Chaos as tourists scramble to get back from Portugal
THOUSANDS of holidaymakers frantically dashed back from Portugal yesterday to beat the UK’s new quarantine deadline.
The scramble was triggered on Thursday night after British ministers said tourists who do not arrive back in Britain by 4am today must self-isolate for 14 days.
British Airways laid on extra flights from Faro in the Algarve, Porto and Lisbon and upped the size of its planes by switching from Airbus A319s to A321s. This created about an extra 70 seats on each plane.
The cost of some flights soared, with tickets on one BA flight from Lisbon to
London costing nearly ¤650 at one point.
Thousands more would-be UK holidaymakers due to go to Portugal in the coming weeks faced having to cancel their trips if they could not get permission or afford to take an extra two weeks off work.
A couple who had to cut their honeymoon short were among those who raced back yesterday.
Steve and Claire Knight, from Telford in Shropshire, flew into Heathrow but had not been due back until Wednesday.
Mr Knight, 46, said: ‘We got married last week so we booked 11 nights, but obviously that’s had to change.
‘We were straight on the internet booking the next flight home – that was 5pm yesterday and it was panic stations. We were desperate to get back.’ The couple paid an extra ¤435 for their return flights from the Algarve.
Ms Knight, 46, said: ‘We’re disappointed, we’re frustrated – but I suppose if you go away you have to be prepared for this to happen, don’t you? It’s a risk we took.’
Fiona Bolton, 47, and Neil Simon, 51, returned from their holiday after only 20 hours, paying an extra €270 to fly back from the
Algarve with British Airways.
Ms Bolton said: ‘We have spent £1,200 for 20 hours. We’re disappointed, but it’s life at the minute; nothing is certain and you have to just go with it.’
Many of the 35,000 Britons in Portugal have been left no choice but to carry on with their holidays and self-isolate for 14 days on their return.
Tracey Lambert, 51, from Romford, was unable to book an earlier flight home from the Algarve and is due back later today.
The pharmacist said she will now have to go two weeks without pay, adding: ‘New infections here are in single figures daily and we all feel safer here than we do at home in Essex.
‘For the new “rule of six”, people have been afforded five days’ notice, yet we get less than two days’ notice to return home.
‘I have supported the government fully during this pandemic but I now feel they are losing grip on reality.’
Critics called for the UK’s weekly review system to be scrapped in favour of a traffic light system, similar to the one we have here in Ireland.
‘We spent £1,200 for 20 hours’