FIGHT prices have TRIPLED in minutes following the green list boost as holidaymakers desperately try to flee abroad.
The cost of flying to Ibiza, Majorca, Menorca and Malta surged by up to 200 per cent overnight after the sunny destinations were added to England’s quarantine-free list.
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If Brits want to fly to Ibiza, tickets for a return flight will have to pay nearly triple after it’s added to the green list, as flights on July 3 and July 10 leaped from £149 to £314.
Journeys on the same days to Majorca also leaped from £153 to a staggering £478 as people desperately book seats for their holidays.
In a big boost for holidaying Brits, Jet2.com and Jet2holidays announced plans to put on 70 additional flights to Malta and Madeira as they anticipated more bookings in the coming days.
In a major win for summer holidays, a bumper list of new destinations where Brits can travel without quarantine will open up from next week.
All 16 green list additions except Malta are on a “watch list” which means they could revert to amber.
COUNTRIES ON THE GREEN LIST
The full list of countries on the green list
- Anguila
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Australia
- Balearic Islands
- Barbados
- Bermuda
- British Antartic Territory
- British Indian Ocean Territory
- British Virgin Islands
- Brunei
- Cayman Islands
- Dominica
- Falkland Islands
- Faroe Islands
- Gibraltar
- Grenada
- Iceland
- Israel and Jerusalem
- Madeira
- Malta
- Montserrat
- New Zealand
- Pitcairn Islands
- South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
- Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
- Singapore
- Turks and Caicos Islands
But it means from next Wednesday at 4am, passengers will be able jet back from the Balearics without hunkering down at home on return.
It opens up holidays to the immensely popular Spanish islands including Majorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formenta.
And stunning Caribbean hot spots like Grenada, Barbados, Bermuda and Antigua have also gone green.
But Jamaica stays amber, and package hols destination the Dominican Republic is one of six countries moved to the red list.
The announcement has been welcomed by cash-starved airlines, travel companies and holidaymakers longing for a post-pandemic retreat after months in lockdown.
Mr Shapps said yesterday: “We’re moving forward with efforts to safely reopen international travel this summer, and thanks to the success of our vaccination programme, we’re now able to consider removing the quarantine period for fully vaccinated UK arrivals from amber countries – showing a real sign of progress.
“It’s right that we continue with this cautious approach, to protect public health and the vaccine rollout as our top priority, while ensuring that our route out of the international travel restrictions is sustainable.”
After Portugal was struck off the green list three weeks ago, some of the only viable holiday destinations have been Gibraltar and the Falkland Islands.
Low-case countries such as Australia and New Zealand are on the list – but have slammed their doors shut to Brits.
Ministers rubber-stamped changes at a crunch meeting yesterday after The Sun revealed last night they were on the cusp of being added.
Infections in the Madeira, Malta and the Balearics have hit the floor, with new case rates at 35, eight and 43 per 100,000 respectively.
Boris Johnson yesterday hailed the UK’s top-speed vaccine drive as the shot in the arm to get holidays up and running again.
And he signalled his seal of approval to tearing up harsh quarantine rules for the 60 per cent of adults – and their children – who have had both jabs.
On a trip to Aldershot army barracks the PM said: “The most important thing is that we think double jabs do offer a good way forward.
“We think that they offer the hope of travel this summer.”
