As many as 6,000 British holidaymakers are in a race to return home from Mexico before it joins the UK’s red list on Sunday, say reports.
The Telegraph said the tourists are in a ‘frantic scramble’ to arrange flights and Covid tests to avoid hotel quarantine after the move to the red list was announced late on Wednesday (August 4).
“Some British travellers only found out after boarding their flights or shortly after arriving in Mexico, with ministers facing a backlash from angry holidaymakers over late notice of the change,” said the Telegraph.
The BBC reported that transport secretary Grant Shapps said that between 5,000 and 6,000 British holidaymakers are in Mexico currently and would be “making arrangements to come home”.
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From August 12, the cost of hotel quarantine will increase, with the price for single adult travellers rising from £1,750 to £2,285 and a second adult paying £1,430.
British Airways told the BBC on Thursday that its teams had been “working through the night” to arrange additional seats out of Mexico and had added four additional flights to London over the next three days, as well as rearranging another flight to land ahead of the deadline.
It said customers could re-book their flights from Mexico “at no additional cost” ahead of the deadline.
The Metro newspaper said “furious” British holidaymakers in Mexico revealed how they found out the country was being moved onto the red list mid-air.
“Travellers have hit out at the three-day notice, with the only direct flight from Mexico City to London before Sunday on sale for a whopping £6,878,” said the newspaper.
Paul Charles, chief executive of travel consultancy The PC Agency, said there were unlikely to be sufficient flights home to meet demand before the deadline for quarantine on Sunday.
He told the Telegraph: “The Government have not addressed the two things that are putting people off travelling – one is the cost of testing and the second is the lack of notice given, which is proven by Mexico. They have broken promises.”
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