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Post by Humph on Apr 8, 2020 9:14:21 GMT
Thinking laterally, any options by sea for you Esp?
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Post by bromptonaut on Apr 8, 2020 9:14:55 GMT
I have written messages to the UK embassy here, to the Foreign Secretary via my MP, to the Telegraph, BBC R4 Today and local Manchester newspaper. No one seems interested in my plight and there are presumably no others who want to get back to the UK. There are a lot of UK citizens effectively stranded in various tourist and 'travelling' destinations in Europe and further afield. Working yesterday I was engaged in webchat with a young woman who had been travelling in Thailand when this blew up. She explained that although there were still commercial flights operating the number available were reducing by the day and that prices for such seats as were available were way beyond normal prices. Emirates have suspended the majority of their operations; the twice daily service to Birmingham from Dubai ceased last week. So far as I can tell from public pronouncements the FCO are saying that it is the airline's responsibility to get people home not withstanding fact that they've mostly shut up shop. Of the big Middle East carriers only Qatar seems to be operating at any volume and given the tensions between that country and its neighbours I don't think they're necessarily going to pick up Emirates slack. Seems daft when there are aircraft being ferried to storage, pilots furloughed and fuel costs at all time low that HMG cannot organise more in way of repatriation charters.
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Post by bromptonaut on Apr 8, 2020 9:18:00 GMT
Still seems to be some BA activity at TLV. There's a 777 on it's way now as BA165F. Is it just for freight?
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Post by Hofmeister on Apr 8, 2020 10:35:00 GMT
I have written messages to the UK embassy here, to the Foreign Secretary via my MP, to the Telegraph, BBC R4 Today and local Manchester newspaper. No one seems interested in my plight and there are presumably no others who want to get back to the UK. There are a lot of UK citizens effectively stranded in various tourist and 'travelling' destinations in Europe and further afield. Working yesterday I was engaged in webchat with a young woman who had been travelling in Thailand when this blew up. She explained that although there were still commercial flights operating the number available were reducing by the day and that prices for such seats as were available were way beyond normal prices. Emirates have suspended the majority of their operations; the twice daily service to Birmingham from Dubai ceased last week. So far as I can tell from public pronouncements the FCO are saying that it is the airline's responsibility to get people home not withstanding fact that they've mostly shut up shop. Of the big Middle East carriers only Qatar seems to be operating at any volume and given the tensions between that country and its neighbours I don't think they're necessarily going to pick up Emirates slack. Seems daft when there are aircraft being ferried to storage, pilots furloughed and fuel costs at all time low that HMG cannot organise more in way of repatriation charters.
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Post by EspadaIII on Apr 8, 2020 11:20:23 GMT
Still seems to be some BA activity at TLV. There's a 777 on it's way now as BA165F. Is it just for freight? Must be freight. No passenger aircraft permitted to depart or land until Sunday now..
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Post by EspadaIII on Apr 8, 2020 11:32:57 GMT
Thinking laterally, any options by sea for you Esp? Well next Wednesday we celebrate and commemorate the Splitting of the Red Sea; so if we can repeat that I can walk to Egypt! But don't think there are any specific passenger ferries from Israel to say Cyprus any more. No real need.
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WDB
Full Member
Posts: 7,356
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Post by WDB on Apr 8, 2020 11:39:15 GMT
Thinking laterally, any options by sea for you Esp? Because worse things have already happened at sea? 😉
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Post by dixinormus on Apr 9, 2020 2:36:34 GMT
Looking at the prevalence of covid 19 on cruise ships I think Esp is better off taking his chances in the air...!
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Post by EspadaIII on Apr 14, 2020 13:52:04 GMT
Some good news.
A blood test taken 12 days ago has shown that two markers for different cancers have shown marked improvements in the last few weeks. Not anywhere near normal but significant improvements especially as we were expecting readings to rise rather than fall.
Also discovered that there are at least two other Brits here who want to get home at about the same time as me... Probably likely to be almost a planeful if I could contact everyone in the country who might want to get back to Blighty.
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Post by EspadaIII on Apr 22, 2020 14:29:37 GMT
Further update and good news.
Saw the oncologist today who was very pleased with the blood test results and suggested some radiotherapy to reduce the size of the tumour. Dad has no obvious symptoms of the cancer and otherwise is now doing OK. I asked the doctor if there was any reason why I should not go home, given the fact that I might not be able to return for three or four months. She looked at my father and said that he looked to be in very good general health and she gave me her blessing to return home.
so....
British Airways are apparently starting flights to Tel Aviv at the end of next week from Heathrow. I think they have been flying daily anyway but cargo only on a passenger B777, but perhaps they have realised that for the additional cost of a few cabin crew, they can take passengers and make a small profit. So thinking about getting on one of these, but rumours flying that they won't fly despite the flights suddenly appearing on the website. So watch this space...
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Post by Humph on Apr 22, 2020 15:04:38 GMT
Speedboat, you could get all the way to Salford in one of those. 😉
Edit - but get a four cylinder one, more economical, more reliable and just as quick in the real world...
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Post by EspadaIII on Apr 22, 2020 15:17:19 GMT
Nah, if I go by sea I need at least six cylinders for smoothness over the waves...
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Post by tyrednexited on Apr 22, 2020 15:20:30 GMT
I think they have been flying daily anyway but cargo only on a passenger B777, but perhaps they have realised that for the additional cost of a few cabin crew, they can take passengers and make a small profit. ...that flight has been conspicuous on FR24 for a good few days. Given that air freight rates are reputed to have gone through the roof, and (by all accounts) use is being made of the passenger space to carry additional freight (SWMBO spotted a sequence of a flight on the TV with the seating area as full as a frog with freight), the financial imperative might not be as great as you might think.
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Post by Humph on Apr 22, 2020 16:38:45 GMT
Nah, if I go by sea I need at least six cylinders for smoothness over the waves... Well, in any event don't offer to share the driving with any Yorkshiremen. You'll end up upside down... 😉
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Post by EspadaIII on Apr 22, 2020 16:56:19 GMT
Very true... >>>Given that air freight rates are reputed to have gone through the roof, and (by all accounts) use is being made of the passenger space to carry additional freight (SWMBO spotted a sequence of a flight on the TV with the seating area as full as a frog with freight), the financial imperative might not be as great as you might think <<< Just had a brainwave... the son-in-law of a family friend is a BA pilot... I have asked if he can find out if the Tel Aviv flights are really going ahead. If not the speedboat option is looking more attractive..
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