Rescuing standed Brits

I’m more concerned about what all these travellers will do when they arrive back. Will they be tested and self isolated, or will they just be allowed to go home on trust?
Looking at pictures from Peru and other places, they are crammed together, some masked, some in hostels with people with the virus.
I would think they ought to be separated similar to those who returned from Wuhan initially.

My son is travelling in India. He has been there for two months initially with a friend for 3 weeks and now on his own. He is currently staying in a room in Bangalore. He has a flight booked home for the end of July. Initially he thought he would sit it out but as the crisis worsens he is thinking of coming home earlier if that is possible. Thank goodness for WhatsApp.

Yes, I'm concerned about the insurance Callistemon. The so-called phone helpline is giving an unavailable message and I'm waiting for a reply to the email I sent 3 days ago. Good job it's not an emergency situation! I'm 61 but DH just turned 70. Both very fit and healthy though.

It's not that easy. I know of one guy nearly "trapped" in NZ because Australia blocked his return as he would need a domestic flight to make a connection and would therefore technically be entering Oz and so be subject to quarantine. He'd only be going from the international to the domestic terminal at Melbourne and vice-versa at Sydney but that was sufficient. Fortunately Air NZ and QANTAS worked a way around it for him.

As soon as I saw the title of this thread I knew it would be someone grumbling about the cost of bringing Britons home from far flung places.

What is wrong with so many people? Why are they always looking for things to criticise others about?

Nobody's perfect and most people have done unwise or ill thought out things at some time in their lives. If you had a son, daughter, grandchild, mother, father, etc, etc. marooned in another country - particularly at this frightening time - would you be so damning of them or would you want our government to help?

As other posters have already said, events re the virus moved very quickly from initially being a matter of some concern but not unduly alarming, to being a full blown emergency affecting virtually the whole world.

annsixty I'm pretty sure that if someone lived in an area prone to flooding they would want to get home insurance. However, home insurance generally can be quite expensive and in parts of the country that are more known for flooding it can be extremely expensive. If, as has happened with some areas over the last few years, flooding has occurred on several occasions, premiums are increased significantly, together with excess rates and for some areas people can no longer get insurance. Thank goodness there are people who do not feel the need to judge and who are kind enough to step in and help.

I know i am of mixed feelings as well. I know of one couple in Mexico that had an arranged flight early in April to come home, but didn't want to spend extra for an earlier flight. Do I feel badly for them? Not really. I heard they had a terrible run-around and ended up in Winnipeg instead of Vancouver, and had to drive home to BC (2400 km!) in a borrowed car from a relative. Flew into Canada on Saturday and are still driving...

When the government advises travellers to come home, they should listen. Some chose not to listen, while others tried but could not find room on flights, meanwhile some countries closed their borders. I wonder if they could assist with housing or medical costs while stuck in foreign countries instead. Not sure what is the better answer.

One of DH's friends is in India and is asking for people to try and help get him out. He had previously been in Spain since the outbreak commenced. When we heard of the virus in China we said we would not make any arrangements to travel anywhere, it was clear early on that this was going to be pandemic.

It may seem like a long time but it really wasn't that long ago that things were relatively OK. None of us have ever dealt with a pandemic like this. Mad cow desease, bird flu, why would people think it any different until very suddenly it was? Of course they should be brought home.

Would your travel insurance cover you for a much extended stay GrandmaKT?, particularly under the present circumstances and the fact that your DS and DIL may be working on the front line.
I'd be inclined to stay but would be concerned about medical cover.
Are you are relatively young and fit?

We are currently in New Zealand staying with my son and his family. We've been here since January, so obviously before we had any idea that this situation was going to happen.
It is currently impossible to get out of here. A friend bought three tickets with different airlines but the transitioning airports closed - no notifications from the airlines, no refunds to date. This was before all flights into and out of NZ were stopped altogether.
We planned to return on 1st May (and feel much safer here than in the UK and are being useful looking after GS while DS and his partner who are both doctors, work), but are now wondering that if these 'rescue' flights are put on would we be obliged to get on one or face not being able to get home for months?

There will always be some people who will need rescuing/ bailed out etc and sadly they will never learn.
They just rely on others to save them, think of flooding with no house insurance.
Others will always step up to help them, it is human nature on both counts.

Actually, the same poster started two threads (I thought I remembered there being more replies ).

There were even more posters on this one advising against going.

www.gransnet.com/forums/coronavirus/1274633-AIBU-to-go-abroad-for-a-few-days?pg=1&order=

A GNer posted about travelling abroad (or far??) for a funeral and most replies said "I would go".

I only remember this thread, notanan, from 13 March. The majority advised the OP not to go and it’s obvious from the posts that people could see she might have trouble getting back.

www.gransnet.com/forums/bereavement/1274577-Coronavirus-should-l-travel-abroad-to-my-sisters-funeral

My niece is at University in Australia and booked a flight home at the first opportunity, but it and the four subsequent flights she has booked have all been cancelled. She now has a flight booked (with BA) for 2nd April and her parents are frantic to get her home. She is very lucky that her parents have been able to financially support her and that she's with a couple of friends, but many young people who were backpacking are alone and have very little money to pay the exorbitant prices being asked by the airlines.

The government have allocated £75 million. I think that some people chose to ignore the obvious. However I don't think that the government have much choice. However it does seem that there are thousands of people stranded and some may not get back for a while.

Barracking to be repatriated from New Zealand?

Safer where you are...

Spain wasnt particularly in our news at that point. It was later on.

2 weeks ago here we thought we would just isolate the vulnerable a bit

The lockdown here in Spain was sudden. All was normal on the Saturday morning (I even had a hair appointment- out just after 2pm) and we went out for a cocktail and dinner on a (pretty deserted by then) marina. The lockdown occurred later that night. It was Saturday 10th March. In other countries, that date would have sounded a huge klaxon if I were elsewhere abroad. The writing was on the wall then.

Poor travellers. Must be horrible to be stranded at this time.

Me neither Calli.

If I were stranded in say India or Africa I’d be desperate to get back. That said I’d have been trying to get a flight 3 weeks ago or more.

I know my male acquaintance was going over two weeks ago on holiday to the Far East and his companion said that it was not a good idea to go. She didn't, I think he may have done. I don't know if he actually went or has come home again.

I think it didnt hit home here until last Sunday (22nd). By last Sunday: good luck getting a flight back!

On Saturday 21st people were still doing much of what they did before except not shaking hands and using a bit more hand gel. Most non food shops and businesses were still open (again with just a few nods to extra hygiene measures). Even by monday quite a few non essential businesses and shops were still thinking they could run a reduced service, or switch to takeaway only etc, rather than actually shutting.

So we all were thinking that although there would be some changes, it wouldnt be absolute lockdown just days later.

A family have been heavily criticised for gathering at a funeral 2 weeks ago (where they spread corona) but hairdressers and cafes were still full then!

A GNer posted about travelling abroad (or far??) for a funeral and most replies said "I would go".

But NOW everyones claiming that they knew better back then... well then why was everyone still out and about if everyone is now saying they knew back then??

Our friends who went for the cruise but had to come home went about 3 weeks ago.
I would still not have gone.

9 days ago national trust sites and beaches were full.

The UK hotel I had booked only shut 8 days ago and only cancelled future bookings 6 days ago.

I really do not think we all knew 2 weeks ago what we know now. I mean we may have known it a bit, in theory, buy it hadnt yet sunk in or translated to restricted plans and lifestyles.

I think its easy to point the finger at travellers and say "well you should have known" but we were all living very differently 2 weeks ago.

I'm not sure that I would have gone overseas for a holiday 2ish weeks ago

We have friends whose holiday in China was cancelled and they were offered a cruise instead - knowing what happened on the Diamond Princess would I have gone? No.
They did, got as far as the States and were flown back.
A young man I know was determined to get to Bali for his holiday. I don't know if he went or not.