[LuganoPirate]

[postquote quote=1006821][/postquote]

I believe Nigeria has just opened and Namibia is scheduled to do so on September 18th.

[SimonS1]

[quote quote=1006833]Also worth noting that many other African countries have opened with testing requirements: this + 1m or more jobs lost in SA will put a lot of pressure on the government to open in some capacity[/quote]

Indeed, the pressure on the economy must be ratcheting up, bearing in mind pre-existing issues like load shedding and SAA.

Sadly most people I know wouldn’t trust the current government to open up a crisp packet let alone open up the country. Unless there is some ‘cut’ to be taken….

Good cartoon in today’s Biz News.

6 users thanked author for this post.

AnthonyDunn, LuganoPirate, cwoodward, Jacob, fatbear, J_Pathmore

[FaroFlyer]

In January I made a China trip, including Wuhan and Shenzhen. In February I visited a trade show in Amsterdam, and the return to Portugal on 12 Feb was my last flight.

For the first 2 months I was re-arranging bookings to attend trade shows in F’furt in March & April, meeting in Zurich, trip to Italy then family visits to UK in May and July, for a wedding, plus a cruise in June, and a long weekend in southern France in September. All cancelled successfully, and with little financial loss, except for a train from ZRH to FRA. Also now cancelled is a trade show in the UK in September and another in Las Vegas in October. Should have been going back to China in September but now do not expect to visit in 2020. Have cancelled a cruise from Brasil to Argentina in January 2021 and received a refund of Avios within minutes, and ~ €1,000 fees within 7 days. Even Oceania, the cruise company, fully refunded the deposit, although the cruise is still scheduled to go ahead.

Generally very lucky with airline & car hire refunds as all have now been refunded. Even Ryanair have now processed refunds, and easyJet were fastest with 3 days for September cancellation. TP & LH needed an Amex temporary charge-back, although LH subsequently credited. TP became a permanent charge-back. Amex disappointed me with their attitude to Ryanair charge-backs saying that a voucher was within their merchant Ts & Cs so tough to me. Since then Ryanair have given refunds for all bookings. BA were quick with a couple, but are slow with an October booking using money plus Avios.

Have I missed travelling? Yes, very much so for the first 2 or 3 months. Probably compensated for by the refund challenges. I wonder if a big part of my enjoyment of travel has been the challenge of optimising visits to multiple customers in the same country, and finding the best deals for visiting trade shows, and best rates at hotels. By mid May I realised that I was not missing travel as much as I thought. By mid July I realised that I do not really miss travelling much. I miss long haul, but not short haul. Maybe that is because long haul is normally in business, and short haul is not.

I also miss some hotels. The exec lounge in Hilton Nanhai, Shenzhen, and also Hilton F’furt City and Barcelona Diagonal.

For the future I can see my travelling being significantly reduced to attending maybe 4 trade shows a year, instead of 8, and that is if trade shows ever come back. China trips will probably reduce from 3 to 1 a year.

Next trip will be to the UK, if Doris can ever get his act together and make his mind up where / what is safe. We haven’t seen the kids or grandchildren for many months, although Skype, Face-Time and Zoom compensate. No business trips are planned for 2020 but have one pencilled in for February in Barcelona and another in April in F’furt.

The biggest lesson that I have learned is to not book flights or hotels in advance as travel, or the reason to travel, is so uncertain. We have been very lucky with 2 cruise cancellations and also a USA trade show in October. Historically I have returned from a trade show and immediately booked flights and hotels for the next year. Not aagain.

For the future it will be flexible hotels, and last minute flights.

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PatJordan

[esselle]

I am long retired, so no need to travel for business, although I made on average two flights a week, every week, for about 26 years when I was working.

Our last flight was QF/AF in first coming back from Melbourne in December having spent three weeks with our eldest daughter. Since then we have had to cancel a lot of trips, which is frustrating.

The bigger frustration is not being able to plan anything with any degree of certainty; lots of time on our hands, lots of ideas as to what we would like to do, but no confidence that anything we do book will be operating.

SQ are offering some amazing deals to MEL in Suites/First for next February; anybody’s guess………….

[fatbear]

I don’t miss short haul business travel. The virus forced us to cancel planned breaks to St Barths, Israel and Helsinki. We are planning a trip to St Barths ( via Antigua ) in October if we can find somewhere that can perfrom the PCR test within 72 hours ( not that I am looking forward to that test ! )

[K1ngston]

I think the OP mentioned that it is easing up to travel throughout Asia, well I am here to tell you that it is not, in fact to get a flight from BKK to SIN is nigh on impossible, cannot fly to many destinations here as the quarantine issues in the destination country and not to mention the return to home country are frankly mind numbing so there is no easy travel within Asia and I do not see that changing this side of Jan 21

[TominScotland]

Took my first international trip since February a couple of weeks ago and found the experience strange. Prepared carefully in terms of the itinerary, where we would stay, where we would eat etc. In fact all went very well, had a great time, the weather was fantastic, met up with friends and family on a multi-destination trip.

Oh, and I almost forgot to mention our destination!! England by car, of course

6 users thanked author for this post.

esselle, PhilipHart, alainboy56, PatJordan, canucklad, ASK1945

[alainboy56]

@andycairns et al
YES with resounding capital letters, I miss travelling very very molto very much!
I had completed since Crimbo 28 flight legs up to 17th February and then it all stopped in mid march and I am still in lockdown in the exciting Holy Kingdom.

@SimonS1
I too have my approval to return to DXB but alas there are no flights from here and the borders are still closed.
Now my residence visa has expired last week after 180 days outside UAE (I think so – who knows, as they change the rules almost every other day). But I am sure it is merely a matter of a ‘faloos requirement’ to resurrect its valid status. You know DXB these days – on its uppers!

On further travel plans I don’t know, but my wife is in Helsinki, so somehow, some way, even if in a 3rd country (maybe Rwanda), we have to meet.
But I will never forgive the Governments of the world for turning this virus into a huge catastrophe for work, for jobs, for travel, for freedoms etc etc etc

I will give you all one number, just one number – 1.24 million – that’s the number of people who died on the roads worldwide in 2017 (or 2018 I forget exactly), and that’s twice as many people whom have died from ‘covid19’, BUT nobody, nor Government told you couldn’t drive tomorrow, or else you might die.

What the World’s Governments have done to their economies, to companies, to people’s livelihoods, to the people’s futures … is IMHO unforgiveable.

2 users thanked author for this post.

TupeloKid, PhilipHart

[SimonS1]

[quote quote=1007638]Now my residence visa has expired last week after 180 days outside UAE (I think so – who knows, as they change the rules almost every other day). But I am sure it is merely a matter of a ‘faloos requirement’ to resurrect its valid status. You know DXB these days – on its uppers!

On further travel plans I don’t know, but my wife is in Helsinki, so somehow, some way, even if in a 3rd country (maybe Rwanda), we have to meet.
But I will never forgive the Governments of the world for turning this virus into a huge catastrophe for work, for jobs, for travel, for freedoms etc etc etc

I will give you all one number, just one number – 1.24 million – that’s the number of people who died on the roads worldwide in 2017 (or 2018 I forget exactly), and that’s twice as many people whom have died from ‘covid19’, BUT nobody, nor Government told you couldn’t drive tomorrow, or else you might die.

What the World’s Governments have done to their economies, to companies, to people’s livelihoods, to the people’s futures … is IMHO unforgiveable.[/quote]

I think the 180 days bit is ‘negotiable’. I will make it with 14 days to spare but my boss is well over the limit.

Otherwise I agree. The trouble is when Governments start to react to populist sentiment it will always be difficult. A friend of mine said to me in a chat last night that “we must all stay safe mate”. Unfortunately the ‘stay safe’ motto is what people use when they have no other reasoning. But hey ho, there will always be those that think ‘something must be done’ even if it means screwing the economy and everyone’s future.

1 user thanked author for this post.

alainboy56

[alainboy56]

@SimonS1

Well, I for one don’t want to ‘stay safe’ in this meek and mollycoddling lifestyle.
I don’t care, I want to continue to enjoy life.
I have always lived slightly on the riskier side of life, and no, I do not mean in a criminal way. I just mean life was, or is there to be fully enjoyed.

As some of you out there might have guessed or gathered from my past contributions, I am also on the wrong side of 60, so I am in that so called ‘endangered group’ but I still don’t care.
I have lived and worked in what were termed as war or military zones and many areas considered to be somewhat unsafe by HM Government’s Foreign Office, and even areas that were, shall we say on the rougher side of life, so why should I be scared of a big flu bug.

Its rather like driving, I have always had a healthy ‘disrespect’ for motoring laws. Because in my mind who has the right to say for example on a motorway, that you must not drive faster than for example 70mph (in the UK) because above that speed, it is NOT considered safe? By whom? Who deemed it unsafe?

I shall decide what I consider safe for me, not some politician or government. I take responsibility for my life.

6 users thanked author for this post.

AllOverTheGaff, cwoodward, LuganoPirate, SimonS1, canucklad, PhilipHart

[InfrequentFlyer]

I just returned from a 10 day break in Croatia. It was an absolute delight in every way, and dare I say it, the airport and flying experience was a lot more pleasurable and humane than at any other time. Flew the worlds least favourite, 100% full there and back, out in Y, back in J. Heathrow was busy but obviously nothing like normal, the lounge was lovely as it was quiet and I much prefer the simple app ordering for food and drinks(hope it stays that way). No scrum to board, no DYKWIA types, everyone wearing coverings and respectful of each others space, the biggest miracle was on landing. Everybody stayed seated as instructed – no mass scramble for bags the second the wheels touch earth. Orderly deplaning. It was the most civilised flying experience I have had!

[K1ngston]

Just wanted to update on my note a few days ago about travelling in Asia. On Saturday we had a gathering of friends to welcome back one of our friends who works in Mozambique and whos son ( who is in school in Thailand) and wife are here in Phuket. He showed us the documentation that is required for him to have returned to Thailand it numbered 43 different pieces of paper duly signed and notarised for him to get back including banks statements, hotel (quarantine reservations) etc etc …! On Saturday the Minister of Tourism here in Thailand noted under a blaze of glory ” Airports open again in October” that Thailand will be accepting tourists again in October, they will have to arrive and be whisked off to self isolate in hotels in Phuket which for their convenience will be by the sea, (they will if clean be allowed to venture 1 km to the beach) they wont be allowed to leave the hotel other than to the beach and even the staff will have to be quarantined and then of course if you are from the UK you can head back to the UK having been quarantined for 14 days here (in the sun) and then be quarantined when you get home!……… Couldnt make this sh!t up if you wanted too!

[SimonS1]

The joy of a junta style government.

1 user thanked author for this post.

K1ngston

[travelworld]

Alainboy56 says “As some of you out there might have guessed or gathered from my past contributions, I am also on the wrong side of 60, so I am in that so called ‘endangered group’ but I still don’t care.
I have lived and worked in what were termed as war or military zones and many areas considered to be somewhat unsafe by HM Government’s Foreign Office, and even areas that were, shall we say on the rougher side of life, so why should I be scared of a big flu bug.

It’s rather like driving, I have always had a healthy ‘disrespect’ for motoring laws. Because in my mind who has the right to say for example on a motorway, that you must not drive faster than for example 70mph (in the UK) because above that speed, it is NOT considered safe? By whom? Who deemed it unsafe?

I shall decide what I consider safe for me, not some politician or government. I take responsibility for my life.”

Bravo for him? Well, no. The flaw in his argument is that if you get shot at in a warzone or injured in a car crash you generally don’t pose a risk to those around you- and, most important, those who are treating you for your injuries. I, too, have visited many of the world’s warzones well aware of the risks involved, but with Covid-19 I wouldn’t be as selfish to maintain a devil-may-care attitude to everyone else, knowing that my actions might well make others very unwell indeed.

3 users thanked author for this post.

Johnnyg, alainboy56, esselle

[alainboy56]

@travelworld
Fully agree with you and of course I am a little intelligent on these matters.
I have been wearing a mask daily since March (where I am blocked).
Also here, there are no social venues more’s the pity, so social distancing is not something that comes up in my daily life to worry about here in paradise.

Anyway point taken, and I understood and fully agree with your comments.
What I perhaps should have intimated was that we should all be responsible for each other’s good health, and NOT the government.

1 user thanked author for this post.

travelworld

[Author]

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