UK Edition
The lockdown of international borders and the closing of major transit airports has left British travellers in Australia, New Zealand and Asia panicked and stranded with no route home.
Several have reported flight routes being cancelled faster than they can be rebooked, with prices for sparse tickets soaring into thousands of pounds.
Louise, 25, a teacher from London said she had been blindsided during her holiday to Australia by sudden travel restrictions and had been struggling for days, spending hours on the phone, to find alternatives to multiple cancelled flights.
Airline communications with passengers had been “absolutely abysmal,” she said. “Essentially we can’t get through to any airline, meaning that we’re just spitting money trying to get home and not getting any refunds from anyone.”
Over the past 24 hours, major airport hubs including Taipei, Singapore and the UAE have all blocked transit passengers.
“We’re fortunate as we’re with friends here in an English-speaking country and we’re not in a huge amount of trouble in terms of not having anywhere to stay. But it’s incredibly stressful when you are taking time off work and you don’t know when you’re going to be coming back,” she said.
“It’s the other side of the world and in this situation, you’re so scared about your family and your loved ones and your friends, as well as your career. It’s really difficult to comprehend the idea of being stuck if not for months, then weeks,” she said.
Ben Jones, another British tourist marooned in Australia said: “every airline is closing and leaving people like us stranded here with a lack of money and no options.”
Mr Jones, who has been travelling round Asia for a few months and was due home this week said that while his Australia visa lasted until June, he could not afford to stay.
British citizens have also been caught out across South Asia. Jason Jaspal said he was desperately trying to bring his parents Shivraj and Suzanne Jaspal home from India, where local transport has been shut down during a curfew and international flights are in disarray.
He said his parents had been thrown out of their hotel in Jalandhar, Punjab by the “militant” owner and were taking shelter in a village with distant relatives.
The family was racing against the clock as his father’s medication for multiple scleroris would run out on Saturday. “He will be extremely vulnerable after that and it’s unclear what’s happening,” he said.