I have just booked a short trip back to the UK towards the end of this month - my second journey in a couple of months having dropped off A. at college in September so after over 18 months not setting a foot outside of the UAE, I am embracing the return to travel.
Our return in September required no less than 5 PCR tests including one in UAE, three to comply with UK restrictions (notwithstanding our quarantining in a cottage in North Devon) and then one to return to the UAE. I am hopeful that my next trip will not require quite so many tests but the flight itself was a welcome return to something approaching normality. Before Covid I was probably averaging around a trip every 6 weeks (although some of those were short hops around the Middle East for work reasons).
I am not sure whether that level of travel will be required in the future and what the new normal will be but I have noticed some changes in booking/taking flights (other than taking PCR tests and face masks).
In particular, whilst they are still only flying to Heathrow so far as London airports are concerned, Emirates seem to be offering more variety of options when it comes to seat bookings - including a premium economy seat so it will be interesting to see how that compares with the usual economy seat. I will be meeting A. at my Father’s house so he too will be embracing an unfamiliar form of travel - in his case a train - taking advantage of the rail card that his Aunt bought for him. Not much opportunity for train travel in the Middle East so it will be interesting to see how he gets on navigating the journey from the Midlands to the South East!
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