Year: 2021

If you are a nervous flier, you will constantly be thinking about your safety when going on holiday on a plane. For some people the thought of going on a plane is too much so instead they decide that they are never going to go on holiday abroad. This can be a real shame as they often miss out on enjoyable holidays and time with family or friends because they won’t catch a flight. But how safe is it on a plane?

A commercial airline is actually really safe. Since the tragedy of 9/11 airlines all over the world have increased their security drastically. IT is very hard to get anything on to a plane that can cause damage or injury to others. The most risk when flying is that something goes wrong with the plane itself. This again is extremely rare and planes are designed to be able to continue even after suffering damage or failure. Planes are tested very vigorously and they are safety checked before every flight. The pilots that fly these commercial airlines have a lot of experience and have trained for many years in order to prepare them to delay with a number of different

If you drive, you may not think too much about coach trips but they can actually still be really enjoyable and work out better value that having to drive. They can also be a lot less hassle and allow you to enjoy your day more.

Coach trips are often put n by private companies. Usually, during the summer months lots of coach companies will put on trips to the seaside. This can be great if you don’t drive so usually struggle to get away but also even if you do drive you may like to try one. If you don’t have to drive you don’t have to worry abut trying to find parking. You also don’t have to pay for the parking which can easily add another ten pounds or so on to your day. Coaches can usually drop you off and pick you up right alongside the beach meaning you don’t have to travel fair with all your belongings.

Private coach companies also often do trips to the theatre which can mean you can get a huge saving. You can also enjoy a drink or two knowing that you do not have to drive back. Why nt have a look at what is on offer near you and give one a try?

On the 4^th October at 4am travel rules will again change for people leaving and entering the UK. There will no longer be red, amber and green list – just one red list with travel form the other countries all having the same rules. IF when you travel after the 4^th October you are fully vaccinated by an approved vaccine and 14 days have passed since you had the second dose, then you will now follow the new guidelines. These rules also apply to those under the age of 18 and resident in the UK or one of the listed countries or territories with approved vaccination programmes or if you are taking part in a UK or USA vaccine trial. You will have to book and pay for a day 2 COVID-19 test which needs to be taken after arrival in England. You will also have to complete your passenger locator form – any time in the 48 hours before you arrive in England – so the address you’re staying at is known and take a COVID-19 test on or before day 2 after you arrive in England. If you are fully vaccinated you will no longer be required to take a pre departure test an 8 days test or quarantine at home for 10 days after your arrival to the UK. The rules if travelling from a red country are a lot stricter, so you need to keep that in mind before booking your trip.

With the rules changing for the double vaccinated in the UK, it is likely that businesses that have put foreign travel on hold for a while may soon be able to start again. Although some business trips to certain locations have been allowed, the rules regarding isolation and costs etc has meant that for many businesses it simply wasn’t feasible. As the UK starts to lift some of the lockdown restrictions and the rules regarding isolation if you have received both does of the vaccine is changing, it is likely that the travel industry will slowly start to open up again. Because there is going to be a high demand for flights and accommodation you may expect to see an increase in prices. As many businesses meetings have had to take place over Zoom or other video conferencing software, it could be that some businesses no longer feel the need to travel abroad as much as they used to and are happy with their new way of working.

If you are asked to travel for your business, then be sure that you check up on what is needed to travel and also upon your return. If you do have to isolate you should not be made to take this as holiday, it should instead be classed as working time.

If you have to travel for work, you may be used to living in and out of a suitcase, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t ways in which you can make the experience more enjoyable and easier. Firstly, make sure that when booking a hotel that you stay close to the venue or places you need to visit. This will allow you to cut down on travel time when you are there and give you more free time to see the sights or simply have a lie in. Ensure you do your research too. If it is a place you haven’t been to before, make sure you know where it is and how to get there.

Try and be organised and have your outfits prepared. If they need ironing or steam cleaning you may be able to request this at the hotel to save you time on finding a place to do it for you.

Try and travel light, after a few trips you will probably start to figure out what you do and do not use. Try to avoid taking unnecessary items as this will just be more for you to carry.

Ask the hotel for a wake-up call and even to prebook you a taxi if you need one to go to a meeting.

At present the government has banned all but essential travel. Essential travel can be a little bit flexible as what one person may class as essential, another may not. If for example you are needed to travel for urgent medical care then this would be essential however if it was for cosmetic surgery which does not need to be done straight away then this may be seen as non essential.

When it comes to business trips, at the moment most are being classed as non essential. If the meeting can be done over a Zoom call or postponed until a later date then this should be done. Anyone who go’s abroad and is found to have gone for a non essential reason can be fined up to five thousand pounds. They will also have to stay in an isolation holiday which cost another £1200-£1500 pounds on top of the fine. For many, it is simply not worth the risk. Most businesses are finding that they can adapt very quickly and that they don’t always need to have face to face meetings with all their clients to enable them to do their job correctly, sometimes a video call will suffice.

Although this has been discussed for a little while and many of us have known it was coming, isolation hotels will be launched very soon. Due to the spread of Covid and the government wanting to try and ensure no other variants are being bought in to the country, they have decided to make everyone arriving in the UK from a number of countries isolate in a specialist hotel. Anyone arriving from these red listed countries will need to isolate in a designated hotel for ten days and not only that but will have to pay in the region of £1750 per adult for the duration. There are currently 16 hotels on board and more may be set up if needed. This is a huge amount of money and will add an additional £3500 to the cost of a holiday for two adults. Most people simply will not be able to afford this and therefore will choose not to travel.

There are massive fines for those that do not follow the rules of isolating in these hotels and even the possibility of a jail sentence of up to 10 years. There are over thirty countries in the list at the moment, but this can change as and when needed so it is likely more will be added.

The Prime minister has now confirmed that there will be a number of quarantine hotels opening up across the country. Anyone that is returning from one of the 30 listed countries so far, will have to stay in quarantine in a designated hotel as part of measures to try and stop the spread of Covid. Not only will you have to stay in one of these hotels for 10 days you may also have to pay to stay there. It may cost up to £1500 for your stay in a hotel which will include meals served to the room and security on the doors. This which certainly put many people off going abroad this year as this can very easy double the cost of your holiday if not more. You may also not be able to get an additional 10 days off work, so it is unlikely your holiday will be authorised by your company.  

These hotels or isolation facilities are already been used in many parts of the world, but are they a step too far?

The government say the reasons they are having to take these steps is because when people are asked to isolate or quarantine, not everyone is doing so. For this reason they felt the need to enforce it to protect the health and wellbeing of others.