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BA passenger carriage *TO* HKG suspended for 2 weeks [to 25 Dec]

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BA passenger carriage *TO* HKG suspended for 2 weeks [to 25 Dec]

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Old Dec 11, 2020, 1:01 pm
  #1  
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BA passenger carriage *TO* HKG suspended for 2 weeks [to 25 Dec]

I’m hearing that BA have made too many mistakes on passengers arriving in HKG not fitting the restrictions and are now not permitted for 14 days. Cathay and Virgin carry on but the checks to board are very stringent now.

... and KLM to HKG too apparently.

Last edited by IThink; Dec 11, 2020 at 1:06 pm Reason: Additional information
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Old Dec 11, 2020, 4:07 pm
  #2  
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As reported by London Air Travel

BA will continue to send aircraft to Hong Kong with cargo only. Inbound passenger flights from Hong Kong to London Heathrow will operate as normal. According to a report in the South China Morning Post, BA has been banned by local authorities from operating passenger flights to Hong until Friday 25 December. This is after it was found that four passengers who travelled on a BA flight to Hong Kong on Tuesday had COVID-19. Another passenger’s documents were not checked properly by the airline.

Whilst BA has been banned from flying to passengers to Hong Kong for two weeks and flights have been taken off sale until 25 December, at the time of publication the airline has only cancelled flights to Hong Kong up to Friday 18 December. This suggests that BA is seeking an alleviation.

Passengers who are due to fly on BA to Hong Kong up to 18 December can rebook on to Cathay Pacific flights from London Heathrow to Hong Kong. Passengers can also choose to fly on an alternative BA service to Hong Kong up to 15 January 2021. Full refunds are also available for passengers whose flights have been cancelled.
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Old Dec 12, 2020, 1:19 am
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CX vs BA

CX had seven infected passengers in the same period that BA had four and are still flying the route. Make of that what you will.....
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Old Dec 12, 2020, 1:39 am
  #4  
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Originally Posted by marcusm1
CX had seven infected passengers in the same period that BA had four and are still flying the route. Make of that what you will.....
I believe the issue is the combination of importing infected passengers as well as not doing proper pre boarding checks. If the airline is found to not have been stringent enough with a passengers paperwork and also imports infections, then they get banned.
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Old Dec 12, 2020, 2:35 am
  #5  
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How is infected pax be the responsibility of the airlines? It is not like a failed document check or similar.
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Old Dec 12, 2020, 2:46 am
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Originally Posted by sxc
I believe the issue is the combination of importing infected passengers as well as not doing proper pre boarding checks. If the airline is found to not have been stringent enough with a passengers paperwork and also imports infections, then they get banned.
Don't think the checks BA have been doing could get anymore stringent. No other destination has seen the level of focus with management involved everyday. Maybe HKG needs to do what other countries are doing and get customers to submit documents ahead of travel and they review and authorise, therefore airlines just need to check for the authorisation letter/email/QR code etc. Would save everyone the trouble that airlines have been enduring.
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Old Dec 12, 2020, 2:52 am
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Originally Posted by SK AAR
How is infected pax be the responsibility of the airlines? It is not like a failed document check or similar.
I think it is quite reasonable for a country to demand that airlines not deliver infected people, and to punish those that do.

The fact that neither the originating country nor the airline has a process to test passengers prior to departure is not Hong Kong's concern.
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Old Dec 12, 2020, 3:11 am
  #8  
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Well said Misco60
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Old Dec 12, 2020, 3:36 am
  #9  
 
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Originally Posted by SK AAR
How is infected pax be the responsibility of the airlines? It is not like a failed document check or similar.
It's not, however if HKG have said 'fly infected passengers here and we'll ban you' then BA can either put steps in place (pre flight rapid testing?) to ensure that or face the consequences.

When it comes to PX not following procedures, isolation requirements etc there's not a lot BA can do other than retrospectively ban them, cancel their return etc.

​​​​​​HKG trying to stop the import of cases is a good thing for them at least and I guess that's above any care for BAs business in their eyes.
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Old Dec 12, 2020, 6:11 am
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Ah, if only the Chinese authorities exerted the same level of care and rigeur for outbound passengers in November/December/January 2019...
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Old Dec 12, 2020, 11:07 am
  #11  
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Originally Posted by 13901
Ah, if only the Chinese authorities exerted the same level of care and rigeur for outbound passengers in November/December/January 2019...
talk about double measures...
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Old Dec 12, 2020, 11:32 am
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Some of these comments are barking mad, especially given that the nature of the virus means one could test negative at LHR and positive at HKG, regardless of anything that BA did or didn’t do. It’s a political ploy, nothing more.
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Old Dec 12, 2020, 11:56 am
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I presume Cathay, China Eastern and all that lot have turned around and are headed back to China then?
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Old Dec 12, 2020, 12:52 pm
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Originally Posted by Misco60
I think it is quite reasonable for a country to demand that airlines not deliver infected people, and to punish those that do.

The fact that neither the originating country nor the airline has a process to test passengers prior to departure is not Hong Kong's concern.
Agreed - do things right and you get to fly and land.

Do things right and we won't have had as many as 60K+ deaths primarily due to COVID.
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Old Dec 12, 2020, 12:53 pm
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Originally Posted by 13901
Ah, if only the Chinese authorities exerted the same level of care and rigeur for outbound passengers in November/December/January 2019...
Yes, always convenient and satisfying to blame others for things you should have done better yourself.
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