Travel
Airlines including Ryanair, Jet2 and easyJet give new updates on when flights will resume
Fingers crossed!
Ryanair, TUI, easyJet, Jet2 and other airlines have released more updates on the likelihood of holidays going ahead.
Many people are wondering when they will be able to go on holiday again, especially as we’ve been in the midst of a thunderstorm all week and are craving some sun.
Major airlines are providing new updates to the dates and lifting of travel restrictions each week, and a number are now planning a gradual return.
This week, easyJet has resumed flights across the UK and France and it looks like many others will ramp up their flights over the next few weeks too.
However, the UK Foreign Office’s warning regarding non-essential travel remains the same – that all international travel other than essential travel is advised against.
The government has also now imposed a mandatory 14-day quarantine policy for anybody arriving in the UK.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab was asked on BBC Breakfast why Brits aren’t being questioned for leaving the country. He said: “That is a fundamental misunderstanding of Foreign Office travel advice.
“We – based on the risk to UK travellers abroad because of terrorism or because of Covid-19 or the vulnerability of the systems in the country – give advice.”
He added that the final decision of travel is for the traveller themselves to make.
TUI had previously announced that it would be restarting travel on July 1st, however this has been pushed back a further nine days with trips on or before July 10th being cancelled.
The tour operator has revealed that they are confident things will restart soon with partial operations this summer. They also revealed that winter holidays are up by 6% and summer 2021 looks promising.
Jet2 has recently pushed back restarting flights from June 17th to July 1st. However, the most recent updates look to July 15th as the date operations will commence.
The company said in a statement: “Due to the ongoing uncertainty caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, we’ve decided to recommence our flights programme on 15 July 2020. If you’re travelling before this date, unfortunately, your booking will be affected as our flights won’t be operating.
Ryanair has said that 40% of its regular flight schedule will resume on July 1st, with CEO Eddie Wilson saying: “Ryanair will be offering up to 1,000 daily flights from 1 July, and we have a range of low fare seat sales, perfect for that summer getaway, which we know many parents and their kids will be looking forward to as we move out of lockdown and into the school holidays.”
He continued: “All Ryanair flights will operate with new health guidelines in place, which will require all passengers (and Ryanair crews) to wear face masks at all times in the airport terminals and on board our aircraft, in compliance with EU guidelines.
easyJet restarted some domestic flights on June 15th within the UK and France. They state that almost half their routes will be open by the end of July and a further 25% by the end of August.
Between July and September flights will be at a lower frequency than normal, meaning easyJet will be operating at around 30% its normal capacity.
Virgin Atlantic has announced its plans to restart passenger flights on July 20th, with flights from London Heathrow to Orlando, Hong Kong, Shanghai, New York and Los Angeles. More destinations are expected to be added in August.
Norwegian has announced that flights to and from UK airports will begin on July 1st on four main routes that will connect Gatwick and Edinburgh with Oslo and Copenhagen.
The airline’s chief executive, Jacob Schram, said: “Feedback from our customers has shown that they are keen to get back in the air and resume their travels with Norwegian beyond the current domestic services that we have been operating.”
Air Malta is set to commence its summer schedule on July 1st flying to 22 destinations within Europe. Flights from Manchester Airport will begin in August.
There will be flights to Rome, Lyon, Marseille, Catania, Munich, Frankfurt, Berlin, Dusseldorf, Vienna, Zurich, Geneva, and Prague. From July 15th there will also be operating flights to Amsterdam, Brussels, Milan, London Heathrow, Lisbon, Madrid, Palermo, Paris Charles De Gaulle and Orly.
Travel
You can stay in a tropical boutique narrowboat with its own pink gin bar in Manchester
A Manc staycation never looked so good
Last month, we thought we’d seen it all with the arrival of Manchester’s first ever luxury barge – but had we ever envisioned a green oasis narrowboat with its own gin bar?
The short answer is no, no we did not.
But low and behold, the tropical and gin-fuelled narrowboat none of us knew we needed exists, and it’s ready for you and your mates to hire here in Manchester’s city centre.
Airbnb
Parked up in the picturesque waterways of Castlefield and just a stone’s throw away from Deansgate, the ‘Boutique Narrowboat’ is described on its Airbnb listing as an ‘adorable pet-friendly floating hideaway.’
The boat features quirky interior – we’re talking animal print walls, unique artwork and an abundance of greenery, kind of quirky – and a lovely outdoor seating area perfect for enjoying the city while remaining sequestered from the outside world.
But the best part of the boat is located inside – there, guests can find a pink honesty bar complete with a vast selection of gin, wines, beers and soft drinks. There’s even games and fancy dress to make for the most fun staycation of your lives.
Airbnb
As well as a fully functional bar and outdoor patio area, there is one bedroom with a small double bed, one bathroom with a fully functioning toilet and shower, a fireplace and a kitchen with amenities like a fridge. Breakfast items, wifi and parking also come included.
The boat’s Airbnb page is inundated with glowing reviews, with one happy guest writing: “It’s the best place I have stayed in a long time. All the little touches make the place feel really cosy and special. The honesty bar is the best addition – sitting there with the back open was perfect!”
Another former boat dweller commented: “Absolutely gorgeous boat in a perfect location in the heart of the city. The boat was beyond our expectations and Sara the host was on hand with any queries we had throughout our stay. The outdoor section and bar area were really such lovely additions to the stay. Couldn’t rate or recommend it higher!”
Airbnb
The boat is priced at £91 per night (excluding cleaning and service fees), and sleeps strictly two guests.
As you’d expect, demand is incredibly high for a stay in Manchester’s coolest boat, so the next available dates are at the end of August and the end of the September.
To book your own staycation and for more information, visit the Airbnb listing here.
Travel
You can now stay in the original Spice Girls ‘SpiceBus’ on Airbnb
This bus will truly spice up your life…
Calling all Spice Girls fans: You can now spend a night (or two) in the actual bus from the 1997 Spice World film.
The SpiceBus, which one graced Geri Halliwell (Ginger Spice), Emma Bunton (Baby Spice), Mel B (Scary Spice), Melanie Chisholm (Sporty Spice) and Victoria Beckham (Posh Spice), is now listed on Airbnb for Spice Girls fans far and wide to hire.
The bus has since had an incredible makeover since its glory days in the ‘90s and now resides in the Isle of White, right on the doorstep of a stunning marina.
Airbnb
Though the owner of the bus did stress that, as a Spice Girls fan herself, she has kept it as authentic to the original design as possible. On the bus’ listing, she wrote: “The outside of the bus looks exactly as it did in the Spice World movie, with its iconic Union Jack-painted exterior.
“I’m a huge fan of the band and have tried to include as many little touches as possible inspired by the girls and their music, to make the inside just as iconic as the outside!”
Guests will have full run of the double-decker bus, which can sleep up to three guests across two bedrooms and one living room. For those wanting to snack and keep their tipples cold, a mini fridge is included.
Airbnb
Towards the back of the bus, visitors will also find a spacious seating area with a table and three Union Jack cinema-style chairs for relaxing in front of the TV or listening to music (Spice Girls preferred) on the old school CD player.
Shops, restaurants and bars are within walking distance, and there are bathroom and kitchen facilities on site.
The bus has proven to be a huge hit with guests so far, with one happy Airbnb user writing: “The best Airbnb i have ever stayed in. The attention to detail, the facilities, the location and easy check in was all amazing. If you are a spice girls fan PLEASE book this!”
Airbnb
Another wrote: “This is the perfect place to stay with your bestie if you are spice or 90s obsessed. So many lovely little nostalgic touches. Was such a joy, would absolutely recommend.”
This will definitely be a trip to remember – for more details and to make your own reservation, visit the Airbnb listing here.
Travel
You can now hire a massive luxury 6 berth canal boat in the middle of Manchester
Who’d have thought a barge could get so fancy?
There’s a luxury canal boat smack in the middle of Manchester, and it’s available right now for you to hire.
You’ll all know that Manchester is famed for its winding canals and abundance of barges – but have you ever envisioned treating yourself, your friends, or your better half to a night or two of luxury in one of them?
No, you probably haven’t – but, low and behold, a ‘luxury barge’ now exists.
Prestige Worldwide
Courtesy of Prestige Worldwide, founded and run by friends and business partners Erin and Harry with the aim to create something a little different, we have perhaps the boujiest barge to ever grace Manchester’s waters.
Prestige Worldwide aim to eventually have a ‘fleet of floating luxury’, but for now, they’re just getting started with their debut canal boat, the Vätten Hüs. This barge, located in the heart of Castlefield locks, accommodates up to six guests in two plush king-sized bedrooms, with additional sleeping space in the main collective area.
It features a large, open-plan kitchen-dining and living-room – intended for sharing and celebrating, of course – with rich furnishings and an exclusive outdoor seating on the deck, perfect for those warm summer nights.
Harry and Erin also partnered up with local florists Frog Manchester for the most exquisite floral displays that are found suspended over the lavish kitchen island and adorn both bedrooms.
Prestige Worldwide
The interior designer, Claudia Chez, said of the boat: “The Vätten Hüs interior design is modern style with clean, crisp lines strategically softened by French Art Deco hints.
“Art Deco represented luxury, glamour and exuberance back at the 1920’s, and this is subtlety expressed throughout the boat with gentle undulating curves, scalloped furniture and bronze details all on top of a light oak herringbone floor.”
Now fully complete and on the water, the Vätten Hüs’ diary is open and ready for visitors – though for insurance purposes, the boat cannot be moved.
Check out its Airbnb listing here, and stay up to date on their official Instagram page.
Heroic school boy clears 18 tonnes of rubbish which had been fly-tipped along country road
Kind-hearted Mancunians thanked after charity receives huge donations for Afghan refugees
Manchester has a new Indian bottomless brunch with fizz and cocktails like mango mimosas
Americans are baffled at how far people actually walk in the UK
Train fares set to increase again in ‘biggest hike’ for a decade
