Having to fly home quickly in an emergency?

2H76

2H76

Well-Known Member
Tuesday, 2330 - got a text that mum (87) had been taken suddenly and seriously ill in hospital and death was expected within 24 hrs.
Thanks to the web and Skyscanner booked a flight home with Thomas Cook from IBZ within minutes of the call and was in the air Wednesday 1040. Flight was just under £400 but no probs, I have a fund for emergencies.
Was in hospital with her by 1500 UK time that same day.
Happy to report that she's home with me now and just eaten her breakfast, chatting away and I think she'll make a good recovery - she's looking great considering!!
Would have hated not being able to fly until my scheduled flight.
So made me wonder how many on here have had a similar situation and how did you get on??
PS - pix of my one whole day in Ibiza/Formentera to come!!

ADDS Reading the thread about Monarch's collapse and the uncertainty of Ryanair I think I have been very, very lucky in getting a seat. There did seem to be a couple spare on the plane - maybe no-chows (like I would be for the Ryanair flight I was supposed to catch).
 
Back in June the day we landed in ibiza, my grandad took a turn for the worse, booked the next flight to Stansted for my dad. EasyJet 6 hours later for £80. Luckily was a false alarm, and made a full recovery.
 
@2H76 so glad she's OK. It's horrendous when you get bad news like that when you're abroad - if things had gone the other way you would have really struggled if you'd not made it home in time.

Couple of years ago I was out in October and made it through 1 day before I got onset chicken pox. I hadn't told anyone at home where I was or that I was even out of the country. Wasn't sure what it was initially and went out paddleboarding but got as far as Sta Eularia afterwards looking for some restorative sun and became very ill. Spent the night gripping the bedsheet as a rash started appearing fast and I didn't know what it was. Knew I had to get off the island FAST as being on my own, prospect of getting carted off to Can Misses with a hire car, tonne of luggage and my own car in short stay back home was pretty unthinkable.

Got more and more ill as I tried to focus on my laptop long enough to fork out £350 for the cheapest trip I could get back that time of year. Fled to IBZ airport for a nightmare trip back via Madrid hiding my rashy face under a cap half expecting to be quarantined at any stage. Collapsed at the airport in UK, slept in the car for a few hours and somehow managed to drive 3 hours home still in the throws of the early symptoms which are much more debilitating than the rash itself. That's what panic and adrenaline does. When I realized what I had, I felt a bit bad for travelling - but at least I got home. The alternative scenario was pretty unthinkable at the time. It's an experience I'd never want to repeat !!!!!
 
kimajy said:
@2H76 so glad she's OK. It's horrendous when you get bad news like that when you're abroad - if things had gone the other way you would have really struggled if you'd not made it home in time.

Couple of years ago I was out in October and made it through 1 day before I got onset chicken pox. I hadn't told anyone at home where I was or that I was even out of the country. Wasn't sure what it was initially and went out paddleboarding but got as far as Sta Eularia afterwards looking for some restorative sun and became very ill. Spent the night gripping the bedsheet as a rash started appearing fast and I didn't know what it was. Knew I had to get off the island FAST as being on my own, prospect of getting carted off to Can Misses with a hire car, tonne of luggage and my own car in short stay back home was pretty unthinkable.

Got more and more ill as I tried to focus on my laptop long enough to fork out £350 for the cheapest trip I could get back that time of year. Fled to IBZ airport for a nightmare trip back via Madrid hiding my rashy face under a cap half expecting to be quarantined at any stage. Collapsed at the airport in UK, slept in the car for a few hours and somehow managed to drive 3 hours home still in the throws of the early symptoms which are much more debilitating than the rash itself. That's what panic and adrenaline does. When I realized what I had, I felt a bit bad for travelling - but at least I got home. The alternative scenario was pretty unthinkable at the time. It's an experience I'd never want to repeat !!!!!
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Sounds awful; I travel solo quite regularly and of course I have insurance and the EHIC card (let's hope we can keep after Brexit) but when seriously ill all anyone wants to do is get home. Just in case something like that happens to me I travel as light as possible, so that if I leave clothes behind etc so nothing to carry when unwell it doesn't matter. A small hand bag will do for the passport, forms, tickets and electronic gear.
My next break is due in may for 5 days and if both mum and dad are still with me then I might book a flight home for day 3 and hope I don't have to use it.
In some respects I wish airlines were like trains where you could just stroll up in the day and catch.
Anyhow, glad you made a full recovery and got home - as you mentioned quarantine, yes, I assume airlines are pretty hot about not allowing pax on with transmittable diseases.
 
The good thing about Ibiza is that it is so close if you are living in the UK - it's why I've stuck to countries closer to home this time after last years drama :( I booked a holiday to Bali solo in July 2016, my aunt who I was pretty close to was diagnosed with lung cancer at the end of May 2016 - but we were told she would make a full recovery after some treatment as they had caught it early and it hadn't spread.

She had some fluid on her lungs and was in hospital when I went, unfortunately while I was away she deteriorated pretty quickly and died while I was in the last 5 days or so of the trip. Worst feeling in the world being stuck all alone on the other side of the world and wanting to be at home with your family :( I was looking at a 16 hour-ish flight home and family members persuaded me to stay and make the most of what was left of the holiday but I didn't want to be there. To make matters worse I picked up a nasty tummy bug and spent the last 48 hours confined to my room. Thankfully I stopped throwing up in time for the worst flight home ever combined with a 6 hour stopover in Doha airport. It's put me off long haul trips for a while I have to admit.

Glad to hear that your Mum is making a good recovery though :)
 
Yes, it's the sheer helplessness of being so far from home when there's an emergency. Part of me wishes Ibiza was on the mainland so if there were no flights at least there's the train and you are on the move. But that would mean Ibiza isn't Ibiza! No flights mean a long ferry trip first - probably to Barcelona but I think Denia/Valencia is nearer and quicker by ferry (anyone?).
 
2H76 said:
Yes, it's the sheer helplessness of being so far from home when there's an emergency. Part of me wishes Ibiza was on the mainland so if there were no flights at least there's the train and you are on the move. But that would mean Ibiza isn't Ibiza! No flights mean a long ferry trip first - probably to Barcelona but I think Denia/Valencia is nearer and quicker by ferry (anyone?).
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There's always flight connections through mainland Spain.

@fhmsparkle I know how you feel, was off the African coast on business 3 connecting flights and about a 30 hour 3-flight trip from home door-to-door when I learned my mum had been diagnosed with Cancer a few years ago. She had surgery and has recovered / is still with us but like you, I've been absolutely terrified of being too far from home ever since that. The sense of helplessness is very hard to understand if you haven't been there.

Even latently worried when I'm a couple of hours' flight from home in Ibiza but that's mainly because I usually don't tell anyone when I've nipped off there ! You can try to be fatalistic but in the end it doesn't work when it's your close family involved. I could never live with myself if I was kicking my heels up partying and incapable of responding whilst one of my closest was in dire straights emotionally or physically at home, the thought of it actually terrifies me enough to always have my wits about me at least these days. For the last few years I've always got a sense of relief when I land home because the risks of being abroad during an emergency at home have subsided - strange as it sounds, it's one thing which mitigates the downer of finishing your holiday ! Don't think you ever fully recover psychologically when you've been caught out with it unless you have nobody to be concerned about left behind. It's about 6 years on now and nothing's any different !
 
kimajy said:
There's always flight connections through mainland Spain.

@fhmsparkle I know how you feel, was off the African coast on business 3 connecting flights and about a 30 hour 3-flight trip from home door-to-door when I learned my mum had been diagnosed with Cancer a few years ago. She had surgery and has recovered / is still with us but like you, I've been absolutely terrified of being too far from home ever since that. The sense of helplessness is very hard to understand if you haven't been there.

Even latently worried when I'm a couple of hours' flight from home in Ibiza but that's mainly because I usually don't tell anyone when I've nipped off there ! You can try to be fatalistic but in the end it doesn't work when it's your close family involved. I could never live with myself if I was kicking my heels up partying and incapable of responding whilst one of my closest was in dire straights emotionally or physically at home, the thought of it actually terrifies me enough to always have my wits about me at least these days. For the last few years I've always got a sense of relief when I land home because the risks of being abroad during an emergency at home have subsided - strange as it sounds, it's one thing which mitigates the downer of finishing your holiday ! Don't think you ever fully recover psychologically when you've been caught out with it unless you have nobody to be concerned about left behind. It's about 6 years on now and nothing's any different !
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Glad to hear your Mum has now recovered @kimajy :D
 
A few points on this, as it's always "worried" me, partly because I'm a paranoid hypochondriac, and also when my Dad was very ill.

- The EHIC scheme is nothing to do with the EU so we'll still have it after Brexit (much like many other things we're allegedly going to "lose" after Brexit), and is largely pointless anyway. It can waive some costs of healthcare, but you should always have travel insurance when travelling, even within Europe. Read Dave Vincent's horror story about having appendicitis "How To Avoid Death In Ibiza" - https://thump.vice.com/en_uk/articl...-ibiza-as-told-by-sankeys-owner-david-vincent

- There's always a flight back to the UK, even if it's a late booking on the BA flight into LCY. Nowadays most airlines are scheduled not chartered like they were into popular European holiday destinations in the 80s and 90s, so there's normally a flight within the day, and normally a space on it unless its utterly packed. Just pay the cost, whatever it is, and claim back on your insurance. Most good travel insurance covers such costs.

- Be wary of Skyscanner and the like, they somehow still list scammers and I've no idea how or why. Worse case scenario, like if you need to be home within 24hrs, just head to the airport, and speak to a ticket agent if you can't book direct through an airline online.

- All else fails, Ibiza is a 14hr drive from the UK (minus the 6-8 hours on the ferry). Couldn't do it alone in one go of course and it would be stupid to try, but the option is there if you've got a car and someone to join you and share the driving in a dire emergency.
 
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