If You Don't Travel For Business Would You Change Your Plans Due To Swine Flu?

[Nigelinoz]

Simple question really,how worried are you about it?
I have to say I am a bit concerned after hearing that there are three suspected cases near Albury.
I'm certainly not panicking but this is the last thing the aviation industry needs isn't it?

 

[straitman]

Simple question really,how worried are you about it?
I have to say I am a bit concerned after hearing that there are three suspected cases near Albury.
I'm certainly not panicking but this is the last thing the aviation industry needs isn't it?

It is the last thing the travel industry needs right now :!:

We don't know how big the impact will be just yet so I hope that people don't just start cancelling and reacting to the media hype. I see it at this stage to be something that people need to be aware of BUY then need to weight up the options appropriately.

I'm monitoring what's going on before I buy any OS trips but that's about all at this time.

Ask the question again in a week or so and the answer may be more definitive.

 

[NYCguy]

I think I'll invest in a box of those special face-masks that filter out viruses. Then I might finally fit-in on NH flights.

 

[SnowYeti]

Nigelinoz, I won't be travelling if I can't get travel insurance to cover it if something did happen. I'm not worried about it, but that saying, you should never go out of your own country if you're not covered. (That's my opinion, I know alot of people have different opinions on this!)

 

[harvyk]

In three words - not a chance.

I have two trips planned for next Month (Starting Saturday ), the first is a Holiday, the first OS holiday I have been on in 18 years, and the second is a business trip to the US (first trip to SFO and MIA ). I've had a couple of people ask me if I am considering changing my travel plans as I'm going through two countries with confirmed cases (NZ and US) and my response is simple.

1. I'm insured, so if the worst does happen I'm covered.
2. I'm at more risk of being involved in an accident (car \ plane \ bus) on my way there or back than I am of catching this flu.
3. If the worst should happen, see point 1.

Will I take pre-cautions - Yes, but that said, no more than I would already normally take.

 

[samh004]

Not particularly worried. As I've already mentioned, my mum wants me to get a flu shot (not that it'll be effective) so I'm getting that next week, and my travel takes me down to NZ in the winter, so I'm hoping the swine flu doesn't like the cold, but not really caring either, it's not an issue to me.

If I was flying to Mexico it'd likely be a bigger issue.

 

[AussieTim]

Whilst I am not overly panicked by the whole thing - I am still heading to Singapore for work in May.

I am erring on the side of caution with my June trip to Mexico City, and waiting to see just what happens. Still tempted to book anyway, but time will tell.

 

[haydensydney]

Hmm.... I would check out the below link from the Insurance Council on Quarantinable Diseases - most insurance polices have a clause (bought about after SARS) that limits/restricts cover in the event of a disease, such as Swine flu.

Quarantinable Diseases

Just be careful and check the fine print not only in your PDS, but also in your coverage schedule.....

......oh, and here is my special facebook group on this Swine Flu issue ; )

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=75959803916

 

[FlyboyAl]

I'm off to Michigan and Calif in about 2 weeks, and other than taking a packet of tammyflu, there ain't nothing that is going to stop me going.
I'll hold my breath on the plane, and kill any bugs with alchohol just to make sure!!!!

A week on the beaches around Manhattan Beach is looking really good!

 

[coco50]

Simple question really,how worried are you about it?
I have to say I am a bit concerned after hearing that there are three suspected cases near Albury.
I'm certainly not panicking but this is the last thing the aviation industry needs isn't it?

Hey!! Where abouts near ABX are you. I had nine years there in the seventies and four years there from 2003 - 2006. Great place but it has suffered because of the drought and the recession.

It's not good for the aviation industry but I wouldn't change travel plans unless they included North or Central America. I am a bit concerned with a son living in LA - not that far from Tijuana - and a doughter working in NY who travels to San Antonio TX quite a lot. Where the suspected cases end up after their travels is pretty random - imagine 3 near ABX. I wonder how many in Far North Coast of NSW or Gold Coast?

 

[tuapekastar]

Of to NZ in 10 days or so, and that won't change. Would think long and hard about travel to Mexico, but otherwise can't see I would change anything.

 

[mbeder]

Travelling to Chicago & LA for a week in early June on business and initially held off booking flights to see how bad the "outbreak" would get. After the initial hype the outbreak is certainly not as bad as first thought and I decided to go ahead with the trip. The downside has been that I have ended up paying around $200 more for the flights (!), but better safe than sorry I guess.

 

[JohnK]

Travelled to SE Asia during SARS and the avian flu crisis. I have no plans or desire to visit Mexico or South America so hopefully any sort of risk is minimised.

I have a holiday to USA/Canada and Greece coming up in August/September and unless the swine flu gets very serious it is full steam ahead....

 

[RB]

Currently in France. Left sydney last week & been thru Singapore, Heathrow & Charles De Gaule & saw a total of 3 masks in use. No problems or hassles & no attention paid to it by the media here. Aust did get a mention a few days ago for having a confirmed mild case

 

[drron]

No chance.Currently in Khao Lak-Dengue is much more likely,can be fatal but didnt stop me coming.And apart from trying to stop mosquito bites not a lot we can do about it.

 

[bushtuckerman]

My plans will not change. Annual Asia sojourns are too important to forgo simply because of influenza. Besides, my BKK dentist needs the money to keep his Mercedes running.

Although quite infectious, this flu strain is not much different from seasonal flu, although a bit earlier in the season. However, the corollory is that its less virulent than first thought.

Annually, there are approximately 2,000 flu related deaths in Australia, and nearly 30,000 in the US. The majority of deaths occur in people with pre-existing medical conditions.

It is unlikely that this strain will pose any greater risk of morbidity or moratlity than usual. And as for the threat of pandemic avian flu, well it seems dead in the water.

Cheers
Bush

 

[Evan]

<..>
It is unlikely that this strain will pose any greater risk of morbidity or moratlity than usual. And as for the threat of pandemic avian flu, well it seems dead in the water.

Cheers
Bush

I think the real concern is the 'second' wave if it comes back in a much more nasty form. Now i have no idea why they think this flu is likely to do this but i guess all the medical professionals believe there is something significant about the possibility or severity of the second wave (like the spanish flu it was the 2nd and 3rd wave that killed everybody, not the first one)

Anyway i wish i could get the damn flu, become immune and get on with life, i am sick of people talking about it. Somebody at works who's responsibility to do it sent out an email suggesting we keep a list of what we did on the 7 days prior to returning and after we return from overseas travel.... hmmmm 4 continents, thats really practical !

 

[Arthur Hodgson]

Anyway i wish i could get the damn flu, become immune and get on with life, i am sick of people talking about it. Somebody at works who's responsibility to do it sent out an email suggesting we keep a list of what we did on the 7 days prior to returning and after we return from overseas travel.... hmmmm 4 continents, thats really practical !

I completely agree with you. I would be very happy to contract the current version of the H1N1 flu (I always get vaccinated against "real" flu) so that if it comes around again in a more virulent strain (why should it?) I'll be totally immune. However, I'd be really pissed off by the small-minded, stupid attention I'd get from the Australian authorities. Sol was definitely right.

Apart from that, the real reason the authorities are over-playing their hand in Australasia is that they are testing their plans for the real thing on us human guinea pigs. They obviously couldn't give a damn about individuals.

 

[Alanslegal]

Till the day I ever get Swine (which is I think is sooooooooooooooo overblown out of proportion and soooooooooooooo unlikely) - I ain't changing any plans!!

 

[Hvr]

Interesting twist on swine flu paranoia this morning as reported on radio 3aw . A couple flew from LHR to HKG en route to Australia, a pax on the BA flight had swine flu and all other pax were required to remain in HKG.

Their passport details have been notified to border agents so they cannot leave, yet they are allowed to roam anywhere they want within HKG as long as they report for their daily Tamiflu tablet. Looks like they will be there for 5-7 days.

Their travel insurance company has, naturally refused to pay for the extra expenses.

How stupid is this? Surely if the HKG government had concerns they would have been better off sending them on their way ASAP?