How will the ‘Air Schengen’ deal affect UK travellers?

Simon Calder answers questions on the Schengen area expansion, flights to Gibraltar, the penalty for skipping journey legs, and healthcare for trips down under

Visitors flying to Varna, in Bulgaria, will find that they are in the Schengen area (Simon Calder)

Q I have seen reports that Bulgaria and Romania are set to join the Schengen area in March. What does this mean for UK travellers – and in particular the “90-day” rule?

Dave F

A Almost all European Union nations are inside the Schengen area, along with Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and some smaller countries. That represents 400 million people who can move freely within the area without formality. A prime non-member is Ireland, whose Common Travel Area arrangement with the UK makes membership of Schengen problematic. Cyprus, the most far-flung EU member, is also outside the zone.

Bulgaria and Romania are natural Schengen members, and it has always been assumed they will join the bloc. But Austria has repeatedly blocked accession because of fears about increased illegal immigration.

Now an “Air Schengen” deal appears to have been sealed. It will mean the land frontiers – Bulgaria’s with Greece and Romania’s with Hungary – remain in place. But airline passengers arriving in either of the Balkan nations will find that they are in the Schengen area. The vast majority of British visitors to both countries arrive by air, and even those who turn up by land from other EU nations will be regarded as remaining in the Schengen area.

All of which poses a problem for British travellers taking advantage of the current loophole for extended stays in the European Union.

After Brexit, the UK negotiated to become subject to a limit of 90 days in any 180 days in the Schengen area. While Bulgaria and Romania remain outside Schengen, they have their own individual 90-day limits. Until now, a British traveller who wanted to remain in southeast Europe could do so indefinitely by spending 90 days in Greece, then crossing to Bulgaria for the next 90, and returning 90 days later to Greece. This could continue for as long as the traveller can demonstrate they have sufficient financial resources.

Once Bulgaria and Romania are Schengen members – even in a limited form – the cross-border solution will no longer be possible. Cyprus will remain an option for Mediterranean-hungry British travellers who want to spend their lives in warmer climes.

The British overseas territory’s airport runway extends into the Mediterranean in both directions (Getty)

Q You have written extensively about passport rules between the UK and the European Union. But what about flights to Gibraltar? There seems to be confusion among airport staff if the passport has less than three months to run, one of the rules for the EU. Can you provide any clarity?

Andrew Y

A Gibraltar is a British overseas territory, one of 14 vestiges of colonialism worldwide that the UK protects. As such, movement for British travellers is only lightly restricted. The Foreign Office says: “Your passport must be valid for the period of your stay in Gibraltar.” In other words: if it expires on 1 January 2024, you can travel to and remain in Gibraltar until that date.

I think I can explain some possible concerns among airline ground staff about passport validity before a flight from the UK to Gibraltar. It is due to the aircraft’s challenges in landing at Gibraltar – where the runway extends into the Mediterranean in both directions and has the Rock to the south disrupting the airflow.

Looking back at just one of the daily London-Gibraltar flights over the past 12 weeks, the plane diverted to nearby Malaga on four occasions. That works out at one flight in 24 for which a long-established process begins: passengers go through Spanish immigration before boarding a bus for the 80-mile journey to Gibraltar.

Yet it is far-fetched to imagine that an airline could turn away a passenger on the off-chance that the flight is diverted to a place where their passport is not technically valid. Doubtless, there have been previous cases in which a British passport holder who is compliant with Gibraltar rules does not have sufficient time left on his or her passport. Immigration officials encounter this kind of problem frequently with flight disruption and apply appropriate discretion.

While researching the answer, incidentally, I noted that “EU nationals who are in possession of a valid national identity card” may enter Gibraltar freely. I am not sure how that squares with the British government’s antipathy towards these documents, which are no longer valid for travel to the UK.

Mike’s reservation was cancelled because he didn’t take the Qingdao to Shanghai flight he had booked (Getty)

Q I booked a trip from London via Shanghai to Qingdao, returning to Shanghai for a three-day stay before my flight home. While in Qingdao my plans changed and I needed to get to Shanghai earlier in the day than my flight was allowing, so I took the bullet train instead so I could be in Shanghai by early afternoon.

When I turned up for my flight back to London three days later, I was told my reservation had been cancelled because I didn’t take the Qingdao to Shanghai flight I was booked on. I had to pay again for the flight for which I already had a ticket. How can this be fair and how can the airlines still get away with this? I was ready to forgo the fare on the Qingdao to Shanghai leg and didn’t ask for money back.

Mike McM

A I am sorry to learn you fell foul of a rule that ought to be better publicised. Typically airlines say: “You must take all flights in the sequence set out in your ticket and not miss out flights on the journey.” If you fail to comply with this condition, the airline will usually cancel the whole of the rest of the trip.

I agree that this seems unfair and irrational. But consider a Virgin Atlantic flight from London to Atlanta, departing a week today for a seven-day stay. The cheapest return flight is £1,288 return. Yet if I book a London-Atlanta-Asheville ticket – to a small South Carolina city – the cheapest is £748. If the rule did not exist I could save myself £540 by booking to Asheville but leaving the flight at Atlanta. Which begs the question: why should you pay less for flying more? Because it’s a different product. A high-quality non-stop trip to Atlanta comes at a premium. But a trip to Asheville always requires a stop – and competing airlines force that price down.

I shall revive my campaign of asking airlines at least to tell “no-shows” they have lost the rest of the trip, rather than discovering the fact, to their horror, at check-in.

Our reader could apply for Medicare before their trip to Melbourne (Getty/iStock)

Q I would like to visit my daughter and family in Melbourne next month. Unfortunately, I have a heart condition and stage 4 prostate cancer. Obviously, I would not be contemplating such a trip unless the oncologist and heart consultant had given it their blessing. But the conditions make me virtually uninsurable – and if available the cost is prohibitive. Does the UK have any mutual health arrangements with Australia that would enable me to visit with some degree of support available?

Name supplied

A Firstly, I am very sorry to hear of your conditions. But I applaud your decision to travel – with the blessing of medical professionals – while you can. I imagine travel insurers who specialise in cover for people with pre-existing conditions will quote an astronomical sum for your planned trip. Fortunately, the long-standing reciprocal agreement between the UK and Australia means, according to the authorities, “citizens or permanent residents of the United Kingdom ... can receive free emergency medical treatment in Australia”.

You could apply for Medicare, the local equivalent of the NHS, on arrival or after treatment. The principle is “treat first, ask questions later”, so in your position, I would not waste time doing so in advance. As your consultants have given you the green light, let us hope there is no need for treatment.

One issue that may provide concern is the possibility of falling ill while at a transit point. There are no suitable hub airports between here and Australia that are covered by a reciprocal agreement. Fortunately, Qantas flight QF10 is there to help. This is the only non-stop UK-Australia flight. It links London Heathrow with Melbourne via Perth. It is most unlikely you will touch down on non-UK/non-Australia soil – that would happen only in the event of a diversion, and is a risk I would be prepared to tolerate.

The easiest way to prove your eligibility for Medicare is with a UK Global Health Insurance Card, which you can obtain free online. But even without it, there are other ways to prove your eligibility.

Email your question to s@hols.tv or tweet @simoncalder