But he had to earn 1000 euros for Thursday’s return flights, which is 3 times more expensive than the round-trip flights he had already paid for.
“I never thought they would impose quarantine again after giving Portugal the soft green,” John told the BBC. “Airlines have us in a barrel and they don’t seem to have any sympathy. “
It is one of many tourists struggling to leave Portugal amid reports that it is about to be removed from the government’s safe list.
Many have been affected by rising flight prices, but feel they do not yet have an option to pay because they cannot be isolated for 14 days after their return.
John said: “We had been waiting six months for our villa in the Algarve, and as soon as the government said we could travel, we booked our flights. “
Bristol’s single father paid 320 euros for return flights from Bristol to him and his 12-year-old daughter Georgie who arrived last week.
Once he heard the rumors about the new restrictions, he felt that he still had no option to spend 1000 euros to get a house before the scheduled deadline.
He said: “My daughter was crying at the thought of not being able to go back to school and see her friends.
“She’s already missed the seventh [at school] and I can’t let her miss the first two weeks of the eighth. “
Although he has booked flights back to Bristol for next Saturday, he said he needed to threaten to be forced to isolate himself.
But in the past there were no flights to Bristol, so he had to buy easyjet flights to Gatwick for just over 1000 euros.
Easyjet has denied taking credit for concerned tourists.
“As with all airlines, our value is decided through demand, which means that more seats are booked on a flight, the value will increase, so our fares will start low and increase the closer they get to the departure date,” the airline said. Bbc.
“The outstanding value is a direct result of increased flight demand. We’re not artificially expanding the value of tickets. “
Many other tourists have contacted the BBC with stories.
Jodie Hudson-Cox of Essex originally scheduled to return to Southend from the Algarve on Saturday, but also replaced her plans.
“I made a new reservation earlier this week for flights returning to East Midlands airport on Friday. We booked the flights, so we weren’t worried about it all week,” he told the BBC.
Londoner Wayne Scott will travel to Portugal to buy paintings in two weeks.
“I’m a street artist and summers are the best time to locate paintings and in other countries and festivals around the world for a living, so this rare possibility of paintings is very important,” he said.
But he’s quarantined after returning from painting in Spain.
“I can’t threaten two weeks of quarantine,” he told the BBC. “The government wants to give us more caution so that we can make other plans. “
Meanwhile, Neil Millington, from South London, is lately on the Portuguese island of Madeira, more than km from the Portuguese mainland.
He thinks it would be ridiculous if the island faced restrictions.
“Madére has only had 157 cases in total and they have a formula here for Covid’s tests,” he said.
“There are many other Englishmen here and there will be a frenzy to get a return flight if restrictions are announced. “