

This remains unpredictable, fast moving, and unlike previous similar health issues, has not yet reached its peak, no set knowledge of its management, and increases only in sight at this time.
It already is, but certainly will have a major impact Worldwide on all aspects of travel, and it is up to us as individuals to take cautious decisions on where we go in these uncertain times. Daily changes make this a very serious matter to take into account for all of us, and extra precautions of hygiene as much as possible.

Are other BT Forum members reviewing their travel going forwards or at this time?

1 user thanked author for this post.

AMcWhirter

[TominScotland]

MarcusGB, thanks for this wide-ranging commentary. It certainly looks as if the hopes of some Forum members that this virus will have disappeared in a few weeks may be misplaced.

Between now and the end of June, I have 3 trips scheduled to SE Asia (Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia) and three to the Gulf (Dubai, Oman and Bahrain). As things stand, I have no problem with travelling to any of these locations but whether I do or not will be decided on the basis of advice from the FCO and our insurers.

1 user thanked author for this post.

MarcusGB

[capetonianm]

Short answer, no, this makes no difference to me, although for the time being it’s hypothetical.

My long haul travel plans have been scuppered for other reasons (medical), unfortunately. My intended travel would not have taken me anywhere near or via the Middle or Far East, so I don’t think that the Coronavirus outbreak would have made any difference to my plans.

I would possibly have taken greater precautions to avoid crowded places, although I do this anyway as I have a horror of crowds and being surrounded by people. I would probably be more assiduous about frequent hand washing and wiping down surfaces that other people might have touched, and I would definitely only travel business class, although that is the norm anyway. I know I’d still be breathing the same air as everyone else, but at least I would be further away from the next nearest person coughing and breathing over me. I would probably use face masks although that’s probably pointless. At least now that so many people are using them I wouldn’t be so self-conscious.

[MartynSinclair]

I have cut out one trip to BKK and plan to go next in July. What does amaze me though is trying to book for July, the flights are already filling up and in the case of BA (even via HKG) the cost has not come down… demand must still be there…

My next destination is a more sedate Malta (well as of today it is)…

1 user thanked author for this post.

TupeloKid

[SimonS1]

So tonight’s developments are a hotel in Tenerife in lockdown after an Italian guest was positive.

Also the Deputy Health Minister of Iran found positive after snivelling his way through a press conference.

All unwinding fast really.

[Swissdiver]

Is the focus on Asia travel adapted when we have now many cases in Europe? Bear with me: Balanced judgement should prevail in the current over reaction environment. But we cannot just focus on travel to Asia… And I am writing these lines from Sri Lanka.

[MarcusGB]

TO or Alex, would you please take down the first 2 of my recent posts???
My apologia , but when written they disappeared when uploaded, not added to the forummand only now i see them written 3 times!
Perhaps we can just keep the last. This one also then!!!
Sorry all…

[Author]

Posts