• Our booking engine at tickets.railforums.co.uk (powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!

Many Still Scared to Fly ?

Status
Not open for further replies.

Butts

Veteran Member
Joined
16 Jan 2011
Messages
11,323
Location
Stirlingshire
How many forum members have been back onboard this year and what did you think of the experience at the Airport and in the Air ?

Are some people still bottling the safest mode of Transport ?

I have been on about 30 Flights since May both Domestic and International and never felt any apprehension.

It's not quite as good as last year when the flights and airports were empty, but with Lounges reopened and Service in the Sky one can't grumble.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R

RailUK Forums

Bletchleyite

Veteran Member
Joined
20 Oct 2014
Messages
97,533
Location
"Marston Vale mafia"
I am avoiding international travel not because I feel unsafe but because of the risk of being caught up in a short notice rule change. Domestically I tend not to fly, but having to wear a mask would put me off.
 

bluenoxid

Established Member
Joined
9 Feb 2008
Messages
2,459
Flying internationally has more risks as you are subject to other countries rules and our governments rules. We were looking at flying via a hub for a holiday next summer and whilst KLM, Air France and Brussels were all options, we have chosen to fly via LHR using BA to reduce the risks of being caught up in the rules of a third country.

What I would say is that the current rules benefiting those who are double jabbed have only just become a realistic option in mid August, which would have been too late for many looking for a summer break.

I think that things will get better as rules are relaxed and people feel that they can comfortably book a break knowing that it won’t be moved.
 
Last edited:

yorksrob

Veteran Member
Joined
6 Aug 2009
Messages
38,818
Location
Yorks
As with before the pandemic, I can't be bothered with the rigmarole of flying.
 

AM9

Veteran Member
Joined
13 May 2014
Messages
14,191
Location
St Albans
Why is this thread cast around members being "Scared" of flying at the moment? I have no flying fobia but just can't be arsed with all the uncertainty around flights, the upheaval of airports and being couped up with a load of desperate passengers. I don't use cheap airlines because their attitude to passengers usually stinks. Even at my advanced age, I'm quite happy to wait until air travel becomes more civil.
 

Ianno87

Veteran Member
Joined
3 May 2015
Messages
15,215
I just can't be arsed with risking the government randomly changing the Covid testing/quarantine rules again as it feels like it.

If it were just affecting me, I'd take the risk. With my family, perhaps not.
 

rf_ioliver

Member
Joined
17 Apr 2011
Messages
854
I don't have much choice. One of the good things is that airports are much quieter, though last year losing access to business lounges was a problem. On the other hand I've never had such a good experience at Heathrow both in and outbound - no queues, empty shops, seats etc.

Masks aren't really an issue.

What still gets me is are the security theater things such as not being allows to take liquids, but you can take (some airports) as much (inflammable) hand sanitiser as you want :)
 

Butts

Veteran Member
Joined
16 Jan 2011
Messages
11,323
Location
Stirlingshire
Why is this thread cast around members being "Scared" of flying at the moment? I have no flying fobia but just can't be arsed with all the uncertainty around flights, the upheaval of airports and being couped up with a load of desperate passengers. I don't use cheap airlines because their attitude to passengers usually stinks. Even at my advanced age, I'm quite happy to wait until air travel becomes more civil.

I assure you it is quite "civil" in BA Business Class with the drink flowing and some quite attractive fares.
 

AM9

Veteran Member
Joined
13 May 2014
Messages
14,191
Location
St Albans
I assure you it is quite "civil" in BA Business Class with the drink flowing and some quite attractive fares.
I haven't flown BA since 2018 to Copenhagen and I don't bother with Business in Europe or flights of less than 3-4 hours. The price was about 30% more than I would have paid with Easy Jet which offered a far less 'civil' flight time. I don't drink much if any when flying and it shortens my sleep on long-haul. The last two flights were on Air Canada and Thai in 2019.
 

Shimbleshanks

Member
Joined
2 Jan 2012
Messages
1,020
Location
Purley
Not flown since February 2020 for the simple reason that the work-related reasons for flying have disappeared, possibly for ever. Nothing to do with phobias, government regulations etc.
 

Brooke

Member
Joined
13 Jan 2020
Messages
262
Location
Switzerland
For me: work-related flying is vastly reduced but I still need to do some. Personal trips about the same as they were.

I’m not scared of flying (whether Covid or any other reason). Covid-wise I take sensible precautions, like keeping my distance from people in the terminal.

Overall, I’d say the hassle and time it takes is more the barrier to me travelling more, than being scared.

Question to OP: did you mean scared re Covid or more generally out of interest?
 

Butts

Veteran Member
Joined
16 Jan 2011
Messages
11,323
Location
Stirlingshire
For me: work-related flying is vastly reduced but I still need to do some. Personal trips about the same as they were.

I’m not scared of flying (whether Covid or any other reason). Covid-wise I take sensible precautions, like keeping my distance from people in the terminal.

Overall, I’d say the hassle and time it takes is more the barrier to me travelling more, than being scared.

Question to OP: did you mean scared re Covid or more generally out of interest?

Scared was probably a poor choice of diction, reluctant may have been more appropriate.
 

Ken H

On Moderation
Joined
11 Nov 2018
Messages
6,271
Location
N Yorks
I think covid has taught people that much can be done with stuff like teams rather than people travelling to meetings. My client did a big software implementation without getting everyone together during first lockdown. It worked. Massive savings to be made there. Not good for public transport. Air rail bus taxi etc.
 

gingerheid

Established Member
Joined
2 Apr 2006
Messages
1,488
I'm worried about how much a positive test result abroad and requirement to self isolate abroad could cost, and whether insurance would actually cover all of it.
 

Ianno87

Veteran Member
Joined
3 May 2015
Messages
15,215
I think covid has taught people that much can be done with stuff like teams rather than people travelling to meetings. My client did a big software implementation without getting everyone together during first lockdown. It worked. Massive savings to be made there. Not good for public transport. Air rail bus taxi etc.

Air has the double whammy of being both costly and the environmental impact, the latter of which employers had already started becoming aware of pre-Covid. I don't think global air travel for business will ever recover to anything like pre-Covid levels.
 

atillathehunn

Established Member
Joined
6 Jan 2010
Messages
1,433
Location
NL
I am only on 16 flights this year (resumed flying in July), but I am back to intercontinental flights for work. All flights bar 1 have been busy or full. My brother is also back to travelling for work within Europe, flights all busy.
 

Butts

Veteran Member
Joined
16 Jan 2011
Messages
11,323
Location
Stirlingshire
I'm worried about how much a positive test result abroad and requirement to self isolate abroad could cost, and whether insurance would actually cover all of it.

This is exactly why I paid for a PCR Test prior to going to Jersey last week even though they offer a free one on entry.

Luckily I am travelling for leisure so can pick and choose where I go, I don't visit anywhere that requires a test on entry apart from above.

I have been mainly travelling UK/Ireland and am just starting to branch out further afield as restrictions ease in my quest for BA Gold Status.

Tonight I am going to come crashing down to earth from being mollycoddled in BA Business Class to the relative penury of an Easyjet trip from Edinburgh to Birmingham and back.

It will be a sobering experience both metaphorically and literally as I wistfully gaze at the BA Lounge from afar.

As others have alluded to planes have become progressively busier since I commenced my flying in May.
 

Brooke

Member
Joined
13 Jan 2020
Messages
262
Location
Switzerland
Air has the double whammy of being both costly and the environmental impact.
Scared was probably a poor choice of diction, reluctant may have been more appropriate.
So I’m definitely not scared to fly (Covid or other reason). But reluctant, maybe:
I rack up a lot of hours travelling for a mix of work and personal reasons. And I’m very happy if I can reduce it for several reasons: (1) it takes time when I could be doing other, better things, (2) after years of working abroad, I’m enjoying that the pandemic gave the opportunity to be home a bit more, (3) I’m at least semi-mindful of the environmental impact.
 

Trackman

Established Member
Joined
28 Feb 2013
Messages
2,922
Location
Lewisham
I am avoiding international travel not because I feel unsafe but because of the risk of being caught up in a short notice rule change.
Jamaica last December/ New Year springs to mind. What a right to do that was - I've already posted about this on these forums.
There is no way I'm going anywhere for the time being without the risk of being stranded.
Plus when you eventually arrive home it's the 3rd degree from HR and asked to provide proof.. as if they didn't know.. 'Well, show me the cancelled flights' etc.. etc.. as if you were having an extended holiday.
 

Ianno87

Veteran Member
Joined
3 May 2015
Messages
15,215
So I’m definitely not scared to fly (Covid or other reason). But reluctant, maybe:
I rack up a lot of hours travelling for a mix of work and personal reasons. And I’m very happy if I can reduce it for several reasons: (1) it takes time when I could be doing other, better things, (2) after years of working abroad, I’m enjoying that the pandemic gave the opportunity to be home a bit more, (3) I’m at least semi-mindful of the environmental impact.

Yes, I can imagine that people not being away from home for days at a time anymore is massively appealing. Some international travel for business is fine; lots of it is unnecessary for most people, beyond the occasional trip.
 

AlterEgo

Veteran Member
Joined
30 Dec 2008
Messages
20,034
Location
No longer here
Air has the double whammy of being both costly and the environmental impact, the latter of which employers had already started becoming aware of pre-Covid. I don't think global air travel for business will ever recover to anything like pre-Covid levels.
Indeed. I’ve already noticed several airlines make tweaks to their business class products to appeal more to, well, non-business travel!
 

Vespa

Established Member
Joined
20 Dec 2019
Messages
1,576
Location
Merseyside
I enjoy flying, travelling to other countries and taking a break.

The reason I'm not flying during the pandemic is the rules keeps changing, having to test all the time and paying for PCR tests etc, if your flights gets cancelled it a pain to get ypyr money back, Ryanair and Easyjet is notorious for taking along time to refund and vety often it took court action and regulators to get the money back.

So for the next 12 months at least, it's going to be Staycation holidays for me as I would prefer a stress free trip which is what holidays is about.
 

pitdiver

Member
Joined
22 Jan 2012
Messages
1,071
Location
Nottinghamshire
My wife and I flew EDI-KOI in June of this year. The airport was dead, only saw two flights on the departure board, but our flight was full.
 

Vespa

Established Member
Joined
20 Dec 2019
Messages
1,576
Location
Merseyside
To add to my earlier post.

Not scared to fly at all just can't be bothered with the Covid hassle.

I'm going to wait until it all blows over before booking anything, in meantime I'm doing staycations, I see it as an opportunity to explore more of this country.
 

Iskra

Established Member
Joined
11 Jun 2014
Messages
7,785
Location
West Riding
Recently, I've flown:

BA Manchester-London Heathrow
BA London Heathrow-Catania, Sicily
Ryanair Lamezia Terme, Calabria-London Stansted

Overall, it's been a lot less hassle than I expected; I imagine this is the case for all passengers that have diligently prepared for their journeys and got all the right paperwork. I've found flying more civilised as the planes aren't all fully booked (only 1 flight of my 3 was) and the airlines seem to have upped their customer service levels a bit as they know they need to attract passengers back. The airports are a bit quieter and cleaner too so they are a bit nicer.

The only downsides at the moment are the reduced choice of flights and catering outlets at airports. Stansted's Border Force queue was a joke, but that has been consistently the case for many years so nothing new there!

Due to the uncertainty, I found it expedient to book my outward flights with a one-night hotel stay in order to make it a package holiday to offer a little more consumer protection should things change or go wrong at any point.
 

nlogax

Established Member
Joined
29 May 2011
Messages
5,352
Location
Mostly Glasgow-ish. Mostly.
Pandemic-wise I've been flying domestically since spring of 2020. It's been fine and masks don't phase me for one hour flights. I recently returned from my first long-haul trip since Feb of last year and was a bit irked by needing to have a pack of disposable masks for the flights. I also find it near impossible to sleep in a mask so I just gave up and took it off.

Re. testing hassle, slightly stressful when heading overseas with a requirement to get tested and a result uploaded to an app within 72 hours of the outbound flight. Thankfully I missed all the drama re. pre-return testing but the day 2 stuff has been a complete joke. Posted the return sample on a Monday morning, turns out Royal Mail didn't even bother to empty the postbox for most of the week and my sample has now presumably been binned. Utterly pointless.

Nothing was as miserable as trotting through empty airports in London and north of the border during the main stretches of pandemic. Absolutely deserted, much like the scenes from that hilariously bad Langoliers tv movie from the 1990s. I'm enjoying the busy airports again but at the same time I'm trying to fly a little less and take the train a little more.
 

route101

Established Member
Joined
16 May 2010
Messages
10,594
Only took a few domestic flights from July this year, easyjet and Loganair. Not bothered about the mask wearing. Not scared either.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Top