A travel firm is offering sun-starved Brits the option of booking a summer holiday that they can change for free right up to the day of travel.
Flight Centre UK has launched a new Traffic Light Change policy, ahead of the UK government unveiling which countries will be on the green list, amber list and red list. The countries are expected to be announced this Friday, along with a confirmed restart date for travel - the earliest this could be is May 17.
People arriving from 'green' countries will not be required to isolate, while arrivals from 'amber' and 'red' countries will need to quarantine.
Of course these lists are subject to change if a Covid situation changes in a destination.
Under Flight Centre's new policy, if you've booked a 'green' destination that becomes amber or red, you'll be able to choose whether you still want to travel, change the date or destination, or cancel your holiday.
That will be free of charge - and the amends can be made right up to the day of travel. You can find out more on flightcentre.co.uk.
(it's worth noting that currently there is no confirmed green list - and it remains illegal to travel abroad for a holiday).
Flight Centre isn't the only firm offering a flexible booking policy like this. Big companies such as TUI, easyJet, Ryanair and British Airways have all launched similar rules for those who want to change their holidays if traffic lights change.
There are also plenty of other Covid-related scenarios where you could amend a trip for free, for example if you/someone you're travelling with shows symptoms and needs to self-isolate, or if quarantine rules change in a destination/the UK.
To give you a helping hand, we've put together a full guide here looking at some of the biggest travel companies' own rules around changing your holiday or requesting a refund.
Of course the green list will be the most appealing for holidaymakers, as it doesn't require any quarantine or self-isolation when you're back in the UK (although you'll still need to take a PCR test when you're back).
Research from Flight Centre found that 69% of its customers were willing to travel to a green list destination, but also that 14% would be prepared to visit an amber destination even if they have to self-isolate at home when they return.
Of those surveyed, 2% said they would travel to a red destination, which requires mandatory hotel quarantine back in the UK, costing the traveller at least £1,750. It's worth noting that a number of holiday companies have already said they won't operate flights or packages to a red list destination.
Are you planning a holiday abroad this summer? Let us know in the comments below.
