Leaving on a Jet Plane

Postie was kind enough to deliver this today, but I suspect Jet2 may have been a bit quick off the mark as I don’t see anybody flying anywhere, anytime soon. And even if you do fly somewhere else, you’ll more than likely be put into quarantine when you arrive and then the same again when you return to the UK. That weekend city break is going to be a month away from home at this rate!
But I understand that if you are in an industry that has been crippled by the pandemic, then you will try anything to keep afloat. Airlines, theatres, concert venues - to name a few - have been suffering for nearly a year now and there is no imminent end in sight to their pain. Some hospitality and retail venues have kept heads above water with a combination of takeaway and “click & collect”, but that’s not really feasible when it comes to flying abroad!
With schools now rumoured to be shut until Easter, shows booked for April being rescheduled to the end of the year and arguments brewing over supplies of vaccines between the EU and UK, it looks like we still have a long way to go before we can make even the smallest of steps towards getting back to normal.
I must confess to a pang of longing when looking at a friends pictures of their Australia Day celebrations. People mixing together in close proximity and having a good time. No masks in sight and seemingly no limit on how many households can get together. Maybe we should follow their example and shut our borders completely until 2022.
But then I look at that flyer. It shows just the places in Europe that you can fly to and from, with just one airline and just one UK airport. Like it or not, we are an international destination hub and, unless we are prepared to permanently cripple our aviation industry, the borders probably should stay open. But I do think more stringent quarantine measures in the short term can only be a good thing.
Time to plan that staycation I think.....