Hi @sydney welcome to our community forum, thank you for joining. There still are a few challenges with sitters having success in getting sits and it really is a listing situation but we are so pleased to say listing numbers are growing and in some locations almost back to pre-COVID numbers, owners need to have confidence about arranging travel plans and also to know that sitters are once again traveling.
These have been unprecedented times and it’s natural that there will still be feeling of uncertainly but everyone is eager to travel and connect with real people again.
I’m a full time sitter without a sit for 12+ months and with 4 rejections here in Scotland, and I have many 5 star reviews having completed almost 200 sits, I understand why though, two of the owners chose to engage sitters in the same city, I’m over an hour away and they had applied to the sit before, but there are real green shoots of recovery, our lifestyle will return and we will get back to our pets, people and places …
Enjoy the conversations , which you already are and connecting with other members and thank you for being part of our amazing community.
Can I add ‘last minute sits & applications not read’ to this thread?
A sit popped up over the weekend near us for this weekend & has the ‘last minute’ tag attached on the site. I applied because we’re avail but no response & thought so I withdrew. I’ve not seen it duplicated on Aussiehousesitters as this often happens.
I just applied the other night on the first house sit I’ve applied on in over a year since COVID. It was a local sit and it indicated there were 0-3 applicants. I noticed my application was “read” immediately but received no reply and the next day the listing was removed. I used to belong to another housesitting site where the owners were rated on their responses to the sitters so were held accountable for not responding. I thought this was a great idea. I wonder what other members would think of this and also Trusted Housesitters. Would it very cumbersome to introduce and monitor?
I totally agree with you. I have had a bunch of homeowners post sits already having a previous sitter set up to do the sit, so that is possibly what happened in your case. That said, anyone who takes the time to apply deserves a response.
You may mean AussieHousesitters which I have used. I agree with your suggestion which I have already made on a different thread a week or so ago
It certainly would concentrate their mind.
Hi Shafofo, hopefully there will be a USA-UK travel bubble/corridor in place in the not too distant future as it is hopeful the USA will be on our ‘green’ list of destinations. Some would be sitters like my husband and I have tremendous flexibility on flight bookings, having the ability to use staff travel, (hubby is a recently retired Captain with BA) to book flights so they can be booked and changed right up to the last minute with ease so the flexibility element is certainly there for us along with the issue of cost which we can purchase at a hugely discounted rate so even in these Covid challenging times this is still possible for us and other sitters. I have currently only applied to sits in the States later in the year so far until our international travel is updated in the UK to allow for the travel restrictions to ease and with no quarantine necessary.
@Samox24 its great to know there are sitters out there with tons of flexibility! I worry too much, it’s a fact We will be traveling for 3 months this summer/fall, perhaps I will consider sitters from far away if they are a great fit. I read today that Americans will be able to travel to EU this summer so that should give us all hope for more future adventures!
Shafofo, absolutely there are many sitters out here including my husband and I who would gladly fly over to Sonoma CA at the drop of a hat. We would always arrive somewhere early, at least a few days before so that there is no worry for the homeowner, we can meet up if you wish and we can explore the surrounds. Having said that we are regular visitors to Sonoma and actually heading out that way again for a road trip once we are allowed to leave the UK! ))
The future for international travel is definitely looking promising.
Samox I’m desperate to know what will happen on May 6th. I have a Florida housesit starting Aug 3rd and a BA voucher held over from last summer. Even if we are allowed to travel to the US, will Biden open the borders to us? And what about the mandatory tests we will have to take before boarding in the UK and before boarding in the US?
Hi LTD,
Like you we are totally unaware of what will happen on May 6th, and all we can do is follow the media updates for what our Government will do come May 17th. However the indications are that travel corridors will be set up by June 21st. Having said that we will have to wait and see what Biden will do with regards to the States.
It would appear that yes we will have to undergo a test both before and after travel. With the upcoming NHS app this process should be made easier by getting tested before you go and downloading the results to the app. It would appear that you are proposing to use British Airways given the fact you still have a voucher from last summer. I know for a fact that British Airways have introduced a digital travel health app called VeriFLY that can be used for tests required for home bound travel. You can find more about that on the internet. Hope this helps and you do manage to get to Florida for your August housesit (we will be close behind you!!)
@Samox24 Sorry to ask yet further questions : I am watching the flight prices climb as we approach May 6th (and then May 17th ) here in UK. I am confused though, about the testing: even though I will be fully vaccinated, will I still have to pay for these expensive ‘PCR’ test? And with the BA app, what is the cost of this test? How would I get a test done in Florida before I return? So many questions … !
I’ve also just joined the ranks of the fully vaccinated. The doctor at the vaccination centre did make it very clear that people who are fully vaccinated can still get COVID and can still pass it on. We are just less likely to get very sick (and therefore more likely to be asymptomatic). So I think it is likely that these tests may be a part of travel for a while yet - especially when travelling to or from countries where the vaccine rollout may not be as advanced.
Hi Ltd,
You are correct as far as we know in saying that you will need a test before you fly despite being fully vaccinated. We have just looked online by googling how much is a PCR test and have come back with a price range varying from £79 to £155 depending on where you live. As we pointed out to you in the previous email British Airways are very keen to get people flying again and if you put in the search engine British Airways VeriFLY you should find Covid19entryrequirements|information|BritishAirways.
That page will give you all the information you need to know including how to book Covid19 tests before you leave and how to buy a test to take with you from Qured. You then schedule a video call with a Qured Health Advisor online within three days of your return to the UK, who will assist you in completing the test, the results should be visible in just 20minutes.
Hope this helps.
That is so helpful and it explains the possible steps in getting these pesky tests so that we can tick those boxes. However, with the price of UK - USA return flights already rising, adding at least £150 to the cost of travel is looking prohibitive. I know that there is pressure from the industry to do away with these tests altogether especially as we are now having second vaccinations and sadly I think that adding £150 to my spend is going to rule out transatlantic travel this summer. Keep me informed!!
so I withdrew. I’ve not seen it duplicated on Aussiehousesitters as this often happens.
We will be traveling for 3 months this summer/fall, perhaps I will consider sitters from far away if they are a great fit. I read today that Americans will be able to travel to EU this summer so that should give us all hope for more future adventures! 
