From today: Many trains services slashed following staff shortages as strikes and Covid cripple rail networks January 1, 2022 Several train operators – including ScotRail and South Western Railway – said they have no choice but to slash services as a result of Covid-induced staff shortages. From today until 17 January, when the new timetable will be introduced, Southwestern Railway trains will be subject to short notice cancellations. “The onset of the Omicron variant [...]
Exclusive: Nearly 9m Brits face having to cancel or postpone US and European holidays December 30, 2021 Nearly nine million holidaymakers face potentially having to cancel or rearrange trips to the US or mainland Europe that they booked before the introduction of new travel restrictions, according to new research shared exclusively with City A.M. this morning. Nearly one in five adults, around 8.9m Brits, has booked trips to mainland Europe or the [...]
South Africa demands compensation from UK for economic damage caused by Covid travel red list in response to Omicron variant December 27, 2021 South Africa is calling for compensation from the UK for the economic damage the country suffered after it was placed on Britain’s Covid travel red list in November. South Africa’s Department of International Relations is demanding compensation after the movement of people was severely restricted, saying Africa’s largest economy took a serious beating because of [...]
UK travellers to face week-long waits for PCR results December 9, 2021 Those travelling during the Christmas period could face week-long waits to get their PCR results back. Travel testing company giant Qured said that PCR tests could face delays during the Christmas period because delivery providers work on reduced services. Fit to Fly and Day 2 PCR tests with an arrival date between 20 December and [...]
Future of travel special: Pent-up wanderlust, streaming and, of course, a lot of tech November 16, 2021 After three strict lockdowns, the old adage ‘trip of a lifetime’ has never been more appropriate. Nearly two years into the pandemic, constant reminders of how precious life is have inevitably left their mark, bringing an increased awareness of what really matters, which is quite a motivation for many people to stop putting off that [...]
One night in Bangkok (quarantine): Thailand reopens to UK tourists November 1, 2021 After nearly two years of all but a trickle of foreign arrivals, Thailand is reopening to mass tourism, with travellers required to spend just one night in quarantine while they await Covid test results. Hundreds of vaccinated foreign tourists this morning arrived in the Thai capital for quarantine-free travel after the Southeast Asian nation approved [...]
Eurostar faces £400m losses after pandemic swerves passenger numbers off track October 3, 2021 Eurostar has reported more than £400m pandemic-induced losses and cautioned it faces “material uncertainties” in the future, after Covid travel restrictions derailed passenger numbers for the cross-channel train. After riding high with a £62.4m profit in 2019 before the pandemic hit, the French majority-owned train operator swung to a dizzying pre-tax loss of £427.8m in [...]
PCR test firm for travel being investigated over results, refunds and service September 3, 2021 One of the UK’s largest and cheapest PCR test companies focussed on travel is under investigation by the competition watchdog over several service failings. Expert Medicals faces allegations that tests and results were not provided in a timely manner, or at all in some cases, bosses failed to respond to complaints and refunds were not [...]
EU to remove US from Covid safe-travel list after spike in cases August 30, 2021 EU governments are set to blacklist American tourists from the safe travel list later this afternoon after a surge in US infections. American travellers face a ban on non-essential journeys and new quarantine restrictions. Whilst not automatically binding, the decision could set a precedent for new European restrictions on transatlantic travel after a summer of [...]
London ranked as one the most stressful cities in the world to drive August 30, 2021 London has been named as the eighth-most aggravating place to drive, scoring above cities like Bejing or Bangkok. Perhaps unsurprisingly, when in 2020, 18.5bn vehicle miles of traffic were travelled across the 9.2 thousand miles of roads in London. Nine out of ten drivers admit to feeling stressed or angry behind the wheel, according to [...]