British travellers left stranded in Thailand accuse airlines of cashing in on COVID-19 crisis

[Bugsy73]

If you booked your flight with a credit/debit card you may have travel insurance as part of the package. I have with Halifax but luckily I've never had to use it. On around the 18th March I received a text from them saying that they would be placing exclusions on any travel policies purchased after the 18th and any trips booked before that date would be honoured. So maybe worth checking your bank cards you may have travel cover and as long as you booked the trip before the 18th March you might be able to get some help. I am staying here in bangkok, I feel safer here at least people are wearing masks and most super markets hand out hand sanitiser and check your temperature before they let you in. How accurate they are I dont know but at least they are trying. I was horrified before I left the UK at how many people werent wearing masks. Even on busy trains ( I did it once) it frightened me so much that I cancelled all my meetings from that day on. 

[Number 6]

On 4/2/2020 at 12:20 PM, Muzzique said:

The Germans have been sending daily direct repatriation flights from both Phuket and Bangkok to Frankfurt at €99 one way fixed price for all seats for the last 2 weeks. This includes, hand luggage, one suitcase, meals and basic entertainment. Check the Condor Airways site to book as flights open up regularly as the day goes on. 

 

Flights from Frankfurt to the UK are about €140 one way and run about 5-6 times a day but you have to sort those yourself.

 

They are open to Brits and EU citizens and most of the planes have been going back half empty. I saw that the Phuket flight left today at 10am with over 6 seats still bookable for €99.

 

Its a pity the UK embassy never told anyone about them. I've been writing on these forums for weeks about them. As always with the UK its too little too late.

 

 

 

This really proves a point how clueless embassy staff are. They live in a bubble. Paid to do a specific job. No idea what's going on outside the compound. They're absolutely no help in a pinch. This is all embassies.

 

Yes, first job in general is affairs of state but that much includes taking care of it's citizens in times such as these.

[elgenon]

Unless they signed up for a futures contract in fuel they are saving tons of money on fuel. Having said that, Our Dear Leader in the US is probably going to give them big bucks. I want big bucks (Whining sound and crying and stomping of feet) !

 

They have been making big bucks but this is going to cost them dearly.

[samran]

On 4/2/2020 at 11:45 AM, Vernon Wooldridge said:

£1950 Qatar one way economy BKK-HRW selling blackmarket fares cashing in on the coronavirus and stranded passengers. 

Bless...someone who thinks that airlines are actually making any money at the moment. 

[BritManToo]

23 hours ago, Logosone said:

Nothing is free anymore. Only our parents enjoyed the free days, we, their children, have to pay their pension and our own costs.

Not that free ............

I would be more than happy to forgo my state pension and all NHS access in return for a refund on the 20% NI payments I made all my working life in the UK (10% employee contribution + 10% employer contribution) along with all the interest on those payments.

Edited April 4, 2020 by BritManToo

[KMartinHandyman]

On 4/2/2020 at 11:48 AM, Jajazazajaja said:

 

“I cant get a commercial flight from Thailand because Emirates have my money and my passport is nearly full.“

 

Passport nearly full? What has that got to do with anything?

 

 

Did you miss this part? 
I cant make an extension with a nearly full passport and cant make a new passport since the agency is closed.

[JohnTJ]

On 4/2/2020 at 7:11 PM, impulse said:

 

Edit:  I'd add that it's probably prudent to get back to the NHS in case the Covid19 virus does force someone to seek medical attention.  Seems like travel insurance doesn't cover it, and I'd hate to be stuck in a Thai hospital with no way to pay for treatment.

 

My travel insurance (Allianz) sent me an email saying they don't usually cover epidemics but they will cover COVID-19.  Just saying.

 

Now honestly, I'd hate to have to navigate the AMERICAN medical system while overloaded in the tri state area, so I'm staying put here in Phuket till my visa+extension expires or planes start running again, whichever is later.

[StevieAus]

On 4/2/2020 at 7:00 PM, tweedledee2 said:

AirAsia is allowing voluntarily cancellation of all flight bookings made before Mar 23 for departures thru May 31.  I cancelled my flight using "AVA", 2 days before I received the flight cancellation notice email from AirAsia.  They do not issue refunds. They offer unlimited re-booking till Oct. 31 for the same route or a credit of the total fare amount to your "Big" Member account valid for 365 days for future bookings. The latter was the better option for me. Just click on "AVA" and follow the instructions. When complete a reference number will appear and you will receive it by email. If round-trip you'll file 2 claims.

Thanks for your response found that since original post

[DrJack54]

28 minutes ago, StevieAus said:

Thanks for your response found that since original post

I changed AirAsia flights yesterday using AVA robot. It was really easy I chose to move flights. There was also credit option.

Month back attended AirAsia counter at DMK (cancelled flight Osaka). Very helpful staff did paperwork (with the wait took about 1 hr). You give them bank details and they refund into your account. Will take over a month.

Also had cancelled trip to Au with Jetstar. They give credit. Took about 4 days. All done by emails.

Had one flight through trip com. Another Jetstar flight. That's not so easy and still sorting that. These companies must be swamped. 

Aside matter. What a magic company Air bnb has shown itself. They did instant refund back into a/c for all my bookings.

Edited April 5, 2020 by DrJack54

[Niteowl45]

On 4/2/2020 at 12:48 AM, GAZZPA said:

Gosh, how incredibly understanding of you, do you work for an airline? I don't care about the poor airlines profitability , I think they have a responsibility to get people home. ABTA is supposed to protect people from things like this but there is probably some clause that gets them off the hook. 

No, they don't. They really, really don't. Anybody still in Thailand (as a tourist) is just a total retard who doesn't deserve any sympathy, sorry.

It was their responsibility to figure out this isn't the best time (make it the worst) to go on vacation, or that it was time to return earlier. People who thought the world would bend over to accommodate their needs and went ahead, well, were also bound to fight that the world doesn't give a s**t about their self-entitled selves.

No sympathy for any of those retards, and in fact I would suggest their mothers get spayed so they don't produce any more of those geniuses.