MySwissAlps.com features ads, commercial and non-commercial Swiss International just cancelled my flight
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Don’t be distressed. USA is having a mild resurgence in many ways.
<<“USA is having a mild resurgence in many ways.”>>
The numbers say it is far from “mild.”
The states with dense population centers that opened up early are now closing down again. 40 of the 50 states are seeing a resurgence, according to what I read in the Wall Street Journal this AM.
The only substantial part of the country where the virus is not surging…yet?…are the 6 New England states. And maybe New York State, I think. That accounts for 7 f the 10.
And, for the sake of balanced reporting, this from the New York Times:
<<“View in browser|nytimes.com
BREAKING NEWS
The U.S. hit another daily record in virus cases — the sixth time in nine days — as Americans prepared to celebrate July 4. Here’s the latest.
Thursday, July 2, 2020 8:41 PM EST
More than 50,000 new coronavirus infections were reported across the United States on Thursday, according to a New York Times database. The alarming new milestone came as some of the country’s most populous states reported major surges.”>>
Slowpoke
Adding to my comments in the llast post,
Here is one from the Associated Press wire:
<<“
The Latest: Hot-spot Arizona reaches ICU capacity of 91%
PHOENIX — Arizona has reached new peaks in hospitalizations and emergency room visits, indicating the state is only intensifying as a coronavirus hot spot. State health officials say the capacity of hospital intensive care units is at an all-time high of 91%. The number of people hospitalized Thursday due to a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19 was 3,013, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services. It’s the first time reaching 3,000. People who went to the ER because of COVID-19 symptoms numbered a record 1,847, nearly 500 more than a day earlier
“>>
Thank you to everyone here for the ongoing, up-to-date and helpful information regarding flights to Switzerland during the Covid-19 pandemic.
I’d like to ask for your advice/interpretation re my upcoming flight scheduled for 26 Aug from EWR–ZRH. Swiss Airlines just sent an email informing me of a “time change” to my flight. Upon closer inspection, it was not a “time change”–rather, a DATE change (moving my reservation ahead by one day on either end of the trip).
The email language is abstruse. Reading it causes me to feel as if I’m being tricked into settling for a voucher for future flight with no possibility of a refund (preferred).
Understandably, travel to Switzerland this summer/fall as a US citizen is looking increasingly unlikely as our infection rates continue to surge.
“due to the continuing coronavirus crisis, SWISS must still cancel an increased amount of flights. This has also caused changes to your booking. We have tried to find the best possible connection for you. Unfortunately, it is not always possible to offer you an alternative. You can find your new itinerary below for your information. Please check whether you will be able to take the trip as it is booked now or if you want to use our flexible rebooking options to start your trip at a different time.You can inform us about your decision by using the selection fields below so that we can update your ticket for you without any further effort from your side. Please transmit your reply by Friday 17 July 2020 , otherwise your flights will be cancelled. Of course, your booking code and your ticket remain valid for later use. You can contact us by January 31, 2021 at the latest and have your new flights booked*. * Our 50,00€ discount applies for all tickets issued before May 16,2020 when rebooking to a new travel date in 2020. We apologize for any inconvenience caused by the flight schedule change.
If you agree to the proposed schedule change, please click here.
Your ticket will automatically be updated with your new flight details.
If you do not want to start your trip as suggested, please click here.
Your flights will be cancelled, your ticket and your booking code will remain valid. You can book your new flights until August 31,2020 for travel in 2020 using the €50 discount. For a new travel date in 2021 or if you have purchased your ticket after May 15, 2020, please contact us by January 31, 2021 and let us know your flight request.
If you do not want to use either alternative or if you want to make a change to your booked trip, please contact our Service Center by Friday 17 July 2020 to prevent your booking from being cancelled.”
I feel inclined to wait for Swiss to CANCEL my flight (as I believe it will be inevitable at this point); but, I’m terribly confused by the language: mainly interpreting the last option: “If you do not want to use either alternative or if you want to make a change to your booked trip, please contact our Service Center by Friday 17 July 2020 to prevent your booking from being cancelled”
Or…….would you hold out and hope/wait for Swiss to cancel
All interpretations welcome and appreciated!
Thank you so much!
*And, Slowpoke & Mark, as a healthcare professional on the front lines here in the US, I have thoroughly enjoyed your exchanges here re: Covid-19.
I look forward to some clarity,
Felicia
Hi Felicia! I’m sorry to hear about the confusing options presented regarding your flight. If I understand it correctly, you have several choices:
- either you wait and do nothing, which means your flight will get cancelled;
- or you confirm the new travel date and time by July 17 (which is still insecure as it’s hard to tell if travelers from the US will be allowed at or around August 26);
- or you contact SWISS to discuss further options.
An important question is whether you want to go ahead with this trip if it’s possible by late August. If so, and if your planning allows, you can agree to the new travel date. Maybe that flight too will get cancelled, but you can wait and see if that happens. If you’re hesitant about going anyway, I think you’d best contact SWISS to see what’s possible. I’m not sure if you have to accept a voucher, as they seem to leave room for other options if you want to postpone your trip to 2021. But you’ll have to get in touch with them to know for sure I guess.
Too bad it’s such a hassle right now, isn’t it? I hope this will soon be over, and that the situation in the US and worldwide will improve. Fingers crossed for a smooth trip to Switzerland, either this summer/fall or at a later point! Good luck and let us know if you need further help.
Hi Snowin81,
Yes, it’s too bad for sure. The 10 day quarantine period isn’t a good match with a holiday in Switzerland, I understand. I think it’s primarily meant for Swiss residents having traveled abroad to countries designated as risk areas and then returning home. But as far as I can tell it applies to anyone getting in from those countries, so that’s a serious hurdle for holiday plans. I’m sorry to hear you’ve been rescheduling your trip that often and that you’ve now decided to cancel. I really hope you’ll be able to make new plans soon. Please let us know if we can assist you with that!
“I feel inclined to wait for Swiss to CANCEL my flight (as I believe it will be inevitable at this point)”
I share your inclination. Also, when they do notify you that your flight has been cancelled, you can go on their website, and request a refund; and receive written confirmation of your claim. That is what I did last week for a July 15th flight from JFK that they cancelled. I will inform folks on this forum when my credit card is credited.
Hi Felicia-
<<“*And, Slowpoke & Mark, as a healthcare professional on the front
lines here in the US, I have thoroughly enjoyed your exchanges here re:
Covid-19.”>>
Thanks.
I’ve been learning a lot from Mark.
I’m curious about your professional perspective on whether a vaccine will be successful?
A friend who is a retired physician has taken the skeptical position that SARS-CoV2 will act like HIV….in that it will mutate rapidly enough that no vaccine will be possible.
On the other hand, I note in reports that people developing vaccines are aware of that issue….
Your thoughts?
Slowpoke
Hi All
I was notified by Delta yesterday that my September flight from Atlanta to Paris has been cancelled. So i guess the best course is to demand a refund and if Switzerland opens up to US travelers then rebook. Currently the prices of business class airfares are low but of course that may change. I think I can wait till early September to cancel my hotel reservations.
September travel to Switzerland does not look promising at present to me.
mark
<<“September travel to Switzerland does not look promising at present to me. “>>
I’m still waiting for them to cancel my impossible flight ( bad connections).
By the way , Mark, how do you feel about changing planes at CDG on the inbound to Switzerland?
Slowpoke
Hi Slowpoke
I suspect most laypeople and physicians too for that matter (outside of virologists or immunologists)have no reliable way to know if a vaccine is likely to be successful, except for what we read in the press. I certainly don’t know. However I haven’t seen much in print that would lead me to believe a viable vaccine isn’t possible.
Of course what is meant by “ viable vaccine “ is not always straightforward when it comes to viral diseases. HIV is one extreme, no vaccine. The original shingles vaccine was only about 35% effective (which I eagerly took). The newer shingles vaccine is 90% or better(which I again eagerly took). Somewhere in the middle are the yearly influenza vaccines which i think protects pretty well against a few strains, less well against others, and not at all against many mutated strains. Kind of an educated guess combined with a roll of the dice situation.
What we all hope for are vaccines like those for Rubella, polio, small pox ,etc which have virtually wiped out these diseases. Who knows? Fingers crossed !!
Mark
Thanks, Mark –
I was seeking Felicia’s (Swatchme’s) opinion. I happen to agree with what you wrote, by the way.
Slowpoke
Yes I know, i just couldn’t resist chiming in. I too am curious to hear Felicia’s viewpoint. Her perspective may well be more accurate than mine.
As to flying through CDG, I have little experience. My layover was 1.5 hrs and the itinerary warned it was a tight connection but I know my daughter had a connecting flight through CDG 2 years ago and she said it was quick (about 30 minutes as i recall). Personally if i have a choice I usually prefer the connecting flight to be in a US airport so if I miss my connection at least I’m still in my native country (usually this means flying through JFK, Atlanta, Chicago, Newark, or Dulles for me). That’s not always possible or convenient unfortunately.
Mark
Hello Annika,
Your reply is most helpful and I really appreciate the time and effort you put into such a thoughtful and thorough response.
As much as I would love to be returning to beautiful Switzerland again at the end of August, it appears as each day passes, the likelihood of such a visit becomes less and less.
I was coming to witness the Zurich-Zermatt Chasing Cancellara cycling event as well as taking a week long bike tour of my own. Additionally, I had previously purchased tickets to the Festival Lucerne which has sadly also been cancelled.
I think I will wait for Swiss to cancel my flight and then request a refund once they do so.
I look forward to a time in the future when it may be safe to travel again.
In the meantime, thank you again for your kind response!
Stay healthy and safe,
Felicia
Hello Slowpoke and Mark,
Apologies for my delay—I have been busy at work!
My thoughts regarding a viable Sars CoV-2 vaccine are somewhat ambiguous at present. It’s especially important to separate signal from noise right now—there’s a great deal of information out there and also, unfortunately, a significant amount of misinformation.
The 30 year search for an HIV vaccine has helped to expedite the progression of science and the search for a viable vaccine at warp speed…However, what SARS CoV-2 has done (in similar fashion as HIV in the 80s) in the healthcare and public health arenas is to shine a bright light on the health disparities and inequities among Black and Hispanic populations mostly related to chronic comorbidities, poverty, limited access to healthcare, inability to shelter in place as a means of survival, etc.
These underrepresented populations are vital to include in any clinical trials.
Personally, what I have witnessed in the hospital ICU since our first Covid-19 patient was admitted in March is a noticeable difference in the severity of symptoms. The virus seemed to behave much differently back in March than it does right now. For this reason (the genetic stability of the virus), I believe a viable/lasting vaccine is out of reach because of how quickly the virus appears to mutate. Similar to the seasonal influenza, new formulations would likely need to be released every year. Ideally, it would be wonderful if SARS CoV-2 became less virulent as time goes on.
From my limited knowledge, it appears as though Oxford is leading the way in vaccine development and even though they will likely have vaccinated all of their efficacy subjects before any of the others start their big trials, it is unlikely a vaccine will come before winter. I believe the vaccine that holds the record for fastest development was for Mumps and that took 4 years…
Since SARS CoV-2 is still not well understood and cases continue to surge (especially in the US, Brazil and India), it will also present enormous challenges to get any viable vaccine in the right amount to the right people in the right place in the right country at the right time…
Unlike smallpox, it will be much harder to eliminate Covid since many people (millions) with SARS CoV-2 can spread it unknowingly.
The virulence of this virus commands respect—a force to be reckoned with for sure. The multi system devastation it imparts to some and not others is truly an enigma. The bedside offers a unique perspective on just how different the virus affects every single person…
At any rate, as much as I am hopeful that a vaccine is possible, I believe it is much too soon to tell based on the mutability of the virus. The biggest challenge will be efficacy…
With more than 540 thousand deaths globally, I shall keep my fingers crossed and my full PPE on!!
Stay safe and healthy.
Felicia
<<“
Personally, what I have witnessed in the hospital ICU since our first
Covid-19 patient was admitted in March is a noticeable difference in the
severity of symptoms. The virus seemed to behave much differently back
in March than it does right now. For this reason (the genetic stability
of the virus), I believe a viable/lasting vaccine is out of reach
because of how quickly the virus appears to mutate. Similar to the
seasonal influenza, new formulations would likely need to be released
every year. Ideally, it would be wonderful if SARS CoV-2 became less
virulent as time goes on.”>
Thanks. A very useful perspective, due to your experience. My reading as well suggests that Oxford is well ahead in testing. They were ready for it.
Slowpoke
Slowpoke
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