UK Air travel suspended for 48 hours from midnight *Mod Warning in OP Please Read*

The Continental Op

The Continental Op wrote: »

After calling about 20 times I'm finally in a phone queue to speak to someone at the embassy only 6 minutes so far but expect to hold for much longer.

Let us know how you get on. I’m interested in the ferry arrangements.

The Continental Op

Deleted User wrote: »

Let us know how you get on. I’m interested in the ferry arrangements.

When I finally got through (in fairness probably less than 15 minutes in phone queue) I spoke with an agent explained my situation. She took my details including passport number and they will get back to me (txt/phone/email not sure exactly which) with travel information and a booking on the ferry.

How they marry up my booking with their booking I've no idea and how I pay them if they make a booking for them again no idea. I called Irish Ferries and the rep thought that I'd get a new booking number and a brand new booking.

The reps at IF can't make any changes until next year on their system so still no way to get a booking number.

Will update with all the details as they unfold hope to be on the 0245 Pembroke Rosslare ferry tomorrow morning.

Bannasidhe

Melanchthon wrote: »

This is what I don't get about reading boards and some other Irish media, the UK gets all this attention and the EU is given all this love. But the people saying this stuff clearly only actually pay attention to the UK and don't follow European news.

If the pandemic is not being taken seriously by the UK what the hell does that say about Spain, Italy and France, doesn't Germany have a higher death rate than the UK to at the minute (they had a very good early pandemic though so overall numbers low).
Take off the inferiority/superiority complex glasses and look at it rationally, if the UK is that terrible at this what's that say about the rest of Europe.

In terms of the French response in terms of this crisis and freight remember France kneejerks and acts ridiculously nationalistic at times, proof of that is the fact that they basically stole Swedish PPE in the height of the first wave, and delayed Spanish and Italian PPE when they were being decimated. Can post news articles if questioned.

Basically get of the high horses y'all sound like Canadians talking about the USA, most large Western European countries have fcuked this up.

Also and this needs to be repeated again and again as it's properly relevant, the UK does a lot of sequencing, most other countries do it less, the horse might have already bolted.

The Swiss have completely messed up the second wave.

My brother was 'trapped' in Valais - one of the worst hit cantons - as Aer Lingus cancelled flight after flight, he finally got an a Swiss Air flight (in an Aer Lingus window) on the 17th and is isolating now - he did get the test the day he arrived and assume it was a neg as I haven't heard otherwise.
He said there are zero restrictions in Valais. Everyone just going about their business as if there was no problem.
https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-swiss-cases/swiss-report-record-covid-cases-as-infection-rates-eclipse-neighbours-idUKKBN2781BW

Father Hernandez

The Continental Op wrote: »

When I finally got through (in fairness probably less than 15 minutes in phone queue) I spoke with an agent explained my situation. She took my details including passport number and they will get back to me (txt/phone/email not sure exactly which) with travel information and a booking on the ferry.

How they marry up my booking with their booking I've no idea and how I pay them if they make a booking for them again no idea. I called Irish Ferries and the rep thought that I'd get a new booking number and a brand new booking.

The reps at IF can't make any changes until next year on their system so still no way to get a booking number.

Will update with all the details as they unfold hope to be on the 0245 Pembroke Rosslare ferry tomorrow morning.

Best of luck to you getting home. Not a nice situation. Fingers crossed.

embraer170

Bannasidhe wrote: »

The Swiss have completely messed up the second wave.

My brother was 'trapped' in Valais - one of the worst hit cantons - as Aer Lingus cancelled flight after flight, he finally got an a Swiss Air flight (in an Aer Lingus window) on the 17th and is isolating now - he did get the test the day he arrived and assume it was a neg as I haven't heard otherwise.
He said there are zero restrictions in Valais. Everyone just going about their business as if there was no problem.
https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-swiss-cases/swiss-report-record-covid-cases-as-infection-rates-eclipse-neighbours-idUKKBN2781BW

Yes, total mess in Switzerland. Most regions are closing restaurants on the 26th but some (such as Vaud) are keeping the restaurants in the ski resorts open (not to mention the ski resorts themselves). Total madness.

eastie17

eastie17 wrote: »

Why don’t we show even a small bit of sense and put checkpoints on at least the M1/M50 and find out where people are coming from. Those not normally resident on the island not be allowed in. It wouldn’t stop everyone but would at least show some action and would discourage at least some from using that route.
Instead we rely on the muppets in Stormont to do the right thing, which it is now already too late for and wait to be infected

What happens when a Garda on the M50 sees a UK/NI reg plate? Do they escort them back to the border?


I could understand a heavy PSNI/Garda presence on all major border crossings, and roaming checkpoints on the minor ones, but on the motorways already well within the country, you're just doing something to be seen to be doing it (which is rarely effective).

The Continental Op

It never rains but .....................

The ferry I want to travel on is cancelled due to bad weather. Oh well look on the bright side there are three more possible before Christmas when they close down for two days.

beggars_bush

Deleted User wrote: »

What happens when a Garda on the M50 sees a UK/NI reg plate? Do they escort them back to the border?


I could understand a heavy PSNI/Garda presence on all major border crossings, and roaming checkpoints on the minor ones, but on the motorways already well within the country, you're just doing something to be seen to be doing it (which is rarely effective).

They've no right to stop the car.

embraer170

The Continental Op wrote: »

It never rains but .....................

The ferry I want to travel on is cancelled due to bad weather. Oh well look on the bright side there are three more possible before Christmas when they close down for two days.

What did they book you on?

The Continental Op

embraer170 wrote: »

What did they book you on?

No idea but it seems to be partly an exchange of lists between the government and IF.

I called the help line again and got some sympathy and they put my details forward for the next scheduled ferry. But that time I was on hold for 45 minutes.

I'll just turn up for the next scheduled ferry and see what happens.

Penfailed

GreeBo wrote: »

I didn't say we would starve, just that our selection will significantly change. I don't think we grow too many bananas for example...

Yet, Ireland is the biggest exporter of bananas in the world.

The Continental Op

New note on Irish Ferries web site.

Irish Ferries: The initial 48 hours of travel restrictions from Britain to Ireland has now been extended to 31 December, and the Irish Government has instructed us not to accept any passengers travelling to Ireland during this period. Please call us if you wish to re-arrange your travel url]https://www.irishferries.com/uk-en/contact-us/[/url, or email bookings@irishferries.com with your booking reference to confirm if you are no longer travelling on the Irish Sea 23 – 31 December and you wish to avail of a travel credit for your journey to be applied to your customer account.

I saw it on the sailings update page.

saabsaab

Penfailed wrote: »

Yet, Ireland is the biggest exporter of bananas in the world.

It is in fact!

theguzman

ancapailldorcha wrote: »

Aer Lingus.

I suggest you waste no time in applying for a refund or maybe just hit them direct with a chargeback if you are a Bank of Ireland customer, AIB are on the airlines side all year. It took me 6 months to get a US flight refunded this year.

GreeBo

Penfailed wrote: »

Yet, Ireland is the biggest exporter of bananas in the world.

And hence the biggest importer also

embraer170

embraer170 wrote: »

Ireland is really taking a quite extreme step of not allowing non-resident citizens to enter the country. I am not aware of other EU countries that took such a measure at the height of the first wave earlier this year.



You’re stuck in Ireland or the U.K.?

They are. You just have to book onto a ferry through the repatriation people. That’s not just for this 48 hours.....it’s all the time while the ban is in place


Sorry, misread your post. I though you meant residents. Not non-resident citizens. And, yes, that is an extreme (and potentially not legal?) step to make.

The Continental Op

The Continental Op wrote: »

When I finally got through (in fairness probably less than 15 minutes in phone queue) I spoke with an agent explained my situation. She took my details including passport number and they will get back to me (txt/phone/email not sure exactly which) with travel information and a booking on the ferry.

How they marry up my booking with their booking I've no idea and how I pay them if they make a booking for them again no idea. I called Irish Ferries and the rep thought that I'd get a new booking number and a brand new booking.

The reps at IF can't make any changes until next year on their system so still no way to get a booking number.

Will update with all the details as they unfold hope to be on the 0245 Pembroke Rosslare ferry tomorrow morning.

Out of interest, what evidence did you have to provide that you were resident in Ireland? If any

a_squirrelman

[Deleted User] wrote: »

They are. You just have to book onto a ferry through the repatriation people. That’s not just for this 48 hours.....it’s all the time while the ban is in place


Sorry, misread your post. I though you meant residents. Not non-resident citizens. And, yes, that is an extreme (and potentially not legal?) step to make.

Some countries have done it at numerous times over the last nine months. Slovakia, Czechia and Hungary for sure. If they are in a state of emergency they can do it legally.

Sardonicat

The Continental Op wrote: »

No idea but it seems to be partly an exchange of lists between the government and IF.

I called the help line again and got some sympathy and they put my details forward for the next scheduled ferry. But that time I was on hold for 45 minutes.

I'll just turn up for the next scheduled ferry and see what happens.

Good luck. Hope it doesn't drag on too long.

embraer170

I have not seen any announcement about exceptions on compassionate grounds (sick parents etc.) and funerals.

a_squirrelman wrote: »

Some countries have done it at numerous times over the last nine months. Slovakia, Czechia and Hungary for sure. If they are in a state of emergency they can do it legally.

Blocked citizens from entering the country? I missed that.

I understand that the Netherlands are doing it too now and have for the moment not announced repatriation possibilities, just telling residents/citizens/resident citizens to stay put in the UK and book hotels.

a_squirrelman

embraer170 wrote: »

I have not seen any announcement about exceptions on compassionate grounds (sick parents etc.) and funerals.



Blocked citizens from entering the country? I missed that.

I understand that the Netherlands are doing it too now and have for the moment not announced repatriation possibilities, just telling residents/citizens/resident citizens to stay put in the UK and book hotels.

Oh sorry, I thought it was meant non-residents who weren't citizens. My bad. Citizens and those with residency were allowed in.

Edit: And yeah it seems illegal to stop citizens from entering.

ancapailldorcha

theguzman wrote: »

I suggest you waste no time in applying for a refund or maybe just hit them direct with a chargeback if you are a Bank of Ireland customer, AIB are on the airlines side all year. It took me 6 months to get a US flight refunded this year.

They've told me I should get a full refund in a couple of days so that's fortunate.

theguzman

ancapailldorcha wrote: »

They've told me I should get a full refund in a couple of days so that's fortunate.

BA are good in this regard but Aer Lingus were abysmal hopefully for you they have improved. I had 12 flights cancelled between Nov and now, twitter is your friend for communicating unless you want to be spend hours on hold by phone.

beggars_bush

beggars_bush wrote: »

They've no right to stop the car.

well, that’s a heap of rubbish if ever I’ve read it anyway.

theguzman

theguzman wrote: »

BA are good in this regard but Aer Lingus were abysmal hopefully for you they have improved. I had 12 flights cancelled between Nov and now, twitter is your friend for communicating unless you want to be spend hours on hold by phone.

In fairness - you obviously seem to want to either ignore - or be ignorant to the fact a lot of people were calling to cancel flights more or less the entire year.

For what it’s worth, I’ve dealt with Aer Lingus before due to damaged luggage and they were nothing short of excellent, so I don’t really think it’s fair give them ****.

theguzman

Deleted User wrote: »

In fairness - you obviously seem to want to either ignore - or be ignorant to the fact a lot of people were calling to cancel flights more or less the entire year.

For what it’s worth, I’ve dealt with Aer Lingus before due to damaged luggage and they were nothing short of excellent, so I don’t really think it’s fair give them ****.

Ryanair for all their criticism had a seamless online system for refunds needing no human interaction whatsoever, Easyjet too. I applied for my refunds to both airlines and got it back on the same day from both. Presumably they are using the same backend online engine I was thinking.

ancapailldorcha

theguzman wrote: »

BA are good in this regard but Aer Lingus were abysmal hopefully for you they have improved. I had 12 flights cancelled between Nov and now, twitter is your friend for communicating unless you want to be spend hours on hold by phone.

I'll give them a few days. Hopefully, it's cleared up by then.

The Continental Op

OK, So back home. Not the best ferry trip given the weather but it wouldn't have bothered me if I'd been stuck in the Irish sea on a stormy night provided the boat was going in the right direction.

Of course when I landed I had 4 txt msgs for the DFA all of them at least 4 hours too late to be of any use.

I might copy them out if I can be bothered but the last 2 stated that it would be ever so nice if I got a Covid test in the next 5 days. No they didn't phrase it like that but they certainly didn't say I had to get a test but will anyway will get on to the doctor tomorrow. (Correction Edit email says to arrange a test as soon as possible after 5 days post-arrival).

What happened in the end was that the restrictions for travel were reduced and no one after 14:00 hours today needed confirmation from the DFA and only needed something from a long list to prove they lived in Ireland, if I heard right I think I might have heard Irish TV license mentioned, but don't quote me on that?

Prior to that the system was just too overloaded to work. The last rep for the Consulate said they'd called in everyone for the work even people that didn't normally work on phones and still it was an hour in a phone queue to get to speak to anyone and they weren't in a position to do anything other than pass on your details. People waiting for the ferry had txt msgs saying they could travel but Irish ferries didn't have them on the list to allow them to travel. Then at about one o'clock they started issuing (mostly changing tickets from previous days) to anyone that had the txt msg and eventually to anyone that could prove an Irish address.

Only about 20 non commercial vehicles on the ferry and that included a few commercial vans. However rest of the ferry was packed and I mean packed with lorries after they got the cars up the front they jammed a load more lorries in behind on what in the old days was the car deck.

Glad you got home. Merry Christmas

Penfailed

GarIT wrote: »

Bus full of 50-80 builders from NI employed by South Dublin country council arrived in Tallaght this morning as usual, same as all throughout L5.

What's your point? Construction is an essential service.