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, 6:35 am
#61
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: GLA
Programs: BAEC: Silver. Nothing else as TopCashBack trumps all hotel programs
Posts: 801
Absolutely it is yes.
We like to band about "Ah but in the west we have good healthcare and medicine!"
Well. Answer me this. How many free hospital beds does the UK currently have...?
Lets say a million people catch Corona in the UK. The hospitals wont be able to treat or even see you. So our "western" hospitals become non exsistent and you might as well be in China or timbucktoo. Or indeed in 1912 in Spain, it will be just the same treatment wise. This virus spreads like wildfire and kills 1 in 50. Rather terrifying if you ask me. I willing to bet you know more than 50 people.
We like to band about "Ah but in the west we have good healthcare and medicine!"
Well. Answer me this. How many free hospital beds does the UK currently have...?
Lets say a million people catch Corona in the UK. The hospitals wont be able to treat or even see you. So our "western" hospitals become non exsistent and you might as well be in China or timbucktoo. Or indeed in 1912 in Spain, it will be just the same treatment wise. This virus spreads like wildfire and kills 1 in 50. Rather terrifying if you ask me. I willing to bet you know more than 50 people.
Feb 25, 2020, 6:39 am
#62
Community Director
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Norwich, UK
Programs: A3*G, BA Gold, BD Gold (in memoriam), IHG Diamond Ambassador
Posts: 8,477
Folks, we are drifting massively off-topic here. Perhaps it's time to take note of the thread title?
Whilst we understand that some degree of conjecture is inevitable, let's also stick to known, factual information if we can - as with other threads covering the virus, it is much more useful for people to come here and find accurate posts rather than massive exaggeration or pure unadulterated guesswork as we have seen in many of the recent contributions.
/mod
Whilst we understand that some degree of conjecture is inevitable, let's also stick to known, factual information if we can - as with other threads covering the virus, it is much more useful for people to come here and find accurate posts rather than massive exaggeration or pure unadulterated guesswork as we have seen in many of the recent contributions.
/mod
Feb 25, 2020, 6:46 am
#63
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: JER
Programs: BA Gold/OWE, several MUCCI, and assorted Pensions!
Posts: 32,146
Austria joining in. Two cases identified in Tirol, and now in isolation in INN hospital.
Feb 25, 2020, 6:53 am
#64
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: En Route
Programs: Many
Posts: 6,798
I haven't done much digging around, going to be in St. Moritz Mar 12-15, hold out hope for better conditions or resign myself to spending the weekend in the bar?
Feb 25, 2020, 8:01 am
#65
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Switzerland
Posts: 1,591
It's more a personal issue as I've never done downhill skiing but go cross-country (langlauf). This needs good snow in the valleys and there simply hasn't been enough anywhere near me. For you downhill skiers there's always somewhere to get snow; just ensure it's not in an avalanche area.
Feb 25, 2020, 8:13 am
#66
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: LHR, LGW
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 3,440
My colleague and boyfriend are due to visit Rome on Friday for a leisure weekend , flying BA Friday morning, should they have a plan B or just hope plan A stays all intact?
I appreciate it’s probably guess work at this stage
I appreciate it’s probably guess work at this stage
Feb 25, 2020, 8:22 am
#67
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: GLA
Programs: BAEC: Silver. Nothing else as TopCashBack trumps all hotel programs
Posts: 801
Im not doing any more travel till this calms significantly down.
Feb 25, 2020, 8:51 am
#68
Join Date: Nov 2008
Programs: SPG-Plat, Hilton-Diamond, Club Carlson-Silver, Cathay-Diamond, Virgin-Gold
Posts: 2,183
I feel it may go the other way, it will be so wide spread it will be pointless stopping flights going to places as you are as likely to catch is anywhere! yes a flight may pose a greater risk than some things, but I would suggest the tube and train travel around the world would also need to be stopped and there will become a point where it is simply no longer possible to try and contain it. It will either be past containment within 10 days or containment will be taking full effect and things calming down, due to issues to how it was initially handled I suspect it wont be the later option however.
Feb 25, 2020, 8:52 am
#69
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: En Route
Programs: Many
Posts: 6,798
You should be fine. 50% skiing, 50% bar. As usual It's more a personal issue as I've never done downhill skiing but go cross-country (langlauf). This needs good snow in the valleys and there simply hasn't been enough anywhere near me. For you downhill skiers there's always somewhere to get snow; just ensure it's not in an avalanche area.
It's more a personal issue as I've never done downhill skiing but go cross-country (langlauf). This needs good snow in the valleys and there simply hasn't been enough anywhere near me. For you downhill skiers there's always somewhere to get snow; just ensure it's not in an avalanche area.
Feb 25, 2020, 8:54 am
#70
Join Date: Nov 2008
Programs: SPG-Plat, Hilton-Diamond, Club Carlson-Silver, Cathay-Diamond, Virgin-Gold
Posts: 2,183
Absolutely it is yes.
We like to band about "Ah but in the west we have good healthcare and medicine!"
Well. Answer me this. How many free hospital beds does the UK currently have...?
Lets say a million people catch Corona in the UK. The hospitals wont be able to treat or even see you. So our "western" hospitals become non exsistent and you might as well be in China or timbucktoo. Or indeed in 1912 in Spain, it will be just the same treatment wise. This virus spreads like wildfire and kills 1 in 50. Rather terrifying if you ask me. I willing to bet you know more than 50 people.
We like to band about "Ah but in the west we have good healthcare and medicine!"
Well. Answer me this. How many free hospital beds does the UK currently have...?
Lets say a million people catch Corona in the UK. The hospitals wont be able to treat or even see you. So our "western" hospitals become non exsistent and you might as well be in China or timbucktoo. Or indeed in 1912 in Spain, it will be just the same treatment wise. This virus spreads like wildfire and kills 1 in 50. Rather terrifying if you ask me. I willing to bet you know more than 50 people.
I personally wouldn't travel to Italy and certainly northern Italy not for fear of contracting the virus but simply not being able to leave for 14 plus days if there was an outbreak near where I was regardless of if I was infected.
Feb 25, 2020, 8:56 am
#71
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: JER
Programs: BA Gold/OWE, several MUCCI, and assorted Pensions!
Posts: 32,146
Have a new one, today ... Guernsey (GCI) schoolchildren have just returned from a school trip to Italy. One is showing possible symptoms!
Feb 25, 2020, 8:59 am
#72
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: GLA
Programs: BAEC: Silver. Nothing else as TopCashBack trumps all hotel programs
Posts: 801
Feb 25, 2020, 9:00 am
#73
Join Date: Jun 2014
Programs: Executive Club: Gold - Flying Blue: Gold
Posts: 1,382
We have a customer meeting in Naples next week. Colleagues flying from London and Paris. We are cancelling as some of our customers in the UK are not accepting anyone that has traveled to Italy lately. We are holding off the cancellation of flights (BA and AF) in case they extend the waiver to all of Italy.
Feb 25, 2020, 9:07 am
#74
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Sussex, UK
Programs: BA:Gold Amex:Green :IC Platinum Elite Amb
Posts: 660
Also in Rome this weekend. Take hand sanitiser as reports are prices are rising locally but otherwise just get on and enjoy the warmth and history.
Feb 25, 2020, 9:12 am
#75
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: LHR/ATH
Programs: Amex Platinum, LH SEN (Gold), BA Bronze
Posts: 4,489
Flights only get cancelled due to demand or govt advice, so far the uk is taking a prudent approach. It’s amazing how Italy went from doing nothing to massively overreacting and causing a panic, by which time it is very late to take action and the damage has been cause already.
look at the us and uk, virus has been around a few weeks now but no crazy surge so far.
I flew today and my flight was packed and the airport was as usual, with very few people bothering with masks, the only person I encountered being a KAL employee at the lounge in LAX