Corona wedding, yay or nay?

[Josquius]

In the sense that they will do it at the first opportunity, fully expecting most people not to take them due to health warnings still in action, as it saves having to refund ticket prices.

I think I've got it.  As the corona scare diminishes, customers will buy a bunch of tickets, then come to their senses and realize it's still not safe, not travel after all, and the airlines will make a killing.

Leaving aside the issue that this is not exactly the same thing as everyone on the planet already having been infected and therefore either dead or immune, why is the scenario you describe a case of airlines being cynical and not customers being dumbasses?

They've already got the tickets. Lots of people book summer holidays way in advance.
A lot of people are in a holding pattern now. They haven't cancelled as they may not get their money back or they're hoping it will be better by then. They're holding on until the airline formally cancels their flight and refunds them.
My GF is meant to fly to Geneva next week. The flight is still officially going ahead. We're hoping they cancel before then as she isn't going.

[Admiral Yi]

They've already got the tickets. Lots of people book summer holidays way in advance.
A lot of people are in a holding pattern now. They haven't cancelled as they may not get their money back or they're hoping it will be better by then. They're holding on until the airline formally cancels their flight and refunds them.
My GF is meant to fly to Geneva next week. The flight is still officially going ahead. We're hoping they cancel before then as she isn't going.

Fair enough.  Thanks for the explanation.

[Sheilbh]

Airlines are very, very reluctant to cancel flights, not least because there's European rights to refunds. But also I think there's an international arrangement that they need to keep running flights, even if they're empty, to keep their landing slot at that airport.

I understand the airlines are pushing for this to be relaxed during the crisis, because at the minute it's slightly environmentally catastrophic that unless the government closes the borders they have to keep running entirely empty flights or they'll lose their, say, London City to Amsterdam slot which is probably really valuable in normal times.

[Josquius]

Yeah, there really need to be a quick shakeup to the laws to recognise we are in an unusual situation and they can get away with some kind of legal fiction of having used their slot. One of their staff in a buggy goes out onto the tarmac at their scheduled landing time or something ridiculous like that.

[Iormlund]

Because there's no point. Once everyone is infected then the delay stage is done.

Even if the virus is allowed to roam free, we would be well into summer before this point is reached. Eventually exponential growth ends and then you need another month for the last infected to become immune.

[Sheilbh]

Because there's no point. Once everyone is infected then the delay stage is done.

Even if the virus is allowed to roam free, we would be well into summer before this point is reached. Eventually exponential growth ends and then you need another month for the last infected to become immune.

Yeah. But I don't see this ending any time before the summer. As I say I'm not sure my September holiday is safe.

[Maladict]

Airlines are very, very reluctant to cancel flights, not least because there's European rights to refunds.

Not in case of Force majeure.

[Maladict]

Right, wedding is off. It will be either late October or April next year.

[Syt]

You made the right choice. And who knows, maybe you find someone better till then!

[Legbiter]

Good call. Stay safe.

[Maladict]

You made the right choice. And who knows, maybe you find someone better till then!

[Malthus]

A Corona Wedding? Is that like ... a Coronation?