| Long read from a Brit stranded abroad... 00:28 - Apr 19 with 1333 views | monytowbray |
C+P from Facey B, shared to me by a friend from BSE currently stranded in NZ.
Finally made it back to Devon (hurrah!) after a pretty long and surreal journey back.
Now I'm home and I've got the time and energy to do so, I'd just like to highlight how CR@P the UK government has been in ''helping'' (or complete lack of) for all the people stuck abroad.
I'm speaking from experience of being stranded by my airline in New Zealand and therefore most of my post will be relevant to that situation, however I am sure there are many other British citizens in other countries in similar or even worst situations.
I want to publicise and make people aware that (despite what the media are printing) the UK government is doing very little to help UK citizens who have been (and many still are) stuck abroad in very difficult situations. As this will be a long post, I have listed bullet points of some of the main points, however feel free to comment or message me if you want further elaboration or to discuss any of my points:
- I've had people question why I (or other stranded people) didn't try harder to get their flights changed and to get home earlier - I did try, but the cost of the fare difference was so high that it was unaffordable; also the situation changed so rapidly that many airlines (including Emirates, whom I was due to fly with) shut down all operations with no notice almost overnight, leaving thousands of people stranded worldwide.
- Why didn't I have travel insurance? - I did. I tried calling but because of COVID 19 there's no one at the office (which I do understand), HOWEVER, I emailed on March 24th and again on April 8th and have yet to have a single response from them. I'm not concerned, I know from everybody else that all travel insurances are getting out of paying anything as it's a 'pandemic'. I'm just curious to see quite how long it will take for a response.
- Now, the BIGGER ISSUES here is that airlines are cancelling flights left, right and centre but not issuing refunds. They're offering a lovely 'IOU' voucher to be used at a later date. That's not helping anyone get home right now though. People are DESPERATE to get home, but with all the changing situations, you can literally buy a ticket, then find out six hours later that flight is cancelled - and of course, no refund, but here's another voucher for your collection!
- Germany and France have now repatriated all of their citizens from New Zealand, in fact to fill up their planes they even offered seats to other citizens (some from the UK) provided they then could make their own way home to the UK from that country.
- One German repatriation flight left half empty the day after the Easter weekend - they had contacted the UK embassy over the weekend to offer seats to UK citizens, however the high commision sent out an email 90 MINUTES before the flight left saying there were seats available to leave from Christchurch... if you could be there in 90 minutes.
- THE UK GOVERNMENT HAS DONE NOTHING CONSTRUCTIVE TO HELP PEOPLE IN NEW ZEALAND - They repeatedly told us 'There are commercial flights available so you need to get one of those'. I will comment some screenshots of the prices below, but just to give you a rough idea; normally a single flight fare NZ > the UK is usually between £400-£700. Seats with Qatar in April were advertised from $14,000 upwards for most flights (approximately £7000). No one can afford that, especially as many people had money tied up in 'vouchers' for several different airlines.
- Can I just state here NO ONE IS ASKING FOR A FREE LIFT HOME! Repatriate flights (or 'Mercy' flights) are NOT free!! The idea is that the government organises a plane with an airline, pay for it up front and then all the passengers are invoiced and pay back the fare to the government. Why is the media telling people that 'the government is spending £75 million getting brits home?' Even if they were putting flights on, it would not cost the government that much!
- I can understand they are trying to prioritise getting UK citizens home from countries that have zero commercial flight options to leave, but at the moment there is a small window of time in New Zealand where their government is allowing repatriation flights to take place. The UK government just needs to pull it's head out its a$s and organise this.
- When all the airlines first closed down (around March 23rd) I -and many other UK citizens - signed up to the High commision to receive daily email updates. This was beyond a joke. Sometimes we would receive an email, other times nothing, occasionally I would receive the same email three times. Regardless, there was never anything particularly helpful, just ''we're looking into options, we might be able to help but probably not, you should definitely try and get home - but things are very dangerous right now and you may get stuck in transit if you attempt to leave''.
- I managed to find a private group on Facebook with other travellers who were stuck in similar situations and it is for the people in that group that I am now raising awareness and letting people know that people DO need help, they are stuck in New Zealand (and other countries I'm sure) and the government are doing NOTHING to help.
- With the current lockdown rules in New Zealand it's very difficult to even get to an airport, especially for people stranded on the south island. A good example, is that for people in Queenstown - there is a ''daily'' bus service - that runs twice a week. There has to be at least 20 seats booked or it won't go. However, there are only 24 seats on the bus, so if there are more than 24 people, someone will miss out. When asked if the UK government would consider subsidising any seats to make the number up the answer was a straight up 'NO'. So if only 19 people were booked on the bus, it would be cancelled - and the night before, with no advanced notice.
- I booked one flight with Air NZ via Shanghai for May (as I was adamant I would NOT fly through the states) - then later found out that the flight couldn't even go! I called Air NZ and they confirmed that they could NOT transit through Shanghai - when I questioned why they were advertising that flight on their website, and why they had taken my money they tried to say it was my own fault for not 'researching' and checking the transit airport was open! They THEN tried to tell me my ticket was non refundable. I got my money back from them in the end, but it wasn't easy and you can just imagine how exhausting this is for people to keep trying to do, day in and out, on phones or with bad reception, trying to book flights only to find hours later they are cancelled and more money spent...
- As of this post (18/4/20) - Qatar are suspending flights from the 20th for 6 weeks. Air Malaysia are suspending flights for the whole of May (both of those airlines were grossly overpriced throughout the whole of April anyway). Emirates are not due to fly again until the end of June. Singapore is still closed and Singapore airlines are not operating. The ONLY commercial flight at the moment is Air NZ and then Virgin, which transits through the U.S and has an approximate transit time of 6.5 hours + in LA. Would you feel safe transiting through the U.S right now? Would you want your parents, loved one, grandparents even to fly that route? On top of that, this flight is notoriously unreliable with constant flight changes, cancellations and rescheduling between both airlines....
- Other governments have organised flights for its citizens where the plane stops to refuel somewhere and the passengers remain 'airside' meaning they STAY on the plane, have no risk of going into another airport and catching anything, nor risk spreading anything. Certain countries are allowing this and OTHER GOVERNMENTS HAVE ORGANISED THIS so why can ours not?
- The group that I am in has had stories of people who are desperate to get home to kids, or they're frontline workers, or they are elderly and running out of medication .... I've heard of a girl who has booked and had SEVEN different flights cancelled now, and someone else who has now spent just under £20,000 on flights.... to have them all cancelled and they still don't have a flight home. I also heard of another girl who purchased a ticket AT the airport, only to have the flight cancelled 6 hours later and then be told - NO REFUND. It's heartbreaking. I was very lucky to be able to get one of the last flights home for what looks like at least a couple of months.
WHAT DO THE STRANDED PEOPLE WANT? Apart from getting home? They just want a RELIABLE flight, that is actually going to go, to not get stuck in a transit country somewhere once they have left their bubble, and to not get ripped off by more airlines taking their money.
I know everyone in the world has got something going on right now, but spare a thought for the people who are stuck abroad. I'm not going to ask people to campaign, there's too much going on in peoples own lives right now - but if you know of someone stuck abroad, check in with them, see how they're doing and ask if there is anything you can do to help them. One last thing, PLEASE stop believing this utter cr@p in the news that the government is being in any way helpful or compassionate. They are 100% doing sweet f*ck all.
FEEL FREE TO SHARE THIS STATUS, ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE STUCK AND WANT TO HIGHLIGHT WHAT'S GOING ON, BUT YOU ARE SIMPLY TOO TIRED TO KEEP REPEATING WHAT IS GOING ON.
Good luck everybody, stay safe xx |  |
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| Long read from a Brit stranded abroad... on 00:34 - Apr 19 with 1310 views | factual_blue |
You hate the tories, we get it.
If I were in NZ, I'd have stayed put. |  |
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| Long read from a Brit stranded abroad... on 00:45 - Apr 19 with 1292 views | monytowbray |
| Long read from a Brit stranded abroad... on 00:34 - Apr 19 by factual_blue |
You hate the tories, we get it.
If I were in NZ, I'd have stayed put. |
The person I know I speak to daily as my sleeping pattern is awful at the best of times and I’m usually the only one up UK side when it’s daytime there.
I was aware the flights are largely expensive from her, but she’s not overly political so I wasn’t aware of much else going on. She sent me that and said “This is exactly what I needed to share my situation as I am unable to put it into words as well as this post does.”
The friend in question is sleeping in a stranger’s house and just wants to get home to her family.
How hard is it to charter a flight? I don’t know, but Germany and France have managed it. I’m feeling like the approach here as the days unfold is more “say something to buy time and hope everyone forgets about it or it somehow magically comes true”. Utterly shambolic.
Maybe I’m being overly sympathetic as I’m seeing the impact direct and personally, and there other priorities, but this all bothers me a lot. And she’s said she’d happily be the last person on a plane back to ensure those who need meds or those who can work the frontline get home first. Because she’s selfless as f*ck.
If anyone has any arsey comments, I’ll be sure to pass those messages onto my friend. F*ck it, I’ll link her the thread. [Post edited 19 Apr 2020 1:50]
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| Long read from a Brit stranded abroad... on 00:48 - Apr 19 with 1283 views | factual_blue |
| Long read from a Brit stranded abroad... on 00:45 - Apr 19 by monytowbray |
The person I know I speak to daily as my sleeping pattern is awful at the best of times and I’m usually the only one up UK side when it’s daytime there.
I was aware the flights are largely expensive from her, but she’s not overly political so I wasn’t aware of much else going on. She sent me that and said “This is exactly what I needed to share my situation as I am unable to put it into words as well as this post does.”
The friend in question is sleeping in a stranger’s house and just wants to get home to her family.
How hard is it to charter a flight? I don’t know, but Germany and France have managed it. I’m feeling like the approach here as the days unfold is more “say something to buy time and hope everyone forgets about it or it somehow magically comes true”. Utterly shambolic.
Maybe I’m being overly sympathetic as I’m seeing the impact direct and personally, and there other priorities, but this all bothers me a lot. And she’s said she’d happily be the last person on a plane back to ensure those who need meds or those who can work the frontline get home first. Because she’s selfless as f*ck.
If anyone has any arsey comments, I’ll be sure to pass those messages onto my friend. F*ck it, I’ll link her the thread. [Post edited 19 Apr 2020 1:50]
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I think our govt takes the view that if there are commercial flights available, they don't need to do anything.
How much those flights cost is irrelevant. | |
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| Long read from a Brit stranded abroad... on 00:49 - Apr 19 with 1280 views | monytowbray |
| Long read from a Brit stranded abroad... on 00:48 - Apr 19 by factual_blue |
I think our govt takes the view that if there are commercial flights available, they don't need to do anything.
How much those flights cost is irrelevant. |
They’re a sh1tshow mate. You know it. I know it. And everyone knows it. A lot of people in denial though. | |
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| Long read from a Brit stranded abroad... on 01:47 - Apr 19 with 1222 views | monytowbray |
| Long read from a Brit stranded abroad... on 00:49 - Apr 19 by monytowbray |
They’re a sh1tshow mate. You know it. I know it. And everyone knows it. A lot of people in denial though. |
Floridablue with the downvote. Fancy explaining yourself? | |
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| Long read from a Brit stranded abroad... on 06:18 - Apr 19 with 1158 views | bluelagos |
| Long read from a Brit stranded abroad... on 00:45 - Apr 19 by monytowbray |
The person I know I speak to daily as my sleeping pattern is awful at the best of times and I’m usually the only one up UK side when it’s daytime there.
I was aware the flights are largely expensive from her, but she’s not overly political so I wasn’t aware of much else going on. She sent me that and said “This is exactly what I needed to share my situation as I am unable to put it into words as well as this post does.”
The friend in question is sleeping in a stranger’s house and just wants to get home to her family.
How hard is it to charter a flight? I don’t know, but Germany and France have managed it. I’m feeling like the approach here as the days unfold is more “say something to buy time and hope everyone forgets about it or it somehow magically comes true”. Utterly shambolic.
Maybe I’m being overly sympathetic as I’m seeing the impact direct and personally, and there other priorities, but this all bothers me a lot. And she’s said she’d happily be the last person on a plane back to ensure those who need meds or those who can work the frontline get home first. Because she’s selfless as f*ck.
If anyone has any arsey comments, I’ll be sure to pass those messages onto my friend. F*ck it, I’ll link her the thread. [Post edited 19 Apr 2020 1:50]
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Can't see why anyone would make unsympathetic comments, it sounds absolutely awful, frustrsting as hell.
As for our government, I as ever tend to compare how effective we are compared to our peers. Without knowing the ins and outs it is still crystal clear that other European countries seem to be doing a better job, which is a familiar story.
That said, I know we do have an insightful poster on all things FCO so wont jump in 2 footed before he has commented.
But with Raab in charge, the guy who hadnt realised the importance of Dover-Calais to our European trade...almost as if we have a government with key positions filled because of their Brexit credentials rather than their ability. (PM, FS, HS) |  |
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| Long read from a Brit stranded abroad... on 07:58 - Apr 19 with 1077 views | JimmyJazz |
At the start of lockdown things did happen quickly but there was a lead up period where everyone knew things were getting serious
Prior to lockdown some airlines were offering cheap flights, 10 days before UK lockdown a contractor at work decided to take advantage of a great price on a trip to Barbados. 'What happens if you get stuck' people asked, 'I get to stay longer in Barbados' he grinned.
I've read of a group of 4 friends on holiday in Thailand around the time things started kicking off. 2 of the guys saw people were leaving to get back home, so cut their holiday short and left, the other 2 were enjoying their holiday so decided to let it ride. After a few days there were still some flights available, but as per your post the price by now was astronomical and only got them 80% of the way home anyway, so they didn't take those flights. After that there were no more flights and the 2 guys (who by this time were running out of funds) found themselves stranded at a Thai holiday resort which was by now in lockdown with everything shut and most locals having left to go back to their family homes.
Obviously some people have been stranded through no fault of their own, but there are some people who just made bad choices in the first place |  |
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| Long read from a Brit stranded abroad... on 08:05 - Apr 19 with 1067 views | TractorWood |
I'd have emailed the German embassy. Britain is awful in these type of scenarios. |  |
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| Long read from a Brit stranded abroad... on 08:30 - Apr 19 with 1025 views | BloomBlue |
A classic it's not my fault
Why didnt they have a fund put to one side incase of problems in NZ
They weren't forced to go to NZ, the lake district is nice.
They understand insurance companies are busy because of the situation but dont seem to understand the embassy would be the same.
Their insurance didnt cover them for a pandemic, not shlt? Insurances never have, clearly they never read the cover and probably went for the cheapest they could find.
They had the chance of a flight to Germany but didnt take it because it wasnt taking them to the UK. Haven't they heard of trains and boats
They dont want anything for free but want the Gov to pay for some bus seats to guarantee the bus would travel. Why didnt they pay for extra seats using that fund they put to one side? Oh yes
They want to moan the £75m the Gov is spending is a lie because they have to pay for repatriation flights, which apparently they're happy to pay for.. no they're not they were thinking great that £75m will get me a free flight home.
The £75m is being spent you only have to look at the flights from Peru. Which I will add did include people from other EU countries who were happy to fly to the UK and then make their own way onwards.
Reading that I dont understand what the Gov did wrong there, clearly they had options to get home and in some cases decided not to take the option including not flying via the US. But strangely happy to via Shanghai
A classic it's not my fault I pay my taxes I expect the Gov to bail me out.
Just another political point scoring |  | | |
| Long read from a Brit stranded abroad... on 08:38 - Apr 19 with 1012 views | WD19 |
| Long read from a Brit stranded abroad... on 00:34 - Apr 19 by factual_blue |
You hate the tories, we get it.
If I were in NZ, I'd have stayed put. |
He is impartial. He said so. It’s a quality that enables him to always be right. Apparently.
I’ve got a member of staff who put himself and his family on a flight out to NZ last week. There are return flights at reasonable prices too. His partner is from NZ and they decided it was the ideal spot to hunker down. Flight aside, you can see the logic. [Post edited 19 Apr 2020 8:44]
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| Long read from a Brit stranded abroad... on 10:05 - Apr 19 with 939 views | pointofblue |
| Long read from a Brit stranded abroad... on 08:30 - Apr 19 by BloomBlue |
A classic it's not my fault
Why didnt they have a fund put to one side incase of problems in NZ
They weren't forced to go to NZ, the lake district is nice.
They understand insurance companies are busy because of the situation but dont seem to understand the embassy would be the same.
Their insurance didnt cover them for a pandemic, not shlt? Insurances never have, clearly they never read the cover and probably went for the cheapest they could find.
They had the chance of a flight to Germany but didnt take it because it wasnt taking them to the UK. Haven't they heard of trains and boats
They dont want anything for free but want the Gov to pay for some bus seats to guarantee the bus would travel. Why didnt they pay for extra seats using that fund they put to one side? Oh yes
They want to moan the £75m the Gov is spending is a lie because they have to pay for repatriation flights, which apparently they're happy to pay for.. no they're not they were thinking great that £75m will get me a free flight home.
The £75m is being spent you only have to look at the flights from Peru. Which I will add did include people from other EU countries who were happy to fly to the UK and then make their own way onwards.
Reading that I dont understand what the Gov did wrong there, clearly they had options to get home and in some cases decided not to take the option including not flying via the US. But strangely happy to via Shanghai
A classic it's not my fault I pay my taxes I expect the Gov to bail me out.
Just another political point scoring |
To go through every point:
- They probably did have a fund put aside but it would have run into the hundreds, not the thousands required
- Tourism abroad is actively promoted by industry and countries, including our own
- Of course. However if Germany and France can manage a level of competence in reparation game people then you have to ask why we can’t
- It wouldn’t matter which reasonably priced insurance they went for; all you say the pandemic would not have been covered by any of them
- They didn’t take the German reparation flight because the High Commission notified them too late for them to be able to get to the airport. And I’m presuming the train and boats comment is just being facetious?
- I presume they won’t know how many bus seats they’d need to buy until it’s too late
- This point confuses me as surely reparation flights will be costed the same as commercial flights? So money will have to be put aside by the Government to cover the extra as people won’t be able to pay the full $14000
- And I’m sure the OP’s friend would have been happy to fly to Germany if the High Commission had given them adequate warning to get to the airport.
- The US is heading towards the peak of the pandemic whilst China is (appearing to be) moving away from the peak
- The question is why do other countries seem to be capable of setting up reparation flights quickly but not ourselves; this isn’t the first destination we’ve heard from where British citizens are one of the last to be left behind |  |
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| Long read from a Brit stranded abroad... on 10:55 - Apr 19 with 882 views | Ely_Blue |
| Long read from a Brit stranded abroad... on 00:49 - Apr 19 by monytowbray |
They’re a sh1tshow mate. You know it. I know it. And everyone knows it. A lot of people in denial though. |
Please do tell me why it is the responsibility of our government to get people home from a country that is a 1st world civilised country where the situation is probably the same or better than it is back home? I get repatriation from countries like India or Bangladesh etc but it really isn’t the governments responsibility to get people home from these places |  |
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| Long read from a Brit stranded abroad... on 11:09 - Apr 19 with 858 views | pointofblue |
| Long read from a Brit stranded abroad... on 10:55 - Apr 19 by Ely_Blue |
Please do tell me why it is the responsibility of our government to get people home from a country that is a 1st world civilised country where the situation is probably the same or better than it is back home? I get repatriation from countries like India or Bangladesh etc but it really isn’t the governments responsibility to get people home from these places |
This is probably a valid point as far as they’re probably in a much safer place being in New Zealand than the U.K! But in situations like this of course people will want to get home and it’s worth noting this isn’t the only example; weren’t British citizens one of the last to be repatriated from cruise ships which were being over-run by the virus? | |
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| Long read from a Brit stranded abroad... on 12:47 - Apr 19 with 816 views | monytowbray |
| Long read from a Brit stranded abroad... on 11:09 - Apr 19 by pointofblue |
This is probably a valid point as far as they’re probably in a much safer place being in New Zealand than the U.K! But in situations like this of course people will want to get home and it’s worth noting this isn’t the only example; weren’t British citizens one of the last to be repatriated from cruise ships which were being over-run by the virus? |
I can’t even anymore.
Why is it the government’s responsibility to look after it’s own citizens? It seems people are so keen to defend this crap they’ve now started claiming it’s not the Government’s job to do what we invented Government for.
Jokers. | |
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