Where will you go first when the bans are lifted?

[SuePa]

I had a 5 Stans trip booked for this August, that I was fortunate to be able to transfer to October 2021. Hopefully things are back to a normal enough state by then to be able to get there.

 

[Gremlin]

Have not spoken to the bloke for a few weeks, but sent a message and he suggested they were mainly 'rebooking' or 'cancelling' clients' fares.

Hard to think of many travel agents who wouldn't have been extremely badly hit. In smaller firms there must be a lot of stand downs/ redundancies if they're not sole traders. They just won't have the cashflow to keep paying staff I'd suspect.

I don't want to contact the chap as it's sort of embarrassing if you know what I mean.

All the publicity is about Flight Centre and to some extent Helloworld but what about online Webjet, bricks and mortar STA Travel and those (largely women) who are sort of franchisees and tend to book upper end overseas holidays? I think one group is called Travel Counsellors.

One of the worst features of "it" must be that there's no certainty about an 'end date', so few of us may have the confidence to book ahead. I don't know anyone in my circle who's game enough to book an overseas leisure trip yet.

Some AFFers are braver but that to me is a minority view not reflective of the community.

I have a friend in the TA world who is having to pay back lots of commissions "earned" on bookings that are now being cancelled. Her guess is that it will be a substantial five figure amount over the next couple of months. With no guarantees that she will keep her job ongoing and virtually no prospect of new sales. She and her husband have some money squirrelled away, but for some of her colleagues that money has already been spent and they are very, very concerned...

 

[Flying mermaid]

Nowhere overseas until there is a vaccine.

Then (if our shares have recovered - gasp), probably to London to visit Dr FM and a niece who is expecting a baby in August.

 

[Flashback]

I have a friend in the TA world who is having to pay back lots of commissions "earned" on bookings that are now being cancelled. Her guess is that it will be a substantial five figure amount over the next couple of months. With no guarantees that she will keep her job ongoing and virtually no prospect of new sales. She and her husband have some money squirrelled away, but for some of her colleagues that money has already been spent and they are very, very concerned...

I've found the same here (London), a lot of my contractor mates tend to earn/burn their cash rather than building up a war chest. Some of those have a longer term view and make sure there's a bit of a war chest in place for when that rainy day comes. Well, with COVID-19 it's definitely come, but for most it was due to come anyway with the tax reform that was being brought in, known to many here as IR35. Fortunately I fall in the latter camp and have a war chest in place, so while I'm jobless right now it's not an immediate concern fortunately.

 

[nickfromeastryde]

To the closest pub where I may well "self-isolate" for another 14 days just to be safe then off to Colombia.

My son, DIL and one year old granddaughter there, they were supposed to be here now for Mrs Nick's 60th birthday this month but that has fallen over. I was supposed to go over there in June, my son and I were going to follow the Aussie football team around Argentina watching them getting thumped in the Copa America but all of that has fallen through as well.

So glad we made a last minute decision to spend Christmas just gone with them however realistically I can see this dragging on much longer than 2020 so breaking my heart at the moment thinking it may be one or even two years before we get to see them again.

 

[Pvcmenace]

Kick off where I left off with my Austrian girlfriend.... Thank you very much Corona

 

[daft009]

We snuck in a trip to Fiji early March before all this got serious and my 3yo wants our first holiday after all this to be there again. He had a ball over there playing in the sand and swimming everyday

He tells me to fix the germs so we can go on holiday again

 

[SydneySwan]

A sit-down coffee at my local cafe. Round-trip 300 metres.

Mission accomplished today - first day of cafes opening in NSW. Time to reset goals!

 

[CityRail]

When bans are lifted the first place I will go is to Hong Kong.
I really hope that I can go there on 6th of September, because there's where Legislative Council election is being held, so that I can support the rioters by voting out the pro-Peking camp.
Also Hong Kong is where my parents live and being separated from my parents is not a good thing.

 

[stevenaus]

Sydney to see my Bestie. Honolulu booked for Xmas just before this thing hit, Hopefully we get there

 

[p--and--t]

Well its nothing quite exciting as Morocco, Jordan, Egypt, Malaysia and Thailand where I was supposed to be going during lock-down.

But taking a punt Anna will proceed to lift border restrictions mid July, I have booked a sale fare to OOL for a week late July to get out of Melbourne winter for a few days.

 

[OATEK]

We are planning a fun filled 3 day excursion to MEL in mid-September as our first foray, incorporating a bit of shopping and time with a niece and her partner.

 

[Pushka]

Just booked as an award flight - Adelaide Cairns direct on Jetstar! Hey, the world is a crazy place these days. Mid August.

 

[QF WP]

I just want to get in a plane and fly interstate to see clients and get back to as near normal as we can. I'm much more efficient in front of clients than via Zoom/Skype. I'm raring to head over to PER and down to MEL and SYD in the first month.

 

[Flashback]

I just want to get in a plane and fly interstate to see clients and get back to as near normal as we can. I'm much more efficient in front of clients than via Zoom/Skype. I'm raring to head over to PER and down to MEL and SYD in the first month.

Might cross paths then, if/when Mrs FB's visa is approved...... 3 weeks and waiting.

 

[oznflfan]

Not as exotic as I'd like, but Uluru for 4 days early August.

 

[Pushka]

Not as exotic as I'd like, but Uluru for 4 days early August.

That will be stunning. Book the dinner under the moonlight. Take a warm jacket.

 

[p--and--t]

That will be stunning. Book the dinner under the moonlight. Take a warm jacket.

And plan to be at the viewing spot one afternoon for sunset and also at the viewing spot before sunrise. And yes it can get very cold overnight. (been there once when it was almost zero in the morning and 30+ at lunchtime)

 

[Berlin]

Over to Sydney on the first weekend we're allowed to without having to self-isolate or quarantine ourselves on return to Auckland. Then probably Brissy, maybe Perth or Fiji if that's allowed at the same time. Europe would otherwise be highest on my list but I doubt that this will be reasonably possible before it's the depth of Winter there again and then I rather wait until a year from now (if it's allowed by then). Failing Europe and provided there are places we are allowed to go, we'll probably head to Asia over the Xmas period, Hong Kong or Singapore ideally but if only Taiwan is allowed, then we explore Taiwan- we're flexible.

The only thing that sucks at the moment is being stuck in New Zealand during Winter. Yea yea, it's all pretty but also damn cold at the moment and expensive. Plus we miss flying internationally, the meals and booze on board in business class, the lounges... It's all not the same crammed into an economy-only Domestic Kiwi flight though yes, we should "consider ourselves lucky to fly at all. Meh.

 

[Pushka]

Cairns for us in August. Flights (award) booked but am still wary of booking accommodation.