Four airlines - Air India, Vistara, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic operate from the UK. India suspended flights from the UK, effective December 22 (11.59 pm Tuesday).
For air passengers, the nightmare is back in the span of a few months as governments globally take steps to restrict travel after the emergence of a new coronavirus strain. Passengers from the UK are understandably scampering for any available flights to get back to India at the earliest. Below are answers to questions on tests required, quarantine and on tickets.
What should you immediately do?
The UK flight suspension comes into effect from 23.59 hours, December 22, 2020. If you were to fly on the 22nd, there is nothing to worry. But do check flight timings, as the airlines—Air India, Vistara, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic that run flights to the UK—may have revised schedules for the day.
What if you were scheduled to travel from December 23?
Work your phones immediately to see if you catch a flight for the 22nd. Don't be adamant about the destination. Even if your destination was Delhi, don't hesitate if you get a flight for Amritsar, Kochi or Ahmedabad. Air India operates flights to these destinations too.
This story has more details on the flights operated.
Once in India, you can take a domestic flight back to your destination. Domestic aviation sector remains unaffected, as of now.
Say, you are stuck in the UK. But can you go to another country, say Germany or France, with whom India has the air bubble travel arrangement, and fly back to India?
Unfortunately, you can't. The government notification on December 21 clearly prohibits airlines, operating from a non-UK city, from allowing any passenger from Britain to fly to India, after the December 22.
What should you keep in mind before flying back to India?
Passengers from the UK will have to undergo RT-PCR test on arrival in India. If found positive, the passenger will have to undergo quarantine as per guidelines issued by the government. Note this: All expenses will have to be borne by you.
IndiGo has prepared this document on state-wise quarantine regulation. Keep this handy, as states have varied requirements. In Mumbai airport, for instance, all passengers from the Middle-East and Europe have to undergo compulsory institutional quarantine for seven days. While a RT-PCR test is not required at arrival, one has to be done between the fifth and seventh day of quarantine.
If the report comes negative, then the passenger can be discharged from institutional quarantine. However, if the test comes positive, the passenger has to complete a 14-day institutional quarantine in a hotel or hospital.
Will flights from the UK to India carry connecting flight passengers?
No. Thanks to air bubble arrangement with the UK, no connecting flight (say from Africa or China) can come to India. Origin of destination has to be the UK.
Your flight is cancelled. What about rescheduling the ticket?
Both Air India and Vistara allow one-time rescheduling without any of the usual charges. You can reschedule the travel to any date till December 31, 2021.
For any change thereafter, usual charges on cancellation, rescheduling and fare difference will apply.
What about a refund?
IndiGo, which was operating flights to Kuwait, is refunding tickets.
For the UK flights, the details are a bit sketchy as of now. A Vistara spokesperson said details are still being finalised. Ditto with Air India.
But travel industry executives say both the airlines may allow refund in 90 days.
British Airways and Virgin Atlantic though let passengers claim refunds. British Airways has, however, reiterated that it will process refund only for those tickets directly booked with them. If booked through an OTA, please contact your agent.
Virgin Atlantic allows passengers to reschedule till December 31, 2022 and also accepts refund request for bookings done directly with it.
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