Tier 4: Jet2 and TUI cancel London departures

TUI and Jet2 have cancelled flights from Luton and Stansted in response to the new Tier 4 lockdown restrictions, which include a ban on foreign holidays.

TUI has cancelled all flights from Luton until 30 December after London and the South East of England were placed under the tough new Tier 4 lockdown restrictions, while Jet2 has suspended all flights until 31 December from Stansted.

In a press conference on Saturday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the tough new measures after scientists discovered that a new, more virulent strain of the coronavirus is spreading much more rapidly in London and the South East of England.

The PM also said people living in other parts of the UK should consider whether they really need to travel abroad.

In these areas, a new stay-at-home order has been issued for the 17 million residents. No travel is allowed in or out of Tier 4 areas, which include the whole of London plus other parts of South East England.

TUI said customers whose flights had been cancelled, plus those who live in Tier 4 areas and are unable to travel over the next 14 days, will be entitled to a refund or an alternative holiday.

TUI added: "Customers with a TUI holiday, but not flying on TUI Airways, are able to amend their holiday for free to a holiday with the same airline as their original booking. If airline cancel the flight, customers will be able to receive a full refund."

Jet2 said: "Following the latest government restrictions, we’ve taken the decision to suspend all flights from London Stansted up to and including 31 December 2020.

"This follows the date the government had said that these restrictions will be reviewed. If you’re affected by this change, we’ll be in contact with your options, which include amending your booking to a later date without having to pay an admin fee, or cancelling with a full refund.

"If you’re already abroad and due to travel to London Stansted, you should continue to enjoy your holiday as normal. We’re continuing to operate a programme of inbound flights, and we’ll be in contact with more details.

"We’d would like to thank you for your patience and understanding."

Both British Airways Holidays and EasyJet Holidays confirmed that package holiday customers due to travel from Tier4 areas will be refunded.

EasyJet is also offering flight-only passengers living in Tier 4 the option of a refund, but BA said flight only customers wouldn’t get a refund but do have the opltion to reschedule or take a voucher under its Book with Confidence policy.

An EasyJet Holidays spokesperson said: "We’re aware of the announcement from the Prime Minister this evening on the introduction of tier four, which appears to include a restriction on overseas travel. We’re stillwaiting on further details, but in the meantime we’ve contacted customers due to travel in the next three days to let them know they can contact us and receive a full refund. 

"We’ve also contacted customers with bookings throughout the rest of December to let them  know we’re prioritising customers with immediate departures and we’ll be in touch with more detail very soon."

Ryanair is in the process of emailing people due to fly up until 24 December that have been affected by flight bans implemented by EU governments, to offer them a refund or the option to move to a different flight at no change fee.

"In the case of all other flights to/from the UK which are permitted to fly, Ryanair will operate these flights to facilitate all passengers who need to travel for business reasons, and are booked on them or wish to move to these flights," Ryanair added.

"If any such passengers (booked on operating flights) do not wish to travel during the next 5 days prior to Christmas, then Ryanair will facilitate a free move of their booking (no change fee applies) to any date up to 15 March."

TravelMole has asked other tour operators and airlines for an update on their cancellation policies for customers and will update readers as soon as we have their responses.

Non-essential retail will also have to close in Tier 4 areas, which means travel agents have been forced to shut since Sunday.