What's it like airside at DUB at the moment?

Sheep Shagger · 02-11-2020 9:25pm #1

Obviously the volume of people and flights is still a lot lower than normal, has anyone passed through lately?

Are all the shops, bars and restaurants open, and what about duty free and all the Christmas stock they would normally be getting in.

Curious as miss the place, I know a real first world problem but used to do a bit of shopping there before flights as was travelling once or twice a month but not this year

JohnCleary · 02-11-2020 11:14pm

Friend went through last week, sent a WhatsApp saying "it's dead here" along with a picture of a pint.

Maybe the pint was flat!

bigar · 03-11-2020 12:53pm

It is very empty but not as bad as earlier this year (see my video on youtube from June).

Most shops are open but most drink/food outlets are closed. I really like travelling in these times. I am off again on Thursday.

JojoLoca · 03-11-2020 9:08pm

Most of shops open, but very quiet as no tourist coming through the airport. Bars closed and most of restaurants, including Burger King in both terminals are also closed. Can’t really get a pint or glass of wine, unless in the duty free or Wrights of Howth shop. The usual rush and buzz is gone, as less people and everyone are keeping distance from each other. I actually enjoyed this peacefulness.
I’m sure it will get busier around Christmas and they will decorate both terminals as usual.

Stihl waters · 03-11-2020 9:12pm

bigar wrote: »

It is very empty but not as bad as earlier this year (see my video on youtube from June).

Most shops are open but most drink/food outlets are closed. I really like travelling in these times. I am off again on Thursday.

Are you travelling for work or pleasure

Louche Lad · 03-11-2020 9:33pm

Flew from DUB four weeks ago, pretty quiet compared with normal times - very few passengers. Some shops open (I got bottle of gin from one).

SB71 · 06-11-2020 11:08am

Sheep Shagger wrote: »

Obviously the volume of people and flights is still a lot lower than normal, has anyone passed through lately?

Are all the shops, bars and restaurants open, and what about duty free and all the Christmas stock they would normally be getting in.

Curious as miss the place, I know a real first world problem but used to do a bit of shopping there before flights as was travelling once or twice a month but not this year

you can still get pints anyway, not many shops open but more than the first lockdown

JustAThought · 06-11-2020 11:25am

bigar wrote: »

It is very empty but not as bad as earlier this year (see my video on youtube from June).

Most shops are open but most drink/food outlets are closed. I really like travelling in these times. I am off again on Thursday.

metro-discrimintion!!! Never thought of that - so funny - its only in 40 years here but sure who measures feet in cm!! woildn’t have ever crossed
myind!!! wheres the accent - Swiss?

dartboardio · 20-01-2021 11:29pm

Travelled in July and it was very quiet but there was still a few.

In October there was way more people, queues etc and felt a bit more normal! One bar open downstairs in Dublin Airport and all the food and shop places were open.

ByTheSea2019 · 20-01-2021 11:32pm

Travelled from Edinburgh a few months ago. Edinburgh was weirdly quiet. I was the only one in security as I went through. Three or four staff just to supervise me! Dublin had a few more people but still very quiet.

spurious · 21-01-2021 1:13am

Partner went through last week. Duty free was open. Very few people about. Up at the gate it was possible to have a drink but you had to buy sandwiches with it.

Cerveza · 21-01-2021 1:15am

Yea depressing really. And as said you need to have to buy over priced food to get a pint.

dartboardio · 25-01-2021 10:44pm

Has anyone flown in the last few days? Did you get public transport to the airport or drive? Were you stopped? Out of curiosity, as the last few times we travelled since July and October we weren't stopped or asked anything (public transport)

Caranica · 25-01-2021 11:27pm

Looks like they're cracking down on public transport to the airport as well as cars

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/garda%C3%AD-stop-cars-going-to-and-from-dublin-airport-in-new-travel-crackdown-1.4466772?mode=amp

neris · 26-01-2021 1:43pm

They should either let people travel, keep the airport open and take the Gards away or just ban travel altogether and cancel flights so no one gos to the airport. Its shooting fish in a barrel type thing if they are stopping every car going into the airport.

Cerveza · 26-01-2021 3:04pm

The guards are now claiming they have flu and cold from being out in the weather. Taking paid time off work and nothing wrong with them only a few sniffles.

Caranica · 26-01-2021 3:13pm

Cerveza wrote: »

The guards are now claiming they have flu and cold from being out in the weather. Taking paid time off work and nothing wrong with them only a few sniffles.

I have a severe chest infection from waiting outside the NCT centre and garage last week even though I was wrapped up. Don't be so fast to jump to conclusions.

And this has nothing to do with what it's like airside in Dublin airport. I presume the answer remains "depressing".

Cerveza · 26-01-2021 4:55pm

I’m jumping to no conclusions only telling a fact. I haven’t been airside in Dublin since my last reply so I can’t comment on that one.

average_runner · 28-01-2021 10:37am

neris wrote: »

They should either let people travel, keep the airport open and take the Gards away or just ban travel altogether and cancel flights so no one gos to the airport. Its shooting fish in a barrel type thing if they are stopping every car going into the airport.

I think they made it pretty clear, essential travel only.

Not sure what is confusing about that

goingnowhere · 28-01-2021 8:28pm

If people want to leave they should be welcome to leave. Fewer people on the island, fewer cases, more vaccines to go around

air · 02-02-2021 9:44am

With less than 1% of cases from travel, restricting it is more about politics than public health, the same as masks which had proven to be totally ineffective in other countries prior to their introduction here.

The government are delighted to deflect some of the heat onto foreigners and dish out fines to people to give the impression they are doing something useful or have some control over the situation.

Gael23 · 02-02-2021 4:47pm

Caranica wrote: »

Looks like they're cracking down on public transport to the airport as well as cars

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/garda%C3%AD-stop-cars-going-to-and-from-dublin-airport-in-new-travel-crackdown-1.4466772?mode=amp

That’s behind a paywall

air · 02-02-2021 4:51pm

Does anyone know if they actually prevent you from travelling if stopped en route or just fine you and let you on your way?

Caranica · 02-02-2021 6:51pm

air wrote: »

Does anyone know if they actually prevent you from travelling if stopped en route or just fine you and let you on your way?

Confirmed at press conference this evening that they can't stop you but can fine you on return so that's €500 per person each way

air · 02-02-2021 6:52pm

Well so long as the fines are paid in full that'll ensure that the virus is kept at bay anyway.

DessieJames · 03-02-2021 12:23pm

Does anyone know if you fly from England to Belfast you still dnt need to take a test or has that changed, i cant seem tofind a defiunitive answer oin the NI government website?

DessieJames · 03-02-2021 12:46pm

actually scrath that i found something you still dont need to take a test if coming from common travel area

https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/coronavirus-covid-19-taking-coronavirus-test-travelling-northern-ireland

Scotty # · 03-02-2021 12:52pm

air wrote: »

With less than 1% of cases from travel, restricting it is more about politics than public health, the same as masks which had proven to be totally ineffective in other countries prior to their introduction here.

100% of cases are from travel. It's the only way it got here.

And if/when a new variant arrives here that's more contagious and/or lethal it will also have arrived here through travel (unless it mutates here to begin with).

air · 03-02-2021 1:33pm

Scotty # wrote: »

100% of cases are from travel. It's the only way it got here.

And if/when a new variant arrives here that's more contagious and/or lethal it will also have arrived here through travel (unless it mutates here to begin with).

Of course, but that horse bolted nearly a year ago now.

If we're forever going to live in fear of the next variant, we may as well close the airports for good.
What exactly is the exit plan? This virus and millions of others will continue to mutate forever.

Thankfully Covid has not proven to be a very dangerous virus and we (along with most European countries) have seen a minimal number of excess deaths over and above any normal year.

Scotty # · 03-02-2021 2:26pm

If we are to stop new variants being introduced then our only option is to stop all unnecessary travel with very strict restrictions on essential travel. There's no other way to stop them. If a variant comes in that the vaccines don't work on then we're all back to square one. So, wouldn't it be better to close the door now? Before the horse bolts a second time.

It's quite possible (maybe even likely) we'll be dealing with this for the rest of our lives. I think eventually we're going to have to attempt zero-covid. It's possibly the only way we will ever return to some sort of normality, and that starts with mandatory supervised quarantine on entry, like other countries have done successfully. Then, once that's implemented, you can enforce a very strict domestic lockdown. In theory, we could be down to zero new infections within a few weeks.

air wrote: »

Thankfully Covid has not proven to be a very dangerous virus...

Because we've had lockdowns! Try it without lockdowns for a while, pubs open, no restrictions at all. Then watch our health service become overwhelmed and collapse. Then see how dangerous you think it is!

air · 03-02-2021 2:36pm

All lockdowns have achieved is creating dramatic peaks and troughs in our hospital occupancy.
It was near 100% for as long as I can remember pre Covid and there was no fuss other than the odd story about people on trolleys.
The overall bed occupancy was down in 2020 I have no doubt.

They have had zero overall impact in terms of halting the spread of the disease.

Zero Covid is a pipe dream, even Australia and New Zealand are going to have to face this at some point unless they are willing to force their population to live in isolation forever more.

What's it like airside at DUB at the moment?

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