Is Coronavirus keeping you from booking liveaboard/overseas trips this year?

[CWK]

@urbaneve71, Seems to me that the concern is not so much the virus as it is getting stuck somewhere during the journey there or back.

Look at routing through Europe (EEC). For example, KLM flies direct to Jakarta, Mania and Kuala Lumpur.

The EEC has decided that they will not restrict travel within the EEC including Italy where the virus has taken off. To me it would not make sense for them to ban travellers from Indonesia, Philippines or Malaysia.

 

[urbaneve71]

@nippurmagnum --- good point. its a craps shoot at the moment. More and more cases are being reported -- who really knows what the true numbers and what the outcome is going to be. I know I am booked for Roatan and Belize - so I am crossing my fingers that nothing will interfere

 

[stepfen]

Today I was told that due to corona virus, the Jeddah - Jakarta leg of our flight ( reminder about my trip: Athens - Jeddah - Jakarta departing 11th of March) was canceled. We were rebooked to a later flight and now the transit time in Jeddah is 14 hours (!!!).
Our main problem is not that Jeddah is probably one of the worst airports on earth. Our problem is that it seems that people with a transit of more than 12 hours in Saudi Arabia need a transit visa. Apart from this I cannot find any relevant information about transit visas online. Nowhere it is explained how to get one (on arrival, online or through embassies?), who is eligible and who is not, how much it costs etc. But it is clearly stated that my wife (she has Indonesian passport) can't get a visa - hence practically she can't fly.

I need to confirm all these with airline company and embassies from Tuesday (tomorrow is a public holiday here) but things are getting more and more difficult day by day for our trip. At least from today Saudia allows cancellations with full refund for people traveling to/from Indonesia. The problem is the rest of the money (LoB, Indonesian flights, hotels etc).

People, postpone any trip plannings until things settle...

 

[divinh]

Today I was told that due to corona virus, the Jeddah - Jakarta leg of our flight ( reminder about my trip: Athens - Jeddah - Jakarta departing 11th of March) was canceled. We were rebooked to a later flight and now the transit time in Jeddah is 14 hours (!!!).
Our main problem is not that Jeddah is probably one of the worst airports on earth. Our problem is that it seems that people with a transit of more than 12 hours in Saudi Arabia need a transit visa. Apart from this I cannot find any relevant information about transit visas online. Nowhere it is explained how to get one (on arrival, online or through embassies?), who is eligible and who is not, how much it costs etc. But it is clearly stated that my wife (she has Indonesian passport) can't get a visa - hence practically she can't fly.

I need to confirm all these with airline company and embassies from Tuesday (tomorrow is a public holiday here) but things are getting more and more difficult day by day for our trip. At least from today Saudia allows cancellations with full refund for people traveling to/from Indonesia. The problem is the rest of the money (LoB, Indonesian flights, hotels etc).

People, postpone any trip plannings until things settle...

Ugh... that's rough...

I had something similar, of my own doing. I had booked an inexpensive ticket to Thailand and Japan, within two weeks of departure. I realized within 24 hrs of booking that my time in Thailand would be 32 days, two days over the visa-on-landing visa. I would need to extend the visa... but time was too short for dealing with an embassy or consulate before leaving. There was a possibility of extending once I got to Bangkok... but I would be landing on Friday, the day before New Year's week shutdown for all government offices. I would have to stay in Bangkok for a week, just to get it all sorted out, instead of heading to the dive center on Koh Lanta. Luckily, I could cancel the ticket within 24 hrs with no penalty... and I found another ticket for 29 days in Thailand for only $20 more. (It would have been $60 for the visa extension.) It was the last seat.

Good luck to you!

 

[Kimela]

I got this message from American Airlines today:

Waived change fees on new tickets

We know customers are thinking carefully about purchasing future business trips and vacations. To offer customers more flexibility, we are pleased to announce that we will waive change fees up to 14 days prior to travel for travel purchased between March 1, 2020 (4:30 p.m. CST) and March 16, 2020 (11.59 p.m. CST). See details for waived change fees.

The offer is available for any of American’s published fares. Additional updates on existing travel alerts can be found on aa.com/travelalerts.

 

[Sevenrider860]

I had a trip to the Philippines scheduled from 3/23 to 4/7. ATL-ICN-MNL. Delta cancelled the outbound MNL-ICN flight as part of their cuts on flights to and from Korea. Because they cancelled the flight they are proving a full refund. Looking to book a Philippine Airlines from JFK or LAX now.

 

[Jay]

I had a trip to the Philippines scheduled from 3/23 to 4/7. ATL-ICN-MNL. Delta cancelled the outbound MNL-ICN flight as part of their cuts on flights to and from Korea. Because they cancelled the flight they are proving a full refund. Looking to book a Philippine Airlines from JFK or LAX now.

Here's a link to PAL's fare rules. Fare Rules and Conditions

 

[CWK]

Leaving for Sipadan tomorrow. Only 10 other trips booked for this year after that. Taking them one at a time.

 

[Dan]

Leaving for Sipadan tomorrow. Only 10 other trips booked for this year after that. Taking them one at a time.

Only 10? So that makes 12 total, including the Maldives where you went in February, LOL.

I have about half of yours, only 6 overseas & 2 domestic trips planned for 2020. Trip to Indonesia (Raja Ampat on Amira) was already done in January without a hick up. The rest of the year would be to French Polynesia in May, Guadalupe, Mexico, in July, Cocos, Costa Rica in September, Tiger Beach, Bahamas in November, back to Red Sea in December.

Have a safe & enjoyable diving all over the world! See you in Malpelo, Colombia, in July, 2021!

 

[CWK]

Only 10? So that makes 12 total, including the Maldives where you went in February, LOL.

I have about half of yours, only 6 overseas & 2 domestic trips planned for 2020. Trip to Indonesia (Raja Ampat on Amira) was already done in January without a hick up. The rest of the year would be to French Polynesia in May, Guadalupe, Mexico, in July, Cocos, Costa Rica in September, Tiger Beach, Bahamas in November, back to Red Sea in December.

Have a safe & enjoyable diving all over the world! See you in Malpelo, Colombia, in July, 2021!

There was also RA in January 2020.

Looking forward to diving with you in Malpelo. Stay safe and enjoy your diving.