Travel Coming Back Slowly

Nearly after a year we have seen a tiny bit positivity when it comes to flying back to the Caribbean.

Virgin Atlantic are alive…

In the last twelve months despite many emails we have little or no response from Virgin Atlantic, however, late last week we saw some sign of life!

We have been telling Virgin that their fares were too high, we have also been telling them that all their flights appear to be full and that there is nothing to sell, well it seems our persistence may have paid off!

On Friday of last week we saw a re-alignment of fares and availability, that is to say that availability has opened back up and the fares have come down a bit, but enough to make them competitive again, something they have not been for some time!

For now it’s just Jamaica that this has happened to but we are hopeful that this also happen to other destinations as now we know that someone is at home!

Hats off to British Airways!

The pandemic has been awful for the travel sector and travellers alike! Some airlines have been forced out of business and some brought to the brink. There is not one carrier that has not needed financial help to stay afloat.

In many cases it made no commercial sense to fly and so many airlines either parked their aircraft or re-purposed them.

British Airways probably did a little of both as lockdown took its toll. But having said that BA were acutely aware, as we all were, of all its passengers stuck abroad every time borders were closed and flights forced to stop. However, Unlike many other carriers, BA ran several rescue flights bringing back passengers that would otherwise have been stuck, as far as we’re aware they were the only carrier to do so and for which we are grateful and pay due respect!

…is Trinidad opening back up?

It has been mooted in the Trinidadian press that the prime minister has once again said that he will be opening back flights to the twin Island nation in mid-July.

Trinidad’s borders have been closed to all since March of last year with only a trickle of people allowed to come and go under very restricted instances.

It seems infection rates have plateaued and as a result curfew restriction would also be coming to an end and flights would be allowed back into the country.

Vaccinated and un-vaccinated travellers would be treated differently but as to what the exact restrictions are we have yet to find out, of course, the situation is changeable depending on the infection rates and deaths.

Benefits to having the vaccine.

You will have heard about the “Vaccine Passport”, well slowly things are beginning to happen. Those that have been double jabbed and allow two weeks before they travel can travel to Antigua & St. Lucia without restrictions. Both Barbados and Grenada have reduced quarantine to two days for those who have both vaccines and allow two weeks before travel.

Jamaica have been looking into vaccinated passengers and it looks like vaccinated passengers may be asked to quarantine for 8 days rather than 14 days, this is yet to be officially confirmed but in a recent webinar with Caribbee and the Jamaica Tourist Board it was spoken about.

Please bear in mind this does not detract from the re-entry requirements when returning to the UK.