75ZT Community

Things are dangerous in Egypt.

Emergency repatriations are taking place from Egypt to many countries of the world.

Now, even the Brits are to get out... if they can afford to pay the UK government £300 per seat

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travelnews/8296716/Egypt-crisis-Britain-sending-charter-plane-to-Cairo.html

About the same as a commercial flight then.

Don't see a problem with that

Tourerfogey wrote:Don't see a problem with that

If people were starting to shoot at me, the yanks and everybody else were jumping on their national mercy flights and government airlines was asking me for £300 that I didn't have, I'd see the problem Basil.

But is it a case of paying £300 otherwise you will not get on the flight OR you will owe the Government £300 after the flight.

Most people have credit cards and I presume these are ex-pats that have been earning a tidy sum tax free. They have made their choice of where to work so why should the tax payer (i.e. you and me because they are not) pay for them to be brought 'home'?

Paul

I think my point is that other national administrations prioritize getting their people to safety, but the UK, on the other hand, make the following statement:-

"All credit cards accpted"

Finland are also charging to repatriate their citizens so we are not alone in doing this. And yes, the Government has said that the money can be paid later if not available now.

As I see it there are 3 reasons for a Brit to be in Egypt:

1 There temporarily on business - can't see that any individual is going to suffer a financial loss getting home because their companies (quite possibly not even a UK company) will pick up the tab.

2 You live and work there - therefore probably not paying UK tax so why should the UK tax payer pay to get you home?

3 On holiday. Cost may possibly be covered by insurance. If not, then if you can afford a holiday in Egypt in these difficult times you can probably afford an extra £300 to get home. Besides, you have to accept that going virtually anywhere abroad these days carries a certain degree of risk - if you don't want to accept that risk then don't go.

Thanks for the open invitiation to argue in your last post Basil but I'll give it a miss if you don't mind

Just stating the fact as I see them Paul.

You are of course entitled to your own opinion, even if it is wrong

Commercial flights are apparently available for anyone that wants to leave, albeit there are more people than there are available flights in the short term. IMHO the chartered flights being made available should be operating under the same premise as normal commercial flights. They are not being made available for a mass exodus in extreme circumstances, if that were the case then the Royal Navy and RAF would be called on to assist with an evacuation.
However, were the situation to change and it become dangerous to be in Egypt at all, then repatriation flights again IMHO should be free.

Tourerfogey wrote:Just stating the fact as I see them Paul.

But of course

Tourerfogey wrote:You are of course entitled to your own opinion, even if it is wrong

As is usually the case

The Commercial airline approached for this "rescue" quoted a price of just £49,500 + fuel and taxes.
If as said RAF were asked to do it then perhaps free, but someone has to cover the costs involved which I personally thought was quite reasonable. (Goes back into tin shed which is Raistlin proof)

JohnDotCom wrote: (Goes back into tin shed which is Raistlin proof)

I'm not saying it's unreasonable John. My only point is that every other country concentrates on getting them out. UK however, has a bus conductor at the steps of the aircraft as first priority