The government has announced new measures to tackle the new Omicron variant that’s made its way into the UK, which has led to tour operators and holiday goers scrambling to rearrange their holidays.
Anyone who enters the UK must take a PCR test by the end of the second day after arrival and self-isolate until they have received a negative result, this comes along with other precautions being re-introduced such as wearing a face mask in public, and warnings not to socialise before Christmas.
A temporary flight ban has been put in place for six south African countries amid the new variant, including South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Eswantini, Zimbabwe and Namibia.
The UK aren’t the only ones putting new measures in place as Switzerland has mandated 10 days of quarantine for all new arrivals and Spain has put a ban on non-vaccinated arrivals. Essential Living have shared advice on what to do if the Omicron variant has affected your upcoming trip.
What if I’m stuck abroad?
If you’re overseas and find yourself disrupted by new restrictions and lockdowns, or your country is about to be put on the red list, you can contact your airline to get the first available flight home.
Then have a look at your travel insurance documents as you should be able to claim for the costs of extending your stay if you’re stuck abroad or for any unused accommodation if plans have had to change at the last minute.
Should I cancel my upcoming Christmas trip?
If the Foreign Office has warned against travel to your upcoming holiday destination, you are able to cancel any package holiday and still be entitled to a full refund, even if the travel company hasn’t cancelled the flights themselves. However if plans change and you want to cancel yourself, you have no automatic right to a refund.
However, if this isn’t the case then you should check the company you booked your holiday and their refund policy, as some do have Covid refund policies.
Tour operators will be looking into departure dates over the next few weeks and will start contacting people if their holiday is cancelled, but if your holiday isn’t for a while, it’s best to wait as the situation could change and you may not be entitled to a refund.
What about next year?
Anyone planning on travelling abroad should stay informed through the government website on green lists and any travel restrictions. You should also be aware of any costs you could face should a country go into lockdown whilst there, or if you have to cancel for any reason.
Travelling abroad anywhere is still very up in the air and there are no policies for most insurers to cover other countries changing over to the red list or restrictions being put in place, so travel at your own risk.
