Mexico flights cancelled
Major tour operators have cancelled fights to Mexico in light of the outbreak of swine flu.
Thomson, First Choice and Thomas Cook have all cancelled their services to Cancun and are flying customers already in Mexico back to the UK.
Kuoni has suspended holidays to Mexico but normal booking conditions apply to all departures from May 4 onwards.
“Customers currently on holiday in Mexico are being looked after by our local representative in resort,” said the operator.
British Airways is continuing to operate its four weekly flights to Mexico, saying it was up to travellers to decide if their tripl is essential.
The FTO is warning against all but essential travel to Mexico, where the virus has now claimed 159 lives.
A British couple are in quarantine after catching the flu while on honeymoon in Cancun.
Tests are being carried out on around 23 people in Scotland and results are expected later today.
Thomas Cook has cancelled all flights to Mexico for seven days.
Thomson and First Choice have cancelled all flights to Mexico until May 8, and are giving customers going to Mexico between May 9 and 22 the option of switching their holiday plans to a different date or destination.
Those due to travel to Mexico up to May 8 are being offered a full refund without incurring any cancellation charge.
Monarch has cancelled all flights and Monarch Holidays departing the UK for Cancun up to and including May 8.
All customers booked will be contacted and offered an alternative destination, a postponement of their holiday to a later date, or if no suitable alternative can be found, cancellation of their holiday with a refund of the holiday cost.
Monarch customers booked to travel to Cancun between May 9 and June 9 may choose to amend their booking and transfer their holiday to an alternative destination.
Cruise ships are re-routing itineraries to avoid Mexican ports. See separate story.
* Do you think the swine flu will impact the travel industry more or less than SARS? Do you think we will see more travel company failures in light of the outbreak? Is travel to the US also being impacted?
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By Bev Fearis
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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