• Candles blown out on Benidorm 50th birthday party costing £3,600 due to UK 14 days isolation

By Andrew Atkinson

A group of UK holidaymakers who booked a 50th birthday party to Benidorm for August have been left in limbo amid the 14 days isolation imposed by the British government.

Birkenhead based Emma Sherlock, 35, had splashed out £3,600 in January on the holiday with eight of her female friends to celebrate a 50th birthday.

According to Emma they will have to pay thousands of pounds – if they want their holiday re-scheduling.

Flights for the weekend away in Benidorm were booked for August 20, but none of the group can take 14 days off to quarantine upon returning to the UK.

Emma said she contacted the travel agent to ask if they could transfer the holiday to 2021.

Emma said, On The Beach, the company they had booked their flights and hotel through, had initially quoted them £564 to change to a date next year.

They agreed to pay the extra, rather than lose out altogether, only to receive another email from the company telling them they needed to pay £2,107 to proceed with the change of date.

Emma said: “They came back and said the airlines Ryanair and Easyjet weren’t budging – and were going to re-charge us for the flights.

“They’re saying your holiday can still go ahead – but technically it can’t because the government are saying it’s ‘essential travel’ only. And then we would have to quarantine for 14 days.

“It’s not worth going away – for four days – to then quarantine, and then you’re not going to get the time off work.”

Emma said the group have been left in limbo, due to the UK 14 days isolation imposed, giving the group no choice but to walk away from the holiday to Benidorm.