[K1ngston]

[postquote quote=995604][/postquote]

Marcus thanks for your reply, yes I do see the airways opening up here perhaps quicker than elsewhere, for instance what the Singaporean Government have done to protect their country has limited the number of deaths and others are following, I believe Asia was also infected first so is ahead of the curve, the problem on the other side is that Vietnam and Indonesia reporting minimal cases and deaths is not down to anything other than misleading information coming from the authorities there!

@Tom Otley the reason that Thailand closed it airspace as you mention is again an overreaction by the Government to certain individuals coming off a International flight and flouting the strict 14 day isolation rules in Bangkok!

Without further thought they closed the airspace which means people on booked flights out of the country are now stranded, made to congregate at immigration offices which in turn flouts the social distancing rules in place… Here in Phuket people are stuck and there are only 5 hotels allowed to remain open on the island …

Having said that the numbers being reported are lower than expected and the Thai Authorities seem to be open with their reporting methods!

[canucklad]

Reading everyone’s comments brings me a feeling of future travelling dread. Over the years travelling has slowly but surely become more of a drudgery than a pleasure, occasionally that movement has been sped up by world events like Lockerbie and 9/11.

I’m hoping that travel will return soon, and when it does all parts of the industry take the opportunity to review the customer experience and change it for the better.

Sadly, I fear this latest crisis will give them the excuse to pare away even more at what’s left of the pleasantries.

Personally, every time I hear the phrase “ we’ll all need to get used to the new normal “ a shiver trickles down my spine !!

1 user thanked author for this post.

ASK1945

[capetonianm]

Sadly, I fear this latest crisis will give them the excuse to pare away even more at what’s left of the pleasantries.

I would like to think you might be proved wrong. A number of airlines may have gone bust, the bottom end of the market may disappear, no bad thing, and travel may become less unpleasant with fewer people travelling and paying higher fares. I make no apology if saying this seems elitist, but I hope this will be the outcome. Perhaps I’m dreaming!

[canucklad]

[quote quote=995702]make no apology if saying this seems elitist, but I hope this will be the outcome. Perhaps I’m dreaming![/quote]

Hi capetonianm
Before I respond I’ll admit to having a chuckle at your quote above.

Your elitism might be a nirvana that many others on here (with over flowing piggy banks ) might allude to in the future : )
Alas my piggy bank is optimistically only half full , meaning I’m mostly stuck in the back with the mooing cows .

Unfortunately for you, if we don’t get back to near pre- 2020 levels of movement we’re not going to re-invigorate those local economies , thus and selfishly making them less than attractive destinations to travel too.

Personally, no point me heading off to DB / HK just to find bars, restaurants and shops still shut. And that’s a “World City” !!
Try to imagine the impact on fantastic places like Seville, Malaga, Valetta, Sopot, Galway, San Sebastian et al.
All places I’ve recently visited thanks to LCC’s , remembering of course the impact much closer to home. All those return flights were bring lots of people to spend their cash here in Edinburgh !

[TominScotland]

[postquote quote=995702][/postquote]

Capetonianm (call me Marie Antoinette), the disappearance of LCCs may well allow you to the pronounce to the masses “Let them fly First Class” …… or head off to Skeggy!!

[capetonianm]

Canucklad / Tom / Marie Antoinette (!)

I have been called worse than elitist since I was a snotty nosed schoolkid, because I have always been a bit of a loner, hated noisy crowded places, concerts, night clubs, later in life finding that I suffer from a known condition, ochlophobia. This was diagnosed after I was in a crowded department store in CPT on Sale day, for the first time in my life, having been dragged there by a girlfriend. I snapped after about 10 minutes and put my head down and dashed to the nearest exit, which happened to be an emergency exit to which I put my shoulder and broke the seal, setting off the alarm system. I didn’t realise I was being chased by a store detective who was understandably convinced that I had taken flight and fright after stealing something. In those days I was a lot faster and more nimble than he was and I made it into the street whereupon I collapsed in a blubbering heap.

Please consider this in the context of my comments. I have nothing against LCCs (I am a huge fan of EZY and have used them extensively since 1996) as long as I don’t have to use the worst of them, and as long as they don’t take too many people to places ruined by tourism. I have lived in several places which have suffered the effects of low end over tourism, and whilst many of the locals make a good living out of tourism, and many people are directly and indirectly employed in tourism, it has become a tragedy for many locals whose way of life, freedom of movement, purchasing power, commute times, and infrastructure have suffered from the pernicious effects of greed and mass tourism. A long list, including some of the places mentioned by canucklad.

I have reached the point in my life where there is no point in saving money, or perhaps it’s just a mindset, and I prefer to travel less but in greater comfort and bite the bullet of higher fares. I don’t even consider economy for flights of more than about about 3-4 hours, depending on route and carrier. As it happens, I’ve been grounded since December (health reasons) and just when I thought it was safe to travel, we get CV19. There is very little else I spend money on other than travel, and since I won’t be able to do that until ….. who knows when …. I have extra to spend. I realise that may put me in a more fortunate position than many others, and with that in mind I have given a lot of money to charities in the last year, but I still have a very comfortable travel budget and I intend to start using it SASPO in the most enjoyable possible way, and that means as far from the great unwashed as possible.

If this makes me selfish and elitist, so be it. I just felt I would explain my position on this, and I accept that, as has been the case throughout my life, I am probably in a minority. I don’t feel I need to defend my views.

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cwoodward, BugAdvisor, Johnnyg, esselle, ASK1945

[Johnnyg]

Capetonianm

If this makes me selfish and elitist, so be it. I just felt I would explain my position on this, and I accept that, as has been the case throughout my life, I am probably in a minority. I don’t feel I need to defend my views.

As my mother used to say ‘ each to their own and stuff the rest’

When you are well and this nightmare Covid has disappeared I hope you have many years of healthy travel.

regards

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capetonianm

[canucklad]

Hi Capetonianm
I’m hoping my comments above didn’t offend , I wasn’t meaning to be discourteous, rather mixing a tongue in cheek comment followed by a more serious narrative.

Do agree with your comments about certain low brow tourism. I’d hate the Prestwick brigade to flock to Donastia or realise that the city of Malaga is cheaper and has more bars than the 2 British bar resorts they seek out en-masse down the coast

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capetonianm

[gater1960]

I would think the earliest you will see any movement is July (after 3 mths which is the end of june).

Personally, as a health care worker I can tell you that once social distancing is removed I know the public spaces will be jammed with people but I will continue my self imposed social distancing for at least 2 more weeks. If I can survive 12 weeks I can survive 14 weeks.

Once lifted, there is an opportunity for a second peak from assymptomatic / carriers who could potentially spread the virus and what better venue than a large crowded outdoor patio. You can expect to see cases of covid-19 for at least a year, and probably longer but the numbers will be low, assuming previous infection confers immunity, but the health system will not be resource limited which is the driver behind social distancing, we need enough people to have been infected to shut the spread down but we dont want everyone infected at the same time. Also we may have more treatment options to manage the sickest patients.

Personally I have no intention of getting on any aircraft until september at the earliest for any business travel. So in short, my answer to your question is september.

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canucklad

[TGRW]

Good Morning All,

As a long term reader of the forum and happening to work in the aviation / Airport industry, I thought I would share our thought process at the current moment with some free time on my hands.

I am based in South East Asia and we see domestic markets opening first with international travel coming on line last.

When International travel does return we only see certain routes between perceived clean countries / cities, possibly Singapore to Sydney / Auckland.

As previous posters have pointed out certain countries do not have the ability to contain / test for COVID-19. We do not see countries allowing travel / transfer through Asian hubs, possibly Singapore to Bali / Ho Chi Minh.

Our colleagues are leaning towards a 2023 to 2025 for travel to return to 2019 levels.

That is just my 2 pence view.

Warmest Regards,

TGRW

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Tom Otley, cwoodward

[capetonianm]

Hi Capetonianm
I’m hoping my comments above didn’t offend , I wasn’t meaning to be discourteous, rather mixing a tongue in cheek comment followed by a more serious narrative.

I’m not sure why you thought I’d be offended, but it is thoughtful of you to have considered the possibility! I believe that if you express potentially controversial opinions, as I often do, you have to be prepared to face the onslaught, if there is one, and as long as it’s done in a civil manner, as you and the vast majority of others here do, that’s fine.

I’m going a little off topic here now. I’m enjoying the comforts of home after a lengthy stay in hospital, where I received superb treatment, a lovely room with a view that had it been a hotel would have cost £££, and am well on the way to a cure. The food however was indescribably vile, I will never complain about airline food again, although I don’t usually eat on short flights. It is amazing how much simple things like home made marmalade on toast and a sleep in your own bed can mean. I am looking forward to cooking a simple meal tonight, probably chicken and mushroom pie, and eating it with my nearest and dearest and a good bottle of shiraz!

Thank you JohnnyG for your wishes. When travel resumes, and I’m planning my next trips in my mind, I’ll be off like a rocket. I know exactly what my first trip will be, and it will take place on the first possible date, regardless of cost, bearing in mind what I will have saved with no travel at all since December.

I find it quite uplifting to have plans to look forward to, even if it’s not possible to define a date and book.

Everything of the best to all of you, wherever you may be, during these difficult times.

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Jacob, cwoodward, LondonViking, ASK1945, canucklad

[transtraxman]

In Spain we have been hearing speculative news about when things will get back to normal. One piece of news has fallen into my hands and I have no way of vouching for its validity. However, there is no harm sharing it with you since it appears to give us an idea of how things will pan out.

The progress to normality will be progressive and in stages. That seems to suggest that things can change at any time, especially when it means stopping the timetable.
From 12 May small measures to permit movement and a restart to commerce
with what concerns this forum……
26 May: domestic travel within Spain
1 June: bars, cafeterias and restaurants
7 June: Hotels and tourist accommodation
19 June: International Travel
23 June: spectacles and sports.

That would mean that after having been enclosed at home for 4 weeks now, another 6 weeks await me before I can expect to be able to roam the streets freely once again.

I would add one thing to this about International Travel. I bet my bottom dollar that though the frontiers will be opened there will be heavy restrictions on admitting residents from certain countries. It is obvious to expect that residents of those countries that are still in the depths of the pandemic will not be admitted. So I do not expect to be seeing any Brits. roaming the landscapes of the Canaries, Mallorca and the Costa del Col till much later in the summer. US tourists will be notable by their absence for a several months yet. Business travellers will be similarly affected.

Look after yourselves, wash your hands and stay indoors.

[SimonS1]

We will see. I could give you half a dozen different plans that have “fallen into my hands” from watching BBC and Sky during today.

To be honest it all seems to be premature and largely guesswork, since none of it has a source that can be corroborated. In fact it seems that there is even disagreement between Treasury and Health Departments on the way forward.

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openfly

[CathayLoyalist2]

Transtraxman, I to live in Spain, and also saw this last night. It came to me from a colleague in a drama group and like you there is no way of varifying it . yet. No word from government so until is is official I will treat it as suspect.

[MartynSinclair]

One of the big issues I see…

After 9/11, when air travel started to normalise, the USA influenced the rest of the world with added security measures, causing massive lines at security points. We are still feeling these effects with some scanning equipment only being made available (in the UK) in 2024. Whilst security lines have been shortened, they still remain, perhaps slightly stricter in the western world than the eastern world.

When travel starts to normalise post virus, I see the Asian countries leading the way, implementing stricter medical controls for passenger movements, both arriving and departing.

The USA have temporarily banned non citizens arriving, but are happy to allow anyone to leave. It will be interesting to see how Trump / USA will react post virus and what medical checks if any they will implement for arriving passengers.

As for the UK, still lock down and social distancing appears not to be enforced at Heathrow airport with numerous passenger flight arrivals/departures to / from virus epi centres on a daily basis (New York, Rome and Madrid) with zero medical checks on passengers. If this is how the UK currently operates, i doubt they will place any medical controls post virus.

Personally, if I was forced by any country to wear a tracker or down load an app, I would have no issue, although I would keep a spare phone.

On going quarantine rules/requirements will be an issue depending on when these will be relaxed.

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canucklad

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