Health Situation in Liberia & Sierra Leone : ROB and FNA suspended until 31 Aug
Aug 5, 2014, 9:35 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 3,203
Health Situation in Liberia & Sierra Leone : ROB and FNA suspended until 31 Aug
British Airways has temporarily suspended flights to and from Liberia and Sierra Leone until 31 August 2014 due to the deteriorating public health situation in both countries.
The safety of customers, crew and ground teams is always the airline's top priority and these routes will be kept under constant review in the coming weeks.
Customers who have tickets to fly on the routes up to 31 August 2014 have the following options:
A full refund.
Rebook for a later date on a British Airways flight to/from Liberia or Sierra Leone from 1 September 2014.
Rebook with British Airways on flights in August between London and Abuja, Lagos, Accra or Nairobi. The journey between Liberia or Sierra Leone to/from these four African cities will be at the customers’ own expense.
BA is also speaking with other carriers to discuss other options that may be available for customers.
The safety of customers, crew and ground teams is always the airline's top priority and these routes will be kept under constant review in the coming weeks.
Customers who have tickets to fly on the routes up to 31 August 2014 have the following options:
A full refund.
Rebook for a later date on a British Airways flight to/from Liberia or Sierra Leone from 1 September 2014.
Rebook with British Airways on flights in August between London and Abuja, Lagos, Accra or Nairobi. The journey between Liberia or Sierra Leone to/from these four African cities will be at the customers’ own expense.
BA is also speaking with other carriers to discuss other options that may be available for customers.
Aug 5, 2014, 9:56 am
#2
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA Gold, CX Gold (OW Sapphire), Hilton Gold, SPG Gold, Accor Platinum
Posts: 1,476
News article on the subject here: Evening Standard online report using most of the above BA release
And personal comment from crew here:Business Traveller Magazine Forum
And personal comment from crew here:Business Traveller Magazine Forum
Aug 5, 2014, 10:28 am
#3
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: UK
Programs: BA GGL, BA Amex Prem, Amex Plat, Hilton Diamond, Sir Crazy8534 de l'ordres des aides de Pucci
Posts: 4,466
Annoying for those with flights booked I'm sure but warranted in this case it would seem. Hopefully the outbreak can be brought under control soon.
Aug 5, 2014, 10:48 am
#4
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: MAN/BHX
Programs: ABBA
Posts: 6,027
The journey between Liberia or Sierra Leone to/from these four African cities will be at the customers’ own expense
Aug 5, 2014, 11:39 am
#5
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: UK
Programs: BA GGL, BA Amex Prem, Amex Plat, Hilton Diamond, Sir Crazy8534 de l'ordres des aides de Pucci
Posts: 4,466
Aug 5, 2014, 11:47 am
#6
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: London
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 1,282
BA advice to TA's is :
Route Affected
British Airways operated flights between London Heathrow (LHR) and
FNA (Freetown, Sierra Leone)
ROB (Monrovia, Liberia)
Tickets issued by 4 August 2014
Ticket Travel dates up to and including 31-Aug-14
Rebooking Allowance 1
Rebook on to British Airways operated flights between LHR and FNA or ROB
up to and including 30 September 2014
If the same class is not available then the lowest class in the same cabin may be booked
Rebooking Allowance 2
Rebook on to British Airways operated flights between LHR and FNA or ROB
from 1 October 2014 until validity expiry date on the ticket, into the same class as the original flight
Origin/Destination/Stopover changes Yes - Change of gateway allowed
Rebook onto British Airways operated flights between London LHR and
LOS (Lagos)
ABV (Abuja)
ACC (Accra)
NBO (Nairobi)
Rebook onto the next available flight as close to the original departure date as possible
If the same class is not available then the lowest class in the same cabin may be booked
Note: As per 'standard' Conditions of Carriage Guidelines, please advise the customer that onward travel between the alternative gateway and original destination will be at the customer's own expense.
Customers may also use the value of their ticket towards the purchase of a new ticket to an alternative destination
Refunds Allowed Yes
Rebooking onto other airlines
We are in contact with other airlines to see if they may be able to offer assistance to BA customers. We will update these guidelines as and when agreed.
Route Affected
British Airways operated flights between London Heathrow (LHR) and
FNA (Freetown, Sierra Leone)
ROB (Monrovia, Liberia)
Tickets issued by 4 August 2014
Ticket Travel dates up to and including 31-Aug-14
Rebooking Allowance 1
Rebook on to British Airways operated flights between LHR and FNA or ROB
up to and including 30 September 2014
If the same class is not available then the lowest class in the same cabin may be booked
Rebooking Allowance 2
Rebook on to British Airways operated flights between LHR and FNA or ROB
from 1 October 2014 until validity expiry date on the ticket, into the same class as the original flight
Origin/Destination/Stopover changes Yes - Change of gateway allowed
Rebook onto British Airways operated flights between London LHR and
LOS (Lagos)
ABV (Abuja)
ACC (Accra)
NBO (Nairobi)
Rebook onto the next available flight as close to the original departure date as possible
If the same class is not available then the lowest class in the same cabin may be booked
Note: As per 'standard' Conditions of Carriage Guidelines, please advise the customer that onward travel between the alternative gateway and original destination will be at the customer's own expense.
Customers may also use the value of their ticket towards the purchase of a new ticket to an alternative destination
Refunds Allowed Yes
Rebooking onto other airlines
We are in contact with other airlines to see if they may be able to offer assistance to BA customers. We will update these guidelines as and when agreed.
Aug 5, 2014, 3:14 pm
#8
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: LHR- ish
Programs: MUCCI, BA Blue
Posts: 4,295
Aug 5, 2014, 4:03 pm
#9
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Menlo Park, CA, USA
Programs: UA 1MM 0P, AA, DL, *wood, Lifetime FPC Plat., IHG, HHD
Posts: 6,912
hopefully
Hopefully, all the people who need to get in or out, don't just fly to say JNB or CPT and then route to LHR or European locals. That would just seriously move the exposure around faster than keeping it contained.
Aug 5, 2014, 4:05 pm
#10
Join Date: Nov 2012
Programs: BAEC silver
Posts: 775
Given an incubation period of between 2-21 days, that is already likely to have happened.
Aug 8, 2014, 9:52 pm
#11
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 48
Shut down all travel
The answer is simple. To prevent a world-wide pandemic, close their airports down now! Extreme measures are needed. When will they do it, after how many more die in distant countries? Countries are spending fortunes just waiting for someone infected to show up off a plane causing panic. No planes, no spreading.
Last edited by oktoberfest; Aug 8, 2014 at 10:08 pm
Aug 10, 2014, 2:11 am
#12
Join Date: May 2012
Location: UK
Programs: Leaders Unlimited,Fairmont Platinum,SLH Loved,IC Ambassador
Posts: 490
I fear immigration queues and airport toilets...
The answer is simple. To prevent a world-wide pandemic, close their airports down now! Extreme measures are needed. When will they do it, after how many more die in distant countries? Countries are spending fortunes just waiting for someone infected to show up off a plane causing panic. No planes, no spreading.
. I fear immigration queues and airport toilets...
Aug 27, 2014, 2:45 am
#13
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: London
Programs: BAEC Silver
Posts: 772
The suspension of the route to Monrovia and Freetown has been extended until 31 December 2014.
http://www.britishairways.com/travel...b?p_faqid=5072
http://www.britishairways.com/travel...b?p_faqid=5072
Aug 27, 2014, 7:36 am
#14
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: London
Posts: 17,007
Originally Posted by The World Health Organization
There is no risk of transmission during the incubation period
So I wouldn't be very happy sat next to a recently infected guy on a flight from JNB but it is more difficult to spread than the papers are suggesting.
I suspect that the suspension to ROB and FNA is to protect cabin crew during overnight stays rather than passengers from other passengers.
Aug 27, 2014, 12:51 pm
#15
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: MAN/BHX
Programs: ABBA
Posts: 6,027
It is believed that transmission requires direct contact with the blood or secreted fluid of a symptomatic (or newly dead) patient. Transmission by airborne contact has not been documented. (http://www.who.int/ith/updates/20140421/en/)
So I wouldn't be very happy sat next to a recently infected guy on a flight from JNB but it is more difficult to spread than the papers are suggesting.
I suspect that the suspension to ROB and FNA is to protect cabin crew during overnight stays rather than passengers from other passengers.
So I wouldn't be very happy sat next to a recently infected guy on a flight from JNB but it is more difficult to spread than the papers are suggesting.
I suspect that the suspension to ROB and FNA is to protect cabin crew during overnight stays rather than passengers from other passengers.
AIUI, bodily fluids means the following
1) Infected person sneezes into hands
2) Infected person opens overhead locker
3) Uninfected person closes overhead locker, inherriting cooties
4) Uninfected person takes bread by hand, passing cooties on to other loaves
5) Uninfected person eats bread, ingesting fluids