Travel news live: Traffic light system could be scrapped from next month

The Maldives could be one of the next countries to be removed from the UK’s crimson record for journey, Simon Calder has predicted.

Replying to a reader who requested about flying to the islands on 19 September in right this moment’s Ask Me Anything occasion, The Independent’s journey correspondent wrote: “The Maldives are my top choice for exiting the red list.

“While nothing can be taken for granted, I am 90% confident the islands will be moved to the amber list.

“The fact that you will be there while it remains on the red list is, perhaps surprisingly, irrelevant. All that counts is the status of the country at the moment you arrive in the UK. And that means the wheels touching the runway.”

Read all of Simon’s skilled solutions to readers within the feedback part right here:

The EU has moved Japan – together with Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Brunei and Serbia – to its record of locations deemed “unsafe” for journey, as a consequence of Covid an infection charges.

The change in standing means travellers returning from the nations are prone to face stricter guidelines round testing and quarantine.

Last week, the EU eliminated the US from its ‘white list’ of safe-to-travel locations, prompting nations together with Italy, Sweden and Denmark to tighten their testing and quarantine restrictions on US residents travelling into the nations.

The record, which is reviewed each fortnight, exists as steering geared toward unifying journey guidelines throughout the bloc, however its suggestions aren’t necessary, with EU nations free to determine their very own border insurance policies.

Vietnam is planning to reopen the seashore vacation island of Phu Quoc to vaccinated vacationers from October, for a trial interval of six months, authorities have introduced.

This pilot scheme to permit in double-jabbed worldwide vacationers could then be prolonged to vacationer areas Ha Long, Hoi An and Nha Trang.

Vietnam has been closed to worldwide guests because the starting of the coronavirus pandemic.

“The prolonged pandemic has seriously hurt the tourism industry,” mentioned Vietnam’s tourism and tradition minister Nguyen Van Hung.

Fully vaccinated vacationers will want a unfavourable coronavirus check to enter Phu Quoc, the assertion mentioned, however will be capable of journey to the island on chartered or industrial flights.

New train operator Lumo will make the Newcastle-Edinburgh portion of the East Coast main line the most competitive stretch of track in western Europe, writes Simon Calder in his weekly newsletter.

“On the day that Lumo starts running its one-class-only trains, the passenger turning up at Newcastle station around lunchtime with a view to reaching Edinburgh will face a bewildering choice.

“At 1.35pm, CrossCountry departs for the Scottish capital, with calls at three handsome coastal towns: Alnmouth, Berwick-upon-Tweed and Dunbar. Eight minutes later, a nonstop LNER service sets off in hot pursuit.

“Barely is it under way when, at 1.47pm, Lumo gives chase – pausing for a moment at Morpeth.

“Seven more minutes, and a LNER reinforcement is off, with a stop (no, not for border formalities) at Berwick.

“Finally, at 2.21pm, here comes TransPennine Express – the fifth Newcastle-Edinburgh train in less than an hour, picking up stragglers at Morpeth along the way. By 3.47pm, when it arrives in the Scottish capital, Waverley station should resound with Geordie accents.

“A remarkable frequency, better than every 10 minutes at times, between two great cities along Britain’s broad northeastern shoulder. But is it fascinating or viable?”

A Which? probe has discovered that seven in 15 airways are giving holidaymakers complicated or inaccurate recommendation about present Covid journey guidelines.

The flawed recommendation being given could imply travellers being denied boarding, leaving them out of pocket for all the value of their flight or vacation.

In seven of 15 phone calls that shopper champion Which? made to brokers for British Airways, easyJet, Jet2, Ryanair and Tui they got ‘confusing or incorrect’ data.

The CEO of journey cash agency FairFX, Ian Strafford-Taylor, has weighed in on experiences that the UK’s worldwide journey system could be overhauled within the coming weeks.

“With continued whispers that the government’s traffic light system will be scrapped at the start of next month, things could be looking up for British holidaymakers who are hoping for a sense of normality to return,” mentioned Strafford-Taylor.

“After a quiet week for the pound, things are looking up this morning as it creeps beyond the 1.17 mark against the euro. However, it’s still down compared with early August, when it hit the highest rate we’ve seen all year.

“While there’s certainly cause for optimism, Brits should remain cautious – if the last 18 months have taught us anything. it’s that nothing’s guaranteed. To make sure they get the most for their money, Brits should keep a close eye on the pound, organise their travel money while the rates are high and take the time to seek out the best deals.”

In response to our story a couple of two-thirds lower in rail commuting, reader Adrian Stone has tweeted:

“The rail industry told people not to travel by train. People stopped travelling by train.

“Now the industry complains that no-one is travelling by train. 2021 winners of the Ratner award for destruction of your own industry. (Drum roll please).

“Yes, it’s the rail industry.”

The Rail Delivery Group says: “To encourage more people to take the train, the rail industry is running its biggest national marketing campaign in a generation, under the strapline ‘Let’s get back on track’.”

The Independent’s journey correspondent Simon Calder will be on-line to reply your journey questions later right this moment.

As a part of his weekly “Ask Me Anything” occasion, Simon will be on-line from 12pm right this moment to reply as many reader journey questions as he can – you may submit yours within the feedback part of the article beneath.

Whether you wish to know in case your autumn vacation will go forward, have questions in regards to the reopening of transatlantic journey, or whether or not the visitors light journey lists are prone to be axed next month, be part of Simon stay at 12pm right this moment to learn his solutions.

Submit your questions within the feedback part right here:

Gibraltar is celebrating its National Day. The British Overseas Territory has been uniquely accessible through the coronavirus pandemic: when England’s second lockdown led to December 2020, it was the one worldwide location accessible with out testing or quarantine.

In May 2021, Gibraltar was a founder member of the UK’s quarantine-free “green list”.

The governor, Vice Admiral Sir David Steel, tweeted: “Let’s not only celebrate the result of the referendum 54 years ago, and the unbreakable bond with the United Kingdom, but also honour Gibraltar more generally – its wonderful people, with their big hearts and very wide smiles.”

A number one journey business determine in Scotland has attacked what she referred to as “the fear factor driven by people in power”.

Joanne Dooey, president of the Scottish Passenger Agents’ Association, informed an viewers in Glasgow: “We need to see a return to international flying. The fear factor driven by people in power now needs to stop.

“We need to get Scotland back to business with safety protocols in place which are simple, and more importantly do not cost a fortune, to allow our industry to get back to some normality.

“We need to remove complexity and bring in simplicity with clear consistent communication and processes to support travel and not to hinder it or prevent it.

“We need to trust in the vaccine and allow freedom of movement.”

Ms Dooey was talking on the affiliation’s centenary dinner.

The Scottish authorities has constantly warned in opposition to abroad journey through the coronavirus pandemic.

It presently warns: “Travelling abroad carries a risk of bringing new cases and variants of Covid-19 into Scotland. “Think carefully about whether your trip abroad is necessary before booking travel.”

Dooey additionally mentioned she was “confident” that journey restrictions would ease significantly on the next international taskforce evaluation.

“I do think there will be changes to the restrictions that are in place for green countries. I am confident that more things will happen.

“Hopefully, we’ll scrap the traffic light system, because it’s not worked at all.

“It has been a barrier, and people are just not confident in booking to go anywhere that’s amber in case it goes red.”