TUI has cancelled all flights to Ibiza and Majorca until 4 August - here’s why

Holiday company TUI has cancelled all of its flights to the Balearic and Canary Islands for UK travellers until 4 August 2020.

The cancellations include flights to and from the islands of Ibiza, Majorca, Lanzarote and Tenerife.

Meanwhile, holidays to mainland Spain remain cancelled 10 until August. The decision was made after the Balearic and Canary Islands were added to the government’s list of areas UK tourists are being advised against visiting for non-essential travel.

What is the new government advice for travel to Spain?

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) updated its travel advice for visits to Spain, saying, “The FCO advise against all non-essential travel to Spain, including the Balearic and Canary Islands, based on the current assessment of Covid-19 risks in the country.”

An FCO spokesperson added, “We have considered the overall situation for British nationals travelling to and from the Balearic and Canary Islands, including the impact of the requirement to self-isolate on return to the UK, and concluded that we should advise British nationals against all non-essential travel to the whole of Spain.”

Where is TUI still flying to?

TUI is still operating flights to several European countries and has only cancelled its flights to Spain in light of the government’s new advice.

To counteract the holidays lost following this new government guidelines, and allow the customers affected by these cancellations change their holiday destinations, the travel firm has announced it will increase its flights to Greece and Turkey over the weekend.

How have other airlines responded?

Ryanair has drawn criticism from customers for continuing to operate flights to mainland Spain and the Spanish Islands against government advice, while also not offering customers the option of a refund or free change of flights.

Customers are therefore being forced to decide whether to travel against government guidelines or to stay at home and lose the money spent on their flights.

Meanwhile EasyJet is also planning to continue its scheduled flights to the country, but intends to closely monitor the situation.

Unlike Ryanair, EasyJet customers wanting to amend their flights due to the new travel guidance, along with customers with flights scheduled within 14 days have the option to change their flights at extra cost.

However, such changes must be made before 30 July.

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