UK gates will be almost closed from Saturday. “From this Saturday morning at midnight”, there will be “an obligation to have a compelling reason to come or go from the United Kingdom, both for unvaccinated people and for vaccinated people”. These reasons “will not allow travel for tourist or professional reasons,” the government said in a press release on Thursday.

The validity of tests on departure from the United Kingdom is reduced from 48 hours to 24 hours, and an isolation system is also introduced on arrival in France, Matignon confirmed in a press release. The tightening of travel conditions to cross the English Channel will have many consequences on airline and train bookings, especially for the Christmas season. Faced with government decisions, many travelers will have to cancel or postpone their trips. A puzzle for families and carriers.

Deadline June 30, 2022

In this new context, the Eurostar train company, contacted by Le Parisien, confirmed these exchange or return conditions. “We allow free exchange for all travel booked between December 17, 2021 and January 10, 2022. You can also request an electronic voucher, which will be valid until June 30, 2022,” the company told us.

At Air France, the situation with the United Kingdom does not change the conditions that have already existed for several months. The “Air France Protect” system is valid until June 30, 2022. It allows you to recover your reservation either in the form of a credit note or a refund for all trips purchased before January 31, 2022. By British Airways, we are carefully monitoring the situation and sending its users to its “Book with Confidence” reservation program, which allows you to change the dates of your reservation, which is still valid.