Friend just booked with TA for Sept. 2020... ? I thought that American's are not allowed..? has something changed? UPdate 9/14

LovesTimone

Christmas Day 2017
Joined
Apr 29, 2009
I just talked to my friend and she said that last night she booked for her and her family... all living here in the US.... to go to France last part of Sept... for 10 nights. she booked through the travel agent that she use's... and was told by the TA that American tourist travel will be allowed in by the end of August...... as well all tourist spots are opened to tourist right now...

I emailed, an acquaintance who is a travel agent, ( not the same one as above) and I have had her book a few things in the past a couple of excursions ... and she said the same thing... by September France, and all of Europe will be open to international travel...

Really... I don't believe either of them... I have not seen anything on the ban being lifted... nothing... and there is nothing to believe that will change... has anyone seen anything to lead them to believe that this is going to change?

I really hope that the TA is not just saying telling them this, and then they are going to be stuck... I really was shocked that they booked something like this right now... with everything that is going on...

We are still in a holding pattern with our trip, waiting on Delta to cancel the flight to Japan... we had thought about heading to Paris instead... but that's not a option right now...

Anyone any thoughts...


9/14 - UPdate..

Well our friends are not going to France, and she is outraged and can not understand why... I asked her what are you going to do, she said that they are moving the trip to December over Christmas of this year, this same TA is sure by then they should be able to go... I just shook my head... I was like your kidding me right... my friend is like what's wrong she knows whats going on... I was like this is what she told you about September... right?... I was like you should just get your money back... and wait until they actually open the borders, then make your plans...
She just doesn't seem to get it...

Has anything change with France stance on US citizens visiting.. ? I sure haven't seen anything..

Anyone?
 
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I would ask your TA to give you the source.
According to this page of the EU, nothing is mentioned about August. It's also very far in the future in the current world. With the state the US is in now, it seems unlikely that the EU would already say to TA 'sure end of August we will open up to the US.
Travel restrictions should be lifted for countries listed in the recommendation. Upon revision by Member States and the Council, this list will be reviewed every two weeks.

https://ec.europa.eu/info/live-work...rus-pandemic/travel-and-eu-during-pandemic_en
 
I work for a European airline and nothing is 100% guaranteed right now. We also monitor any current updates. Most are hoping that north Atlantic travel will pick up again by September 1. A few weeks ago we were looking at August 1 but that’s not gonna happen. There is talk of a bi-lateral Covid testing program ( pre/post immigration). Right now Frankfurt and Vienna airport for example have Covid tests €100 that you can pay for when you land if you’re negative you do not need to quarantine.But there’s nothing set in stone on that. There is a chance that in September borders will open there’s also a chance they will not.
 
The more I think about i, t that’s very ballsy of your friend to plan such a big and expensive trip for that many people. September is just around the corner and cases are exploding in the states right now.
 


The more I think about i, t that’s very ballsy of your friend to plan such a big and expensive trip for that many people. September is just around the corner and cases are exploding in the states right now.


OP here...

You took the words right out of my mouth... I was in shock when she said, what they were doing. I was like you do realize what is going on right now... Right? she was like well the TA said that's whats gonna happen, and she knows what she is talking about... so we are going...
I was like OK ... when we got off the phone, I sat there like what just happened...

We stopped watching the news months ago, we only watch local weather, and traffic and local stuff... so then I thought... have I missed something... then I thought hummmm.... let me check... So I started looking on-line... and nothing..

If you find out anything interesting, please keep me posted...

Thanks :goodvibes :flower1: pixiedust:
 
I would ask your TA to give you the source.
According to this page of the EU, nothing is mentioned about August. It's also very far in the future in the current world. With the state the US is in now, it seems unlikely that the EU would already say to TA 'sure end of August we will open up to the US.
Travel restrictions should be lifted for countries listed in the recommendation. Upon revision by Member States and the Council, this list will be reviewed every two weeks.

https://ec.europa.eu/info/live-work...rus-pandemic/travel-and-eu-during-pandemic_en


OP here...
I did email her back and asked her point blank where did you get your info? and was it from the EU or any type of government officials?... and can you send it to me, or tell me where I can access this myself .... and.......... the short story of what I got was... that excursion companies, and people that she works with that do private tours, and such... have started taking reservation for Sept. 2020... and she is not allowed to forward information to clients such as this... She specialize's in private excursion, and custom touring... I was happy with the private car and driver we booked through her... and she has a good rep.

even still...

I thought that sounds like a bunch of dang hogwash to me...
 
I work for a European airline and nothing is 100% guaranteed right now. We also monitor any current updates. Most are hoping that north Atlantic travel will pick up again by September 1. A few weeks ago we were looking at August 1 but that’s not gonna happen. There is talk of a bi-lateral Covid testing program ( pre/post immigration). Right now Frankfurt and Vienna airport for example have Covid tests €100 that you can pay for when you land if you’re negative you do not need to quarantine.But there’s nothing set in stone on that. There is a chance that in September borders will open there’s also a chance they will not.


With the test, how does that work? do you stay at the airport until they get results back? How could you test that many people just thinking of Charles De Gaulle .... it's complete chaos there... how could you even begin to test people?
 


OP here...
and she is not allowed to forward information to clients such as this
This is fishy, I get that she can't forward information meant for travel agents. That happens more often, but with this whole covid situation that travel agents know it before the general public, that's weird. Why would the EU communicate this information to the travel agents and not the general public?

I don't know about Paris, but I read an article about 2 months ago from a UK journalist travelling back to Hong Kong and she documented her trip, and indeed she had to stay at the airport for 8 or 12 hours. They had set up a facility next to the airport where they did all the tests.

And I second Mousefan73's words, the European airline I work for is exactly the same, it changes so quickly.
Other example, I have a Portuguese friend who lives in Belgium. She went back to her parents for a week. When she booked a month or so ago, no problem, Portugal was the first to reopen to tourists (not that she is really a tourist, but you get the point). Then things went bad in Lisbon. She went, but the day before she left, she read something about a form they needed to fill in with their contact details. At the airport hardly any passengers had the form printed with them. While she was in Portugal for the week, things changed in Belgium. She also needed to fill in a form for the return flight with her contact details and arrange for a test, and a quarantine.
 
With the test, how does that work? do you stay at the airport until they get results back? How could you test that many people just thinking of Charles De Gaulle .... it's complete chaos there... how could you even begin to test people?
Air travel never completely shut down within Europe. Depending on where you were coming from, arriving from certain countries or even regions had quarantine mandates depending on where a passenger came from. Flights were still operating as they were many exceptions to any type of travel bans. So for example in Vienna, if you were coming in from Sweden one would have to quarantine for 14 days. So the airport offered as a service a corona test once you landed. It cost €99, they swabbed you, customers waited in a secured room, and you had results within three hours. This is a voluntary service that you could pay for to avoid any quarantines.

There have been talks ( More driven by the airlines)
, that the EU and US / Canada are looking into bilateral processes or agreements to test for corona before a flight or at immigration. To allow travel tourism and other needs. I have no concrete update on this but one idea to move ahead to a “new normal“. Especially if this virus continues like it is and no vaccine in the near future.

Granted it would be a massive undertaking to test every passenger that flies over the north Atlantic. Right now it’s a voluntary basis to avoid quarantine and the numbers are not that high where it’s doable. To test everyone before traveling would be a massive undertaking in airport operations additional costs and honestly we need to have a supernfast test that would have results in less than 15/ 30 minutes.

This has also been tossed about within the cruise industry. . Testing all passengers before embarkation.
 
Air travel never completely shut down within Europe. Depending on where you were coming from, arriving from certain countries or even regions had quarantine mandates depending on where a passenger came from. Flights were still operating as they were many exceptions to any type of travel bans. So for example in Vienna, if you were coming in from Sweden one would have to quarantine for 14 days. So the airport offered as a service a corona test once you landed. It cost €99, they swabbed you, customers waited in a secured room, and you had results within three hours. This is a voluntary service that you could pay for to avoid any quarantines.

There have been talks ( More driven by the airlines)
, that the EU and US / Canada are looking into bilateral processes or agreements to test for corona before a flight or at immigration. To allow travel tourism and other needs. I have no concrete update on this but one idea to move ahead to a “new normal“. Especially if this virus continues like it is and no vaccine in the near future.

Granted it would be a massive undertaking to test every passenger that flies over the north Atlantic. Right now it’s a voluntary basis to avoid quarantine and the numbers are not that high where it’s doable. To test everyone before traveling would be a massive undertaking in airport operations additional costs and honestly we need to have a supernfast test that would have results in less than 15/ 30 minutes.

This has also been tossed about within the cruise industry. . Testing all passengers before embarkation.

I don't have a problem being tested, or paying for it... but I want it done in a timely manner... and done before we leave the US...with a limited amount of holiday time, it would not be worth it for us to come that far to have to wait around, or have to be quarantined... So we are waiting to see what it going to happen...

I am hoping that the vaccine will make it way out... they are having some positive results , in human testing... so hopefully some light at the end of the tunnel...


Our problem here, is that the numbers are being padded and that things are coming to light now... such as one county had more people test positive, than the number of people who live in that county... as well several of the testing sights reported positive case numbers, and they were the same amount as the number of people tested that day... so they were saying 100% every person tested positive... so they used the number of test given not the amount of people who actually tested positive.. So its a mess to say the least...
 
I feel like the companies are taking reservations with a lot of wishful thinking. They want Americans to be able to travel to Europe in September, but no, there is no decision, either way. At the moment France is even talking about closing borders again...
 
I feel like the companies are taking reservations with a lot of wishful thinking. They want Americans to be able to travel to Europe in September, but no, there is no decision, either way. At the moment France is even talking about closing borders again...


OP here..

It was just kinda a HUH moment for me... on two fronts... 1 - why would a TA, promote going to France right now, when the state of the world is like it is with the whole virus mess, and the borders are not open to us American's.... it seems like unprofessional, and just well not honest... like the TA is saying whatever to get business...
2 - I totally don't get why my friend would shell out this kinda cash for a trip that most likely is not going to happen, and then have to try to get her money back... it just doesn't make good sense at all...

I talked to her last week again, and they have booked, air, hotel, and are working on booking DLP... as well a private tour... I asked her if she was worried at all... and she said" The TA said we could go, and she should know, so we are going", I said you do realize that American are not allowed into France right now... Right? She said "By the end of August it will be lifted, and Americans will be welcomed back, that's what the TA said". I was like okay...

I haven't seen anything on the border closing again...are case there rising again?
 
I haven't seen anything on the border closing again...are case there rising again?

Closing the border with Spain is on the table for sure, and as Belgium also in the rise (Not as bad as Spain, but still), I wouldn't be surprised if they are thinking about closing off both sides of the country.
And when they close off the EU borders, then it is unlikely to allow international tourism.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/20...rder-spain-amid-fears-tourists-bringing-home/
 
Closing the border with Spain is on the table for sure, and as Belgium also in the rise (Not as bad as Spain, but still), I wouldn't be surprised if they are thinking about closing off both sides of the country.
And when they close off the EU borders, then it is unlikely to allow international tourism.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/20...rder-spain-amid-fears-tourists-bringing-home/
And the cases in France itself are also rising, although mostly along the coast as far as I understood (but it's really hard to get correct information, as there is information to give of every country, so there is a lot of filtering)
 
I was a travel agent for several years and honestly, I can't imagine what the fall out for your friend will be if/when the time comes for travel and they can't leave the U.S. There is typically a minimum time you have to notify hotels in order to avoid penalties, I imagine with a tour it would be the same. Even with trip insurance, it would be doubtful they would be covered since they are booking while there is a current ban on us traveling there and are booking on advice from a TA, who sounds like she's advising on a hope and a prayer.

I wish them luck, they may need it.
 
I was a travel agent for several years and honestly, I can't imagine what the fall out for your friend will be if/when the time comes for travel and they can't leave the U.S. There is typically a minimum time you have to notify hotels in order to avoid penalties, I imagine with a tour it would be the same. Even with trip insurance, it would be doubtful they would be covered since they are booking while there is a current ban on us traveling there and are booking on advice from a TA, who sounds like she's advising on a hope and a prayer.

I wish them luck, they may need it.


OP here,
I so agree with you... they are taking a family trip, 5 adults and 3 grandkids... so this is not a cheap trip, just the airfare alone is crazy $$$$, and at least 2 or 3 hotel rooms... depending on where they are staying is just crazy to spend this kinda of cash right now...
I guess live and learn...
 
It will get cancelled most likely. They may get lucky and be able to go if things get better, but the TA is just selling something because they are willing to pay. I had a friend who tried to have someone from Europe visit (I am in California),they had everything they needed visa/entry wise to enter, but got turned away at the airport. Booking a trip and being able to take it now are two different things.
 
I live in Ireland & we are advised NOT to travel outside of our country. If we wish to fly

or go by Car Ferry we Should check our Travel Insurance before we go.

The Problem as I see it is I am advised Not Allowed to go to USA ( Immigration is done in Dublin Airport )

So I do not even board the aircraft.

BUT USA persons ARE Allowed to land here in Ireland ( Also Via Northern Ireland { Belfast } And U.K. )

This ANNOYS the people of Ireland who have Kept our Governments rules .

Some Hotels are now Turning away these USA people because they DO NOT KNOW

who has Covid 19 AND who has not .

Resentment is also Building up against USA people entering mainland Europe who are breaking Quarantine

rules

Yes we did have a Villa in Florida for 20 years

Will we travel to USA soon ..... NO ..... Maybe in 3 years

BEST advice to All is STAY LOCAL & Stay Save .
 

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