Travel UK update live: Red list update expected today as Foreign Office drops warning for 30 countries

Six extra airways have introduced that they are going to implement the IATA Journey Cross, an digital Covid app the place passengers can enter their vaccination paperwork and examine the foundations and restrictions of their vacation spot.

Etihad Airways, Jazeera Airways, Jetstar, Qantas, Qatar Airways and Royal Jordanian will be part of Emirates in implementing the go in a phased rollout throughout their networks.

Vaccine certificates from 52 international locations (representing the supply of 56% of worldwide air journey) can at the moment be managed utilizing the app – this can enhance to 74 international locations, representing 85% of worldwide site visitors, by the top of November.

Trade figures and knowledge analysts have been making their predictions for what number of international locations could also be faraway from the UK’s pink record for journey, at an announcement anticipated later right this moment.

“I’m not going to say 9 international locations which will probably be on the pink record come tomorrow as I nonetheless suppose that’s optimistic and it might be as much as 18,” tweeted analyst Tim White, who follows Covid case figures in international locations world wide every week.

“I can not see any nation needing to be added to the record,” he added.

The record at the moment stands at 54 international locations. Others within the trade and media have predicted a drop to 12 international locations, or as few as 9.

It’s price noting that a big discount to the pink record was anticipated on the final journey replace on 17 September, when solely eight international locations have been faraway from a then 62-strong record.

The Division for Transport has not confirmed a time for the announcement, however it’s anticipated later right this moment.

Passengers who have been unable to journey on their British Airways or Ryanair flights due to lockdown guidelines won’t be able to assert refunds, the Competitors and Markets Authority (CMA) has stated.

1000’s of travellers had tickets on BA and the Irish airline for journeys that they may not make due to lockdown guidelines in 2020 and 2021. British Airways provided vouchers for future flights whereas Ryanair allowed passengers to postpone their journeys.

Travellers are entitled to refunds when an airline cancels a flight. However the airways have at all times maintained that because the flights departed they’d no obligation to supply money refunds below air passengers’ rights guidelines.

Tui is telling prospects to recheck their vacation and flight reserving particulars after it was compelled to cancel a swathe of upcoming packages, because of the ongoing uncertainty brought on by Covid-19 journey restrictions.

The tour operator stated holidaymakers would get at the very least seven days discover, and will select between a full money refund or rebooking for a distinct date or vacation spot.

It stated in a press release: “We all know some prospects could also be not sure about travelling this summer season, so to supply continued flexibility and reassurance, fee-free modifications will be made as much as 14 days earlier than journey for patrons as a consequence of depart as much as and together with 31 October.”

It has introduced the next cancellations:

Egypt (Hurghada and Sharm El Sheikh)

Austria, Italy and Slovenia (TUI Lakes and Mountains)

Bulgaria (Varna and Bourgas)

Italy (Calabria, Sardinia and Sicily)

Mainland Spain (Almeria and Girona)

Julia Lo Bue-Mentioned of Benefit Journey Partnership has praised the FCO’s resolution earlier right this moment to take away recommendation towards “all however important journey” to greater than 30 international locations.

“Excellent news to see @FCDOtravelGovUK have lifted their non important journey advisory to over 30+ international locations,” tweeted Bue-Mentioned.

“That is the place international locations not on pink record nonetheless had an advisory towards journey. Worldwide journey is getting simpler however stays complicated. Guide with a journey agent professional.”

Some expressed their frustration on Twitter at journey restrictions to area of interest locations comparable to Fiji and Djibouti being eased, whereas only a few standard vacation and ex-pat locations stay unchanged

“Little bit of an odd record,” tweeted knowledge analyst Donal Kane.

“All those that nobody goes to. Nice work,” added Twitter person Emma Namur.

The Caribbean island of Grenada has decreased the value of its PCR assessments for travellers, in response to the vacationer board’s PR consultant.

Paul Charles, CEO of the PC Company which represents Pure Grenada, tweeted: “A welcome lower within the Caribbean – Grenada slashes the price of PCR assessments on entry to only £36 ($50) per individual from right this moment.”

A whole lot of 1000’s of travellers and far of the journey trade are celebrating a Foreign Office resolution to take away recommendation towards journey to greater than 30 international locations.

Till now the FCDO has warned towards non-essential journey to nations comparable to Bangladesh, Gambia, Ghana and Malaysia “based mostly on the present evaluation on Covid-19 dangers”.

The warning has been in place even for nations with low an infection charges and no variants of concern, and is at odds with the Division for Transport (DfT) evaluation of threat from travellers coming back from such international locations.

Not one of the international locations with recommendation being adjusted is at the moment on the federal government’s “pink record” of 54 international locations, from which travellers should quarantine in a lodge on entry to the UK.

The “continued sluggish restoration” of journey and tourism means its contribution to international GDP will rise by lower than one third in 2021 in comparison with 2020, in response to the World Journey and Tourism Council (WTTC).

The tourism physique stated it’s “very important” for the British Authorities to scrap the pink record with a view to assist restoration of the sector.

Whereas practically $9.2 trillion was generated by journey and tourism worldwide in 2019, this plummeted by $4.5 trillion final 12 months because of the pandemic – a drop of 49 per cent.

“Whereas the worldwide economic system is about to obtain a modest 30.7 per cent year-on-year enhance from journey and tourism in 2021, this can solely characterize $1.4 trillion and is especially pushed by home spending,” stated the WTTC.

Hopes that an up to date pink record could be introduced right this moment seem to have been dashed.

The DfT tells The Unbiased that the “plan remains to be for an announcement later this week”, which suggests the revised record will probably be launched on Thursday or Friday.

Nice swathes of the pink record are anticipated to be bumped as much as the brand new “remainder of world” record (an amalgamation of the previous inexperienced and amber lists).