Feb 25, 2020, 12:10 pm
Last edit by: corporate-wage-slave
Customer Guidelines: see post 97 for rebooking options for some north of Italy routes.
Potential Impact of Coronavirus on flights to Milan & rest of Italy
Feb 25, 2020, 12:31 am
#31
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: LHR/LGW
Programs: LH *G (SEN), VS Silver, BA Silver, Goldpointplus Gold, Marriott Silver, Accor silver, *ACP
Posts: 443
I flew in/out of both Marco Polo and Villafranca airports last week. Had my temperature taken both times on arrival. Perhaps they were checked for the Veronavirus...
Feb 25, 2020, 12:31 am
#32
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: GLA
Programs: BAEC: Silver. Nothing else as TopCashBack trumps all hotel programs
Posts: 801
Symptoms (fever) do not show until up to 2 weeks after you become contagious. So checking temps is pointless. It would be much better to find out where people have been and attach a risk scale.
Feb 25, 2020, 12:54 am
#33
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: London Stratford, E7
Programs: BAEC Gold! Thanks to FT
Posts: 3,385
Uk Chief Medical Officer updating advice re visitors from Italy which will be to self isolate if you have symptoms but not change to travel advice. So I’m guessing no waivers yet.
Feb 25, 2020, 1:02 am
#34
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: BHD
Programs: BA Executive Club Silver
Posts: 575
And Ulster and The Ospreys have decided not to travel to Italy this weekend for their Pro 14 games
Feb 25, 2020, 1:18 am
#35
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold; Flying Blue Life Platinum; LH Sen.; Hilton Diamond; Kemal Kebabs Prized Customer
Posts: 63,860
Extract:
Originally Posted by The Daily Telegraph
British holidaymakers returning from coronavirus-hit parts of Italy will be told to “self-isolate,” in an escalation of measures to combat the spread of the deadly virus.
On Monday night health officials were locked in talks about how far to ratchet up restrictions which could affect thousands of people. Until now, Italy has not been added to the Government’s list of “high-risk” countries, despite the fact it has the most coronavirus cases of any country outside Asia. The inaction has prompted criticism from medics amid concern people potentially carrying the disease are not being put in isolation.
On Tuesday the country’s chief medical officer is expected to add the affected regions to that list, with anyone returning from them asked to “self-isolate” for 14 days if they show possible symptoms of the virus.
However, officials are understood to be discussing whether to go further and ask everyone returning from such parts of Italy to stay home for a fortnight, as a precautionary measure.
On Monday night health officials were locked in talks about how far to ratchet up restrictions which could affect thousands of people. Until now, Italy has not been added to the Government’s list of “high-risk” countries, despite the fact it has the most coronavirus cases of any country outside Asia. The inaction has prompted criticism from medics amid concern people potentially carrying the disease are not being put in isolation.
On Tuesday the country’s chief medical officer is expected to add the affected regions to that list, with anyone returning from them asked to “self-isolate” for 14 days if they show possible symptoms of the virus.
However, officials are understood to be discussing whether to go further and ask everyone returning from such parts of Italy to stay home for a fortnight, as a precautionary measure.
Feb 25, 2020, 2:18 am
#36
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 23
My daughter is due to get married to her Italian fiance in mid April on Lake Garda. Most people are coming from the UK and all flights and hotels are booked. We are watching the situation very nervously.
Feb 25, 2020, 2:28 am
#37
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: London & Sonoma CA
Programs: UA 1K, MM *G for life, BAEC Gold
Posts: 10,227
I feel for you and your family. Just hoping that things improve rapidly.
Feb 25, 2020, 2:46 am
#38
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: GLA
Programs: BAEC: Silver. Nothing else as TopCashBack trumps all hotel programs
Posts: 801
Experts now think you can be infectious for 4 week prior to symptoms show. To be honest canceling flight to Italy now is just closing the door after the horse has bolted. You can be assured that this virus is EVERYWHERE now.
Feb 25, 2020, 3:03 am
#40
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: LHR/ATH
Programs: Amex Platinum, LH SEN (Gold), BA Bronze
Posts: 4,489
keep save everyone and be healthy, wash your hands!
Feb 25, 2020, 3:24 am
#41
Join Date: Feb 2020
Posts: 134
How long do we all think it'll be before prices on flights and accommodations come down, they're still at the usual or higher end of the pricing scale right now, I personally don't care about this Coronavirus as it is just a flu and if I can get a cheapo holiday, why not? 
Feb 25, 2020, 3:26 am
#42
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: LHR/ATH
Programs: Amex Platinum, LH SEN (Gold), BA Bronze
Posts: 4,489
How long do we all think it'll be before prices on flights and accommodations come down, they're still at the usual or higher end of the pricing scale right now, I personally don't care about this Coronavirus as it is just a flu and if I can get a cheapo holiday, why not?
i don’t see BA allowing passengers to cancel flights free of charge to Milan area until UK govt issues travel advice advising against all but essential travel.
Feb 25, 2020, 3:29 am
#43
Join Date: Sep 2018
Posts: 81
there is no need for alarmist hysteria this is just a flu; only issue being is there is no jab for this one yet and it was extremely poorly managed from the start. Many Thousands of Immunosuppressed people die from the flu every year, more than the current death toll of this particular strain.
keep save everyone and be healthy, wash your hands!
keep save everyone and be healthy, wash your hands!
There is absolutely a need to take this seriously and not brush it off as "just another flu", this virus causes you to be infectious before you are symptomatic which makes it very hard to contain and as the previous poster suggested, the chances of it being much more widespread than currently being reported are very high.
The situation is going to get worse before it improves and people need to be aware. I believe it not alarmist/hysterical at this point to advise avoiding non essential travel to currently known affected areas
Feb 25, 2020, 3:39 am
#44
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club, Marriott Bonvoy
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Englandshire
Programs: SPG LT Plat, BA G, BD*LG, MG Blue+ ...
Posts: 16,035
Folks, as it seems that coronavirus is rapidly becoming pandemic across the FT BA forum too, can we request that posters seek out alternative places to discuss the wider subject, and keep the discussion here focused on matters relating to travel with BA.
Thank you for your co-operation
The mod team
Thank you for your co-operation
The mod team
Feb 25, 2020, 4:15 am
#45
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold; Flying Blue Life Platinum; LH Sen.; Hilton Diamond; Kemal Kebabs Prized Customer
Posts: 63,860
The latest COVID-19 update from the UK's Department for Health and Social Care in collaboration with Public Health England, just updated, my bolding:
Originally Posted by DHSC and PHE
Returning travellers.
Based on the scientific advice of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) the UK Chief Medical Officers are advising anyone who has travelled to the UK from mainland China, Thailand, Japan, Republic of Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia or Macau in the last 14 days and is experiencing cough or fever or shortness of breath, to stay indoors and call NHS 111, even if symptoms are mild.
We are carrying out enhanced monitoring of direct flights from these areas. Passengers will be told how to report any symptoms they develop during the flight, at the time of arrival, or after leaving the airport.
These areas have been identified because of the volume of air travel from affected areas, understanding of other travel routes and number of reported cases. This list will be kept under review.
If you have returned from these specific areas since February 19, you should call NHS111 and stay indoors and avoid contact with other people even if you do not have symptoms:
Based on the scientific advice of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) the UK Chief Medical Officers are advising anyone who has travelled to the UK from mainland China, Thailand, Japan, Republic of Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia or Macau in the last 14 days and is experiencing cough or fever or shortness of breath, to stay indoors and call NHS 111, even if symptoms are mild.
We are carrying out enhanced monitoring of direct flights from these areas. Passengers will be told how to report any symptoms they develop during the flight, at the time of arrival, or after leaving the airport.
These areas have been identified because of the volume of air travel from affected areas, understanding of other travel routes and number of reported cases. This list will be kept under review.
If you have returned from these specific areas since February 19, you should call NHS111 and stay indoors and avoid contact with other people even if you do not have symptoms:
- Iran
- Specific lockdown areas in Northern Italy as designated by the Government of Italy
- Special care zones in South Korea as designated by the Government of the Republic of South Korea
- Hubei province (returned in the past 14 days)
- Northern Italy (defined by a line above, and not including, Pisa, Florence and Rimini),
- Vietnam
- Cambodia
- Laos
- Myanmar