Travellers told to go 200 miles for Covid test
A couple from Montrose who booked a Portuguese holiday were told by travel firm Tui they would have to travel 200 miles to Carlisle to get the results of their “fit to fly” Covid tests before departing.
Arlene and Paul Haslen were shocked to hear the instruction when they contacted the firm days before they were due to travel to ask why they had not received their test kits.
The ambulance technician and her paramedic husband had been repeatedly assured the kits would be sent after booking the holiday three weeks ago.
They were then told they would have to take their test kits to a Tui branch in England as none of those in Scotland would accept them.
The Haslens decided instead to travel to Edinburgh Airport toarrangetheirowntests–itself a 180-mile round trip – so they would have the results in time.
However, the couple’s holiday plans were scuppered when Portugal was moved from the green to amber travel list on Thursday–twodaysbeforethey were due to fly from Glasgow to Faro for their two-week break.
They were then angered at being refused a refund for the £2,500 trip after the problems they had had over the tests.
The Scottish Ambulance Service staff said they would have had to return to work as soon as they returned, so would have been unable to self-isolate at home for ten days, as required aftervisitinganamberlistcountry.
Mrs Haslen said: "That’s the disaster of our holiday. "We’re absolutely devastated. "The one thing we had to look forwardtowasthisholidayand it’s just been pulled from under us.
"We’ve had nothing but hassle from Tui – they’ve been so unhelpful.
"They’ve got our money, so
we’re stuck.
"Wehavetogowiththemnext year whether we like it or not.
"They’ve got us by the short and curlies, because there’s nothing that we can do.
"If we could self-isolate when
wecomeback,wewould,butwe can’t because of our jobs."
Tui, the world’s largest travel firm, said it had contacted the couple today to apologise but did not offer a refund for the holiday.
It said customers due to travel to Portugal up to June 17 were being offered free re-booking to other dates or destinations instead.