Searches for flights to Portugal soar after quarantine lifted

By PA News

Published: 11:52, 21 August 2020

| Updated: 12:08, 25 August 2020

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Searches for flights to Portugal have soared after the country was removed from the UK’s quarantine list.

Passengers arriving in the UK from Portugal will no longer have to self-isolate from 4am on Saturday after an approved travel corridor was confirmed.

The news, announced on Thursday evening, has caused search traffic for flights to the coastal nation to peak as other popular holiday destinations such as Croatia were removed from the UK’s safe list.

Google search data shows a significant spike in searches for the term “flights to Portugal” by users in the UK at around 6pm on Thursday.

There was smaller peak at 7am on Friday morning.

People looking for “flights to UK from Croatia” peaked on Thursday at 6pm, shortly after Grant Shapps made the announcement, and high numbers of people searched the same terms early on Friday morning.

Data also shows we can now add Portugal to those countries INCLUDED in Travel Corridors. As with all air bridge countries, please be aware that things can change quickly. Only travel if you are content to unexpectedly 14-day quarantine if required (I speak from experience!)
— Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP (@grantshapps) August 20, 2020

A number of easyJet flights from London airports to destinations across Portugal are already unavailable for Saturday and Sunday.

Jet2 is among the airlines aiming to capitalise on the rush, adding extra seats to Faro from Monday from across the UK.

Chief executive Steve Heapy said: “Customers are responding to the welcome change in Government advice by booking their much-needed holidays in the Portuguese sunshine, and we are responding to that by adding more flights and seats.

“We want our customers to enjoy their well-deserved holidays, and our decision to act quickly and add even more capacity to Faro ensures they will have plenty of choice.”

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