News , plans , hopes ?

[Liz]

How are we all ? ... Its a tough time for all of us at the minute .. we are still quietly harbouring thoughts of getting away this year all being well and safe .. we managed to get to Halki last October and it was totally glorious and just what was needed .. it was safe and organised .. we were happy to be there and people were happy to see us .. does any one else have plans ?

[Deleted]

Much the same here Liz as you know but currently not too optimistic regarding May/June/July. Have booked later as well just in case. My UK passport although not expiring until August was deemed useless for use this year on the passport website so I've now got a new blue one. "All dressed up and nowhere to go"!!!!

[soupdragon]

We've still got our fingers and legs crossed for June. Ever the optimist 😃

Cheers. Tom and Rose

[carol]

Still keeping everything crossed for late June/July but more hopeful of getting to Halki and Tilos in September, let’s hope we all get there at some stage this year, two summers without going to Halki is too much to even think about 😷🇬🇷

[stevec]

I think the interesting angle for this season is yet to be addressed - how will Greece manage it's tourists? Will you need to have been fully vaccinated with an EU recognised certificate before boarding the plane or will the need to get the economy going again override that? If a certificate is required, then Rhodes will be very quiet until late season as the younger generations won't have that in hand til then. Won't have much impact on Halki because very few non Greek children (or under 30s) go there.

I guess we'll all get some info on this in due course as the season gets a bit closer. Just hope that the EU bureaucracy finds a way to oversee this that is clear, simple and impartial as to where you are coming from.

[soupdragon]

Both Rose and I have had our 1st jab, Pfizer for the lady and AstraZeneca for me. Both jabbed well before we were expecting but certainly not complaining. If a passport type document is required then we should be ok if we're allowed to travel in June as are both due our 2nd jabs around the start of May at the latest.

Cheers. Tom and Rose

[muriman]

We transferred Easyjet flight booking from last year to late May this year - I would have preferred to switch to latish Sept 21 but at the time I did this EZJ hadn't published the 2021 summer timetable so May was the latest date for which a transfer was possible. I suspect EZJ will operate Rhodes flights in May, thereby avoiding refunds. Christine and I have had Pfizer/Biontech vaccine and our second dose is likely to be in April, so in theory we could travel in May, but currently I'm wary and doubt whether we will feel like being in a plane for 4 hours each way until later in the year. The phone call to make the flight change took hours in a queue and I don't yet know (a) whether EZJ still insist on a phone call as the only means of changing flights, or (b) whether a second/further change can be made without a penalty payment. We might end up writing off the flight costs, which is not a nice thought (no accommodation booked for May). If anybody has good current information on points (a) and (b) I'd be grateful to know.

[soupdragon]

When we changed our EJ flights for this coming October we did it online. No change fee but had to pay the difference in flight cost. I was surprised how easy it was.

Cheers. Tom and Rose

[carol]

We changed our flight for the second time today as we decided to add a few extra days on... fingers crossed 🤞 Graeme phoned EasyJet and got straight through and it was all sorted very quickly, we obviously had to pay for the difference in price but we expected that, all in all we were very happy with the service we received, now we just need to be allowed to leave the UK and I need my vaccine.

[Liz]

I received a email from EJ re flights earlier this week - they are basically saying you can move your flights without a charge... www.easyjet.com/en/pledge.. we had some April flights cancelled and rang for a refund got through in minutes and all sorted straight away

[muriman]

Thanks to all for the various bits of information. We are trying to work out possible alternatives. It's now 2 or 3 years since we were last in Halki and I know there have been changes. Can anyone bring me up to date on whether Zifos Travel is still functioning? In the past we have booked accommodation through Maria or her father there but I believe the business is no longer operating? Nissia have agency for most of the waterfront properties and availability seems now to be limited at the times we could go. Alternatively does anyone have contact details for the Alexandros or Margarita? (They are, or were, both older-style places on the hotel side of town; years ago, they were bookable through Direct Greece or Travel a la Carte, then later I think Zifos. Gosh, mention of Direct Greece and Travel a la Carte makes me realise I must be getting old. I wonder whether anyone else on this forum is old enough to have dealt with Colin Murison Small's travel business?)

[Deleted]

Colin Murison - blast from the past and I'm afraid yes I am!!!!

[Liz]

Direct Greece .. loved them ! .. lots of the properties advertise directly now or on booking.com or airbnb .. I think Mary runs Zifos now but I'm not sure ..

[carol]

Direct Greece were the reason we first went to Halki many moons ago, stayed at Katy and fell in love with the island and it’s people, they were a great company and we especially loved Jane and Sheila’s welcome meetings and the trips to Alimnia, who can remember carrying hot trays of chicken in the little rowing boat ? We had some wonderful holidays and met a lot of people who have remained friends to this day, great memories 😎🇬🇷

[Liz]

We've still not been to Alimnia .. we like to leave something for next time