Originally Posted by
ericsson16
Rubbish."There’s no need to travel cos major economies are in lockdown and are not and will not be open for leisure non essential travel this summer. Holidays this summer will be UK based, expect a good frequency on UK domestic but with" and so on.Total Buffoonery!
It's late April. Airlines are not flying. Airports are closed. Forward bookings have dried up due to uncertaintly. The economy is about to collapse into the biggest recession in living memory and we are at the risk of a global depresssion. Social distancing will be here all summer and maybe beyond if no vaccine is found.
Now, I put my marketing analyst hat on and predict forward bookings for the summer will be on hold and it's almost May. What that means is that this summer is lost, not one penny will be made by any airline in the period. Aircraft will be likely be forced to fly with no meal service and with middle seats blocked. If we're taking social distancing seriously, every second row will have to remain empty. Hence the price point has to rise markedly suppressing what little demand there is.
Even if the lockdown gets relaxed in three weeks, there will be no scent of commercial BAU until next summer peak at the very least and that assumes no second wave of COVID19.
I am booked GLA-EWR in June which I suspect won't operate as United have announced GLA from July, which I suspect won't operate either. They're taking money in forward bookings to stay alive and giving out vouchers instead of refunds, my existing booking is already flagged as no meal service. Even if Trump allows us into the US, why would anyone book now not knowing if anything in New York will even be open? Theatres here are closed will the autumn at a minimum. I am hoping they cancel so I can chase a refund, no one in their right mind is BOOKING to go long haul in the near future and by the time we can book, it will be winter. And the problem European based airlines always have is, if you don't make money in summer, you go out of business.
This is not buffoonery. Wisen up.