Blame Covid-19 travel restrictions or Brexit, but whatever the cause, some British citizens trying to return to their homes in European countries this weekend were barred from boarding flights.
Airlines refused documents that before Brexit had been valid proof of the Britons’ status as residents in Spain, Italy and Germany, although Spanish authorities say the issue was resolved by mid-Sunday.
Tight travel restrictions, caused by a faster-spreading coronavirus variant in the UK, also highlight bureaucratic complexities after Britain’s departure from the 27-nation EU.
Spanish and British authorities said on Sunday that the green-coloured certificate of EU citizenship with a foreign national identification number issued by Madrid is still valid for British citizens living in Spain under the provisions after the UK’s withdrawal from the bloc on December 31.
But the travellers say British Airways and Iberia, which are part of the IAG group, refused to let them board for the past two days.
Iberia said late on Sunday that a communication from Spain’s border police on January 1 created “some confusion”, but it was later clarified.
British Airways did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
About 300,000 British citizens are registered as permanent residents in Spain, although before Brexit many more had been living full or part-time in the country without officially registering.
Patricia Moody, 69, a retiree who has lived in the southern Spanish town of Zurgena for almost four years, was among a group of at least nine people unable to board a BA-Iberia flight from London’s Heathrow Airport to Madrid on Saturday.
Ms Moody said she and her husband, who she says needs to see his doctor back in Spain, have spent £1,900 ($2,600) on being tested for the virus, travelling to the airport and booking new tickets after they were refused boarding.
Their second attempt was also fruitless.
“Throughout all the months of negotiating Brexit, we were always assured that nothing would change for us.
“It’s horrendous and we are suffering because of their incompetence,” Ms Moody said of airlines and authorities in both countries.
After the discovery of the coronavirus variant in the UK, many European nations have banned all travel from the British isles except for their own nationals and UK citizens with residency.
Travellers to Pisa in Italy and Berlin have reported similar hurdles in boarding planes operated by Ryanair and Lufthansa, despite carrying documents that had been accepted by the Italian and German governments.
“This appears to be a case of UK airport staff not knowing what documents to accept or applying the rules more stringently than the German border police would,” said Matt Bristow, a spokesman for the British in Germany association of residents.
Spain has been introducing a system called Tie, which registers permanent foreign residents, but it is suffering a backlog because of the high number of requests.
Proof of application for Tie and the “green certificate” for EU citizens were still valid to travel for British residents under the new health restrictions in place until January 19, authorities told AP.
“This should not be happening,” the UK embassy in Spain said in a Facebook post.
“The Spanish authorities have today reconfirmed that the green residency document will be accepted for travel to return to Spain, as stated in our travel advice.”
But Sam Dakin, 32, an English teacher living in Barcelona for the past four years, and his partner, who has been in the Spanish city for eight years, said they needed more assurances before they could rebook flights.
The couple had been blocked from flying on Saturday morning despite carrying their certificate.
They were then were refused boarding on another flight on Saturday evening, which British Airways had initially said they could take.
“Just because the government adviser said that we could travel, we don’t know whether that will happen when we turn up at the counters,” Mr Dakin said.
“We just don’t know where we’re going to get answers.”
Spain’s Foreign Ministry said there had been “an isolated communication problem with some airlines that affected a very small number of travellers”.
It said that air traffic between the UK and Spain was proceeding “with normality” by mid-Sunday.
Important questions to consider
1. Where on the plane does my pet travel?
There are different types of travel available for pets:
- Manifest cargo
- Excess luggage in the hold
- Excess luggage in the cabin
Each option is safe. The feasibility of each option is based on the size and breed of your pet, the airline they are traveling on and country they are travelling to.
2. What is the difference between my pet traveling as manifest cargo or as excess luggage?
If traveling as manifest cargo, your pet is traveling in the front hold of the plane and can travel with or without you being on the same plane. The cost of your pets travel is based on volumetric weight, in other words, the size of their travel crate.
If traveling as excess luggage, your pet will be in the rear hold of the plane and must be traveling under the ticket of a human passenger. The cost of your pets travel is based on the actual (combined) weight of your pet in their crate.
3. What happens when my pet arrives in the country they are traveling to?
As soon as the flight arrives, your pet will be taken from the plane straight to the airport terminal.
If your pet is traveling as excess luggage, they will taken to the oversized luggage area in the arrival hall. Once you clear passport control, you will be able to collect them at the same time as your normal luggage. As you exit the airport via the ‘something to declare’ customs channel you will be asked to present your pets travel paperwork to the customs official and / or the vet on duty.
If your pet is traveling as manifest cargo, they will be taken to the Animal Reception Centre. There, their documentation will be reviewed by the staff of the ARC to ensure all is in order. At the same time, relevant customs formalities will be completed by staff based at the arriving airport.
4. How long does the travel paperwork and other travel preparations take?
This depends entirely on the location that your pet is traveling to. Your pet relocation compnay will provide you with an accurate timeline of how long the relevant preparations will take and at what point in the process the various steps must be taken.
In some cases they can get your pet ‘travel ready’ in a few days. In others it can be up to six months or more.
5. What vaccinations does my pet need to travel?
Regardless of where your pet is traveling, they will need certain vaccinations. The exact vaccinations they need are entirely dependent on the location they are traveling to. The one vaccination that is mandatory for every country your pet may travel to is a rabies vaccination.
Other vaccinations may also be necessary. These will be advised to you as relevant. In every situation, it is essential to keep your vaccinations current and to not miss a due date, even by one day. To do so could severely hinder your pets travel plans.
Source: Pawsome Pets UAE
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Amir Boureslan v Mahmoud Zanouny (Welterweight)
Abrorbek Madaminbekov v Mohammed Al Katheeri (Featherweight)
Ibrahem Bilal v Emad Arafa (Super featherweight)
Ahmed Abdolaziz v Imad Essassi (Middleweight)
Milena Martinou v Ilham Bourakkadi (Bantamweight, female)
Noureddine El Agouti v Mohamed Mardi (Welterweight)
Nabil Ouach v Ymad Atrous (Middleweight)
Nouredin Samir v Zainalabid Dadachev (Lightweight)
Marlon Ribeiro v Mehdi Oubahammou (Welterweight)
Brad Stanton v Mohamed El Boukhari (Super welterweight
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Tank warfare
Lt Gen Erik Petersen, deputy chief of programs, US Army, has argued it took a “three decade holiday” on modernising tanks.
“There clearly remains a significant armoured heavy ground manoeuvre threat in this world and maintaining a world class armoured force is absolutely vital,” the general said in London last week.
“We are developing next generation capabilities to compete with and deter adversaries to prevent opportunism or miscalculation, and, if necessary, defeat any foe decisively.”
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Other ways to buy used products in the UAE
UAE insurance firm Al Wathba National Insurance Company (AWNIC) last year launched an e-commerce website with a facility enabling users to buy car wrecks.
Bidders and potential buyers register on the online salvage car auction portal to view vehicles, review condition reports, or arrange physical surveys, and then start bidding for motors they plan to restore or harvest for parts.
Physical salvage car auctions are a common method for insurers around the world to move on heavily damaged vehicles, but AWNIC is one of the few UAE insurers to offer such services online.
For cars and less sizeable items such as bicycles and furniture, Dubizzle is arguably the best-known marketplace for pre-loved.
Founded in 2005, in recent years it has been joined by a plethora of Facebook community pages for shifting used goods, including Abu Dhabi Marketplace, Flea Market UAE and Arabian Ranches Souq Market while sites such as The Luxury Closet and Riot deal largely in second-hand fashion.
At the high-end of the pre-used spectrum, resellers such as Timepiece360.ae, WatchBox Middle East and Watches Market Dubai deal in authenticated second-hand luxury timepieces from brands such as Rolex, Hublot and Tag Heuer, with a warranty.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Director: Christopher McQuarrie
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Rating: 4/5
