Few quarantine concerns among passengers heading to Ibiza

Passengers on the first flight from Glasgow to the Balearics on Monday expressed few concerns about quarantining when they get back, despite the islands moving to the UK’s amber travel list.

Ibiza, Majorca and Menorca were moved to amber last week because of a surge in cases; however, many people had already booked to go while they were part of the green list.

As Scotland moves to Level 0 of its coronavirus restrictions, one of those at Glasgow Airport for the 7.15am Jet2 flight was Jacqui Sutherland.

Under the new guidance, people who are fully vaccinated or under 18 and are arriving from an amber list country do not have to self-isolate – but adults and children over 12 must still take tests before travelling and on their second day after arriving.

Sutherland, heading to Ibiza for a week with her partner, told the PA news agency: “We booked when it was on the green (list) and then we did kind of wonder what to do when it moved to amber.

“But because we’re double-vaccinated we don’t have to quarantine.

“My friend is a travel consultant and said that if anything happens they will send flights out to bring you home before it went on to the red.

“That’s why we booked when it was green because if it went to amber we were still OK… a wee bit of a worry but we’re going to go anyway because at the moment it’s all good.

“Both my girls have only got one vaccine so they’re just not going at all because it’s too much of a risk.”

However, friends Poppy and Shannon, both 20, were on the same flight and facing the prospect of quarantining when they return next week.

Neither of them has received even a first dose of vaccine yet – but that was not going to stop heading for the sun any longer.

Shannon told PA: “With all the right information we’ve been totally fine to just book it – there’s always safe ways to go about it.

“We’ve been waiting two years and had Ibiza booked twice so we’re finally getting to go away.”

Poppy added: “I’m not even caring, I just want to be in the sun.

“I’ve had so many holidays booked that have been cancelled.”

Another couple who have had both vaccine doses, Laura Salway and Crawford Rae, travelled down from Elgin and stayed at a nearby hotel overnight ahead of their nine nights in Ibiza.

Salway told PA: “Because it’s just changed I think we’ll be pretty safe, we’ve had both (doses), we’ve got all of our paperwork in order.

“I can’t see them changing it again – although that’s going to be famous last words now… It’s quite plain sailing actually – I thought (checking in) would be more difficult.

“It’s all quite quiet. We stayed over the road because we came down from Elgin and it was quiet over there as well – it’s not the usual but I thought there’d be more people going to Ibiza.”