In this post:
Fancy writing a review or telling your story? Plus TLFL’s plans
At the moment we have been trying to help readers with recovering refunds from airlines and sharing all the latest news. I anticipate that in a week or two we will experience a slow down in news and changes. I also think it is nice to have some different articles to read to remind us of the good times we had travelling (and hopefully will again). I still have a number of hotel reviews to write and a couple of flights. Obviously I will not be doing any new ones soon! I will also update some articles on potential staycations in the UK as that is likely to open up as being safe before International travel does. If there is anything you would like to see us cover during the crisis, let me know in the comments below or on social media.
However, it would be good to hear about some readers past travels, recommended staycations or experiences trying to get home in the current crisis. We don’t pay for articles but we are happy to give a link to your social media or give you a mention. You will need a few good quality photos to go with your story. If you would like to see your story featured, please email it to [email protected]. It can be Word, Google docs or just an email.
I can’t guarantee we will publish all of them but I look forward to reading them all!
Qatar leads the way on status and announces they are running out of cash
Qatar have been very proactive in announcing extensions to status in its Privilege Club loyalty program. They had previously announced that members would see their tier status extended for six months.
Qatar is extending or giving back tier status, ending before 31 January 2021 along with all membership benefits for 12 months. YOu don’t need to do anything, they will automatically change your tier status on 1 April 2020, for an entire membership year. 12 months will be given based on the membership anniversary.
For Gold and Platinum members, your Qcredits will now last two years, as long as you retain your tier and they will be refundable, no matter how you choose to use them.
Qatar will have to apply for state help
In an exclusive interview with Reuters, Qatar Airways Chief Executive Akbar al-Baker told Reuters that they could soon run out of the cash and have to apply for government aid. He indicated that they only were going through cash very quickly and would only have enough cash to survive a very short period. In the meantime, they are trying to conserve cash as much as possible with employees taking unpaid and paid leave. Al Baker himself has forfeited his salary until the airline returns to its normal operations. Qatar was already predicting a loss this year due to the ongoing blockade by neighbouring countries.
For now, Qatar is one of the few airlines still operating to a wide range of destinations in order to repatriate people. “We will fly as long as it is necessary and we have requests to get stranded people to their homes, provided the airspace is open and the airports are open,” Baker said.
The airports they are currently serving are:
Africa
- Seychelles International Airport (SEZ)
- Zanzibar Abeid Amani Karume International Airport (ZNZ)
Americas
- Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)
- Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)
- Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD)
- Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)
- John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
- Los Angeles International (LAX)
- Miami International Airport (MIA)
- Montreal Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (YUL)
- São Paulo Guarulhos International Airport (GRU)
- Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD)
Asia and Pacific
- Angeles City Clark International Airport (CRK)
- Auckland International Airport (AKL)
- Colombo Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB)
- Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK)
- Brisbane Airport (BNE)
- Denpasar International Airport (DPS)
- Hanoi Noi Bai International Airport (HAN)
- Hong Kong International Airport (HKG)
- Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta International Airport (CGK)
- Krabi International Airport (KBV)
- Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL)
- Male International Airport (MLE)
- Manila Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL)
- Melbourne Tullamarine Airport (MEL)
- Perth Airport (PER)
- Phnom Penh International Airport (PNH)
- Phuket International Airport (HKT)
- Seoul Incheon International Airport (ICN)
- Singapore Changi Airport (SIN)
- Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD)
- Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN)
- Tokyo Narita International Airport (NRT)
- Yangon International Airport (RGN)
Europe
- Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS)
- Athens Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport (ATH)
- Barcelona El Prat Airport (BCN)
- Berlin Tegel Airport (TXL)
- Birmingham International Airport (BHX)
- Brussels Airport (BRU)
- Bucharest Henri Coandă International Airport (OTP)
- Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport (BUD)
- Copenhagen Airport (CPH)
- Dublin Airport (DUB)
- Edinburgh Airport (EDI)
- Frankfurt Airport (FRA)
- Helsinki Vantaa International Airport (HEL)
- Istanbul Atatürk Airport (IST)
- London Heathrow Airport (LHR)
- Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD)
- Manchester International Airport (MAN)
- Moscow Domodedovo Airport (DME)
- Munich Airport (MUC)
- Nice Côte D’Azur Airport (NCE)
- Oslo Gardermoen Airport (OSL)
- Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG)
- Pulkovo Airport, St Petersburg (LED)
- Rome Fiumicino International Airport (FCO)
- Stockholm Arlanda Airport (ARN)
- Václav Havel Airport Prague (PRG)
- Vienna International Airport (VIE)
- Zagreb Airport (ZAG)
- Zurich Airport (ZRH)
Middle East
- Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport (IKA)
British Airways suspends more routes
For those UK residents in Australia and New Zealand, their journeys home have turned into something of a nightmare. With the countries banning international travel and airlines cancelling flights, it is extremely hard to get home. British Airways has now announced that they too will be stopping flights to Syndey between 9 April 9 and 22 April. BA are offering any passengers booked after 9 April to bring their flight forward. Singapore has stopped all passengers being able to transit the airport, but BA had got round this by agreeing on Singapore as a fuel stop only with the relevant authorities.
Hong Kong will also no longer be served by British Airways on a temporary basis from 5 April 2020. Singapore is also expected to be closed for BA flights from 7 April due to their strict entry restrictions.
HT: Australia’s Executive Traveller
