Jet2 cancels all flights to mainland Spain after UK introduces new quarantine rules

The airline is following tour operator TUI which also announced yesterday it was cancelling flights to mainland Spain.The airline is following tour operator TUI which also announced yesterday it was cancelling flights to mainland Spain.

It comes after the Government removed Spain from its safe countries list following a surge of coronavirus cases in the European country. Tour operator Jet2 said it was suspending flights to Almeria, Alicante, Malaga and Murcia from Tuesday up to and including August 16.

“Where customers are affected by any programme changes, we’ve been repeatedly recognised by media, consumer organisations and customers for how we have been looking after customers, offering the option to rebook with no admin fee, Refund Credit Notes or full cash refunds, and we will be contacting customers to discuss these options,” Jet2 said.“We will also contact customers who are currently in mainland Spain to advise them of their options regarding flying back to the UK, so we urge customers not to contact us."

On Sunday Jet2 said it was continuing to run its scheduled programme of flights to and from mainland Spain, the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands but was "reviewing its options for customers" following the updated advice from the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). The tour operator said on Monday it continues to monitor the "fast-moving" situation.

Jet2 added: "For customers who are due to travel to mainland Spain from August 17 onwards, we will provide an additional update once we receive further information from the Government. We urge the Government to provide the industry with clarity, so that we can keep our all-important customers up-to-date and informed.

“We are continuing to operate flights to our destinations in the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands as scheduled. Because the FCO (Foreign and Commonwealth Office) travel advice to these destinations remains unchanged, our usual terms and conditions apply. As always, we advise customers to purchase appropriate travel insurance before travelling.

CUSTOMER UPDATE - 27.07.2020 pic.twitter.com/rW0KNeScHp

— Jet2tweets (@jet2tweets)July 27, 2020“This is a fast-moving situation, which we are continuing to monitor very closely. We would like to thank our customers for their understanding and patience.”

The Foreign Office has warned against all but essential travel to mainland Spain and Downing Street has warned “no travel is risk-free”.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said decisions on border measures and travel advice “can be changed rapidly if necessary to help stop the spread of the disease”.

He went on: “Unfortunately no travel is risk-free during this pandemic and disruption is possible and so anyone travelling abroad should be aware that our travel advice and exemption list is under constant review as we monitor the international situation.”he Spanish Government said it is in talks with the UK about excluding the Balearic and Canary islands from its quarantine measures.

But Health Minister Lord Bethell said: “Within individual countries there is no way for us to control intra-country transport, it is therefore very difficult and challenging to have a regional exemption list, and that is why we’ve not been able to give exemptions to the Balearics.”

 April Roach 23 hrs ago: 27th July 2020