When Luxury Holidays Go Horribly Wrong.

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HEPZIBAH
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When Luxury Holidays Go Horribly Wrong.

Post by HEPZIBAH »

I've just flicked on the TV and, channel hopping, landed on Channel 5. My ears pricked up because it was a couple describing some horror experience in Egypt.
Unfortunately I missed the beginning but it was about a couple who had booked their honeymoon to Egypt (Hurghada I think) with Teletext holidays. It then became apparent that their horror came about because of the Covid-19 pandemic and the saga in trying to get out of Egypt: the lack of communication and help, the flight cancellations, the hotel closing while they were still staying there, etc. All the things we've heard about but interesting non the less to see and hear from the couple's personal experience.


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Re: When Luxury Holidays Go Horribly Wrong.

Post by carrie »

Bet it was on BBC
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Re: When Luxury Holidays Go Horribly Wrong.

Post by newcastle »

:o Hardly Egypt’s fault that the COVID-19 pandemic struck while they were on holiday. Teletext have a less than glamorous reputation when things go wrong .....so no surprise there.

A lot of people, in many places, were caught out by the effects of the pandemic on travel etc. The task of getting them home was down to their home country and tour operators/ airlines. Egypt will have had little say in the matter.

As to the hotel being thrown into chaos with the imposition of restrictions and the mass exodus of guests, I haven’t heard that Egypt was any worse than other resorts. Probably less so given their somewhat laid back approach initially to the epidemic.
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Re: When Luxury Holidays Go Horribly Wrong.

Post by HEPZIBAH »

carrie wrote: Sat Sep 05, 2020 11:02 am Bet it was on BBC
You'd lose your bet.
Like I said in my comments, it was on Channel 5.
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Re: When Luxury Holidays Go Horribly Wrong.

Post by HEPZIBAH »

newcastle wrote: Sat Sep 05, 2020 11:46 am :o Hardly Egypt’s fault that the COVID-19 pandemic struck while they were on holiday. Teletext have a less than glamorous reputation when things go wrong .....so no surprise there.

A lot of people, in many places, were caught out by the effects of the pandemic on travel etc. The task of getting them home was down to their home country and tour operators/ airlines. Egypt will have had little say in the matter.

As to the hotel being thrown into chaos with the imposition of restrictions and the mass exodus of guests, I haven’t heard that Egypt was any worse than other resorts. Probably less so given their somewhat laid back approach initially to the epidemic.
Hmmm...perhaps I could worded it a bit better when I said 'horror experience in Egypt'. It didn't come across as anti-Egypt or Egyptions.

As I said in my OP, I didn't see the whole thing so I can only comment on what I saw. In fact, it was a fairly well balanced presentaion with the couple trying to explain their personal nightmare of being on honeymoon in Egypt and then the Covid-19 causing havoc around them.

I actually think that in hindsight they understood all the complications that arose: lack of communication, changes in arrangements, etc. although at the time is was obviously frustrating.
They were clearly savvy enough to start making their own plans by realising they shouldn't go on the booked excursion to Luxor. Instead they stayed in Hurghada, so that if the got a call from the agents they could get to the airport easily. They also had family members in the UK checking out alternative flights.

Unlike many that would expect the tour company to bail them out come what may, and sit back and enjoy their holiday because they'd paid for it and it was their entitlement regardless. This couple were at least proactive in their departure from Egypt by keeping an eye on the situation. They plan to go back in the future.
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Re: When Luxury Holidays Go Horribly Wrong.

Post by newcastle »

Hmmm...perhaps I could worded it a bit better when I said 'horror experience in Egypt'. It didn't come across as anti-Egypt or Egyptions.
..and perhaps I shouldn’t have assumed they were griping at Egypt. Your post didn’t imply anything.

Apologies.
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Re: When Luxury Holidays Go Horribly Wrong.

Post by Who2 »

So, just what did happen to that Egyptian Experience place ? www.'giveusyourmoney.eg
Didn't somebody on here once say someone lived there once.
Love to know...anybody ? .... 8)
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Re: When Luxury Holidays Go Horribly Wrong.

Post by crewmeal »

Worse things are happening in Portugal where some folk in a panic are spending hundreds on one way tickets back to the UK only to find that they needn't have bothered because England is still an 'air bridge' where Wales and Scotland aren't.

Going back in time I seem to recall that Air Cairo laid on a number of repat flights back to London and the UK consulate kept everyone concerned informing them of such flights. These Channel 5 programmes love to hype up things up for maximum effect.
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Re: When Luxury Holidays Go Horribly Wrong.

Post by newcastle »

crewmeal wrote: Sun Sep 06, 2020 8:01 am Worse things are happening in Portugal where some folk in a panic are spending hundreds on one way tickets back to the UK only to find that they needn't have bothered because England is still an 'air bridge' where Wales and Scotland aren't.

And there’s me thinking Portugal attracted a better- educated type of Brit.

Personally, I’d check out the position before lashing out on a new ticket.
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Re: When Luxury Holidays Go Horribly Wrong.

Post by HEPZIBAH »

crewmeal wrote: Sun Sep 06, 2020 8:01 am Worse things are happening in Portugal where some folk in a panic are spending hundreds on one way tickets back to the UK only to find that they needn't have bothered because England is still an 'air bridge' where Wales and Scotland aren't.
I don't understand why you would say 'worse things are happening in Portugal'.

Anyone travelling abroard from the UK at the moment knows that we are not a United Kingdom when it comes to Covid rules and regulations. The three countries have shown differences since the outset of the pandemic, and it has been made very clear in news and public information broadcasts.

Anyone travelling abroard at the moment is doing so in full knowledge that the travel and isolation rules are changing regularly - at home and abroard. Leaving the UK is, or should be, a calculated risk.
Going abroard because you 'need' a holiday, has to be very much a case of 'at all costs' these days.
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Re: When Luxury Holidays Go Horribly Wrong.

Post by crewmeal »

I don't understand why you would say 'worse things are happening in Portugal'.
If folk are spending hundreds on unnecessary tickets due to Government information being confusing because different parts of the UK require different quarantine rules, then it becomes a complete waste of money for those living in England who needn't have to travel back home. That in my view comes out as worse things are happening.
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Re: When Luxury Holidays Go Horribly Wrong.

Post by HEPZIBAH »

crewmeal wrote: Sun Sep 06, 2020 4:54 pm
I don't understand why you would say 'worse things are happening in Portugal'.
If folk are spending hundreds on unnecessary tickets due to Government information being confusing because different parts of the UK require different quarantine rules, then it becomes a complete waste of money for those living in England who needn't have to travel back home. That in my view comes out as worse things are happening.
Surely that is the risk people choose to take. If they choose to return early from their holiday then that is exactly what it is - a choice. It might be an expensive one, but that would likely be the case at any time - Covid restrictions or not..

For those caught out in the initial confusion across the world back in March 2019, sympathy and understanding would seem to me appropriate.
For those that are finding themselves with difficult and/or expensive decisions regarding holiday travel now, I find it hard to be too sympathetic.
It all comes down to doing your homework and taking, or not, calculatrd risks. Like all gambles - you win some/you lose some. The key is not to gamble more than you can afford.
Image Experience is not what happens to you;
it is what you do with what happens to you.
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