BA & Dubai
Jan 30, 2021, 12:08 am
#796
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 7,238
1. They are following the herd in panicking
2. There are substantial risks coming from the UAE
3. They want to stick it up to the UAE (let us not forget the unilateral GCC blockade of Qatar, of which the UAE were part, which ultimately failed)
4. They know it's just a question of time before the UK and other countries realise that people are doing a lot of transit traffic through DOH and they don't want that revenue stream gone.
My money is on 4.
Jan 30, 2021, 12:33 am
#797
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2020
Posts: 963
For what it's worth it might be one of these four (please bear in mind that, when talking about Qatar Airways, I consider them as being a state-owned organisation so QR = Qatar gov't)
1. They are following the herd in panicking
2. There are substantial risks coming from the UAE
3. They want to stick it up to the UAE (let us not forget the unilateral GCC blockade of Qatar, of which the UAE were part, which ultimately failed)
4. They know it's just a question of time before the UK and other countries realise that people are doing a lot of transit traffic through DOH and they don't want that revenue stream gone.
My money is on 4.
1. They are following the herd in panicking
2. There are substantial risks coming from the UAE
3. They want to stick it up to the UAE (let us not forget the unilateral GCC blockade of Qatar, of which the UAE were part, which ultimately failed)
4. They know it's just a question of time before the UK and other countries realise that people are doing a lot of transit traffic through DOH and they don't want that revenue stream gone.
My money is on 4.
)
Jan 30, 2021, 12:38 am
#798
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Kent, UK
Programs: M&S Elite+
Posts: 3,658
For what it's worth it might be one of these four (please bear in mind that, when talking about Qatar Airways, I consider them as being a state-owned organisation so QR = Qatar gov't)
1. They are following the herd in panicking
2. There are substantial risks coming from the UAE
3. They want to stick it up to the UAE (let us not forget the unilateral GCC blockade of Qatar, of which the UAE were part, which ultimately failed)
4. They know it's just a question of time before the UK and other countries realise that people are doing a lot of transit traffic through DOH and they don't want that revenue stream gone.
My money is on 4.
1. They are following the herd in panicking
2. There are substantial risks coming from the UAE
3. They want to stick it up to the UAE (let us not forget the unilateral GCC blockade of Qatar, of which the UAE were part, which ultimately failed)
4. They know it's just a question of time before the UK and other countries realise that people are doing a lot of transit traffic through DOH and they don't want that revenue stream gone.
My money is on 4.
Jan 30, 2021, 2:25 am
#799
Join Date: Oct 2020
Programs: BA Gold, Bonvoy Platinum
Posts: 41
From my understanding they are still allowing transit flights! But happy to be corrected if I’m wrong as it is all getting very confusing!
Last edited by Prospero; Jan 30, 2021 at 6:20 am Reason: Repair quotation frame
Jan 30, 2021, 4:12 am
#800
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Zurich
Programs: Skywards Silver
Posts: 138
For what it's worth it might be one of these four (please bear in mind that, when talking about Qatar Airways, I consider them as being a state-owned organisation so QR = Qatar gov't)
1. They are following the herd in panicking
2. There are substantial risks coming from the UAE
3. They want to stick it up to the UAE (let us not forget the unilateral GCC blockade of Qatar, of which the UAE were part, which ultimately failed)
4. They know it's just a question of time before the UK and other countries realise that people are doing a lot of transit traffic through DOH and they don't want that revenue stream gone.
My money is on 4.
1. They are following the herd in panicking
2. There are substantial risks coming from the UAE
3. They want to stick it up to the UAE (let us not forget the unilateral GCC blockade of Qatar, of which the UAE were part, which ultimately failed)
4. They know it's just a question of time before the UK and other countries realise that people are doing a lot of transit traffic through DOH and they don't want that revenue stream gone.
My money is on 4.
Jan 30, 2021, 7:44 am
#801
Join Date: Dec 2013
Programs: QRPC Platinum, KFEG
Posts: 999
Is BA actually allowing rebooking on Gulf Air for the DXB-BAH route? My colleague is getting nowhere with the BA agent on this. They're saying:
- Not willing to rebook on Gulf air segment
- Make your way to Bahrain yourself, no connection protection, no refunds for own bookings to Bahrain, just a reticketing to BAH-LHR
OR
- 10h layover in Frankfurt with the chance that Germany will ban travel to and from UK by then.
- Not willing to rebook on Gulf air segment
- Make your way to Bahrain yourself, no connection protection, no refunds for own bookings to Bahrain, just a reticketing to BAH-LHR
OR
- 10h layover in Frankfurt with the chance that Germany will ban travel to and from UK by then.
Jan 30, 2021, 8:06 am
#802
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: 63,844
This is BA's current remedy, and transit is currently allowed. If Frankfurt gets stopped then Swiss may be the next calling point. I'm not aware of a Gulf Guideline for DXB, it is the sort ot thing that takes a week to organise, but those on tickets issued in UAE will probably find the cost of a refare to DXB-BAH-LHR to be minimal. In the other direction, perhaps less so. Overall it may be better to get a refund and self rebook, but as ever the specific details matter.
Jan 30, 2021, 8:12 am
#803
Join Date: Dec 2013
Programs: QRPC Platinum, KFEG
Posts: 999
This is BA's current remedy, and transit is currently allowed. If Frankfurt gets stopped then Swiss may be the next calling point. I'm not aware of a Gulf Guideline for DXB, it is the sort ot thing that takes a week to organise, but those on tickets issued in UAE will probably find the cost of a refare to DXB-BAH-LHR to be minimal. In the other direction, perhaps less so. Overall it may be better to get a refund and self rebook, but as ever the specific details matter.
Also, the agent wanted to pressure my colleague in flying the LH flight on the 5th because she said "there will be a hotel quarantaine for the UAE from the 6th of February onwards".
Not sure if it was incorrect rumours, information that isn't public yet or just full on lies.
Last edited by AAtticus; Jan 30, 2021 at 8:18 am
Jan 30, 2021, 8:15 am
#804
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: 63,844
Informed rumours I would say. HMG will do it by then if it could, it is getting more nimble, possibly, but mid February seems more realistic. As noted upthread, my advice is to go sooner if you want to avoid 10 nights in a Slough Travelodge.
Jan 30, 2021, 8:22 am
#805
Join Date: Jan 2021
Posts: 55
I booked a one-way flight from DXB to LHR via BAH using a combination of GF/BA last night at a pretty good price for a one-way fare. As mentioned above I couldn’t take the risk of extending my stay in DXB as the red list which they now belong to will be required for mandatory hotel quarantine when arriving back to the U.K. and could be announced and implemented in a pretty short timeframe.
I also think our Home Secretary will be eager to have hotel quarantine implemented ASAP to make an example out of the influencers returning from DXB given the comments she has made this week.
I also think our Home Secretary will be eager to have hotel quarantine implemented ASAP to make an example out of the influencers returning from DXB given the comments she has made this week.
Last edited by oneworldglobetrotter; Jan 30, 2021 at 8:33 am
Jan 30, 2021, 8:41 am
#806
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 7,238
I have no interest for Dubai (yes I’ve been there) and very little sympathy for the main type of clientele that travels there (my OH returned from a flight there where half the passengers refused masks and one bright man screamed and shouted about lack of social distancing but refused to wear a “face nappy”[sic]) but has HMG actually said why are the UAE added to the “red list”?
Jan 30, 2021, 9:04 am
#807
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: 63,844
The formal text is here:
More generally, NERVTAG on 13 January confirmed that B.1.351 isn't good news:
https://assets.publishing.service.go...of-concern.pdf
and called on HMG to review immigration controls and quarantine to restrict its entry (section 8).
Originally Posted by DfT
The government has today (28 January 2021) taken the urgent decision to ban travel to the UK from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Burundi and Rwanda to prevent the spread of the new variant originally identified in South Africa into the UK.
More generally, NERVTAG on 13 January confirmed that B.1.351 isn't good news:
https://assets.publishing.service.go...of-concern.pdf
and called on HMG to review immigration controls and quarantine to restrict its entry (section 8).
Jan 30, 2021, 10:10 am
#808
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: KSA
Programs: BA LTG, UA Gold, EK Silver, Hilton LT Diamond, Marriott LT Titanium, IHG Plat
Posts: 1,242
I have no interest for Dubai (yes I’ve been there) and very little sympathy for the main type of clientele that travels there (my OH returned from a flight there where half the passengers refused masks and one bright man screamed and shouted about lack of social distancing but refused to wear a “face nappy”[sic]) but has HMG actually said why are the UAE added to the “red list”?
Jan 30, 2021, 10:26 am
#809
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 7,238
The formal text is here:
More generally, NERVTAG on 13 January confirmed that B.1.351 isn't good news:
https://assets.publishing.service.go...of-concern.pdf
and called on HMG to review immigration controls and quarantine to restrict its entry (section 8).
More generally, NERVTAG on 13 January confirmed that B.1.351 isn't good news:
https://assets.publishing.service.go...of-concern.pdf
and called on HMG to review immigration controls and quarantine to restrict its entry (section 8).
Unless you have been swayed by what you read in the papers you may find the "main type of clientele" somewhat different to what you infer. Dubai is a (or the) hub for all of Middle East Africa and a fair bit of the Sub-continent. When I next try to go to the UK I will be leaving Riyadh with many fewer options than if I could transit Dubai and I would hope it is more for this reason that the UAE has been placed on the Red List, to stop the World's connecting passengers (with whatever they have) coming to the UK then to stop the (relatively) few influencers or actual UAE based people.
Jan 30, 2021, 11:11 am
#810
Ambassador: Emirates Airlines
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Manchester, UK
Posts: 18,618