When do you realistically think ABD will start operating again?

Just wanted to share that one of the things I've been doing to keep myself sane during all the craziness in the world today is to listen to old DIS unplugged and Dreams podcasts of ABD trip reports. They're fantastic as I'm sure you guys know... Just finished re-listening to Pete talk about Central Europe!

Not sure when travel will ever be back to normal, and when ABD will re-start, but it sure is therapeutic to listen to these things nowadays. I'm sure most of you would agree :)
 
Tanzania is already open for travel. They are trying to capture or retain some of the leisure travel for migration, so have been open for several weeks. Egypt similarly has reopened to try and capture some leisure and business travel revenues. The Seychelles reopened for commercial air travel but closed again until 1st August (but remains open to private aircraft ie general aviation)

The reality is that the world cannot remain closed forever, and the desperate situation in Africa is becoming worse as they face other challenges besides COVID.

The situation in South Africa also remains fluid, and while they may now be considering remaining closed to international travel, the reality is that this is an unsustainable decision. I'm very familiar with the situation in many countries in Africa, and the reality is that they face challenges far greater than COVID at this time. Therefore I do expect that we will continue to see countries open as they struggle to balance tourism revenues with the spread of COVID. (I could say a lot more on the subject, but am trying to avoid politics and to avoid detouring the thread. However I did feel the need to reply to your comment to clarify the situation)
https://www.dw.com/en/african-airlines-take-off-with-clipped-wings/a-54077929
 
Moved my October trip into a placeholder. I couldn't call myself as I booked through DU, but I certainly wasn't offered any additional benefits. This would have been my first ABD, and the lack of being able to use any EBD makes me feel like they're going to just end up keeping my deposit.
 
Our next ABD is scheduled for September 21. Its a SouthWest Splendors trip and I'm seriously doubting that it will actually happen. Still, I did go ahead and PIF using my Disney Visa. If the trip happens, we will go. If it gets canceled I'll take the refund rather than move the money to a different trip. Fortunately we are retired and can be flexible with our travel plans.
Well, the shoe dropped today. Last week ABD canceled all trips through the end of September except for this one and one to Iceland. Today they canceled both of those too.

Not really surprised. Won't be hurt financially by the cancelation as I hadn't bought the flights yet. Had booked one night beforehand in a Phoenix hotel with no cancellation penalty. Also had paid about 25% of the balance of the trip on my Disney Credit card taking advantage of 0% interest so the full refund will hit the card leaving me a fairly significant credit balance. Once the cancellation goes through I'll just call and request a check for that credit balance. Net financial impact to me is zero.

However, I also am a bit disappointed that I won't be going on that trip as it really sounded wonderful. I'll hold off making a decision on future ABD's for a while.
 


100% agree with all of this. We are booked on a late Oct BSM too. I'm furious that they won't give us any information, or let us cancel for full refund, OR let us book next year at the early booking rate we had originally booked. They won't give any answers about how they are going to social-distance us on a tour bus, not to mention the parks not even being open yet.

I did notice that for the last few months the itineraries for all BSM dates through April 2021 were taken down - the webpage just said "sorry page not found." They are back now, so I'm leaning on just taking the loss on my deposit to be shut of the whole thing.
Moved my October trip into a placeholder. I couldn't call myself as I booked through DU, but I certainly wasn't offered any additional benefits. This would have been my first ABD, and the lack of being able to use any EBD makes me feel like they're going to just end up keeping my deposit.

we were on the late October BSM as well, but we already cancelled a month ago.
Or rather, it was moved to a placeholder, since ABD doesn't allow cancelling even in corona times, which is a major bone of contention for me.

To hang tough as someone suggested, you have to pay in full in order to wait out an ABD cancellation.
I wasn't willing to send them yet more money in the hopes they'd eventually refund in full.
I've essentially kissed the deposit goodbye. So a loss of $1300.
Plus another $2,000 for airfare, though i'm hoping to eventually be able to use as least some of that airfare for tickets next summer if the skies reopen and the airline doesn't go belly up (still not a sure thing).

At least i've been having fun going onto touring sites and warning people away from ABD. I'm sure it has absolutely no effect, but at least i feel better.

.
 
To be honest I'm not done with ABD over this. I still want to take BSM next year. I'm really frustrated that I ended up in this position with no flexibility, but I sort of feel like you win some you lose some. I never buy trip insurance because I've never needed it, and in generally I feel my emergency fund + all the money I've saved over trips by not buying insurance can cover anything. But sometimes you lose out. I'm counting myself lucky that a $600 deposit with an inflexible travel company is the least I'm out so far, though it does leave a bitter taste in my mouth.

I intend to find a way to salvage my deposit through another trip, but not if the world doesn't get better.
 
I apparently never un-subscribed from notifications about travel to France. I just got the following in an email from the U.S. Embassy in Paris

Health Alert
U.S. Embassy Paris, France

August 7, 2020
Location: France
Event: The U.S. Embassy in Paris is sending regular updates to ensure that all U.S. citizens in France have the latest information on COVID-19, and local security conditions in France.

The Department of State has removed the global Level 4 Travel Alert advising United States citizens not to travel internationally. It has reverted to country specific travel alert levels. For France, it has issued a Level 3 Health Advisory, advising U.S. citizens to reconsider travel due to the impact of COVID-19.

The following information has been updated on the U.S. Embassy Paris COVID-19 website regarding travel to France.
  • Broad restrictions on non-essential travel from many countries outside the European Union, including the United States, remain in place. The French government has defined essential travel as entry by French citizens, residents of France, students, and spouses and children of French citizens.
  • In rare cases, the French government will consider allowing travel in humanitarian situations and reportedly in cases of business activity important to the French economy. Persons may inquire about such allowances with the French Embassy in Washington, DC (visas@consulfrance-washington.org).
  • The United States Embassy has no standing to intervene or advocate for the private travel of United States citizens to France. Please contact your nearest French Embassy or French Consulate or refer to France Visas. If you are already in France, please contact your nearest Prefecture or refer to Ministry of the Interior or Prefecture de Police.
The bolding is not mine. So it's *some* progress, but we still can't go there. I don't know if this holds true for other EU countries or not.

Sayhello
 


I apparently never un-subscribed from notifications about travel to France. I just got the following in an email from the U.S. Embassy in Paris

Health Alert
U.S. Embassy Paris, France

August 7, 2020
Location: France
Event: The U.S. Embassy in Paris is sending regular updates to ensure that all U.S. citizens in France have the latest information on COVID-19, and local security conditions in France.

The Department of State has removed the global Level 4 Travel Alert advising United States citizens not to travel internationally. It has reverted to country specific travel alert levels. For France, it has issued a Level 3 Health Advisory, advising U.S. citizens to reconsider travel due to the impact of COVID-19.

The following information has been updated on the U.S. Embassy Paris COVID-19 website regarding travel to France.
  • Broad restrictions on non-essential travel from many countries outside the European Union, including the United States, remain in place. The French government has defined essential travel as entry by French citizens, residents of France, students, and spouses and children of French citizens.
  • In rare cases, the French government will consider allowing travel in humanitarian situations and reportedly in cases of business activity important to the French economy. Persons may inquire about such allowances with the French Embassy in Washington, DC (visas@consulfrance-washington.org).
  • The United States Embassy has no standing to intervene or advocate for the private travel of United States citizens to France. Please contact your nearest French Embassy or French Consulate or refer to France Visas. If you are already in France, please contact your nearest Prefecture or refer to Ministry of the Interior or Prefecture de Police.
The bolding is not mine. So it's *some* progress, but we still can't go there. I don't know if this holds true for other EU countries or not.

Sayhello
I also never updated my travel plans with the State Dept, and have received similar emails Today from our embassies in a few other countries.
 
I apparently never un-subscribed from notifications about travel to France. I just got the following in an email from the U.S. Embassy in Paris

Health Alert
U.S. Embassy Paris, France

August 7, 2020
Location: France
Event: The U.S. Embassy in Paris is sending regular updates to ensure that all U.S. citizens in France have the latest information on COVID-19, and local security conditions in France.

The Department of State has removed the global Level 4 Travel Alert advising United States citizens not to travel internationally. It has reverted to country specific travel alert levels. For France, it has issued a Level 3 Health Advisory, advising U.S. citizens to reconsider travel due to the impact of COVID-19.

The following information has been updated on the U.S. Embassy Paris COVID-19 website regarding travel to France.
  • Broad restrictions on non-essential travel from many countries outside the European Union, including the United States, remain in place. The French government has defined essential travel as entry by French citizens, residents of France, students, and spouses and children of French citizens.
  • In rare cases, the French government will consider allowing travel in humanitarian situations and reportedly in cases of business activity important to the French economy. Persons may inquire about such allowances with the French Embassy in Washington, DC (visas@consulfrance-washington.org).
  • The United States Embassy has no standing to intervene or advocate for the private travel of United States citizens to France. Please contact your nearest French Embassy or French Consulate or refer to France Visas. If you are already in France, please contact your nearest Prefecture or refer to Ministry of the Interior or Prefecture de Police.
The bolding is not mine. So it's *some* progress, but we still can't go there. I don't know if this holds true for other EU countries or not.

Sayhello
I mean you are probably safer traveling to or being in France. Unfortunately France doesn't want US people there for obvious reasons.
 
I mean you are probably safer traveling to or being in France. Unfortunately France doesn't want US people there for obvious reasons.

France has high numbers of new cases again.
They had 2,288 new cases yesterday.
It's a similar pattern everywhere.
Lock down, numbers go down, open up, numbers go up.
Put on a mask, socially distance and get on with your life.
The only reason to avoid international travel is the risk of being hospitalized in a foreign country.
Otherwise, i see no reason not to travel anywhere.
.
 
Put on a mask, socially distance and get on with your life.
The only reason to avoid international travel is the risk of being hospitalized in a foreign country.
Otherwise, i see no reason not to travel anywhere.
.
If I need to go to the store, I wear a mask. When we go to church, we wear masks. When we are in the airport and on flights, we wear masks. But I do NOT want my $20K vacation to include wearing a mask walking through the cobblestone roads of Italy, in each museum or church that we enter, etc etc.

I REALLY hope they cancel so we can get our money back and think about another trip in a year or two.
 
If I need to go to the store, I wear a mask. When we go to church, we wear masks. When we are in the airport and on flights, we wear masks. But I do NOT want my $20K vacation to include wearing a mask walking through the cobblestone roads of Italy, in each museum or church that we enter, etc etc.

I REALLY hope they cancel so we can get our money back and think about another trip in a year or two.

to clarify, i am not encouraging international travel...
as i said, you run the risk of ending up in a foreign hospital without the possibility of being medivaced back home.

But that's the only reason i'm against it.
i wouldn't have any problem at all wearing a mask while touring italy or anywhere else.
But the hospitalization issue is a deal-breaker for me.

by the way, where i live, we're supposed to wear masks all the time, indoors and out.
the fine is rather hefty, which is why people are for the most part complying.
so yes, even just walking down the street, the 2 blocks from our house to my son's house, we wear our masks (and everyone passing us is also wearing one).
or in the playground with the grandkids....
we have them on everywhere and you get used to them.

i'm not sure why they would be an issue while visiting a church or museum.
doesn't matter though, the hospitalization problem is what matters
 
Today our ABD to Europe on the Rhine River was cancelled. Prior to today the date of cancellations was September 30. We had placed a deposit on the same trip for next fall in July as a "just-in-case" measure. The latter being said we transferred 2020 $$$ to fall 2021. ABD was very helpful with making the travel changes etc. I am somewhat relieved the decision to stay home or to go was taken out of our hands. I assume the folks at ABD are at the pulse of all info coming out of Europe to the area we were to travel. Nest year is going to be a huge travel year!! Good heath to all.
 
Today our ABD to Europe on the Rhine River was cancelled. Prior to today the date of cancellations was September 30. We had placed a deposit on the same trip for next fall in July as a "just-in-case" measure. The latter being said we transferred 2020 $$$ to fall 2021. ABD was very helpful with making the travel changes etc. I am somewhat relieved the decision to stay home or to go was taken out of our hands. I assume the folks at ABD are at the pulse of all info coming out of Europe to the area we were to travel. Nest year is going to be a huge travel year!! Good heath to all.

if the covid thing is behind us, then for sure next year will have tremendous pent up demand.
But the "covid thing behind us" is still a question...

i'm in the midst of planning our 2021 visit to WDW.
Summer 2021 has always been the target date for the big family WDW trip (the last was in 2017).
And i'm now a week away from the 11 month mark for our DVC reservations.
However, the shadow of corona virus still hangs over it, even with the trip scheduled for July/August.
My daughter in law, like SingingMom, has put a veto on the trip if masks are still the order of the day.
The rest of us in our group of 9 would be ok with masks, just give us our WDW fix, but she is unwilling to compromise.
So i'll book our 24 days at WDW, but it's not a done deal.
And it won't be a sure thing for quite a long time.

Though if i had any guts at all, i'd buy our plane tickets now.
i'm finding them at half price, or even less than that.
But if the airline goes belly up, i'll be kissing yet more money goodbye.

Oh well. It will work out. If not 2021, then some time.
 
If I need to go to the store, I wear a mask. When we go to church, we wear masks. When we are in the airport and on flights, we wear masks. But I do NOT want my $20K vacation to include wearing a mask walking through the cobblestone roads of Italy, in each museum or church that we enter, etc etc.

I REALLY hope they cancel so we can get our money back and think about another trip in a year or two.
Looks like you got your wish. All ABDs besides SoCal BSM trips are cancelled through end of October.

Sayhello
 
Looks like you got your wish. All ABDs besides SoCal BSM trips are cancelled through end of October.

Sayhello
Yep. But only because I saw a posting. I called ABD and they said "we called last week and left a message." Well, there was a hurricane and four days of power outages... you think maybe they should have tried again to notify us? :rolleyes2

We took the full refund instead of moving the money to another trip. We'll wait and see the travel climate in the next year or two. Italy will still be there!
 

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