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*Coronavirus : BA Suspends all flts to mainland China* +discussion on long haul flts

Old Jan 26, 2020, 5:00 am
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Last edit by: Globaliser
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BA have cancelled all flights to PKX (Beijing/Peking) and PVG (Shanghai Pu Dong) "until 19 April 2020".

BA frequency to HKG has been reduced with effect from 13 February 2020 - see below for further details. From HKG, Cathay is running a heavily reduced schedule to mainland destinations until the end of March.

If you are due to fly to PKX, PVG and your flight is cancelled then you have refund, re-route and rebook options. BA can rebook on to several other airlines.
If you are due to fly to Hong Kong until 1st April you have refund and rebook options.
If you are transiting into mainland China you are also covered as above.
If you are transiting internationally (e.g. LHR-HKG-SYD) you are not able to move your flights, unless they are cancelled anyway.
The latest ba.com update was on 21 February 2020 at 1510.

More information on the advice of Her Majesty's Government about travel and health is on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website.
https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/china

For the Special Administration Regions of Hong Kong and Macao:
https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/hong-kong
https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/macao

Summary from IATA of all travel restrictions due to Coronavirus as added to TIMATIC https://www.iatatravelcentre.com/int...1580226297.htm


.
HKG frequency reductions (as of 1330 on 21 February 2020, all dates inclusive).

LHR-HKG

From Thu 13.02.2020 to Mon 01.06.2020: BA31 cancelled. BA27 operates (380).

Exceptions:-
  • Tue 18.02.2020: BA27 cancelled. BA31 operates (777).
  • Tue 10.03.2020: BA27 cancelled. BA31 operates (777).
  • Mon 27.04.2020: BA27 cancelled. BA31 operates (380).
  • Tue 28.04.2020: BA27 cancelled. BA31 operates (380).
  • Wed 29.04.2020: BA27 cancelled. BA31 operates (380).
  • Thu 30.04.2020: BA27 cancelled. BA31 operates (380).
  • Mon 11.05.2020: BA27 cancelled. BA31 operates (380).
  • Tue 12.05.2020: BA27 cancelled. BA31 operates (380).
  • Mon 18.05.2020: BA27 cancelled. BA31 operates (380).
  • Tue 19.05.2020: BA27 cancelled. BA31 operates (380).
  • Sun 24.05.2020: BA27 cancelled. BA31 operates (380).
  • Mon 25.05.2020: BA27 cancelled. BA31 operates (380).
  • Tue 26.05.2020: BA27 cancelled. BA31 operates (380).
  • Mon 01.06.2020: BA31 cancelled. BA27 operates (777).
In addition, on Mon 08.06.2020: BA31 cancelled. BA27 operates (777).

HKG-LHR

From Fri 14.02.2020 to Tue 02.06.2020: BA32 cancelled. BA28 operates (380).

Exceptions:-
  • Wed 19.02.2020: BA28 cancelled. BA32 operates (777).
  • Wed 11.03.2020: BA28 cancelled. BA32 operates (777).
  • Sun 29.03.2020: BA28 cancelled. BA32 operates (380).
  • Tue 28.04.2020: BA28 cancelled. BA32 operates (380).
  • Wed 29.04.2020: BA28 cancelled. BA32 operates (380).
  • Thu 30.04.2020: BA28 cancelled. BA32 operates (380).
  • Fri 01.05.2020: BA28 cancelled. BA32 operates (380).
  • Tue 12.05.2020: BA28 cancelled. BA32 operates (380).
  • Wed 13.05.2020: BA28 cancelled. BA32 operates (380).
  • Tue 19.05.2020: BA28 cancelled. BA32 operates (380).
  • Wed 20.05.2020: BA28 cancelled. BA32 operates (380).
  • Mon 25.05.2020: BA28 cancelled. BA32 operates (380).
  • Tue 26.05.2020: BA28 cancelled. BA32 operates (380).
  • Wed 27.05.2020: BA28 cancelled. BA32 operates (380).
  • Tue 02.06.2020: BA32 cancelled. BA28 operates (777).
In addition, on Tue 09.06.2020: BA32 cancelled. BA28 operates (777).

Note: Schedule changes take effect on Sun 29.03.2020 in both directions.

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*Coronavirus : BA Suspends all flts to mainland China* +discussion on long haul flts

Old Jan 24, 2020, 3:04 pm
  #106  
 
Join Date: Mar 2019
Programs: Swiss Senator, Flying Blue Gold, BA EC Gold, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 330
Honestly I don’t see a reason to panic. The core of the question is how dangerous this virus really is.

We now have officially a bit less than 1000 confirmed cases with less than 30 confirmed deaths. From more detailed report it seems like the deaths typically are the elderly with secondary conditions that would have a similar death toll with a regular flu or pneumonia, which both by the way kill tens of thousands per year but it never makes the headlines.

From everything I see we are not talking about a SARS let alone MERS severity virus.

And I’m writing this having just flown back from PKX two days ago.

And don’t forget we are talking less than a thousand confirmed cases for 1.4 bn Chinese. Feel free to do the maths.

On top of this the Chinese government is taking drastic measures to contain the spread from the original province prior to Chinese New Year travel season.

I’m not saying be completely reckless but honestly you are significantly more likely to be killed by Beijing traffic (or even in the Uber to LHR) than by this virus given what we know now.
Mozart0815 is offline  
Old Jan 24, 2020, 3:26 pm
  #107  
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Originally Posted by adrianlondon
You have to breathe harder with a mask on, which helps to ensure sure the virus really gets into your lungs

Just read that one should wear a surgical mask rather than a N95 mask, as the latter are hard to breathe through.
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapo...n-virus-spread

The masks are meant for people who are ill, so that if/when they sneeze or cough it contains the droplets. As no-one yet seems to know whether this virus spreads before symptoms show or not, I think the reason people want everyone to wear masks is so that you don't panic that the person you're close to is ill and about to sneeze. I guess it can also help if you're wearing a mask and someone sneezes on you.
One of my biggest annoyances is people who cough or sneeze and they don't turn their head down and away and don't cover their mouths with hand/arm, they just never got raised/socialized that way or don't care about others...This stuff should be taught in schools and you should be tested on, lol...
nk15 is offline  
Old Jan 24, 2020, 3:31 pm
  #108  
 
Join Date: Oct 2018
Programs: American Life Time 2 Million Mile Platinum
Posts: 368
Originally Posted by Mozart0815
Honestly I don’t see a reason to panic. The core of the question is how dangerous this virus really is.

We now have officially a bit less than 1000 confirmed cases with less than 30 confirmed deaths. From more detailed report it seems like the deaths typically are the elderly with secondary conditions that would have a similar death toll with a regular flu or pneumonia, which both by the way kill tens of thousands per year but it never makes the headlines.

From everything I see we are not talking about a SARS let alone MERS severity virus.

And I’m writing this having just flown back from PKX two days ago.

And don’t forget we are talking less than a thousand confirmed cases for 1.4 bn Chinese. Feel free to do the maths.

On top of this the Chinese government is taking drastic measures to contain the spread from the original province prior to Chinese New Year travel season.

I’m not saying be completely reckless but honestly you are significantly more likely to be killed by Beijing traffic (or even in the Uber to LHR) than by this virus given what we know now.
We will talk to you in two weeks....... or maybe not.
mnhusker is online now  
Old Jan 24, 2020, 4:42 pm
  #109  
 
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 7,168
[Tinfoil hat mode] Has anyone noticed the suspicious timeliness with which Netflix has launched its latest series “Pandemia”? [/Tinfoil hat mode]
13901 is offline  
Old Jan 24, 2020, 5:19 pm
  #110  
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: PEK and BOS
Programs: BA - Blue
Posts: 4,530
Originally Posted by Wozza2404
If it wasn't for the "curse of the 20s" I'd be tempted to take that bet.

1720 - last real bout of bubonic plague
1820 - Cholera epidemic
1920 - Spanish Flu
2020 - Well, it's almost like Mother Earth doesn't want us....
Except Spanish 'flu started in 1918...

tb
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Old Jan 25, 2020, 12:10 am
  #111  
 
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Fyvie
Programs: BAEC Gold, Hilton Gold
Posts: 22
I am currently in Shanghai with Mrs FF having flown out on Wednesday. Our plan was to fly on to Chengdu on Monday then up to Harbin on Friday for the winter Ice Festival. However, most of the tourist attractions, even here in Shanghai, are now closed. Having liaised with our China internal tour manager, we have reluctantly decided to cancel the remainder of our trip and have managed to get BA to change our return flights to Tuesday albeit in Club World rather than First (Avios 241 booking).

Whilst I dont have any great concern for our personal safety with regards the virus the fact that there is not much to actually do (esp as it's done nothing but rain since we arrived) led to a decision to call it quits.

The numbers of people currently suspected of having the virus - whilst they may sound alarming - are as a percentage of the population still very low. Most of the reported deaths seem to be in naturally vulnerable groups - aged/pre-existing conditions etc. That may well change of course as time passes.

My advice to anyone thinking of heading this way is - dont be panicked by the virus itself but if you are coming thinking of visiting tourist attractions - forget it for now. E.G. Chengdu Panda Bases are all closed, nearly all Shanghai attractions seem to be closed as well. Hotel check-in are doing the 'gun to the forehead' and recording guest temperatures, everyone out and about are wearing masks. Overall, it's not a particularly pleasant experience..

I will update if I learn anything new.

FF
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Old Jan 25, 2020, 3:34 am
  #112  
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: UK
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Originally Posted by Fyvie Flyer
I am currently in Shanghai with Mrs FF having flown out on Wednesday. Our plan was to fly on to Chengdu on Monday then up to Harbin on Friday for the winter Ice Festival. However, most of the tourist attractions, even here in Shanghai, are now closed. Having liaised with our China internal tour manager, we have reluctantly decided to cancel the remainder of our trip and have managed to get BA to change our return flights to Tuesday albeit in Club World rather than First (Avios 241 booking).

Whilst I dont have any great concern for our personal safety with regards the virus the fact that there is not much to actually do (esp as it's done nothing but rain since we arrived) led to a decision to call it quits.

The numbers of people currently suspected of having the virus - whilst they may sound alarming - are as a percentage of the population still very low. Most of the reported deaths seem to be in naturally vulnerable groups - aged/pre-existing conditions etc. That may well change of course as time passes.

My advice to anyone thinking of heading this way is - dont be panicked by the virus itself but if you are coming thinking of visiting tourist attractions - forget it for now. E.G. Chengdu Panda Bases are all closed, nearly all Shanghai attractions seem to be closed as well. Hotel check-in are doing the 'gun to the forehead' and recording guest temperatures, everyone out and about are wearing masks. Overall, it's not a particularly pleasant experience..

I will update if I learn anything new.

FF
Thanks for that, flying out on Monday but heading to Hanoi 30 hours after arrival. Sounds like we will be staying in the hotel then.
strickers is offline  
Old Jan 25, 2020, 4:38 am
  #113  
 
Join Date: Oct 2018
Programs: American Life Time 2 Million Mile Platinum
Posts: 368
Two things.

1. AA now has a "Travel Alert" allowing rebooking without change fees, to include not traveling for up to 331 days to Wuhan, Bejing and Shanghi.

https://www.aa.com/i18n/travel-info/travel-alerts.jsp

2. Lancet published a paper of the initial cases of Corona virus in Wuhan and these cases of Corona virus pneumonia did NOT occur primarily in people with underlying illnesses but in otherwise healthy people. I downloaded the paper in PDF but don't have the link, sorry.

All the best.
msm2000uk and Misco60 like this.
mnhusker is online now  
Old Jan 25, 2020, 4:57 am
  #114  
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//We now have officially a bit less than 1000 confirmed cases with less than 30 confirmed deaths.

1300/41 now (Bloomberg)
percysmith is offline  
Old Jan 25, 2020, 5:00 am
  #115  
 
Join Date: Mar 2019
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Originally Posted by mnhusker
Two things.

1. AA now has a "Travel Alert" allowing rebooking without change fees, to include not traveling for up to 331 days to Wuhan, Bejing and Shanghi.

https://www.aa.com/i18n/travel-info/travel-alerts.jsp

2. Lancet published a paper of the initial cases of Corona virus in Wuhan and these cases of Corona virus pneumonia did NOT occur primarily in people with underlying illnesses but in otherwise healthy people. I downloaded the paper in PDF but don't have the link, sorry.

All the best.
These respiratory viruses typically indeed attack also healthy people, like regular colds and flus do.

However, I was referring to the disease incidence but to the reported cases of death.

A healthy immune system can normally cope with a respiratory infection eventually. If you have comorbidities or are immunocompromised it’s a different story.

All this is obviously only speculation at this point while we’re waiting for hard data.

That said there’s probably a reason why the WHO hasn’t raised any Global alerts.
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Old Jan 25, 2020, 5:30 am
  #116  
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Vale of Glamorgan
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Posts: 2,963
I have a lengthy trip to China coming up in a couple of months. Not really worried about the virus, but if more cities are locked down and tourist sites closed it will affect our holiday plans. Our booked visit to the panda breeding centre in Chengdu is already looking unlikely.

For now we'll just watch and let events unfold, but if things get significantly worse we'll have to hope that the government issues a travel advisory and/or that BA will start allowing passengers to cancel and/or rebook to other destinations.
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Old Jan 25, 2020, 5:41 am
  #117  
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: PEK
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Posts: 373
[QUOTE=JSR2014;31989572]Dear All,

Question, I am flying to Shanghai on the 7th and I actually believe that the panic and city shut downs will have stopped/QUOTE]

Not Shanghai but I would expect similar conditions there....

In Beijing information is very slowly starting to trickle through about closures, restrictions etc.. and the initial date for ending often comes up as the 17th Feb. I'm presuming this is the 3rd of Feb which is the end of peak migration back to BJ plus the fourteen day incubation period.

No telling what will happen tomorrow let alone in two weeks in all honesty, so it's all conjecture.

I was meant to fly PKX - LHR next Thur but quite concerned about transmitting something back home so may cancel.
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Old Jan 25, 2020, 6:49 am
  #118  
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Programs: GGL/CCR
Posts: 1,899
Originally Posted by msm2000uk
I'll be in PVG until late night on 12th.

We should meet up for a drink, in a sanitised bubble, while wearing masks and gloves.

M
Ditto.

when you flying over?
teledude is offline  
Old Jan 25, 2020, 6:50 am
  #119  
 
Join Date: Oct 2018
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Originally Posted by percysmith
//We now have officially a bit less than 1000 confirmed cases with less than 30 confirmed deaths.

1300/41 now (Bloomberg)

Please remember that these numbers are cases where the Corona virus was isolated from the patient by lab test thus "confirmed" case.

It is well known that the Chinese health system is overwhelmed and sending many ill patients home so that the number of people with Corona virus INFECTION is likely highly under estimated by the numbers given above.

This is confirmed by the measures taken by the Chinese government in response to the virus outbreak, which is far beyond what one would expect if illness was doing what the numbers were what has been released to the world.

To those thinking of going to this area in the next few days to 120 days, forget it.

This is NOT going to burn out in less than 120 days given the densely packed Chinese population, the lack of treatment for viral pneumonia, the lack of vaccine for Corona virus (never been one for any Corona virus, development will take years despite what you have read), the level of over all health care in China and finally the need for travel to sustain infrastructure for daily life.

China, just like the rest of the world needs "travel" (trucks, trains, planes) bringing in food, medicines and other goods to sustain daily life for the 56 million quarantined people. If the virus causes this travel to cease either by fear or government decree these areas of China will soon become difficult to live in, certainly not tourist meccas .

BNO NewsroomVerified account @BNODesk
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MoreBREAKING: Wuhan City bans private vehicles from the urban area, starting at midnight

12:06 AM - 25 Jan 2020
mnhusker is online now  
Old Jan 25, 2020, 6:52 am
  #120  
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Dundee
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Posts: 1,418
I have Singapore and HK in a months time with my septuagenarian parents.
My only concern would be if there's a travel advice for HK while I'm in Singapore, and getting back from there, as we have an open jaw 2-4-1 redemption for mum and me, and two single redemptions for my dad.
BlueThroughCrimp is offline  

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