in stjames‘s park in the heart of london at an appropriate distance, of course, our global guru simon calderom norwegian. guys, how are you? very good, thank you. i've been doing some flying! yes, you have! it's not too bad. if you are one of those people who are really concerned about social distancing, don't go near an aircraft this summer, because you're not going to get any. but if you think, well, probably my fellow passengers, the other people i'm going to encounter, are going to of course not travel if they're symptomatic or they've been told they might be infected, then it's all right. it's pretty austere, kind of back to the ‘70s. but, yeah, i think those of us determined to travel this summer will be able to get where we need to be. you're going to have problems of course in terms of social distancing in the big resorts, but that's going to become much easier because half the people at least are not going to be showing up. there is an enormous reluctance out there for people who have perhaps got used to lockdown, they're feeling kind of safe, kind of comfortable, and the idea of su

are still being contacted by viewers who can't get a refund from their airlines, so we have sent simon calderhy. between march and june, we on the travel show estimate that at least half a billion travellers have had their flights cancelled worldwide, and, quite reasonably, many would like their money back. the airline's response has been very lacking in information, and the most important thing is how long i should expect to wait for my refund. the travel agent is saying that the airline is responsible, and the airline is telling me that the travel agent are responsible. we received the refund number on june ist. and as yet we have had nothing else. we only know that there is 120 days' wait. the same as everybody else. i have lost myjob now as well, so i have got no income any more, so it would have been nice to have it back. a little sooner. with flights being cancelled, your rights are clear. at least in the uk and the european union. you must get your money back within a week, whether you have booked direct with the airline, or through a travel agent. many other countries, including the u

we're still being contacted by viewers who can't get a refund from their airlines, so we've sent simon caldern march and june, we on the travel show estimate that at least half a billion travellers have had their flights cancelled worldwide, and, quite reasonably, many would like their money back. the airline's response has been very lacking in information, and the most important thing is how long i should expect to wait for my refund. the travel agent is saying that the airline is responsible, and the airline is telling me that the travel agent are responsible. we received the refund number on june 1st. and as yet, we've had nothing else. we only know that there is 120 days' wait. the same as everybody else. i've lost myjob now as well, so i've got no income any more, so it would have been nice to have it back a little sooner. your flight‘s been cancelled, your rights are clear, at least in the uk and the european union. you must get your money back within a week, whether you have booked direct with the airline or through a travel agent. many other countries, including the us, india, brazil

are still being contacted by viewers who can't get a refund from their airlines, so we have sent simon caldery. between march and june, we on the travel show estimate that at least half a billion travellers have had their flights cancelled worldwide, and, quite reasonably, many would like their money back. the airline's response has been very lacking in information, and the most important thing is how long i should expect to wait for my refund. the travel agent is saying that the airline is responsible, and the airline is telling me that the travel agent are responsible. we received the refund number on june 1st. and as yet we have had nothing else. we only know that there is 120 days' wait. the same as everybody else. i have lost myjob now as well, so i have got no income any more, so it would have been nice to have it back. a little sooner. with flights being cancelled, your rights are clear. at least in the uk and the european union. you must get your money back within a week, whether you have booked direct with the airline, or through a travel agent. many other countries, including the us

let's get more from the travel expert simon calder.and travel sector. yes, which is an interesting assertion. it is actually helping consumers who, over the past four months, in which i reckon 10 million holidays have been cancelled, accepted something called a refund credit note. basically it is a super voucher which says we have to give you a holiday or in six months of the year we will give you a cash refund. nothing has changed the package holiday—makers whose trips are cancelled. if you want your cashback you can still demand it and say you have to get it back to me within two weeks. unfortunately the travel industry has been so traumatised by coronavirus that is almost no possibility of refunds within a fortnight so instead, within a fortnight so instead, within a fortnight so instead, within a couple of days of the foreign office warning against all but essential travel, apt to have said people could accept these and it will help the travel industry and four months on we have finally got confirmation that that will be the case.

simon calder is the travel editor of the independent and joins me now from gatwick airport. were talking to guy, and for the spanish tourist industry, is well. starting with the uk travel industry, the word i have had more than any other talking to people, trying to run airlines and companies, is that this is absolutely devastating. in the very short term there will be a hit of tens of millions of pounds. for example, tui, the biggest holiday company in britain, has cancelled its package holidays to spain from today. that will, i presume, apply for the next couple of weeks, then they will have rolling cancellations thereafter, the phones will be red—hot for the big travel companies. but it is the longer term issues that people are particularly worried about in travel because this, coming withjust worried about in travel because this, coming with just a few hours' notice, means, as you've been reporting, that hundreds of thousands of people currently enjoying holidays in spain will need to go straight on from the airport, stay home for two weeks, you are not allowed to go out

travel journalist simon calder can tell us more. he's in derry, londonderry in northern ireland. is a little complicated, because the announcement we can pass on to people from the government is those four countries. what does it mean for those four countries, those of all? 0k, for those four countries, those of all? ok, fine. let's take france, italy, spain, germany and also greece, because we were told about that last week, and there will most certainly be other countries joining that list when it's published sometime today, i don't know. but basically at the moment there is a double log on you and i travelling abroad. first of all, the foreign office warns against all but essential travel anywhere. if i went to miles from here across the border into the republic, that would be going against the advice and my travel insurance would be invalid —— to miles. since the eighth ofjune, there has been compulsory quarantine on anyone coming into the uk except from ireland. from tomorrow, the foreign office advice for france, spain, italy, greece and germany, and others, will be lifted

simon calder on that not so optimistic note, thank you for speaking to us this morning.from spain and around the question of original quarantine and why it applies to those islands are not as to mainland spain. and also about the government's new obesity plan as well. you have about five minutes so if you want to send a question in, find us in the usual places. nina will importantly talk about your right if you have to quarantine when you get back. lots of questions about that this morning. it is 25 minutes past seven. a lot of us will be staying at home so what is the weather like? morning, it depends where you are. if you are in the highlands at the moment, this is the kind of view you may have, the skies, this was taken in week by one of our weather watchers but for much of the rest of the uk it is cloudy and wet, rather like in exmouth in devon, taken by another weather watch. the first pa rt another weather watch. the first part of this week, it is looking cool and unsettled but by wednesday, things dry up and as we heading towards friday, it looks like they are goi

we can speak now to the travel editor of the independent, simon calder.p this effective ban in place. for anybody with a trip there, a time of great uncertainty. for the holiday companies, they said they do not know whether they will be able to run those trips are not. having said that, there are right now, many tens of thousands, properly hundreds of thousands of british people in portugal. yes. clearly, no problem for italy. it is absolutely beautiful where you are so i do not know if we are invading your family summer holiday or what. but i suppose your passports would have been up to date and ready to go. but there is an issue with this massive backlog. what are your thoughts on this and what is your advice? we got some news overnight. i calculate that 2 million passports have expired in the four months of lockdown. roughly half a million per month. 40% of those are for children because there passports run out annoyingly quickly, every five yea rs. annoyingly quickly, every five years. there are 410,000 passports caught in the backlog at the passport

stjames's park in the heart of london, at an appropriate distance, of course, our global guru simon calderit's all right. it's pretty austere, kind of back to the '70s, but, yeah, i think those of us determined to travel this summer will be able to get where we need to be. you're going to have problems, of course, in terms of social distancing in the big resorts, but that's going to become much easier because half the people at least are not going to be showing up. there's an enormous reluctance out there are people who have perhaps got used to lockdown, are feeling kind of safe, kind of comfortable, and the idea of suddenly going out and meeting 1000 strangers simply doesn't appeal. and you've got this tension of course between, well, obviously i want to preserve my health, i don't want to risk anyone else's, but i'm also desperate to see the wonders of the world and enjoy travel. now, philip, norwegian is one of the key low—cost airlines. your business model relies on cramming people in, so how do you keep people safe? like all airlines, we've adopted a number of measures, so cleanliness

we can speak now to the travel editor of the independent, simon calder. are by no mean full, there is ple nty of planes are by no mean full, there is plenty of room if you want to plan your escape. here's a question from dave, simon. in relation to the flights themselves, what it‘s like when you‘re on board, he said i went to majorca on a fly, everything fine with masks. until we got in the air. they were selling drinks, food, which then led to everyone taking off their masks. no social distancing, questions need to be asked to airlines serving food and drinks. on the plane. i mean, what are the guidelines? what's the procedure? it's all different, depending on what airline you refer to and! depending on what airline you refer to and i imagine this one was ryanair, it's even selling scratchcards, can you believe! aer lingus, easyjet, simply giving you a glass of water if you ask for one, not serving food and drink, british airways giving you a bag with crisps, biscuits, bottle of water, which you have to remove your mask for but anyone who thinks there is

let's talk now to the travel editor of the independent, simon calder, who's at gatwick airport this morningid that if you don't wa nt to airline has said that if you don't want to go because suddenly you will have to quarantine for two weeks when you get back, then you can get a voucher or transfer your flight to a voucher or transfer your flight to a later time. you will not get a cash refund. the uk's biggest holiday company, tui, will not be operating a number of its package holidays to spain. i understand they basically are going to be cancelling everything. however, the aircraft are still going out because, of course, there are many thousands of people on holiday in spain and they are going to come back and they are going to have to fill in one of these passenger locator forms. they will then have to go straight home and self—isolate at home for two weeks. the first time they will be able to step out of their front door is on the 10th of august. of course none of them signed up for this. they were expecting just a lovely holiday. but suddenly with a few hours' notice they are finding t

stjames's park in the heart of london, at an appropriate distance, of course, our global guru simon caldering, don't go near an aircraft this summer, because you're not going to get any. but if you think, well, probably my fellow passengers, the other people i'm going to encounter are of course not going to travel if they are asymptomatic or have been told they are infected, then it's all right. it's pretty austere, kind of back to the 70s, but, yeah, ithink those of us determined will be able to get where we need to be. you're going to have problems of course in terms of social distancing in the big resorts, but that's going to become much easier because after people at least are not going to be showing up. there is an enormous reluctance out there are people who have perhaps got used to lockdown, they are feeling kind of safe, kind of comfortable, and the idea of suddenly going out and meeting 1000 strangers dimly doesn't appeal. and you've got this tension of course between well, obviously i want to preserve my health and i don't want to risk anyone else's, but i'm also desperate to see