Tag: lockdown

easyJet and easyJet holidays offers new Greece routes from Bristol for Summer 2021

easyJet and easyJet holidays have announced the launch of new flights and holidays from Bristol Airport to the Greek islands of Mykonos and Santorini for this summer.

Ali Gayward, easyJet’s UK Country Manager, said: ‘We know that people want to travel as soon as they can and as soon as it is safe to do so and so we want to ensure they have even more destinations to choose from when making a booking for this summer.’

The new route from Bristol to Santorini will commence on May 31, 2021. Flights are available from £30.99, or a seven-night package holiday including flights, hotel, bags and transfers can be booked for £373 per person. The route to Mykonos will operate from Bristol starting May 28, 2021, with fares available from £30.99 and holidays available from £373 per person, with a range of hotels including the adults only 4-star Andronikos hotel. All easyJet holidays can be booked with a deposit of GBP60 per person.

Flights to both new destinations will operate once a week throughout the summer, providing anyone travelling from the South West with a direct connection to the popular Greek resorts. The new route joins the existing easyJet routes from Bristol to Athens, Corfu, Crete, Kefalonia, Kos, Preveza, Rhodes and Zakynthos. The airline has also added more seats on summer routes from Bristol to Turkey, with additional departures on Mondays to Antalya and on Tuesdays and Fridays to Dalaman as well as on Sundays to the Greek Island of Corfu.

easyJet holidays offers seven nights at the 3-star Olia Hotel, Mykonos, on a room only basis for £373 per person including flights from Bristol airport, 23kg of luggage per person and transfers on October 22, 2021.

easyJet holidays also offers seven nights at the 5-star Splendour Resort, Santorini, on a bed and breakfast basis for £595 per person including flights from Bristol airport, 23kg of luggage per person and transfers on July 12, 2021. Bookings can be made at easyjet.com/en/holidays

Dave Lees, CEO, Bristol Airport said: ‘We are delighted with easyJet’s announcement adding two new destinations from Bristol Airport to the Greek islands of Mykonos and Santorini and increasing capacity to Antalya and Dalaman in Turkey and the Greek island of Corfu for summer 2021. This further increases the choice of destinations and flight options available to passengers in the region choosing to fly from their local airport. This shows the confidence in the region and when the time is right and travel restrictions ease, Bristol Airport will be ready to provide the essential air connectivity, which is what our customers are telling us they want. We will continue to work with easyJet, enhancing and developing the route network for the future.’

easyJet and easyJet holidays have introduced flexible customer policies under its ‘Protection Promise’, which includes a Refund Guarantee for flights or holidays if they are cancelled plus a full refund for holidays if a customer changes their plan up to 28 days before. With the Travel Ban Protection customers can also receive a refund for non-cancelled flights if plans are impacted by travel bans in a regional or national lockdown. Customers also have the Freedom to Change flights without a fee up to 14 days before departure, and can change a holiday up to 28 days before departure; and if quarantine measures come in to place at the last minute, the Quarantine Assurance allows changing impacted flights without a change fee. All holidays are covered under easyJet holidays’ Covid commitments if holidays cannot proceed, or are impacted by restrictions.

TUI expects cruising to be back to pre-coronavirus levels within a year

According to TUI Cruises, the demand for cruises will be back to normal – pre-coronavirus – levels within a year, The Telegraph has reported.

TUI, one of the world’s leading travel companies and the parent of UK and Ireland brand Marella Cruises, said that about half of passengers whose cruises have been cancelled have already rebooked.

TUI, which has invested heavily in cruises in recent years, was forced to cancel and delay itineraries due to the risks from the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic. Marella Cruises has already suspended cruise ship holidays until the June-end and will retire Marella Celebration earlier than planned.

TUI chief Wybcke Meier reportedly told The Telegraph that even as dozens of cruises had to be cancelled, she was positive that the business would bounce back quickly.

‘We are convinced that in the long-term the demand for premium and luxury cruises will not change,’ Meir said. ‘We will see the demand for cruises return to pre-crisis level within 12 to 18 months.’

Earlier, Which? alleged that the UK’s leading travel companies, including TUI, were failing in their legal duty to issue refunds on trips impacted by coronavirus within 14 days. Major travel companies and airlines were withholding up to £7billion worth of cash refunds on cancelled holidays, the consumer group said.

‘The Government must urgently set out how it will support travel firms and airlines to ensure they can meet their legal obligations to refund customers for cancelled travel plans – and avoid permanent damage to trust and confidence in the travel industry,’ Which? Travel Editor Rory Boland said.

Wizz Air flights resume partial services from London Luton

Hungarian low-cost airline Wizz Air has resumed a portion of its flights from London’s Luton airport today, reports said online.

While the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office continue to advise against all non-essential foreign travel, Wizz Air plans to operate 10 per cent of its scheduled flights for passengers with essential journeys.

The flight schedule will be to selected airports in Europe, including Budapest, Burgas, Lisbon, Sofia, Tenerife, Tel Aviv and Varna, subject to no further restrictions. The airline had planned to resume flights to Romania but authorities in Bucharest have extended their lockdown restrictions.

Wizz Air has resumed flights from London Luton airport after implementing new Covid-19 guidelines for staff and passengers. The airline will operate these flights with strict health and safety measures due to ongoing social distancing regulations, including new physical distancing for passengers while boarding. The flights will be disinfected overnight, and cabin crew will hand out sanitising wipes to passengers and will be required to wear masks and gloves on all flights.

Wizz Air UK’s managing director, Owain Jones reportedly said: ‘As we restart selected Luton flights to provide an essential service to passengers who need to travel, our primary concern is the health, safety and well-being of our customers and crew. The protective measures that we are implementing will ensure the most sanitary conditions possible.

‘We encourage our customers to watch our new video on how to stay safe when travelling, as well as for more details on our new health and safety measures.’