Any Recent Visitors to GA

[chris and jackie]

If you go to Dubai which has just been added to U.K. No quarantine corridor you have to have negative test before entry and Emirates airlines will not let you board the plane without negative test documentation. Also Emirates now include full Covid cover as part if fare and pay for everything if you catch it whilst on holiday and refund costs.

[kevinb]

I've come to the conclusion that the UK isn't big enough for all us Brits to holiday here, family holidays in the UK are fantastically expensive and if travel to Europe next year doesn't resume the cost of a UK holiday will go ballistic. I can spend a month in Spain outside of the usual six week peak season for probably less than two weeks in a static caravan by the seaside with questionable weather and overpriced beer.

[John H]

It might sound awful but here goes, thinking about our use of oil and the polution that's produced by flying, if the quarantine periods and cost of Covid tests stops a lot of frequent fliers, those historically flew down for the "weekend" for example, then in my book it's no bad thing.

Regards all

John

[BeachLife]

Hi John - we are aligned on a number of matters but certainly not on this one.

I dont want to return to a time when only the elite were able to afford to fly (not that you said that) but it would be a inevitable consequence of the Lo-Cost airlines going out of business due to lack of volume.

We bought our house in GA when we were both 45 and working full time. It just simply wouldnt have happened for us if we coulnt have come out for weekends and to be honest it kept me sane in the most stressful periods of my life being able to escape down to GA.

I for one cant wait to be back over "ad hoc" and also use the lo-cost carrieres to explore Europe now I am in the late summer of my life

Just my thoughts

It might sound awful but here goes, thinking about our use of oil and the polution that's produced by flying, if the quarantine periods and cost of Covid tests stops a lot of frequent fliers, those historically flew down for the "weekend" for example, then in my book it's no bad thing.

Regards all

John

[John H]

Hi BeachLife, I think we all have a part to play in saving our planets resources and the planet itself as "uncomfortable" as it might be. Like you I have enjoyed cheap flights and the places they have taken me to and I hope I can continue to do so for a few years to come.
I would endorse a sliding scale of taxation based on the number of miles someone flies in a year that doesnt penalise Mr and Mrs Average on their two flights a year to the Mediterranean.....but folk who want to take several flights and fly tens of thousands of miles would have to pay a price that may discourage them from doing so.
A few years ago Mrs H and I took a 6.30pm flight with Iberia from Heathrow to Malaga, it was unbelievable, from ear wigging into the conversations taking place virtualy everyone on the flight was flying down for the weekend as they appeared to do most weekends.

Regards all

John

[chris and jackie]

The airline passenger duty was supposed to reduce demand and is a lot higher on longer haul flights so the more you fly the more you pay. Although not designed as environmental tax it does work to reduce demand, also the costs of COVID tests will also reduce demand when flying restarts

[Derek]

I am puzzled here. Are you John saying that people should not fly to their home for a weekend? If so how does this stack up with your recent ruling that this issue should not be debated?

I seem to remember a block being put on anyone saying it was wrong to debate the merits or otherwise of travelling to GA during the pandemic.

Derek

[John H]

I did not even mention GA Derek!!

If you read my post again you will see that I said, " I have enjoyed cheap flights and the places they have taken me to and I hope I can continue to do so for a few years to come".

The post was about the environmental impact of frequent flights.

Regards all

John

[wilson]

I am puzzled here. Are you John saying that people should not fly to their home for a weekend? If so how does this stack up with your recent ruling that this issue should not be debated?

I seem to remember a block being put on anyone saying it was wrong to debate the merits or otherwise of travelling to GA during the pandemic.

Derek

Derek i do believe that debate is allowed as long as we all agree. Alternative views are marginalised and politely told to wind theyre necks in.

[John H]

"Debate" is allowed until folk start getting personal, when members start telling other members that they have "over inflated views of their opinion" and other such remarks that is not debate.
Nor are posts made solely to "wind up" other people as some were recently that were removed.
We will not return to the standards that The Plaza sank to, it might get more views but does little to promote and share information on the area which is the purpose of this forum.

May I remind you;


GAsbags.
We want to make GAsbags as enjoyable as possible for the majority of our members and become a great resource for information on this part of Spain that we all share a love of. We of course need rules to help keep things running smoothly and protect our broad range of users.  Here are a few key pointers to take into account when using the Forum. We have also adopted some simple posting guidelines to help you which can be viewed on the Site Admin section of the Forum.

Basically the most important thing to remember is to be kind and respectful to each other.

This is a privately owned site. Posting is a privilege, not a right. Any inappropriate posts or any issues that take up a disproportionate amount of site resources or make it a worse place to be will be stopped at our discretion - with or without explanation. This isn’t a “freedom of speech site”, respect is the name of the game. Do not flame, hound, badger, disrespect, or taunt anyone on the forums. If we feel a thread is getting out of hand we will close it or delete it.
Any member not paying respect to other members or the rules of the Forum will have their membership terminated.

Regards all

John

[Peter D]

Well said John

[wilson]

Looking back over numerous posts over many months the full weight of the rules is disproportionately enforced against the few. Yet some appear to have immunity and can post what they like as long as its the party line. Ive lost count of the personal snipes at me and yet no sanction or removal, one member even threatened violence. The protected post at times knowing full well that what they are saying will provoke a reaction then sit back and watch the fall out.

[John H]

Wilson, I removed two posts aimed at you in the last week, one even named you.
It helps to have all the facts.
If you or any other members disapprove of the way we moderate the forum please feel free to leave.

Regards all

John

[Derek]

John. Is that really called for re your reply to Wilson. If he dares to make a point show him the door. A post with other 7,400 view was closed the other day, Surely if members and visitors had not found an interest in the subject the post would not have been so popular.

Surely we all must accept that others are entitled to express a view even if they dare to disagree with me. Politeness is I agree always required and from what I observed the majority do comply with this even dare I say myself at all times. The last thing surely we want is the lack of a good debate which surely is where the name gasbags arrives from.

Hopefully Wilson will not do as you suggest as that will have lost yet another good contributor.

Derek

[John H]

Derek, the view we have taken since Day 1 is to apply the rules, we have terminated peoples membership who choose not to follow our rules, some more than once.
The rules are clear.
If anyone chooses not to abide by them they will pay the consequences.
I can not be any clearer.
Les pays for this Forum out of his own pocket, he is clear, as I am that it will not follow the same path as the old forum, the purpose of the forum is to be "a great resource for information on this part of Spain that we all share a love of"

Regards all

John