If the man with the white beard and big red coat didn’t have the luxury of travelling by reindeer sleigh then I think even he would think twice about leaving Lapland this year.
Travelling this holiday season is a nightmare. With so many rules being introduced we don’t know whether we’re coming or going. Frankly if you are planning on going – anywhere – maybe now is the time to think twice.
My teenage son flew out on a long-postponed holiday on Monday. If I had known then what I know now, I would have cancelled the whole thing.
Apart from the cost of the holiday (flights are more expensive than ever) and PCR tests, flying out of the UK is a technological nightmare. It’s a frenzy of downloading certificates, uploading them elsewhere, signing up to various apps, more downloading and uploading, and the fear that after everything, it still might not be accepted at departure.
At the airport, we queued for over two hours at check in.
Ghana, where my son has gone, introduced new restrictions on Friday night, which meant that anyone over the age of 18 flying into the country had to be double jabbed – which meant even more document scrutiny in the departure lounge.
There were at least three people who, despite clutching negative Covid test results, weren’t allowed to board.
I spoke to one tearful passenger who was turned away because she took her test 72 hours prior, rather than the 48 hours required by her country of arrival.
I know another lady who was barred from flying by the airline, despite following all the rules. She was told she didn’t have evidence on her NHS app for international, rather than domestic, use.
When she tried to get it added, it came through after her flight had gone.
However, when she checked with the country’s officials she was told the airline was wrong and she should have been allowed to board. Despite getting a new flight, she had to go through the whole rigmarole of PCR testing, downloading and uploading all over again.
Does anyone know what’s going on?
If it tells us anything, when it comes to Christmas travel the motto should be hands, face, stay in your own place.
