Family reunions on hold for some, following postponement of S’pore-Hong Kong air travel bubble

• Some were looking forward to return home to Hong Kong to reunite with their families
• Travellers who had booked flights were disappointed, but said the postponement was ‘inevitable’ and ‘understandable’
• Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific are giving their passengers the option to change or cancel their bookings for free

SINGAPORE — Since moving to Singapore from Hong Kong at the end of March to pursue a new job opportunity here, Lynn has struggled with homesickness.

“This has been the longest I have not seen my parents for all of my life,” said the 43-year-old Employment Pass (EP) holder who declined to reveal her real name for fear of complications with her work pass. She is unmarried with no dependents or family here.

Lynn, who works in the finance field, was “happy and relieved” when the bilateral arrangement of an air travel bubble between the two cities was announced on Nov 11.

But just a few days before she was set to reunite with her family on Dec 4, the bubble was postponed on Nov 21 due to a sudden rise in Covid-19 cases in Hong Kong.

The travel bubble had been slated to start on Sunday (Nov 22), with one flight departing each city per day carrying up to 200 people per flight.

“I am devastated, not disappointed. I am heartbroken. I am not going for fun. This is important to me,” said Lynn, who was supposed to return to Singapore on Jan 4. She saved all her annual leave days for the trip.

“I was looking forward to seeing my parents who are ageing, seeing my nephew who is growing up,” she said.

“I’m also losing money with existing administrative stuff I can’t deal with from here.” This includes paying rent and keeping her apartment in Hong Kong for longer than originally planned.

Though Lynn moved to Singapore in March, she did not uproot herself as she wanted to pass her probation period before making the full move.

“My flight became a non-bubble flight and I tried to move to one anytime after the initial two weeks but they’re fully booked. I am waitlisted for Dec 11 but there’s no guarantee and so I have to keep my Dec 4 booking as I get a better chance to rebook than to cancel, track and repurchase,” she said.

Another EP holder, Ms Sarah Ng, who was supposed to be on Singapore Airlines’ (SIA) inaugural flight on Sunday morning, would return home every one to two months in the past.

The 32-year-old, who works in finance and has lived in Singapore for three years, told TODAY that she booked her flight as soon as the travel bubble was announced.

“To me being with friends and loved ones has always been my priority. Covid-19 made me realise how we take the ease of travel and open borders for granted, and I couldn't wait to go back,” she said.

Ms Ng described the days leading up to the announcement of the postponement as a “rollercoaster”.

“I was obviously frustrated at the last minute cancellation less than 18 hours before, given the confirmation that flights would be going ahead just a few hours prior to the cancellation announcement,” she said.

“I was already S$200 out of pocket for my polymerase chain reaction test but SIA was very good about refunding the flights and after scrambling around, I managed to reschedule or delay some of my other arrangements where I'd paid deposits for.”

She added that she will not hesitate to try to get on the next available flight when the travel bubble reopens.

WHAT THE AIRLINES ARE DOING

Responding to TODAY’s queries, an SIA spokesman said that the airline supports the decision by the Singapore and Hong Kong authorities to defer the launch of the air travel bubble.

“The health and safety of our customers remain our top priority. Affected customers are being contacted by Singapore Airlines. Customers who no longer wish to travel due to the deferment of the air travel bubble can request for a full refund of the unutilised portion of their ticket, and have the cancellation fees waived,” the spokesman said.

All SIA flights between Singapore and Hong Kong (SQ890 and SQ891) between Nov 22 and Dec 6, both dates inclusive, will also operate as non-air travel bubble flights.

A Cathay Pacific spokesman also said that passengers booked on travel bubble flights between Nov 24 and Dec 5 have been automatically placed onto new, non-air travel bubble flights departing at the same date and time as their original booking.

Normal quarantine rules will apply. Passengers have the option to change or cancel their bookings, free of charge.

“We will be reaching out to affected passengers via email/SMS notifications. For passengers due to fly on Nov 22, Cathay Pacific will make active callouts to notify passengers,” the spokesman said.

DISAPPOINTING BUT UNDERSTANDABLE

Ms Lisa Mulligan, 47, who was supposed to fly to Hong Kong on Nov 25, said the postponement of the travel bubble was “inevitable”.

“I had been tracking the news during the past few days so it wasn't too much of a shock, even though it's disappointing,” said Ms Mulligan, a permanent resident who has been living in Singapore for six years.

Ms Mulligan, who works in human resources, was looking forward to her week-long holiday to visit her best friend. She said she was particularly excited about travelling again, getting on a plane and having a change of scenery for a few days.

The setback has not derailed Ms Mulligan’s plans, however. She is going to monitor the situation over the next couple of weeks and may look at travelling in the new year.

Mr Hendric Tay, founder of travel blog The Travel Intern, was also due to fly to Hong Kong on Sunday for a 24-day trip.

He initially booked the trip as he needed a break and it was a way to clear his annual leave.

“To be honest it was a little disappointing as I was really looking forward to the trip. But I understand the situation and think that it’s a good call. Better to defer it now and do it right when the situation is better,” he said.

Mr Tay decided to cancel his flight due to the uncertainty, but said he will “highly likely” look to fly again. He was able to get a refund from AIG for his travel insurance and had not paid for his accommodation so it was still easy to cancel, he said.

“I feel that we need to understand that we are still in the middle of a pandemic and that it’s a luxury if we get to travel. Yes, it’s harder to plan and there’s also the possibility of plans being cancelled the day before your flight, but nothing is more important than public health at the moment,” he added.

Similarly, Mr Aaron Wong, 32, founder of travel website Milelion, was “disappointed, but completely understands the rationale behind it”.

He was also set to be on the inaugural flight for his three-night stay there.

“If we're going to do the travel bubble, might as well do it right. Launching a bubble at the start of a peak (of Covid-19 cases) probably isn't a good definition of ‘doing it right’,” he said.

“There will be other opportunities, and we should count ourselves lucky that our caseload here is under control.”