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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Travel
Rosaleen Fenton

TUI and Jet2 announce major update on Spain holidays

TUI and Jet2 have give customers further information about when they hope to resume holidays and flights to Spain.

The Foreign Office advised against all non-essential travel to the country which resulted in the two tour operators cancelling flights.

TUI have now cancelled all holidays to the Balearic Islands and Canary Islands until Tuesday 4 August, and all holidays to mainland Spain until Monday 10 August. 

Jet2 have cancelled flights to the Balearics and Canaries until August 10 and trips to mainland Spain until August 17.

Customers due to travel with TUI to Spain between Sunday 26 July and Sunday 9 August can cancel or amend their holiday and will be able to receive a full refund or rebook with an incentive.

Email us about your holiday experiences, good or bad, at webtravel@trinitymirror.com

Around 1.8 million Brits are estimated to be in Spain or set to holiday there over the next month (Getty Images)

Andrew Flintham, managing director of TUI UK and Ireland said: “Importantly, we also call upon the UK Government to work closely with the travel industry and remove the ‘blunt tool’ approach to quarantine and consider the rapid introduction of regional travel corridors.

"The level of uncertainty and confusion created this week is damaging for business and customer confidence in travel.”

Jet2 confirmed flights and holidays to the islands yesterday after the government changed its advice on travel to the Balearic and Canary Islands.

TUI has extended its date that it will resume flights (Getty Images)

A spokeswoman said customers could rebook with no admin fee or choose a Refund Credit Note or full cash refund.

Holidaymakers already overseas will be contacted to discuss their options.

A Jet2 spokswoman said: "For customers who are due to travel to these destinations after the dates given above, we will provide an additional update once we receive more information from the government.

“What we need now is clarity and consistency from the government.

"We understand that this is a fast-moving situation, however the information we are receiving is contradictory and often comes with little or no notice.

"We want to provide customers, who work hard and save hard for their well-deserved holidays, with timely information and we need this from the government.

"We would like to sincerely thank our customers for their understanding and patience.”

Around 1.8 million Brits are estimated to be in Spain or set to holiday there over the next month or so.

Figures show that nearly 10,000 flights have been axed after quarantine was reimposed on all returning travellers.

Government officials took the swift decision after learning that 10 Brits had tested positive after visiting Spain since July 1.

A source told the Telegraph: "It was a small number but it was statistically significant enough to cause concern."

It followed a gathering of government ministers at the Cabinet's Covid-O committee on Saturday afternoon, where England's Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty addressed the group.

Spain has recorded a spike in coronavirus infections (Getty Images)

Prof Whitty warned that the UK risked coronavirus being imported from Spain - after telling travellers it was a safe country to travel too.

He warned that the number of new infections had jumped by 75 per cent and 15 out of 19 regions across the holiday destination had recorded an increase.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office initially warned against "all but essential travel" to mainland Spain only, but on July 27 it extended this advice to cover the Canary Islands and Balearic Islands

But today, the Culture Secretary said that people should continue to book holidays -  but warned that quarantine restrictions could be imposed on other countries.

“But as long as people are aware of that risk they should continue to book holidays, but just bear in mind that this may happen, and sadly it has happened in Spain,” Oliver Dowden told BBC Breakfast.

Asked where else the Government might be considering for quarantine restrictions, Mr Dowden said: “I do genuinely understand people’s anxiety and frustration about it and, believe me, from friends and family and people I meet on the street, everyone is asking this question.

“Inevitably what we have to do is analyse the situation in countries around the world.

“Where we feel there is too high a degree of risk – where the incidence of the disease is rising in another country and we risk that import – we have to take measures.”

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