GM1985

I think the OP has received a smidge more snark than was warranted here. The constant, and often overblown, media coverage is getting rather grating and has stoked up fear rather than sought to inform.

To the OP, the current state of affairs wouldn’t suggest you are any safer (or in any greater danger, depending on whether your cup is half-full or half-empty) staying in London versus travelling to AMS, since neither locations are currently hotspots of Coronavirus.

If it’s simply travel/planes you want to avoid, it’s really just a simple calculation between whether ‘throwing away’ the value of your LGW-AMS tickets (minus any taxes due to be refunded) is worth more or less than the vanishingly small risk that you might catch a flu virus.

Fly_IAD

regular flu kills hundreds of thousands per year but isnt apparently something the lamestream media is rabid over to the point where it will impact global markets (leading to even worse outcomes for many vulnerable people).

Fonsini

The responses in this thread should tell you that Europe should be avoided because of Europeans. Corona virus is far more pleasant.

tuonopepper

I'm in Amsterdam right now. Came into Schipol earlier, maybe saw 3 or 4 people in masks in total at the airport.

City center and usual tourist hot spots are all busy and business as usual, including the bars and coffee shops of the red light district. We've been out for a curry and in several bars up until about an hour ago, not a mask in sight.

Things are 100% normal here and, as memtioned in an earlier post, you'remore likely to be hit by a tram or push bike than this virus, despite the 1st case just being confirmed in Holland (not Amsterdam).

maxjasper

For some reason I am more worried about bedbugs aboard BA than Coronavirus...maybe I change my mind soon.

allturnleft

The changing situation

Posted at 5:525:52

BREAKINGFirst case confirmed in Netherlands

The Netherlands has confirmed its first case of Covid-19.

The patient, in the southern city of Tilburg, had recently been to northern Italy, the authorities said.

LCY8737

People, let's try and be helpful instead of explaining to the OP that they are wrong:

OP should call BA what change/refund options are allowable under ticket rules. In addition, many tickets booked ex US have extended leniency where the value of the ticket can be retained for later bookings - worth asking BA about this.

We should not forget that the enjoyment this trip will bring OP is driven by the perceived risk, not the actual risk. No need to go to a place, spending lots of money and annual leave, only to then be anxious and not to enjoy it.

navylad

when you say it has a fatality rate of 5 times less yet it can kill 13,000 people a year just in the UK and an estimate 291k-646k people worldwide a year. By comparison, so far Covid19 has killed 2800 globally.

Further it is important to consider the demographics, as the following tables show if you are not elderly and don’t have major health problems, the fatality rate is low.





Now obviously we must caveat this with we are still learning about Covid19, initial fatality rates were way off for example, but we should be careful in our scare-mongering.

About a decade ago they did an experiment in the US and vaccinated a whole town with the flu jab- that year, the rate of heart attacks halved. These of course are deaths that would have unlikely figures in the fatality rates of inlfienza- so as you can see saying one virus has 5 times the fatality rate is on rocky ground (the same rocky ground that many journalists are on too to be fair).

Both influenza and Covid19 have similar symptoms, modes of transmission and prevention methods. Currently, I’ve would have no problem visiting Amsterdam, but OP is free to set their own level of tolerance. They may wish to not socialise with others at home for example.

LondonElite

The fatality rate won’t be known with any degree of certainty until after the epidemic has passed.

snaxmuppet

The attitude of some on this forum makes me quite cross. They seem to think that everyone in the world is like them and so should have to same approach as them. The reality is that to many people (my wife included), corvid-19 represents a scary risk. Yes normal flu kills a lot of people and that does often get ignored, but you can get vaccinated for normal flu... there is no protection against corvid-19. My wife is diabetic and has had pneumonia previously and so is particularly susceptible to this virus. I accept that the risk right now of her getting it is small if we stay away from the hot-spots but the consequences if she does are scary... especially if we are in a part of the world with less than stellar healthcare.

We are cancelling or postponing our travel where we can now until further notice. We have spoken to our doctor and he could not have been clearer - don't travel. Stay in the UK and away from people as much as we can and ride out the storm. So that is what we are doing.

So please, being concerned over corvid-19 isn't necessarily panic especially if someone (or their family members) is already imuno-compromised or with a weak pulmonary system.... it is sensible to reduce the risk of exposure and any travel on public transport, especially air travel, does represent a significant risk... it isn't just about the destination. What about all those people in the terminal and on the plane... where have they been?

Please be more understanding of those at risk

LTN Phobia

Could we please focus on matters related to the OP's questions, BA rebooking, cancellations, refunds and other relevant BA policies pertaining to COVID-19?

Bluntly put, persistently taking the focus away from the OP's question is rude, and against the forum rules (it's also against the rule to gang up on posters/posts).

Please have some respect to the OP and other readers who may be seeking information on BA rebooking policies etc., and the FT rules on keeping things on-topic, and if you do not have something to say that is directly relevant to the thread topic (a reminder: the thread title is "BA COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Travel Waiver") and want to have a general discussion on SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19 that is not directly relevant to BA, please post elsewhere, not on this thread or BA forum.

Staying on topic is part of the rules on Flyer Talk: https://www.flyertalk.com/help/rules.php#stayontopic

There will probably be increasing number of queries on COVID-19-related BA rebooking queries etc. We need to focus on the topic at hand so that people can find relevant information quickly, and receive appropriate information as well, without getting the relevant questions/information buries in noise.
(Moderators will be discussing the best way to go about making the relevant information easier to find, so stay tuned, in terms of a consolidated thread etc.)

LTN Phobia
Moderator: BA forum

corporate-wage-slave

Thanks for that, I think it clearly explains where you are coming from.

There is, luckily, a middle ground. For most people, the risk of over-reaction is real, and potentially out of step with the actual risk level. The 'flu parallel is genuine in that (a) the 'flu vaccine isn't 100% effective (it's nearer 50%) and (b) doesn't work for new viral strains. For some people the risk from 'flu is permanent and behaviour changing. Covid-19 clearly adds to that risk and everyone has their own perception of that risk which is personal to them. You (understandably) are concerned about health facilities in Tirana, when personally I would not be, on current numbers - the NHS currently has only 15 ECMO beds in England. There isn't a right or wrong answer. But just as those of us who are cautioning against excessive need to understand people's real-life concerns, equally those who are genuinely worried should reach to the argument that asks for a more proportionate response.

DYKWIA

But doing a 3 day TP run has no risk at all?

A 3 Day TP run from LGW - A Running Report (long)

Surely, if you've been warned to avoid mixing with people, taking needless flights and going airports is the first thing to cut!

Too much travel

I hope it was a Rijsttafel rather than some other sort of curry!

alvinlwh

Before anymore jokes about over-reaction or being scared, I can tell you that I returned from SIN 10 days ago and is now currently under home quarantine ordered by NHS using the Public Health Act (law), and it isn't fun. Cabin fever is setting in now. All for what I believe to be a case of traveller's cough.

So not only travellers are panicking, healthcare services are too.