Coronavirus (COVID-19) Respiratory illness - Effect on Travel

[Pushka]

Note to all, even if youre majorily peed off, dont pretend to cough and hack all over pax/FAs. Dont be that ahole.

Coughing woman tackled on plane

Dramatic video captures crew members aboard a Thai Airways plane tackling a woman who went on a rampage and deliberately coughed on a flight attendant because she was upset over a delay during coronavirus checks, according to a report.

www.news.com.au

https://www.news.com.au/ef94b7fd-35b9-45a7-8049-07be3db2021e

Denali.....get off that keyboard! Or go and watch funny you tube clips. We watched an hilarious one the other day about county cricket and all the bloopers that happen. Laughing really helps.
Humanity is being left at the door these days.

 

[JessicaTam]

[mod hat]
There are quite a few Covid-19 threads on AFF and elsewhere.

Please keep discussion to the thread topic. This one is the effect on travel.
[/mod hat]

 

[Curlycoat2]

I have the same policy and have posted upthread. My take on it.... if you purchased prior to the cutoff date and there is no issue with Gov decrees like closing borders, enforcing mandatory quarantining, etc you'll be fine. But as soon as it happens - you're on your own. Take a look at what Italy and Israel have just enforced.

If you cancel before a "DO Not Travel" warning issued by Aust gov - you're on your own.

In this situation - its a massive risk to do any international travel.... maybe NZ would be ok.

Thank you so much this is how I saw the situation too - glad for another opinion, much appreciated

 

[ja1]

Yes, particularly if you are treating patients and have just arrived from OS.

The kids orthodontist has just arrived back from Japan, he sent an email out stating where he's been and if you wanted to change the appointment - no worries.

It's not that hard really.

So he didn't actually stay at home and cancel. And he wasn't sick. And he presumably had the benefit of watching another medical colleague get flogged for following government guidelines. And decided to go above and beyond what he's required to do.

Good on him but not exactly compelling as to 'its not that hard really' for the original..

In an effort to stay on topic (noting the scary mod presence inline) though..

There's a distinct lack of actual procedures at a corporate and institutional level and it appears a lot of this has to be thought about / sorted out 'on the fly'.

So the effect on travel is not just on all the issues relating to direct travel - you could have a completely non eventful travel process and be undone by your destination being unable to meet with you due to you coming in as an international traveller (already seeing this happen in other threads) or when you get back, despite not having any issues, may be barred from going back into your work depending on organizational policy and enforcement (due to international travel).

 

[Melburnian1]

Thank you so much this is how I saw the situation too - glad for another opinion, much appreciated

Tonight (10 March 2020), Australian Government is more or less telling us not to go on cruises.

If I read it correctly, this will trigger insurers not paying out on any cruise bookings made form today should cancellation occur, or passengers are quarantined on board and then incur additional expenses.

However Pushka is one of the AFF experts on this so until she's commented, take my contribution with a kilogram of salt.

 

[Pushka]

Tonight (10 March 2020), Australian Government is more or less telling us not to go on cruises.

If I read it correctly, this will trigger insurers not paying out on any cruise bookings made form today should cancellation occur, or passengers are quarantined on board and then incur additional expenses.

However Pushka is one of the AFF experts on this so until she's commented, take my contribution with a kilogram of salt.

If that's true that they are actually saying Don't Travel then that works very well for impacted customers who can the claim on Insurance. Sounds like they are following the lead of the US Government. It's a sad time for those of us who love the sea. Thanks for the heads up @Melburnian. I think the drrons and straitman are a tad older than me which means of course they have done way more cruises than I

 

[RooFlyer]

The new lunch-on-the-go:

 

[Mattg]

Well I'm currently sitting at VIE waiting for a flight and there are a few people with masks - but not many. Clearly some of the people wearing masks have not bothered to educate themselves on mask hygiene etc. - e.g. I can see one guy who keeps removing the mask to take a bite of food and then putting it back on, and he keeps touching the mask. What exactly is he trying to achieve by wearing a mask? (Meanwhile the entire city is sold out of masks, so those who actually need them can't access them...)

None of the airport staff are wearing face masks.

 

[leadman]

VIEW FROM THE TRENCHES

Heading now into week two of the backblocks of Thailand and things have ramped up here. Being temperature tested now 3 times a day and all recorded in the official company document. I demand that my fellow office workers (good friends and can see the joke) be tested to so i don't catch it from them! They all must wear a mask, but its not compulsory for me, although now day 12 i thought commonsense would prevail. Now actually tested as we drive out the gate for dinner. Which of couse is Thai, no mask and plenty of Singha/Leo/Chang in an attempt to either kill or drown the virus. I've now been informed that once l leave thailand for home i cannot come back although discussion is at foot that if i spend quarantine in a hotel in BKK its OK, mmmm JW sounds good for a week! So agreed to spend another week here trying to drown the virus then back home. Got them up to J because i could be affected in Y with so many people!

So coming back to the dormitory i thought i would do the Aussie thing and (other than being totally stupid) stocking up on bog rolls;



But then i remembered we have the "hose" here !!!!!



Must leave, still time to drown the virus!

 

[pauly7]

Clearly some of the people wearing masks have not bothered to educate themselves on mask hygiene etc. - e.g. I can see one guy who keeps removing the mask to take a bite of food and then putting it back on, and he keeps touching the mask. What exactly is he trying to achieve by wearing a mask? (Meanwhile the entire city is sold out of masks, so those who actually need them can't access them...)

One of many reasons why it’s a complete waste of time, money and resources everyday people wearing masks going about their normal life.

 

[leadman]

But forgot to add the BIG point, no bank here would touch the UK 100 pound i had to convert to baht. Four banks refused to touch the money because of the virus, which I'm now in the process of drowning with poor quality alcohol!

WARNING to all.

 

[RooFlyer]

Well I'm currently sitting at VIE waiting for a flight and there are a few people with masks -

And in Brussels train station, very busy, over 90 minutes, only one Asian couple seen with poorly fitting paper masks.

At MUC yesterday, much the same.

 

[PineappleSkip]

Been in Somaliland nearly three weeks and the only masks I have seen at all were on the faces of the people who took my temperature at the airport.

Interesting article here on the $64,000 question, what’s the risk of flying?
It seems the answer is that it is much lower than the risk of catching the tube.
BBC - Coronavirus: What's the risk of flying or taking the train?

Cheerts skip

 

[RooFlyer]

My pre paid, non refundable accommodation in Osaka via booking.com got changed to cancellable, no problem . I’ve dropped Japan on my RTW and was thinking I’d have to swallow that one.

My TI excludes epidemics

 

[RooFlyer]

Interesting article here on the $64,000 question, what’s the risk of flying?
It seems the answer is that it is much lower than the risk of catching the tube.
BBC - Coronavirus: What's the risk of flying or taking the train?

Nice one, thanks.

Although I’ve just been sitting opposite someone for 90 mins in a train Brussels to Paris.
Quelle dommage

 

[Anna]

Tonight (10 March 2020), Australian Government is more or less telling us not to go on cruises.

If I read it correctly, this will trigger insurers not paying out on any cruise bookings made form today should cancellation occur, or passengers are quarantined on board and then incur additional expenses.

It's impossible to generalise like that about insurance policies. Everyone needs to read their own policy. They are almost all different.

If that's true that they are actually saying Don't Travel then that works very well for impacted customers who can the claim on Insurance.

Where does the idea come from that DFAT issuing a Do Not Travel advisory (if that's what has happened) means that people can claim on travel insurance for cancellation? Is there a policy that says it will pay up if the insured person cancels due to a DFAT Do Not Travel advisory? The clauses I see normally go the other way and say things like 'we will not cover you for travel to destinations where the govt has advised you should not travel'. That means you're not covered if you still go. It doesn't mean you're covered if you cancel because of the govt advisory. There would need to be another clause to say that.

 

[Pushka]

Where does the idea come from that DFAT issuing a Do Not Travel advisory (if that's what has happened) means that people can claim on travel insurance for cancellation? Is there a policy that says it will pay up if the insured person cancels due to a DFAT Do Not Travel advisory? The clauses I see normally go the other way and say things like 'we will not cover you for travel to destinations where the govt has advised you should not travel'. That means you're not covered if you still go. It doesn't mean you're covered if you cancel because of the govt advisory. There would need to be another clause to say that.

Directly from my Insurance company. Pasted from an email they replied to a few weeks ago:


"Thank you for contacting Tick Travel Insurance.

We apologise for the delay in response.

Under the Annual multi trip policy, cover for Section A cancelling your trip before departure starts from the nominated start date of the policy, in this case 01.02.2020.

If the Smart Traveller government site changes their official advice to " DO NOT TRAVEL" you will be covered under section A to cancel your trip before departure"


That is why I've been keen to see the Do Not Travel alert being issued. Tick Travel Insurance is also insureandgo.

 

[Anna]

@Pushka that's a great policy then. Everyone needs to check their own policy though, and probably take out an annual policy with Tick

What happens under that policy if the DFAT advisory changes after departure?

 

[Melburnian1]

Pushka and others, my original source above was a little 'over enthused.'

My apologies if anyone was misled!

Here is the 9 March advice on the Smart Traveller (Australian Government) site:

9 March 2020: Many countries are now reporting cases. Many are introducing new entry restrictions. These are changing often and quickly. Disruptions to cruise ship itineraries due to COVID-19 can have significant consequences for Australian travellers. We advise you to reconsider taking an overseas cruise at this time - particularly if you have underlying health concerns

-------

So strictly it's not a 'do not travel': it's the previous 'step.'

 

[Pushka]

@Pushka that's a great policy then. Everyone needs to check their own policy though, and probably take out an annual policy with Tick

What happens under that policy if the DFAT advisory changes after departure?

As long as you travelled before the announcement then you are covered for anything that might occur. If your plans had to change - ie you'd left Australia but not entered the country prior to the announcement then I expect you'd have to cancel and you would be covered. I'm not sure if you'd have to leave immediately on announcement? That would be an issue if on a cruise in the affected area. If you'd already entered the country at the time of the announcement then you would be covered. In fact if you'd cancelled prior to any announcement then cancellation Insurance wouldn't kick in as that would be a case of changing your mind.