Extra flights bringing holidaymakers back from Mexico before red list deadline

Extra flights are bringing UK holidaymakers back from Mexico before the North American country is added to the red list.

British Airways has added three flights from the capital Mexico City to London to help travellers avoid a mandatory stay in a quarantine hotel when they return.

From the popular tourist destination of Cancun the airline is also operating one additional flight and retimed another.

The retimed flight is due to touch down at Gatwick at 3.05am on Sunday, just 55 minutes before Mexico is put on the red list.

Georgia and the French overseas territories of La Reunion and Mayotte are also being put in the red tier.

British Airways said in a statement it “worked hard to make changes to our operation” after the Government announced updates to its travel lists on Wednesday night.

It added that seats remain available on the additional flights, and existing customers can re-book at no additional cost.

People arriving in the UK from red tier locations must spend 11 nights at a quarantine hotel.

From August 12 the rate for solo travellers at these hotels will rise from £1,750 to £2,285.

Meanwhile thousands of holidaymakers are rushing to book trips to countries from which travel restrictions are being eased or limited.

Brittany Ferries saw a surge in demand after it was confirmed that fully vaccinated arrivals from France will no longer need to self-isolate.

The firm said it received 1,398 bookings for sailings between the UK and France on Thursday, compared with just 568 on Wednesday.

The value of bookings across all its routes on Thursday was £1.2 million, which is around three times more than the daily totals in the build-up to the announcement.

Eurostar said bookings on its London-Paris route have doubled, and it will see an increase in passenger numbers as early as this weekend.

The train operator, which has slashed its schedules due to the coronavirus pandemic, said it is ready to increase capacity over the coming weeks to meet growing demand.

Online travel agency Skyscanner said the destinations with the most bookings on Wednesday were Malaga, Palma, Alicante and Tenerife in Spain, and Dubai in the UAE.

It recorded a 42% increase in bookings to Spain compared with the same day last week.

The Government decided that fully-vaccinated arrivals from the country will continue to be exempt from self-isolation, amid speculation that tougher measures could be introduced.

Most customers booked holidays for this month, indicating that people are keen to minimise the risk of their plans being disrupted by a change in the rules.

The number of searches for trips to Dubai on Skyscanner was more than three times higher on Wednesday than the previous day.

The UAE will be moved from the red list to the amber list on Sunday.

Skyscanner destination expert Laura Lindsay said: “UK travellers are jumping at the chance of a summer holiday, with the rules for vaccinated travellers permitting much anticipated trips to traditional favourites like Spain, Portugal and France.

“The addition of the UAE to the amber list will drive searches for trips into the autumn to take advantage of the climate and luxury escapes.”