Since Russia invaded Ukraine on 24
February, flight routes have been
modified and the UK’s Foreign,
Commonwealth & Development
Office (FCDO) is advising against
visiting much of the region. From
airspace blockades to cancelled
trips, here’s how the ongoing
conflict is impacting travellers.Where’s out of bounds? The FCDO
currently advises against all travel
to Russia and Ukraine. There’s also
an advisory in place against travel
to Belarus and the Transnistria
region in Moldova. Most travel
insurance policies will no longer be
valid for these countries.How has air travel been affected?
Airlines must refund customers for
flights to countries in the region
ruled out by the FCDO. Russia has
banned UK airlines from entering
its airspace, and the Civil Aviation
Authority’s instructions to avoid
Ukrainian air space has added to
extended flight times from the UK
to the Far East. Both Virgin Atlantic
and British Airways are warning
of increased journey times to
destinations such as India, Thailand
and Singapore. This, plus a rise in
jet fuel prices, is expected to cause
an increase in air fares, although
carriers including Ryanair and
EasyJet have hedged fuel supplies
or locked-in prices for the summer.How have tour operators
responded? Costs on the
ground may go up in countries
heavily reliant on Russian oil
and gas imports. Travel industry
regulations allow tour operators
to pass on increases of up to 8%
before consumers are entitled to
cancel a trip without incurring a
penalty. However, operators must
cancel upcoming trips to areas the
FCDO advises against travel to and
issue a refund or offer a rebooking.
Ports including St Petersburg andHOT TOPIC
Here’s all you need to know about how the war in Ukraine has redrawn the travel map,
from international flight routes to regional trips. Words: Sarah BarrellHOW THE WAR IN UKRAINE
IS AFFECTING TRAVEL
Kiev are on many cruise itineraries,
but operators such as Atlas Ocean
Voyages and Princess Cruises are
re-routing to avoid Russian and
Ukrainian destinations. Viking
Cruises, meanwhile, is one of the
firms opting to cancel some 2022
departures, including sailings
from Kiev and Bucharest. Explore
Worldwide, the leading provider of
tours to Chernobyl, has cancelled
all trips to Russia and Ukraine.
“We’re assisting our affected
operating partners,” says the
company’s managing director,
Michael Edwards. “We’ve made a
company donation and our staff
are fundraising. And our resilient
customers are booking adventures
elsewhere across the world.”Are travellers cancelling trips?
Destinations bordering Russia and
Ukraine are seeing some consumer
uncertainty. Of the popular travel
destinations bordering Ukraine
to the west — Hungary, Romania,
Slovakia and Poland — the latter is
receiving a significant number ofrefugees from Ukraine. Bookings
to Baltic destinations have
slowed, according to specialist
tour operator Regent Holidays.
Undiscovered Destinations has
cancelled some trips but its clients
have all have rebooked. “Some
have transferred to other Eastern
European tours, others to our
Baltic tours in Latvia, Lithuania and
Estonia,” says the company’s head
of business development, Aled
Evans. “We’d expected these areas
to see a drop in interest but, in fact,
the opposite happened.”Can I cancel a trip to a country the
FCDO hasn’t ruled out? Yes, but
you won’t be refunded. Russia has
threatened “military consequences”
if nearby Sweden and Finland join
NATO, but there are no FCDO
travel advisories for this region yet.
Worried about your destination
appearing on the FCDO no-go list?
Protect your booking by travelling
on a package sold by a reputable
ATOL-listed operator. READ THE
FULL STORY ONLINE NOWPRICE INCREASES
Flights from the UK to
the Far East may get
more expensive as
airlines fly longer routes
and spend more on fuel
as a result. Costs may go
up in countries reliant on
Russian oil and gas.TRIP REFUNDS
You’re entitled to a
refund only if your
destination is listed
below or your operator
cancels your trip.OUT OF BOUNDS
The FCDO currently
advises against travel
to four destinations
affected by the conflict:
Russia, Ukraine, Belarus
and the Transnistria
region of Moldova.
More info: gov.uk/
IMAGES: foreign-travel-advice