Travel Plans

Anonymous

Yes, supposed to visit family to spend Christmas holidays overseas, but did not push through due to Covid-19 outbreak.

College

No impact on international travel plans: I didn't have any!

Michael32053147

Yes, I regularly travel 4 times internationally per year, this year haven't been able to travel due to the Australian governments violation of the constitution and freedom of rights to travel.

brittspencer1

I was invited to be a bridesmaid at my close friend's wedding in Michigan whom I met on my gap year in the States last year, however Covid-19 meant I was not able to book my ticket for the end of the month and she more recently has also had to put the wedding on hold until the situation resolves. It's something I've been believing for since last year, so it was a massive disappointment for me. Another factor that restricted my attendance was the financial aspect. Since I had just had a year of travel this would have cost all my savings plus more, but I was still determined to find a way to go. Now that it has been put on hold, I hope that when it does eventually happen I will be in a better position to attend.

Captured

I've never travelled abroad and don't plan to start anytime soon.

I have musician friends who were meant to soon start employment on cruise ships and have lost that large chunk of their salary.
Other local musicians have had to cancel their tours. One is considering selling the family home- it's getting that bad for our artists.

Pennycake

My Australian friend had to cancel his family wedding celebration with an American girl, as about 30 people from the USA including her parents are now unable to enter the country. They will instead be having a simple private celebration and rescheduling the big family bash for next year, when hopefully all this craziness will be over.

Another Australian friend, a priest, has just returned from England via Dubai after a couple of weeks away, and is in self-isolation for 2 weeks as required by the government. The other priests and brothers in the rectory set up a private room for him to celebrate the Mass. As of today, all public Sunday Masses have been suspended in Brisbane anyway! Weekday Masses are still available, as fewer people attend.

My husband and I are still hoping to travel to Singapore later this year to visit my parents. We will have to wait and see how this pandemic develops. Thankfully Singapore has been very efficient at managing the virus, and my aging parents are probably quite safe. They suspended all Masses there, since February 15; a friend noted that Singapore Changi Airport seemed to be the only airport then taking the temperatures of everyone on the premises. This reminds me of my school year with SARS, when we had to take our temperatures before commencing class.

My husband works in a supermarket and it has been insanely hectic; he is now working 7 days a week! Hopefully that allows us to save up more for his first international trip ever.

Meagan30479385

I love to travel, but I'm of the firm belief that now is not the time for unnecessary trips. Not only do you risk infecting others, and being infected but you risk getting the virus in a country you aren't a natural citizen, don't speak English and may not get the proper medical treatment. It's all well and good to go against government recommendations and believe it's media hype, but regardless of your belief, travelling out of your home country can be disastrous. I for one wouldn't want to be stuck in a foreign country with a potentially fatal disease that might have been less severe if you'd gotten proper medical treatment. And it's ok to say statistically you'll get a mild version or heart attacks kills more people - but what others fail to get about this flawed logic is that a) heart attacks aren't contagious and we're in what is the beginning stage of Covid19. Get back to me when it's gone through the population and let's compare those statistics then.
Health officials note that the fastest way to return to normalcy is to stop coming in contact with others. That includes ceasing travel.
I support the travel industry and want to be there for it and encourage more trips, but only when the time is right. Instead of traveling right now, maybe take the time to plan your next vacation. Think of places that have been the hardest hit and go there, help the tourism industry by forward planning when things return to normal.
I think at this point it’s not a question of should you travel but a question of can you travel. With so many airlines cutting routes almost on a daily basis and government suspending inbound or outbound flights almost by the hour getting from point A to B is becoming hard to do. Between all of this and the rise in mandatory quarantine in countries many people can’t afford a trip to turn into a 14 day self isolation. For me personally I had was in the process of looking for my next travel destination and was close to booking flights. I’m now seeing impact to trips I had planned all the way out in October having their frequency cut and having to adjust the schedule. I might even consider more of a stay-cation so I can support Australian tourism

mustang6000

Yes, we were booked to go on a cruise next month, that is now on hold and I can not find out if the line will honour the discount when we bought the tickets or even when the will reinstate the cruises.

Donzie

I should say so! My dear friends from England were due to arrive in Brisbane this week - but cancelled their trip in case they were not permitted back into England afterwards. I was due to dogsit for friends on the Gold Coast next month - but they cancelled their trip too. And I am due to fly overseas in September - but I suppose that flight will be cancelled too...

TheIanhere

Impacted where, when, how and why of all my travel plans so will stay home and take sensible precautions and government health advice until "normal" returns . . . whenever . . .
TheIanhere

TheIanhere

Impacted where, when, how and why of all my travel plans so will stay home and take sensible precautions and government health advice until "normal" returns . . . whenever . . .
TheIanhere

TheIanhere

Impacted where, when, how and why of all my travel plans so will stay home and take sensible precautions and government health advice until "normal" returns . . . whenever . . .

prod001

I had no plans to travel outside Australia this year. But both my sister and my son have been affected by the visur outbreak. One was travelling to Europe and is in the process of deferring it for 6-9 months. Some of the money spent may be lost, but not all. The other is not due to travel to South Africa until late May and is still deciding whether to defer the travel.

asgard29

As I am on a Carers Pension I cannot afford to travel overseas therefore there as been no impact on my travel plans.

Kiki Chiki

not going anywhere anyway, but i think its best to stay home. besides, now, if you return to australia, you need to spend 14 days in self isolation when you return. i also wouldn't want to risk not being able to leave a country due to travel restrictions and lockdowns occuring across the globe.

blugirl

Yes COVID-19 is definitely impacting my travel plans, I am immunosuppressed so catching the virus could be life threatening. All travel plans are on hold indefinitely until the outbreak is under control. At the moment the only vacation I'm planning is a stay-cation which is a real shame. My family and friends are also doing similar to help stop the spread of the virus and keep safe. I hope everyone thinks more broadly about this situation and especially of the elderly and vulnerable in society when considering their travel plans. I feel delaying travel is the responsible thing to do for everyone.

saintrobbie

was planning a trip to Canada but no way now . Will instead help out my fellows bushfire Australians and select an area that needs the most help while I can have a holiday with my mates and enjoy worry free time I hope . so get out there and help them our fellow Australians rebuild and get going again and spend .

gmark

My most recent travel plans weren't affected on a trip to KL however I did notice that it seemed to be less crowded on the streets and people were not as close to each other as on previous visits. Also in shopping centres the crowds were less and more spread out especially on escalators which used to be fairly packed but this time people were a few steps behind each other. At the airport the queues were smaller and more spread out with more people using the kiosk checkins or mobile boarding passes. Face masks seemed to be the norm with I would say about 50% of people wearing them. My future plans to Bali maybe impacted as I just heard a rumour from a friend there that they may go into lockdown soon for international travellers, but I have to wait and see. Although this is a serious problem I don't believe in changing my plans but would be more selective on where I travel to and cautious of big groups...after all there is always a risk no matter where you travel so all you can it be cautious to minimise the risk rather than cancel your plans and sit at home everytime something happens in the world

Em26

Our Travel plans aren't until later in the year, but it's made it very difficult to plan or book anything! Hoping everything will have sorted itself out by then. But friends of ours had to cancel their holiday to Japan! :( It's just not worth the risk, especially as you could pass it on to the elderly or someone who's immune system is compromised.

Martin31953128

Travel bans in place have raised public awareness of not how serious the virus is, but more on how to prevent spreading infection (not sure how effective this is) which is probably the wisest move until more is known about the virus. I was planning a mid-year holiday overseas with my partner but I'd rather stay healthy, so best to err on the side of caution for now.

Rocketdog

I have no plans to travel overseas in 2020 as this is a year for consolidation to stay healthy, work smart and spend quality time at home with my family and friends.

JOY31420549

The New Covid -19 outbreak has had a bad effect on my Daughter and her Hubby they planed to go to USA for 2weeks and then on to a Cruise Ship for 12 days ….they have cancelled everything …..their insurance has managed to get them some of money paid back to them and a Vocher from cruise ship but they have also lost over $ 2,000.00 in money which they can not afford to loose …..This was to be their Anniversary of Two years ..also my son is getting marriage in Two Weeks and has planned his Honeymoon over in Fiji as yet we are not sure weather they will be able to fly and enjoy their special time ...I feel sad for my Children as they work hard to save to do these Trips …..I myself and Hubby haven't anything book but were thinking of over seas trip to Canada this Year but we are in our 60s so we wouldn't be Game to Fly any where at the moment as we would be in High Risk cause we both have medical Problems ….we are hoping it will settle down thankyou

Radda

We just recently came back from our interstate Byron Bay holiday - we had to fly interstate and believe me - even if it is a domestic flight, i felt quite uncomfortable sitting on a plane in an enclosed environment. I have not enjoyed my holiday to the fullest because the COVID-19 was always on the back of my mind - dont touch this, dont go there, keep the distance and always wash your hands. Not a good feeling when in reality you should relax and enjoy every second of your break. And those people who say: dont panic, people are overreacting, everything will be ok or more people die from other viruses! You know what? I am sure they are scared as well! No need to show off! Wake up world! This is pretty serious! We should treat this very seriously and make sure we respect all hygiene rules, do not attend big gatherings etc. My husband has 2 brothers living in the most beautiful part of Italy - Tuscany. We were planning to visit them this year (we have not seen them since 2005!) and luckily we have not booked anything yet. God knows when this crazy thing will end or contained but currently we are waking up every morning to worse news than previous day. This is really sad. Lets all be careful in anything we do at the moment and look after each other. Life is too beautiful to let it go this way....

Lisss

We were planning a family holiday to Cambodia in the April school holidays which was going to be for 6 of us (4 separate households). We had researched and decided on hotels but hadn't booked any flights or accommodation yet. That trip is now completely off the cards. We are considering going somewhere in WA together instead (driving distance) but are waiting to see what the situation is before booking or deciding on anything.

I am a school teacher and usually travel during school holidays. I was hoping to visit Sydney and Melbourne in the July school holidays to catch up with friends and then travel overseas in the October school holidays with my boyfriend, but I am holding off planning or booking anything until I see what happens. If coronavirus cases peak in July/Aug which is what is being predicted, I don't know if I want to be traveling, even within Australia.

A lot of my friends and family have had their travel plans affected. My colleague had long service leave booked and was due to travel to Europe in late March for 4 weeks but she has cancelled the whole trip due to the coronavirus uncertainty. My sister has a trip to Italy booked for July which she is probably going to cancel. She's not sure whether she'll be able to get money back for the flights or not. My boyfriend has a trip to the USA booked and fully paid for in July and is waiting to see whether he'll be able to go or not.

mike632

Unfortunately my USA/HAWAII oversees trip (my first and most likely last long haul trip ever) is in limbo at this time but not due to May 2- things may improve by then or not. At least my travel insurance is confirmed good for a full cancellation payment should there be no choice but to cancel/postpone.

Gypsycat

My partner & I have booked flights to Paris in mid-April, a week on a canal boat in the south of France, & then were planning on a month in the UK before flying home again at the end of May.
It is the holiday of a lifetime for us, and if we are unable to go, we may be $10,000 out of pocket for what we have already paid (flights & canal boat).
I have been unable to get hold of the insurance company after two tries, being on hold for over 45mins, & having to hang up due to other commitments.
I am 55 years old, & have lung issues, & due to this, I cough quite often. I'm frightened of the reactions I'll get from other people, who might assume I have covid-19. If I AM unlucky enough to contract the disease, my chances of surviving it are not as good as most.
I'm currently experiencing really high anxiety regarding this, and we have not made a final decision, as yet, on whether to go or not (assuming we actually CAN go due to govt decisions, flight cancellations, etc). Watching the story closely. Fingers crossed.

marktime

Well it won't affect me though we are planning a family reunion for easter in the country, a few cases have now been reported in regional Qld so it may well end up being cancelled.

maureen30656026

Yes I have many health problems and am a senior, so it makes sense to wait till it fizzes out hopefully soo .

azumarisan

We are booked to fly to Japan on April 24 but as of today, the advisory by the Australian government stated that it is not advised to travel unless absolutely necessary. We are visiting my husband's family so I don't want to get the virus on the way and take it to them, that would be my worst nightmare. Also I have an 8 year old son and I don't want to get him infected. I think it's better to stay home in Australia until this is all over. I am really disappointed as I was going to see cherry blossoms and snow, but I'm sure I will go there in future. I am just now waiting for ANA to give us a refund on the tickets!

Nikki67

Have family friends who are flying over from New Zealand in 2 weeks, They are having to watch and wait to see if their flights have been delayed or cancelled, this will impact them a great deal as they are relocating for work purposes.

Jaya

It has not had any impact on me, I don't travel

Brad

Here is a doctor from Italy warning us:

"I'm a doctor in a major hospital in Western Europe. Watching you Americans (and you, Brits) in these still-early days of the coronavirus pandemic is like watching a familiar horror movie, where the protagonists, yet again, split into pairs or decide to take a tour of a dark basement.

The real-life versions of this behaviour are pretending this is just a flu; keeping schools open; following through with your holiday travel plans, and going into the office daily. This is what we did in Italy. We were so complacent that even when people with coronavirus symptoms started turning up, we wrote each off as a nasty case of the flu. We kept the economy going, pointed fingers at China and urged tourists to keep traveling. And the majority of us told ourselves and each other: this isn't so bad. We're young, we're fit, we'll be fine even if we catch it.

Fast-forward two months, and we are drowning. Statistically speaking—judging by the curve in China—we are not even at the peak yet, but our fatality rate is at over 6 percent, double the known global average.
Put aside statistics. Here is how it looks in practice. Most of my childhood friends are now doctors working in north Italy. In Milan, in Bergamo, in Padua, they are having to choose between intubating a 40-year-old with two kids, a 40-year old who is fit and healthy with no co-morbidities, and a 60-year-old with high blood pressure, because they don't have enough beds. In the hallway, meanwhile, there are another 15 people waiting who are already hardly breathing and need oxygen.
The army is trying to bring some of them to other regions with helicopters but it's not enough: the flow is just too much, too many people are getting sick at the same time.

We are still awaiting the peak of the epidemic in Europe: probably early April for Italy, mid-April for Germany and Switzerland, somewhere around that time for the UK. In the U.S., the infection has only just begun.
But until we're past the peak, the only solution is to impose social restrictions.
And if your government is hesitating, these restrictions are up to you. Stay put. Do not travel. Cancel that family reunion, the promotion party and the big night out. This really sucks, but these are special times. Don't take risks. Do not go to places where you are more than 20 people in the same room. It's not safe and it's not worth it.
But why the urgency, if most people survive?

Here's why: Fatality is the wrong yardstick. Catching the virus can mess up your life in many, many more ways than just straight-up killing you. "We are all young"—okay. "Even if we get the bug, we will survive"—fantastic. How about needing four months of physical therapy before you even feel human again? Or getting scar tissue in your lungs and having your activity level restricted for the rest of your life? Not to mention having every chance of catching another bug in hospital, while you're being treated or waiting to get checked with an immune system distracted even by the false alarm of an ordinary flu. No travel for leisure or business is worth this risk.

Now, odds are, you might catch coronavirus and might not even get symptoms. Great. Good for you. Very bad for everyone else, from your own grandparents to the random older person who got on the subway train a stop or two after you got off. You're fine, you're barely even sneezing or coughing, but you're walking around and you kill a couple of old ladies without even knowing it. Is that fair? You tell me.

My personal as well as professional view: we all have a duty to stay put, except for very special reasons, like, you go to work because you work in healthcare, or you have to save a life and bring someone to hospital, or go out to shop for food so you can survive. But when we get to this stage of a pandemic, it's really important not to spread the bug. The only thing that helps is social restriction. Ideally, the government should issue that instruction and provide a financial fallback—compensate business owners, ease the financial load on everyone as much as possible and reduce the incentive of risking your life or the lives of others just to make ends meet. But if your government or company is slow on the uptake, don't be that person. Take responsibility. For all but essential movement, restrict yourself.

This is epidemiology 101. It really sucks. It is extreme—but luckily, we don't have pandemics of this violence every year. So sit it out. Stay put. Don't travel. It is absolutely not worth it.
It's the civic and moral duty of every person, everywhere, to take part in the global effort to reduce this threat to humanity. To postpone any movement or travel that are not vitally essential, and to spread the disease as little as possible. Have your fun in June, July and August when this—hopefully—is over. Stay safe. Good luck."

Luvmydogs

I agree with K13. You can't just stop living your life because of this virus. I didn't have any international travel plans for this year but I have friends who are going overseas in September & it's not stopping them! Cleanliness people! That's all you need to do to help protect yourself. Wash your hands regularly, even after touching a handrail on steps, or anything like that because you don't know who's touched it before you. And these toilet paper grabbers! Get a life, you idiots!! Coronavirus doesn't make you gastric!

AnneS

My husband and I have a River Cruise booked for May from Bucharest to Budapest. We then have booked to visit our son and his family in Brighton, UK. At the moment we are not cancelling anything until we get more details about the disease in that area. Our family are a bit worried because we are both over 80 and I have a history of lung infections. I feel that we are just as likely to get infected here. It is a wait and see situation at the moment. I will be certain to get medical advice before we decide anything.

wendymick

I have travel plans to China next month and I am currently trying to cancel them. Its a tour around China and a cruise from Shanghai to Japan. I would prefer not to go over that way until later in the year.My husband and I are not spring chickens so we would prefer not to put ourselves at risk and also our travel insurance will not cover the virus. So its better for us to stay in Australia.

des

Our son is in the USA at the moment on business and his wife is flying out today to meet up with him for a 2 week holiday just taking normal precautions. One of our sons who lives in Ireland is coming back home in May to attend his brothers wedding he usually travels via China but is looking for other flights to avoid there. However he's not sure if he should wait to buy tickets or not as Ireland is currently implementing different things to try and stop the spread, He's worried he won't make it out at the moment if the borders shut. Personally we are planning a trip from Brisbane to Melbourne (country) some time this year to visit family and spend some money in Fire zones. We have vouchers for flights but haven't booked as yet so will just wait and see but it's more a matter of hubby's surgery than the virus. Although we certainly don't want to possibly take the virus to his mum's aged care home. Hopefully it will run it's course quickly and we can all get back to normal asap.

cdejonge

We currently have a big holiday planned end of May to end of June. Part of that includes a cruise with Princess - at the moment cruises until May 31st are being cancelled, but ours departs in June. We haven't been worrying about this too much so far, as can only deal with whatever happens at the time. And as (as far as we're aware), cancellation for our trip won't be covered due to COVID-19, we're waiting for it to be cancelled/postponed from their end, so we are covered (we hope!). It's a pain, but obviously the health of masses of people is more important. Will be interesting to see if cancelled trips are refunded or just credited to use again in the near future (which is not always possible for some people).

Marian

We have no international travel plans. Probably a good thing, considering what's happening. There are no flights over seas, anyway, as far as I know. Thanks to all the media forever going on about it, it's going to end up needlessly panicking people. There are 134,000 contracted the virus. Considering there are about 8billion people in the world, we can do the maths. Most of those cases have or will recover.

glenny18

We have just been on a Princess Cruise and returned to Melbourne, left from Melbourne as well and had no concerns about going, Princess had not transferred any staff as it was the same crew from October when arriving to sail out of Melbourne, the restrictions on Passports and boarding were certainly satisfactory, the ship has only been in and out of Melbourne so we went, had a fantastic time even though we missed one port and my favourite but I understood the reasons we didn't, the only disappointing thing was Princess failed to acknowledge it to me or tell me even though I knew we were not going to this one. Everyone on the ship was great and I did notice that there just wasn't sick people, usually on a cruise there are people to avoid with a cold or even flu and sea sickness which then can develop. Everyone was very diligent with sanitisation and it made a difference hope its like that all the time.

incuborn

I was considering an overseas holiday in June with my now 7 month old but changed my mind, not due to the risk level of catching the virus but not knowing what we might be subjected to on our return if the federal or state government decide to make any changes to how they are handling the issue.

jocol

No plans to travel in the short - medium term. Just trying to survive the panicked stupidity that surrounds us at the moment.

stardew4lyf

Yes, the new Covid-19 outbreak has greatly impacted my friends and family (including my own) travel plans for the immediate future. Due to a lot of fear and uncertainty surrounding this disease, my family and I have decided to not plan any holidays overseas or domestic until this crisis is over. Some of my friends had planned a trip to Korea for the beginning of February but in the end, decided to not go and got their accommodation and flights refunded. I personally had applied to go on exchange in July 2020 to Spain but have decided to not go due to this crisis. The reason for this, isn’t specifically due the location of these trips but its the uncertainty of how genuinely serious and prevalent this disease is. Of course, as the old saying goes ‘it is better to be safe than sorry’. Another reason is that I wanted exchange to be a fulfilling experience but because my ethnic background is Chinese, there is also fear of being discriminated against. A further reason is the potential fear of not being able to return to Sydney as a couple of friends who were traveling over the summer could not book flights and had complications in returning. Therefore, this Covid-19 outbreak has been of huge impact to my family and friends’ travel plans.

Teegan

Yes unfortunately. Not the virus itself but the fact my husbands work have enforced a 2 week quarantine period on returning, even with no symptoms. As a full time casual he doesn’t get paid for time off. Really disappointed as we were due to go to Thailand in 3 weeks. Have had to now postpone to December and hope it’s all over by then.

marg

No At this stage am not going to change my travel plans unless they stop flights to Bali I am so far heading out end of May .I will not let myself be panicked by this virus if the Media stopped talking about it it would not be getting to the way it is now and if people washed their hands etc it would not be spread they way it is and if sick stay home .

heeleen

My sister and I decided to go to Ireland where my fathers side of the family are from, we have wanted to go for years, I have done some travelling but my sister has never been anywhere outside of Australia, we have saved up for this trip for ages and were really looking forward to it. We booked in January and finished paying it off at the end of February, the agent we booked through told us to take out some extra insurance because of the Covid-19 and we are glad we listened to him as we will not lose any money if we cannot go. Supposed to fly off in September but it is not looking good, I would rather be safe than sorry. It is a bit of a scary thing, I am in my sixties and my sister in her fifties so we are up there in the age group that are being hit hard. Cannot say how dissapointed we are to not be able to go. Everyone has said , " oh don't worry you can just go on another date", easy to say, but I work as a nurse my sister a teacher's aide and so we can only go at certain times , this trip was planed down to the last detail and so not sure when or if we will get there. Oh well , that is life and your health is more important than anything else. I am sure there are a lot of other people out there who are having the same problem. I just pray and hope this terrible outbreak ends soon with not too much more loss of lives. And I also hope that the toilet paper production will keep up or what will we do!.

Ninak

Decided to keep my 15 year old son home from a UK soccer tour

betty

No travel plans anymore,Coronavirus it’s not a problem,my husband has Parkinson’s sickness and only travel we have to doctors appointment and hospitals,we had our travelling time ,enjoyable but show is over,life goes on.

Littlelegs

Covid-19 has not affected my plans to travel (at this stage), and I would only be travelling throughout Australia anyway and not travelling internationally. A relative of mine has just been on a cruise and due back at any time, I do not think I would have gone on a cruise in the current situation as there are too many people in a confined area and a greater risk of contacting the particular virus in question.

Dei

We did not have any plans to travel internationally this year. However, I was planning to travel to Dubbo to visit my cousin and Aunt over the Easter break. Hearing yesterday that there may be potential cases near me (NSW northern rivers) now, I felt compelled to cancel our plans to visit them. My aunt is in her early 80s and suffers some respiratory complications at the best of times. There is no possibility that I would put my aunt at any greater risk than she is already potentially dealing with.

chocogirl

Don't have any travel plans, haven't been able to afford a holiday for years now.

muffin1963

My daughter and partner were going to London via Dubai and now are rethinking it. I would prefer if they didn't go . And I think all money should be returned in this case.

Goofus

I have no plans to travel until October and this will be in Australia, so no change for me.

Ryan1234321

The COVID-19 coronavirus has absolutely impacted my travel plans.

My wife and I got married 18 months ago, and we'd always planned a delayed honeymoon. She's from the US, so we wanted to move and get settled into Australia before taking our journey. We had decided that July 2020 was perfect. We were going to travel for 2 weeks in Europe followed by 2 weeks in the UK, and we planned our whole trip. We made provisional bookings of AIRBnbs, designed itineraries, organised with friends to coordinate, we did everything... Everything, that is, except book out flights. We decided to wait until February, when our finances would be a bit more resolved and we'd know for sure if we could fly direct on a nice airline or if we needed to take budget hops.

Well, February's come and gone and we have cancelled our bookings and our plans. The truth is, we're not personally worried about getting Coronavirus. We're both young and healthy, and we're pretty hygienic in public. No, what we worried about more than anything was restriction of entry and re-entry. My wife is not an Australian citizen and she's not yet received permanent residency. We saw how the Australian government banned entry from China for non-Australians: I'm a masters student and many of my friends are Chinese international students who can't come back to resume their studies. We thought... What if the UK shuts its post-Brixit borders and we can't get in? Or even worse, what if my wife couldn't come back in? We have two dogs and not much money, we couldn't afford to be stranded in Europe for who knows how long, nor was the idea of me coming back and her staying in Europe or returning to the USA anything but a nightmare. We cancelled our plans a few weeks ago, and since seeing Italy go into lock down we both feel 100% confident that we made the right decision. Our life that we're building together here, in Australia, isn't worth risking for a honeymoon.

Coronavirus isn't what worries us, not really, nor is it what stopped us traveling. Government reaction and overreaction, especially for someone on a vulnerable residency status, is what worried and worries us. That's why we cancelled.

Brad

The COVID-19 coronavirus has absolutely impacted my travel plans.

My wife and I got married 18 months ago, and we'd always planned a delayed honeymoon. She's from the US, so we wanted to...

Most sensible response here... ... and a very real issue is that if you have a stopover, eg., in Hong Kong or Singapore, your next destination (say the UK) may bar your entry. Then the Australian government might very well bar you from returning! The complex implications of coronavirus are, as yet unknown. Holiday travel is a very minor (albeit annoying) aspect of this pandemic. This crisis really can't be over-hyped, despite its attraction as click-bait. Respondents who believe this is 'just another flu' should reflect on the 1918 pandemic and its horrific outcomes... long before globalisation and international flight developed... .

Oreo31660179

We had a family holiday to Japan booked for late March. Luckily so far we had only booked and paid for the flights as we wanted to book accommodation closer to the time. Turns out pretty much all the attraction in the major cities have been shut down including the famous cherry blossom viewings! In light of all this we have decided to postpone the trip to sometime in the future. Now we are negotiating with Flightcentre to get our money back but so far they have been very reluctant and we are still waiting for a resolution. It would be very disappointing and costly if they decided not to refund us or at least let us rebook at a later stage at no extra cost seeing that we spent over 4k on flights! And Qantas are of no help, all they are saying is that we have to go through the agent since we did not book directly with the airline. All very frustrating!!

lenglish

Have booked and paid for a tour to Isral and Jordan from mid-April. Our airline is not flying there at the moment and Israel not accepting visitors without a quarantine period which is longer than our trip. Haven't cancelled yet, but it's looking very likely. Plan B is for November. Thank goodness for travel insurance!!

Bella4927

Well we initially cancelled out trip to SA due to the bushfires, but I guess with the Coronavirus are glad we arent travelling. We considered going to NZ with our holiday credits, but we will not be travelling until all of this is over..so at least another 6 months.

Migaloo

So far we have not cancelled our travel plans which are only in Australia , on the 28th March we are going on our first honey moon , yes we have waited 50 years to take this aswe never had a honey moon actually at all .2 years ago l all most died on our wedding Anniversary date with a blood cancer right on Easter , l was an Easter Bride the day we married , this year the wedding Anniversary does not land on Easter but does land on The Saturday which was the day we married Saturday .So l am very hopefull this wedding Annversary we will have a nice break in a lovely unit 7 floors high looking over the ocean with a bottle of wine and some nice fresh seafood , l do not want a big fuss, like a party etc , just a nice few days away from home after 50 years married l do not think its much to ask for ..So we will see what happens on the 28th March will we or won't we get there because of the Corona Virus , I will arrive with my sprays and disenfectant , hand wipes sanitizer etc if we do take the plunge .

trinketz

I haven’t made plans to travel yet, however a friend has booked a holiday to Bali for June. She has said she is really anxious about travelling there - or anywhere - because of this latest virus ‘threat’. I’ve encouraged her to go and just exercise caution as she normally would. I think she’d be more at risk from drunk Aussies in Bali than catching the virus and dying! She’s still seriously considering cancelling her trip though. I think more than anything this health scare wants me to travel more as I can anticipate flights and accommodation to get cheaper as the majority of people cancel their travel plans!

Jodiddleo

Well, I had intentions of going on a cruise in the next six months but I think it would be very reckless of me to go ahead with my plans, I’m in my mid 60’s with a blood pressure problem so I can move my plans back until the Coronavirus is cleared up or at least improves around the world. I am amazed at greedy people stockpiling toilet paper and hand sanitizer, I live in a retirement village and know people who have over 300 rolls of toilet paper and have now started stockpiling tinned food, we all need to calm down , wash hands with soap, sneeze into our elbows and just take care ! Not too much to ask.

tanners

It will have no effect as I the best time I travel the worst should be over.

musicmum

Not effecting my travel plans because I do not have any. I am a student this year and being on Austudy money is tighter than ever so I will be studying at home because my course is self-paced and allows me to study at home and I just go and see my course provider once a week at this stage to make sure I am on track.
I do think people should keep travelling but make sure they take zinc, vitamin C, vitamin d, olive leaf extract and numerous other things to boost their immunity before and during their travels. Of course keeping up hygiene is important too. Biggest thing that will bring your immunity down is stress, so stop stressing and panicking everyone, we are not all going to die!
It has all been over-blown by media, Governments, Big pharma and whoever else has vested money interests. It is just another flu type virus, and more people die from influenza, heart attacks and other preventive diseases. Even China has said they are on top of it now and they have been using intravenous vitamin c but you will not hear that in the media.
Just eat healthy, lots of fruit and raw veggies, and lay off the junk, processed foods and alcohol (sorry but it does wear your liver out and decreases your immunity). I also recommend a celery juice every morning on an empty stomach (Anthony Williams protocol works well),

Lilibet

Towards the end of March last year, we booked a 35 day journey from Brisbane to Mauritius to join a cruise that would take us through the Middle East, the Suez and into the Mediterranean, ultimately concluding in Venice where we intended spending an extra few days before we returned. As I write, we should be in Reunion awaiting the arrival of our cruise ship. However, due to my husband having a chronic lung condition,which we paid additional premiums for on our insurance policy, we have been advised by our GP that as we had planned to visit a number of countries which are affected by the COVID-19 virus, to abandon our travel plans. We now have to jump through all kinds of hoops, fill out mountains of paperwork in support of our claim to get our fare reimbursed by the insurance company. It will be fingers crossed that our claim will be assessed as legitimate and not just a frivolous change of mind.

Amensch

I had no plans to travel, however was looking at going to Europe in approx. 4 months time. My doctors at my local hospital stated I should not travel . (As I am a type 1 diabetic I thought the hospital doctors would not let me travel)

snakelady

I have not changes a thing. I was evacuated twice with the fires on the Mid North Coast and was very upset so this little virus is not stopping me from going on holidays or out to tea. Its only another form of the flu and last year I had influenza A and B and I got one after the flu shot. I think the media is making matters worse as they seem to hype this virus up as something its not

Brad

I have not changes a thing. I was evacuated twice with the fires on the Mid North Coast and was very upset so this little virus is not stopping me from going on holidays or out to tea. Its only...

In a news conference last week, the President of the United States stated that the number of people with coronavirus was going down and “...within a couple of days is going to be down to close to zero”. Yet just _today_ he stated: "To keep new cases from entering our shores, we will be suspending all travel from Europe to the United States for the next 30 days." Yep, just another kinda flu. Fake news. Hoax by the Democrats... .

Jasmine31980989

It’s affected my family. My parents wedding is next week and the family are flying from New Zealand and it’s looking like they won’t travel now just in case they catch carona virus

gendan

Unfortunately yes. My best mate who's a fly in fly put worker was stuck in Russia last week he manages to get s flight but only to India he was stuck there for 2 days then managed to get a flight to Bangkok then to Brisbane took 4 days to get home. Now he was supposed to be back for 2 weeks from his leave date and he's been told thry as inr letting any one back into the country to work and laying off all the workers and cancelling their contracts because of this corona virus.. He's been contacting his contacts in companies all over the country asking for work but they have had to hold onto foreign workers because they can't fly back to their home countries because of the same reasons now also

roger0987

No, I don't travel overseas I am however going to Canberra next week by train to see some Picasso and Matise paintings. I am glued to the news daily in case they announce the closure of the galleries there. I have been looking forward to this for 6 months and will be very disappointed if I can't go.

William31978679

Yes it has. My family was planning to travel to South Korea for 1 week at the beginning of April. We had planned to go visit for a holiday, but had to now cancel as most of our accommodations shut down due to COVID 19 fears. Additionally, my family was looking forward to this trip for a while as it would've been our first real break.

Stanmanme

It has not impacted my travel plans as i plan to travel to Canada in 6 months and the Corona Virus is just an over glorified Flu

renee2786

Sure has unfortunately as I had a trip to Italy planned but with the country in lock down that has now has to be put on the back burner I am just hoping my travel agent can help me so I do not lose my travel booking and the money I spent for the trip it is a scary time thats for sure praying they find a cure and solution ASAP

sheena

I had booked flights to USA followed by a cruise, this is now in limbo. Hoping they initiate the cancellation, so I
am not the one to pay fees. I am not too concerned re: contacting the virus, but don't want to spend time
after my cruise in quarantine (not sure if that would entail high cost, as travel insurance won't cover)
The only ones who benefit at the moment are the travel insurance providers, I have paid insurance for nothing!

Brad

K13: "I am not going to stop living my life because of this virus."

I imagine 4,300 other folk may have had the same outlook. My condolences to their families... .

Brad

K13: "I am not going to stop living my life because of this virus."

I imagine 4,300 other folk may have had the same outlook. My condolences to their families... .

Hmmm, I should also have commented on this brilliant little snippet of medical expertise: KP13: " ...if people were smart and coughed or sneezed into their elbow or a tissue and then washed their hands or used sanitiser straight afterwards then we wouldn't have things like the flu or coronavirus." Yep, you're correct, KP13. That's _exactly_ what caused the virus in China... and yes, you're correct that it's all over-hyped. Should all be over by next week. The ASX200 has only lost half-a-trillion dollars (so far). Nuthin' to worry about. Off ya go to Bali!~

Ziah

We are booked and paid for the Singapore Grand Prix in September (booked and paid for LONG before this virus went public) Nothing has changed, and we will not change any plans unless something drastic happens and all flights are stopped and the event cancelled (still a possibility) or we get horribly sick right before we need to travel. There is far too much fear surrounding the media hype about this virus. Yes, it can be deadly - but so is the flu. Yes it spreads easily - but with dedicated hygiene practices it is unlikely to catch it. And I really, REALLY think we all have to be fatalistic about it - we all die someday and we could all step out of the house tomorrow and be hit by a bus (there's a greater chance of that than dying of COVID19). Stop letting the media dictate how you feel from day to day. Stop living in fear. Do the hygiene thing, stop panic buying toilet paper and handwash/sanitiser (and leave some for us immunocompromised people and hospitals/medical facilities), live your lives and get on with it.

suzukisue

Covid-19 has not affected me at all as I have no travel currently booked. If I had overseas travel booked, I would be cancelling as it's too risky in my opinion.
My daughter has a Contiki booked in Europe starting in August and we are concerned that she'll have to cancel. Apparently travel insurance doesn't cover pandemics, and so she'll lose some money if she has to cancel her trip.

Shiralee

Not at all. It's not as bad at the moment as the Flu

Alex S

I'm actually heading off on holiday in three days time. I'm visiting Egypt and Socotra. So far they are not destinations I've been advised to avoid travelling to because of Covid 19. I am petrified my plans will get cancelled, but so far that would only happen if I was forced to. I'm in good health. I think that even if I did catch Covid 19 I wouldn't die from it - I would just have to be very careful about not spreading it to anyone else, particularly my elderly mother

So no, the corona virus so far hasn't changed my travel plans although it might mean I have to self-quarantine upon my return.

PGS

Not at all. I left Sydney last Sunday for 2 weeks in Asia. Expecting 2 more later in the year.

BernardMP

I've been contemplating a holiday to Queensland - my first decent holiday in probably 10 years bar a few 1-2 days away. However I've not booked anything as I dont want to lose money in case I have to cancel at the last minute. So for now I am still doing my research, keeping track of air prices and hotels and just waiting. I think the world is overreacting a bit - as the flu kills far far more than the coronavirus, but the fact I guess is that we have a vaccine for the flu so we can get it less severely whilst this one has no vaccine and spreads quite easily. My kids go to school, I go by crowded public transport to work, so I dont see the difference between that and sitting in a plane for 2 hours as we can get it from anywhere. Hand sanitiser is also difficult to come by so eating out whilst you are outsdie with dirty hands is something that crosses my mind if I'm on holiday. However, I guess the main thing is that I would - for now - holiday within australia as the danger of going overseas is that apart from probably visiting a country that is quite a ghost town, you risk being stuck there and not being able to return home. And if you are sick at any point in time, the best place to be is home or a hospital near home

sweetypieelizabeth

No Plans to Travel as I am Busy Working. ...When all this dies down a bit I will think about a Holiday, Friends have changed Plans (Holidays) and I understand why!
I try to not allow this Virus Change My Life and Plans !

pizzas57

We are on road trip now and will continue keep traveling around. For me just be careful when touching things then putting hands on face or eating etc. We always have hand sanitisers with us when on the road as some outback toilets no water or picnic areas.

hels

Have booked a cruise with Princess for June - have no worries as media is going overboard. More people get sick with the flu each year and no one makes such a hype over it.

Sandy Lee

The travel plans at the moment have come to a halt for us , priority is to keep the family healthy and happy. A big cheer goes out to our medical staff who no doubt have a big job ahead as well as there normal duties.

Nomewome

We have no travel plans but don't intend on making any until life on earth starts to settle again after all the hype. I don't care to be part of it.

ump

Dose not affect me but a cousin and her family travelling to Italy at the end of the month cancelled their trip and they are $3000 out of pocket.

gobbytart

A little but it worked out for the best. Our route to Antarctica was reversed so that we could call at Macquarie Island but the weather and sea conditions were such that we had the opportunity to visit 5 historic huts down there. Unheard of in previous trips.

tinapay

Coronavirus definitely affected my international travel plans at the moment but not in the future. With the ongoing high mortality rate of deaths and affected people worldwide, my eagerness and excitement of travelling has died down. However, if doctors and scientists would find the cure, vaccine and ways of “truly” halting the spread of this virus; it would definitely gain my traveller syndrome back.
I don’t want to be an added pain and headache to health professionals who themselves can’t eradicate the situation and who themselves are praying for this to come to an end.

Moongold

Coronavirus definitely affected my international travel plans at the moment but not in the future. With the ongoing high mortality rate of deaths and affected people worldwide, my eagerness and...

This comment has been removed by a moderator as it violates terms & conditions of the Cafestudy forums.

Angieg

I have not had any travel plans but if I did, I probably would reconsider it because of the Caronavirus. The thought of being confined in an enclosed place with recycled air (plane) really puts me off and cruising also is known to be a sure way of contracting a virus.

MRfuzzy

Has not affected my travel as we only go to places in our own country, as we can not afford to go overseas anyhow and there is plenty of places to go in Australia which we have not seen yet

Deb61

My family have a cruise booked for around the Pacific Islands in June and we are uncertain if it will be safe to go. We will be monitoring the situation as it gets closer and hopefully things will improve, but my biggest concern will be my 83 yo mother in law who has booked with us. While she doesn’t have any underlying health issues, her age could put her more at risk of catching the virus. She has never been on a cruise before and is really looking forward to it but if things don’t start easing up, I think it would be wiser for her not to go. All of us will be very disappointed if we have to cancel.

Ellie 30656027

to make a decision whether to cancel or postpone the trip. Just waiting to see what happens. Has given the family second thoughts.

chicababe

I was planning to travel to Sydney to visit my grandson but am worried about getting on the plane because of the virus .a confined space where you can easily catch germs from others

musicmum

I was planning to travel to Sydney to visit my grandson but am worried about getting on the plane because of the virus .a confined space where you can easily catch germs from others

I got an email from Virgins CEO and they are assuring people they are doing everything they can and are keeping their planes very clean and taking all precautions, you have nothing to worry about.

Lukey23

My travel plans are in disaray and i had to cancel a few as most of them would be going to Italy for business and holidays. So it was unexpected that it would get this bad or even get to Europe. If it was contained in Asia Pacific then i guess it would have been alright. I have modified the trip though and hoping it would be different for Spain that what it is for Italy.

bubblymaria

Yes sadly my daughter and I were going to Singapore but luckily the night b4 we paid the virus news broke and advise to not travel to Sentosa Singapore. I’m very disappointed as we haven’t had a bonding hoilday for over 5 years we had picked and every days events and adventures. Hopefully we wiil survive this world virus.

adelaidesurfer

Most of the time you can use apps to minimise contact with people and things. Covid19 has reduced the prices of flights and has motivated me to book more flights and go to more places. I see it as a blessing in disguise, cheaper fuel, cheaper flights. Taking advantage of less tourists in touristic places and you will also get better service as operators in tourism will be bending over backwards to get your business. Plus the people that have extreme paranoia about it most likely have some underlying mental health condition. These paranoid folk are nuts, hence they will cancel their bookings, this is another bonus, less nutters on the plance and less nutters in the destinations I visit. Thank you Covid19.

adelaidesurfer

Most of the time you can use apps to minimise contact with people and things. Covid19 has reduced the prices of flights and has motivated me to book more flights and go to more places. I see it as a blessing in disguise, cheaper fuel, cheaper flights. Taking advantage of less tourists in touristic places and you will also get better service as operators in tourism will be bending over backwards to get your business. Plus the people that have extreme paranoia about it most likely have some underlying mental health condition. These paranoid folk are nuts, hence they will cancel their bookings, this is another bonus, less nutters on the plance and less nutters in the destinations I visit. Thank you Covid19.

Gra63

The virus has had a double effect on travel plans. It has pushed the Aud lower than what is comfortable and has given food for thought re risking family members at airports where the virus is going to be hard to contain.

Jude30693100

We are due to visit Bali in June. We have investigated and found our travel insurance doesn't cover pandemics. So if travel is allowed then, we either stay home and lose out on $2k, change our flights at a cost of $1k or go and risk infecting others and ourselves. I really needed this holiday, mainly due to the impact of Covid-19 on my work, not additional stress!

bali6699

I book my flight last year to bali in august, but now I think it is better for me and bali that I don't go, I don't know how this will affect getting a refund,

Moongold

This comment has been removed by a moderator as it violates terms & conditions of the Cafestudy forums.

Moongold

This comment has been removed by a moderator as it violates terms & conditions of the Cafestudy forums.

Yes, the author of the report, Bill Sardi,as you will see, is very strong for boosting the immune system as the only true way to not be brought down by this 'virus' and specifically mentions Vitamin C continual intake, as apparently our human systems do not manufacture this of themselves (the same as guinea pigs, apparently, and at least some monkeys!). He also recommends safe doses of zinc (30mg max daily, as you can get bad side-effects if you have too much apparently). Amazingly, I mentioned this report to an Allied Health professional just today who was giving me some pre-surgery testing (for surgery in 2 months' time) and when I told her that this report reveals that antibiotics work on CV-19, she calmly replied "I know"! I was astounded! I said "you KNOW?" and she replied "Yes". So, if the medics know (also see reply to my post here by 'Sheena' confirming this also (she's probably a nurse or other health worker), the W.H.O. MUST of course know antibiotics will cure the disease. So WHY are we being lied to by them? WHY are we being told it's a VIRUS when it clearly isn't? And why aren't we being given the assurance of knowing we will be treated with antibiotics if it develops into pneumonia etc as Sheena has stated? Half the WORLD is in a panic BECAUSE these people AREN'T telling us the TRUTH! Who then do we trust to be honest with us about life-threatening pandemics? Will doctors ensure we're given antibiotics when they are publishing that they DON'T work? They have to be kidding us!

Moongold

This comment has been removed by a moderator as it violates terms & conditions of the Cafestudy forums.

Thanks. You must be a nurse or other health worker. Just today I went for tests prior to major spinal surgery next May. I was discussing the report with her and was astounded when she told me she KNEW CV responds to antibiotic treatment! So if the medics know, the W.H.O. HAS to know, and the other 'experts'. So WHY aren't we being told what you have just stated here, and the Allied Health Professional treater also told me? THIS is why there is widespread panic, because people are of course believing the lies being told! 1) CV is a VIRUS, when it's clearly not, 2) Antibiotics WON'T WORK, 3) Thousands have already died from it! This is CLEARLY so very irresponsible, deceptive and plain damn WRONG. I want to know WHY we're being lied to and refused antibiotic treatment if it IS a bacterial infection! Have you any ideas on WHY? Thanks.

musicmum

This comment has been removed by a moderator as it violates terms & conditions of the Cafestudy forums.

Thanks for the link, I also heard China is using intravenous vitamin c with great success. If it is bacterial then we need to boost our immunity in our guts that fight pathogens, viruses and bacteria. Check out Anthony Williams protocol using celery juice as a start.

sheena

This comment has been removed by a moderator as it violates terms & conditions of the Cafestudy forums.

When a person first tests positive, it is a wait and observe approach.
Many people have had mild symptoms. The elderly or at risk individuals
however, are developing pneumonia/bacterial infection and this is when
it is treated with antibiotics.....not initially.

Tracyb

We are very stressed about it. We have a trip to Greece booked in 4 weeks time. We are both 60ish so are seriously considering cancelling or rescheduling for next year. Will it have settled by then?

musicmum

We are very stressed about it. We have a trip to Greece booked in 4 weeks time. We are both 60ish so are seriously considering cancelling or rescheduling for next year. Will it have settled by...

Yes once big pharma has all the funding they wanted and all the rich have bought out the share market, look at what happened when there was the Hong Kong flu, Sars etc.

DanielKwon

I was going to plan to go to South Korea for holiday with my family but it all canceled, even worried about holiday to another city with domestic flight. if I get corona virus I can manage it but my kids, i dont want to have any chance to transfer to my kids.

AnxiousOne

I have no overseas travel plans. Heart surgery and depression make travel insurance unaffordable for me these days.

But my wife is from the U.S. and has booked and paid for a trip 'home' for her sister's wedding in July. It will be interesting to see how the spread of the virus pans out over the next couple of months and whether that makes travel advisable or not.

And I have friends who have recently retired and were planning a family reunion/rendezvous in Croatia in June this year. They've both medically trained professionals and they are definitely watching with interest whether they can attend.

Moongold

I have no overseas travel plans. Heart surgery and depression make travel insurance unaffordable for me these days.

But my wife is from the U.S. and has booked and paid for a trip 'home'...

No problem at all. However, please note that probably most doctors will stand by what the claimed 'medical experts' and WHO state - and that is the precise danger! One has to look at the EVIDENCE, and that is coming at me thick and fast to totally support the report's findings I provided in t his Chat venue - that this is NOT a virus! Amazingly, just today I had to have tests taken at a hospital facility prior to major surgery in May this year. The medic taking the tests, when I told her about this report and the fact that CV-19 is not a virus but is totally treatable by antibiotics (which means it's bacterial), calmly replied "Yes, I KNOW it is"!! I was so surprised I asked her to repeat it, which she did, calmly. If you also search for the name "Sheena" on this CafeChat page (press Ctrl key then type in Sheena) you'll see that she (seems like she's a nurse or other heath treater) also knows about the fact that ANTIBIOTICS are being successfuly administered when a person is diagnosed with CV - but ONLY when it advances to pneumonia! - NOT before! So my questions are: WHY are we being lied to (i.e. 'it's a virus', 'antibiotics won't cure it') by the WHO and other 'experts', WHY are governments and others allowing this global PANIC (created only by the terror that CV is a likely death sentence which they can't be treated for!!)? WHY aren't we being told that antibiotics DO cure this disease?

AnxiousOne

I have no overseas travel plans. Heart surgery and depression make travel insurance unaffordable for me these days.

But my wife is from the U.S. and has booked and paid for a trip 'home'...

Thanks for the link. I will look at it.

However, as I said in the other part of my comment, one of my friends who has travel plans is a recently retired medical professional, and he, along with other doctors whom I personally know, are pretty sure that it is a virus. As an aside, my friends are fairly cautious people, not usually caught up in the hype of most situations.

Anyway, as I said, thank you for the link. I will look at it. :)

Moongold

I have no overseas travel plans. Heart surgery and depression make travel insurance unaffordable for me these days.

But my wife is from the U.S. and has booked and paid for a trip 'home'...

Please see my CafeStudy chat comment. I believe if you click on the link and read the report mentioned it will give you further insight to this issue.

lisasimson

I've got flights booked interstate for April (and events coming up that may be cancelled).. worried that o don't be able to take these trips. I ideally wanted to fly before then too, as I fly interstate lot for work/ to see family, but I don't know what's happening with the virus situation. It's all very frustrating.

Glenn60

Have 2 weeks annual leave early June and torn between booking my Hawaii cruise and catch the cheap seats and packages or stay home and not lose out to nonrefundable cancellations due to possible COVID 19 conditions. On the positive side, I could possibly have uncrowded cruise ship all to myself!

sucharitha31622150

Yes very much..as my brothers family supposed to come here by may 1st from India and they booked tickets everything.we too booked our tasmania tickets after they reached but now everything has changed due to Corona.. most likely they are going to cancel and it's so disppainting

jennypf

It has absolutely changed our plans. We were planning to travel to Morocco later this year. Because we are so unsure how the disease will spread, how it will impact rules for travel, how it will affect the viability of many airlines and travel companies (look at the stock market) but most importantly the likelihood travel insurance will not cover you - we have decided to holiday at home instead.

I am pretty sure I will be infected by this virus - I think it’s inevitable a high proportion of Australians will be infected. I’m not frightened but I would like to be near our excellent health system should it happen.

Still planning to have an adventure - travelling to the Kimberley. Morocco can wait until next year.

I look at all those pictures of a deserted Venice and I would love to be there walking through the cobbled streets.......but it’s sadly not the time to do it.

jennypf

It has absolutely changed our plans. We were planning to travel to Morocco later this year. Because we are so unsure how the disease will spread, how it will impact rules for travel, how it will...

jennypf says: This post is about travel plans. Your comments are off topic. I do not agree with the comments you have made on my post and on others. Your comments are ill informed and dangerous.

jennypf

It has absolutely changed our plans. We were planning to travel to Morocco later this year. Because we are so unsure how the disease will spread, how it will impact rules for travel, how it will...

This post is about travel plans. Your comments are off topic. I do not agree with the comments you have made on my post and on others. Your comments are ill informed and dangerous.

musicmum

It has absolutely changed our plans. We were planning to travel to Morocco later this year. Because we are so unsure how the disease will spread, how it will impact rules for travel, how it will...

Why is is inevitable? China has already got it under control, have been using intravenous vitamin C and most people are recovering.

G

I believe it has changed a family member's plans to cruise around the pacific, I think they are wise in doing so because until we get this vaccination to stop it, I believe we are all at risk. There could be others travelling or walking around not even knowing they have the virus, thus showing no symptoms yet can infect others. Each individual are different and each will cope differently but so far we know the elderly are more at risk and no doubt the frail as in, very sick with a weak immune system, so why on earth take a chance for goodness sakes.

Jezemeg8

No, none of my close friends can afford to travel overseas, and whilst I have family living overseas, I don't envisage travelling to see them and because they too are strapped for cash, nor do I expect them to come to visit me. Our visiting will be via online chats. I will continue to meet people and make friends, but as always, ever since childhood, I'll avoid being sneezed or coughed on (or doing that to others) and always wash my hands before eating!

nipper@1

with 4 weeks to go our plans of a trip of which have been more than looking forward to hit by Coronavirus got the news of outwaon returning from doctors getting all the jabs to make it a safe trip now got to book another trip not happy

shaz

I have cancelled my plan to fly to Melbourne this coming weekend. Due to medical conditions I have suppressed immune system and was hesitant prior to Covid-19. I am not in a position where I could fight off any infection. I am presently paranoid going to the shops locally never lone travel.

Gypsycat

I have cancelled my plan to fly to Melbourne this coming weekend. Due to medical conditions I have suppressed immune system and was hesitant prior to Covid-19. I am not in a position where I could...

oops, the above comment was for musicmum

Gypsycat

I have cancelled my plan to fly to Melbourne this coming weekend. Due to medical conditions I have suppressed immune system and was hesitant prior to Covid-19. I am not in a position where I could...

I think it's not only irresponsible, but bloody dangerous, for people with no medical training to be telling people that it's less dangerous than regular 'flu'. Over 5,000 dead already, in around a month. How are you gonna feel if people believe you, & die??

musicmum

I have cancelled my plan to fly to Melbourne this coming weekend. Due to medical conditions I have suppressed immune system and was hesitant prior to Covid-19. I am not in a position where I could...

This comment has been removed by a moderator as it violates terms & conditions of the Cafestudy forums.

Judith31965689

My sister and the family had to cancel a cruise going to Italy in May but had to pay the final payment a week ago, so she cancelled the cruise.

ivory

Yes, my friend is waiting to see what happens, regarding Corona Virus before she goes overseas. When you get older it's best to play it safe and I think the best place to stay right now is right here, where there are good hospitals and medicines and not much of the virus. Travel in safe times is the best bet and minimising any risks. People over 80 are playing it safe, staying here and redoing their wills. Away from home you may not get the best medical care or toilet paper, food or drink?

blueposy

I don't travel but my son travels and has been to Italy and South Korea fortunately before the out break but he is a doctor at RPA and he is on the front line and I am concerned for him

Mastimo

I have a few trips booked and paid for this year interstate, Europe and Indonesia, I am monitoring the situation at the moment, I have contacted my Insurance and have been advised that I am not covered for cancellation due to the fact that the Convid-19 is classified as a pandemic so I will just wait and see.

John351

We have just completed a cruise from New Caledonia to Cairns. The yacht had a capacity of 148 but had less than 80 passengers, in part due to cancellations in response to Covid19. Prior to us boarding, the yacht had been turned away from some islands between Papaete and New Caledonia but there was no evidence of any infections of any type on board.

Prior to boarding we had our temperatures tested, all ok. No such check was undertaken on arrival in Cairns.

The yacht has had to amend its itinerary as is no longer able to proceed to Singapore which has affected some passengers.

We were considering our next travel plans but have put that on hold until the situation becomes more stable.

More likely to stay closer to home than venturing to Europe.

l0lapx

This comment has been removed by a moderator as it violates terms & conditions of the Cafestudy forums.

l0lapx

This comment has been removed by a moderator as it violates terms & conditions of the Cafestudy forums.

This comment has been removed by a moderator as it violates terms & conditions of the Cafestudy forums.

l0lapx

This comment has been removed by a moderator as it violates terms & conditions of the Cafestudy forums.

This comment has been removed by a moderator as it violates terms & conditions of the Cafestudy forums.

musicmum

This comment has been removed by a moderator as it violates terms & conditions of the Cafestudy forums.

Great to see someone else has their suspicions, I have been reading a lot of the same thing. I also read that the agenda is to bring shares down so rich can buy up and take more control, also Bill Gates is invested in vaccines so he will make billions along with big pharma. Another thing with the 5G it was rolled out in Wuhan just before the virus which was I think man made. Asians have been eating wild animals for ever. The truth will come out one day, in the meantime we have to fight corruption and facism and fight for our freedom.

wendel

I have no plans. But my daughter had planned to go to Singapore and Thailand for a holiday, with the virus in mind, she went to New Zealand instead. She said that at least they would have decent health systems there.

Yqsymnx

Nah, no travel plans firstly. But even if I did I would likely not be going to any of the affected locations.
I don't know of anyone else in my immediate circle who has been affected.
I agree with the sentiment that the media have overtly increased awareness of this issue to undue increased significance.
But still, this is a virus which currently has no real cure, so it would be best to steer clear.
And to do that, you would best stay in your home country where you minimise the risk of infection. And if you did, then at least you would have a better chance of knowing where you were infected

Thomas30903391

At this stage hasn't changed my immediate plans or thoughts but I'm playing a wait and see game at the moment. I have a international cruise booked at the end of September which I'm a bit nervous about at the moment. Playing a waiting game to see how things develop and whether international travel is even still allowed by then. There have been a couple of cruise ships affected to date and some of those have been with the company I've booked with, so hoping that things settle down by then and the hygiene/cleaning crew are doing a good job.
I'm just going about my daily life as normal as possible and am surprised with some people's behaviour to it, stockpiling toilet paper of all things is a bit odd. If everyone remains calm and uses common sense in their hygiene etc then things will work much better. And the media need to make sure they report accurately sand not get people over excited.
My brother has a European tour of Europe planned which does include Italy so he is re-thinking his approach at the moment. He is very doubtful about travelling at the moment and not quite sure what to do or how his tour will be impacted. If he doesn't go he will lose all the money paid as well as travel insurance doesn't cover this event either.

mkow

My sisters and friends have cancelled their planned hiking trip to Japan because of COVID-19. Just as well my daughter in London hadn't started her planning her holiday around Europe.

Simone31977719

It hasn't yet.... but we are planning flights to North America in June/July.... so it might be a bigger concern then?

shaper

We were supposed t o go on a cruise that we had booked and paid for 3 months previously but my husband got ill and we had to cancel the cruise and two or three days later ,we found out that the same cruise we should have been on was the one with the virus. How lucky was that. I don't think we will be going on a cruise for quite a while now, as I don't feel we would be safe.

Momma Bear

My son and I have booked and paid for our holiday to Italy for May this year, but now have to cancel due to this coronavirus. I'm 71 years old and care for my 94 year old father and this holiday meant a lot to me getting away with my son and seeing relatives I haven't seen in 47 years, it's been 47 years since I was in Italy last and now my plans have been squashed. I don't know when we can go again, so very upset. Hope we get our money back as it has cost me a lot.

Momma Bear

My son and I have booked and paid for our holiday to Italy for May this year, but now have to cancel due to this coronavirus. I'm 71 years old and care for my 94 year old father and this holiday...

My son and I have booked and paid for our holiday to Italy for May this year, but now have to cancel due to this coronavirus. I'm 71 years old and care for my 94 year old father and this holiday meant a lot to me getting away with my son and seeing relatives I haven't seen in 47 years, it's been 47 years since I was in Italy last and now my plans have been squashed. I don't know when we can go again, so very upset. Hope we get our money back as it has cost me a lot.

Momma Bear

My son and I have booked and paid for our holiday to Italy for May this year, but now have to cancel due to this coronavirus. I'm 71 years old and care for my 94 year old father and this holiday meant a lot to me getting away with my son and seeing relatives I haven't seen in 47 years, it's been 47 years since I was in Italy last and now my plans have been squashed. I don't know when we can go again, so very upset. Hope we get our money back as it has cost me a lot.

Momma Bear

My son and I have booked and paid for our holiday to Italy for May this year, but now have to cancel due to this coronavirus. I'm 71 years old and care for my 94 year old father and this holiday...

Hi Mira8219, I wasn't lucky enough to get Travel Insurance had been looking around and when I finally found some that covers type 2 Diabetes the virus came in so it was too late to do it. Have been very lucky with our airline they are going to fully refund our fares, but hotels won't refund say May is a couple of months away and we can still go, but they can't get into their heads that our flights have been cancelled so even if the lockdown is lifted, there will still be restrictions. Heard on the news today that Australia is going to follow the USA and block people coming in from Europe so then maybe the hotels will give me a refund. It's like we have changed our minds they don't understand it is out of our hands.

Momma Bear

My son and I have booked and paid for our holiday to Italy for May this year, but now have to cancel due to this coronavirus. I'm 71 years old and care for my 94 year old father and this holiday...

At this stage not sure when we will be able to go again, even if they remove the lockdown, sure there will be restrictions.

Mira8219

My son and I have booked and paid for our holiday to Italy for May this year, but now have to cancel due to this coronavirus. I'm 71 years old and care for my 94 year old father and this holiday...

Momma bear hope you find your way to Italy in the near future. If airline you were travelling with doesn’t offer later dates or refund shame on them!

musicmum

My son and I have booked and paid for our holiday to Italy for May this year, but now have to cancel due to this coronavirus. I'm 71 years old and care for my 94 year old father and this holiday...

That is so sad, I hope you can go later on in the year or next year when things will calm down.

Imogen6

Whilst the Covid-19 event hasn't impacted my or my husband's travel plans as we had decided previous not to travel during this event, but it will more than likely impact my cousin and her husband's travel plans. Each year they leave their home country to travel to the UK where my cousin's husband has family. They are usually in the UK (on their narrow boat) for around 6-7 months per year and are due to leave their home country on 6 April 2020 flying via Singapore. Their tickets are booked in advance each year (they book their tickets when they arrive back in their home country from the UK). This year though is different and even though there is the current event they haven't been contacted at all by their airline at all and don't know if they will still be travelling via Singapore or how long they are likely to be in transit or if they will stop in another country.
.

no name

Yesterday we cancelled our cruise of 23 days around the Baltic and up the coast of Norway. I believe cruise ships are petri dishes of germs at the best of times but certainly not safe now. We have made this decision as retired, older people. My husband has a compromised lung, but is (obviously) male and over 60, which statistically increases his chances of coronavirus to unacceptable levels. This was a trip we booked last October and we feel very sad about cancelling but going is too risky.

The ship poses its own risks, but these are compounded by passing through airports. Many people are unaware they're infected or may have such a mild dose that they assume they have the flu. The severity seems to vary from person to person. The reality of traveling is that different countries have different levels of health care. Insurance might not cover medi-vaccing you from some places for this disease. Some insurance companies haven't finalised their new policies as this is such an unknown for them, too.

We are lucky in Australia that our government has taken a stand on incoming travelers and that we have first world health care. Some doctors are saying we will all end up with some degree of infection but I'd rather be sick here than in many of the countries we were planning to visit.

Interestingly, the shipping line has offered us a full credit to travel at a later date, the airline (hello Qantas) will charge us $1 250 to cancel our flights. Don't know if we will be able to get a refund on our insurance, but are sure we have made the right decision in this case.

ab

As my mother's carer, I haven't had any travel plans for some years now. My older sister as cancelled immediate plans to visit Japan. However, she also has a wedding in Italy to attend in September and that is 'up in the air' at the moment. I don't know if it's affected any travel plans my younger sister has.
For me, if I were free to make travel plans, I would make them all domestic until this virus thing blows over. It made me laugh to see images of some of the world's more famous locations devoid of life...not even the pigeons could be bothered going to St Marks square! LOL

Emily31420192

About a year ago we booked a month long holiday to the uk for the coming months. Although the virus doesn’t affect this holiday as it’s definitely more hyped up over social media than it needs to be and quite frankly the holiday is non refundable and we’ve been looking forward to it, we have been warned by medical people that should it worsen, the uk doesn’t have the ability to deal with it as wel as other countries and that we may find it hard to get back into Aus. So as of right now, it’s a game of wait and see

BCafeS15

Nah continue business as usual. The damage from people overreacting will be be far more devastating than the virus itself.

Gypsycat

Nah continue business as usual. The damage from people overreacting will be be far more devastating than the virus itself.

Actually, I think that is incorrect, at this stage. There have been over 5,000 deaths already, in a very short space of time, from covid-19......

musicmum

Nah continue business as usual. The damage from people overreacting will be be far more devastating than the virus itself.

I agree, the stress and panic will kill you before your chances of getting a virus that will kill, you, it is very overkill all this panic. People need to do their research and realize that you have more chance of getting the regular flu and dying of that.

Sandy6

It has not. We are actually in Canada at present and will be traveling between Canada & USA for the next 4 months. WE are not doing tours, but will have a hire car. We feel we will do exactly here as we would do in Australia. Good hygiene,beware of your surroundings and go about your business as usual.

Michael

I have no travel plans anymore due to health reasons and can't risk it Corona or not. I do catch a lot of public transport.

AI

June is a good season to travel Hokkaido Japan but this year, corona virus out break stopped me to go.

MazzyJ

It's not changing my travel plans. Not been able to afford a holiday for 19 years and not likely to be able to afford one in the next 19 years either unless a Miracle happens and I've never seen one of those

Mateo

Yes, the COVID-19 virus has caused us to cancel our holiday trip to Vietnam. We were supposed to travel between 7/3/2020 to 20/3/2020. Although the Government has not imposed any travel ban with Vietnam, we felt that it will not be an enjoyable trip as we will always be worried as it is a high density populated and it is a popular holiday destination with Chinese nationals. So we opted for the safety option and cancelled our trip and this resulted in that we lost our money paid for airline and hotels booking.

redbatz

So far it has not affected my travel plans to Japan in May. However have heard Qantas are cutting/changing flights to Japan (as well as other places) so I dont know if that will impact me in the days/weeks to come. Also if either of the Governments will bring on restrictions if the situation gets worse.
I am particularly going for some concerts , and its a reason to visit Japan again anyway. At this stage from what I have heard, they are still planning to go ahead with their world tour so can only hope and wait and see. Of course this may change in the future - I know they would not want to cancel their plans unless really have to, although other bands have cancelled recently.
My insurance does not cover cancellation for that reason and too late to get äny reason cancellation " insurance as would have had to get that when originally buying flights etc.
But as I said, at this stage I still intend to go even if the concerts are unfortunately have to be cancelled.

hw7455

No travel plans for myself, but I have many friends who were planning big Europe trips this May-July which are now basically in limbo due to the travel restrictions on Italy, France and surrounding European countries. Despite the large hype, being young and healthy I would not be fearful travelling. Wash your hands and sneeze into your elbow! I feel the elderly and immunocompromised need to take caution, but for the rest of the population they need to take a chill pill.

clem_lun

Yes! Don't think we'll be going to Japan anymore...

clem_lun

Yes! Don't think we'll be going to Japan anymore...

HAHAHAHA!! I'm not sure if he was meant to say "throw" or "threw" lol!!

Brad

Yes! Don't think we'll be going to Japan anymore...

Yes, but don't 'through' away your Year Five spelling book... !~ :)

clem_lun

Yes! Don't think we'll be going to Japan anymore...

Haha yes.. so sad..

Glenn60

Yes! Don't think we'll be going to Japan anymore...

Yes, through away your Japanese translation book!

jadow4

My partner and I are still planning to travel for our honeymoon in Vietnam later this year, however the COVID-19 outbreak has stopped us pulling the trigger on the ticket purchase at this point. Unfortunately, due to the relatively high mortality rate for this strain of the virus, combined with the immediate impact it has has on the global economy, times remain somewhat uncertain on a global scale. We cannot be certain that airlines will be operating, and would rather hold onto the dollars until the world reaches a more stable position.

By the time it comes to our honeymoon, I very much hope that we will still be able to go Vietnam; I understand that R+D teams in the medical field are working tirelessly, and hopefully current quarantine procedures in place are mitigating the spread. I'm tracking the data on infection and mortality daily, because it's important we substantiate our travel decisions with evidence, rather than buy into media narratives, which have the potential to be skewed.

Here's hoping to our Sunny honeymoon in Phu Quoc!

musicmum

My partner and I are still planning to travel for our honeymoon in Vietnam later this year, however the COVID-19 outbreak has stopped us pulling the trigger on the ticket purchase at this point....

It is a very low mortality rate, more people die of influenza, heart disease and other preventative disease!

K13

Coronavirus has not affected my travel plans. I think there is a lot of media hype over it that is scaring people too much.
I am not going to stop living my life because of this virus.

I also think that if people were smart and coughed or sneezed into their elbow or a tissue and then washed their hands or used sanitiser straight afterwards then we wouldn't have things like the flu or coronavirus.
You only have to look around on public transport where someone sneezes or coughs into their hand and then hangs on to a pole. It happens every single day and people just need to be more considerate of other people in general.

K13

right now i am considering my travel plans, i know i will travel, i just dont know where. sensible people check government websites for advice well before they book any overseas travel and thats...

since my original replies in march and since we have so much more information about covid-19 and know how serious it is, my attitude changed a lot. i tend not to make decisions based on rumour and suspicion and at the beginning of march, there was not a lot of credible information out there.

later in the year if things have settled down then i will travel within australia only to support our own businesses after the bush fires and then covid

henchau

right now i am considering my travel plans, i know i will travel, i just dont know where. sensible people check government websites for advice well before they book any overseas travel and thats...

just be patient and always check with smart travel before you travel. Oversea should be allowed soon

henchau

azumarisan,
i had swine flu in 2009, i know what i is like.
if you were walking around your own suburb and contracted coronavirus and then passed it on to someone else, would you be...

l agree with you

henchau

azumarisan,
i had swine flu in 2009, i know what i is like.
if you were walking around your own suburb and contracted coronavirus and then passed it on to someone else, would you be...

l agree convir19 has not affected my travel plan

K13

Coronavirus has not affected my travel plans. I think there is a lot of media hype over it that is scaring people too much.
I am not going to stop living my life because of this...

right now i am considering my travel plans, i know i will travel, i just dont know where. sensible people check government websites for advice well before they book any overseas travel and thats what i plan to do like i always have done :)

K13

Coronavirus has not affected my travel plans. I think there is a lot of media hype over it that is scaring people too much.
I am not going to stop living my life because of this...

azumarisan,
i had swine flu in 2009, i know what i is like.
if you were walking around your own suburb and contracted coronavirus and then passed it on to someone else, would you be concerned? carriers can be in australia as well as overseas, its been all over the news. whats the difference if we get it here or overseas other than an expensive medical bill?

Gypsycat

Coronavirus has not affected my travel plans. I think there is a lot of media hype over it that is scaring people too much.
I am not going to stop living my life because of this...

Where are you planning to travel? What is the advice level for the country/countries you are planning on travelling to?

azumarisan

Coronavirus has not affected my travel plans. I think there is a lot of media hype over it that is scaring people too much.
I am not going to stop living my life because of this...

Maybe, but I was just walking around minding my own business and I caught the swine flu in February, was sick most of the month, and it was horrific...the muscle aches and pains, fevers and lethargy, I thought I was going to die. I don't think it is fear mongering, if you have ever really suffered with the flu you'll know what I mean, it can hit you really hard. I think it's right for people to be concerned about this coronavirus, something we know very little about.

If you didn't cancel your travel plans, and say you were unknowingly in contact with a carrier of coronavirus and you then got it and passed it to someone else, would you be concerned?