Qatar has announced 4 flights/week from Doha to Phuket (with connectivity in the Middle east, Europe, and USA), but has not mentioned anything about flights originating in the UK. I'm not sure where you guys are getting this.
Qatar has announced 4 flights/week from Doha to Phuket (with connectivity in the Middle east, Europe, and USA), but has not mentioned anything about flights originating in the UK. I'm not sure where you guys are getting this.
As Sen Yai has already pointed out, Qatar is on the UK "red list". This means anyone returning to the UK has to do 10 days "porridge" in a quarantine hotel. Costing something like £1750.Originally Posted by Dodger
So it would be a terrible choice for a return flight to the UK. Possibly OK outbound, assuming you stay in Thailand for more than 14 days. I avoid flying via that region, for various reasons.
That sounds logical..........
That sounds logical.
The UK has pointless quarantine measures which inconvenience travelers, but have failed to keep out any of the major covid variants. £1750 for 10 days in a basic hotel is also daylight robbery. In the covid era, it's possible to book rooms in a reputable hotel chain for £35 to 45 per night & 3 crap meals per day ought to cost under £30.
Quarantine is pointless when we have to allow free movement of trucker drivers in & out of the country. .
Thailand also has quarantine measures with inconvenience travelers and have only managed do delay the import of covid. Having quarantine for tourists is pointless if the government will not deploy some of the 500,000 army personnel to properly seal land borders and stop illegal immigration, which is another covid transmission route.
Dodger (June 22nd, 2021)
It all depends on which end of the telescope you are viewing this through. Here's some marketing (from QR website) aimed at Brits, travelling from LHR and priced in GBP. For intended readers of these adverts, QR are offering good value high quality flights - opening up Phuket!
Qatar Airways business model (like Emirates and Etihad) is based on the 'hub and spoke' principle whereby they collect passengers from as many destinations west of Qatar (mostly Europe) as possible and feed them into Doha. Given sufficient frequency of daily flights, they can (could?) match transit passengers with flights to destinations east of Doha (mostly Asia) with acceptable connection times of generally only a few hours (sometime only 50 mins!). Consequently, customers (like those in UK) could be enticed by good value fares to a wide range of exotic destinations. Of course all these journeys are really two quite separate fights, but are marketed as flights from 'home' to desirable destinations!
Governments (not just UK) need to recognize the fast changing patterns of the pandemic and adjust their travel restriction policies more quickly. Earlier this year Qatar was indeed struggling with high transmission rates but their figures are now insignificant in comparison to the UK's own rates of 7k+. However, unless QR do know of imminent rule changes (dropping Qatar from the UK Red list) then it is rather disingenuous of them to promote flights from/to UK at this time.
Changing in the Middle East:
Last time I changed at Dubai the aircraft landed and took 45 minutes the reach the gate. We had to cross the runway which was in constant use. There then followed a 30 minute bus journey half way round the airport at no more than 10-15 miles per hour.
Once inside he terminal it was a 2 MILE trip via subway, escalator and on foot to the next gate.Another 40 minutes with stops...see next para.
Whilst doing all this I was subjected to THREE security checks, one leaving the first gate, one random one en route and a final one on reboarding.
I now leave the Middle East to the Arabs.
Sorry about the thread drift but I’m still fuming over it!
From the uk I would look at Thai Air (might go very bankrupt, nobody gets a refund and no alcohol?) or Singapore Air (stuck in transit lounge at Changi?). BA is using Qatar I think so red list. Has Eva started flying LHR - BKK again?
I would look at a booking site like Skyscanner, reject any option via the middle East, or via any red list country, then look at what's left.
Then check if the flight I want has actually been running via a site such as Flightradar24. Skyscanner shows some EVA flights, but FlightRadar shows nothing from EVA has run in the last week. A similar story to when I was booking for last winter.
I'm sure there will be other suitable options to Bangkok. If you still need to arrive in Thiland at Phuket airport, that might be more difficult.
For those planning to go and interested in finding out what will be open or/and available, here’s the latest announcement from the TAT - https://www.tatnews.org/2021/06/phuk...-21-june-2021/
Bear in mind that the Sandpit can be suspended if new COVID infections exceed 70 in any 7-day period.Remain closed: Pubs, bars, karaoke, entertainment venues, and establishments that resemble service places, as well as the operation of cockfighting, fish fighting, bird racing, chicken racing, boxing stadium, and all types of competition venues.
The mask mandate requiring everyone in Phuket to ‘always correctly and properly wear sanitary or fabric face masks outside their residence or accommodation remains in place until further notice.
https://sawatdeenetwork.com/v4/showt...approval-to-go
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