MSE News: Egypt crisis: your travel rights

Stoffy

@HXDave

Thanks for the reply. The £1350 is the total price for the whole holiday. We have finished paying for it (we like to pay earlier rather than later while we have the money available)

We booked it as it is a really good deal and one of the top 10 hotels in Sharm according to trip advisor reviews. I do really want to go but I think you're right...I'll probably wait and see what happens

Petef_2

Anyone going to Egypt even to the Red sea resorts should think twice before going at the current time.

We went when there was 'no trouble' in 2005 and lost our son the day before his 18th Birthday, killed by a suicide bomber. You just can't trust what might happen when the Egyptians want to demonstrate against the state, which incidentally was one of the reasons we were given for the atrocity that happened to us. Oh and the insurance company refused to give any compensation because there was an exclusion clause regarding terrorist action (and also war). So even if you go you may loose more than just money.

CK001

Hi All,
I've just returned from Egypt after a bit of a nightmare through Cairo. Our tour was in Luxor when the troubles hit and we then moved onto Hurghada. Whilst Hurghada is by no means in the state that Cairo is, on our first night there, we had armed protests just down the street from our hotel. Some of our tour fled to the local airport and got out that night, reporting armed people heading towards the airport. We tried to get out of Hurghada the next day, but were advised that there were no flights available for us. I met up with some Australians later who said that their tour leader said they could get out if they paid in cash - but this turned out to be only by bribing officials to give them the tickets of those who were already booked on a flight. Since we were unable to get out of Hurghada, we had to go to Cairo airport, where the situation was pretty desperate - an airport with thousands of people and no supplies. I met some people who had been there for 4 days with very little food or water - none was available. Flights were being cancelled at the very last minute (and no notification was given) and passengers with bookings told to go to the check in, where they might get on a flight on a first come, first served basis. I had to bribe my way through security the first time and eventually only got out of Cairo thanks to a Canadian embassy chartered flight.

Personally, there's no way I would be going into Egypt at the moment. At the very, very least, if you do go, beware of the fact that there is lots of fraud going on at the moment - there are lots of reports of flights being sold for cash at the airport sales desks and bogus boarding numbers being given out - so no flight out.

gamelsby

HXDave wrote: »

Gamelsby, nice result there. Hope you get things sorted with the hotels. Which chain is it? is it a group that has a UK service agent / office?

HXDave

It is a Novotel, which states no cancellation or changes allowed, but I am going to give them a go and see if I can.

Stoffy

Quick Update,

I have spoken to OTBeach today who have informed me that Easyjet will give me the full value of the flights back (approx £530) in the form of a credit note which will last on their records for 1 year. Kudos to them for doing this and they also advised I can used the credit for someone else (luckily enough I have friends who travel to Marbella on easyjet all the time so they will give me the cash if i book their flights for them using the credit).

The remaining £800 or so has been used to pay the hotel through hotels4u.com. OTBeach have emailed them for me asking will I lose out on anything if I cancel, hopefully they'll give me a full cash refund and I'll be looking at going away elsewhere.

Thanks CK001, whilst I was umming and arring whether to take the risk and go anyway, your advise has now confirmed to me to stay well clear of Egypt at least for the near future.

yowza

Re: EasyJet credits. I've just changed a holiday next week from Luxor to the Canaries - all booked through lowcostholidays. Payments I've made have been transferred to the new holiday, plus some extra for higher cost of accommodation. But EasyJet 'credit' to the new Canaries destination is at the same cost as to Luxor, i.e. £492 for 2 persons. That's about £192 total more than current scheduled price. Should I be able to demand the credit from EasyJet is separated into actual cost to Canaries plus a £192 voucher? Or do I have to accept what I'm given?

billabong141

My 20 year old daughter and her boyfriend were due to fly out to Sharm on Tuesday 1st Feb for their first holiday together. First Choice and Thomson would not let them change their booking, the Ts & Cs said not within 8 weeks of travel. I rang head office on monday; the first rep I spoke to cut me off the minute I mention Sharm! I rang back and laid it on thick about my concerns. After being told NO again I asked to speak to a manager. She came back to me and said they could change to another destination with no cancellation charges and no amendments fees as long as the holiday was the same cost or higher!!! They went to Morrocco yesterday at no extra cost, same star hotel and All Inclusive as before. So, I would say, just persist and do not take no for an answer, who knows what might happen out in Egypt in the next couple of weeks. Thomson should not be risking sending anyone there until things have settled down.

yowza

EasyJet website says:
"If you do wish to change your travel plans [to Egypt] then we would like to make the following two options available to you:-

- Choose an alternative date/destination with easyJet; OR
- Cancel your plans and receive a travel voucher for the value of your booking which will be valid against future travel with easyJet for up to one year.

The point I make is that while EasyJet give no actual refund, neither do they accommodate that an alternative closer destination would normally be a cheaper fare. The 'travel voucher' offered applies the full original UK—Egypt value, even if your alternative trip became London—Glasgow (or extra, of course, if your alternative is further than Egypt). Obviously, I'd prefer 2 vouchers — the reduced cost new fare plus the balance for future use.

debbiedevon

I have been reading this thread with interest. I still feel stuck in no mans land and could do with some advice if possible please!

I have a family holiday booked with my family and my niece and her family (4 adults and 6 children) to go to Titanic Spa & Beach in Hurghada on 21st February for 12 nights. We paid by credit card - would this guarantee us a refund - I can't seem to find any informatin on what credit covers cover in this situation?

It seems as if the riots are mainly in Cairo (which I think is an 8 hour drive away) but unsure what the knock on effect will be - half of me wants to sit and wait and the other half wants to just go somewhere else. Does anyone have any suggestions on other destinations for winter sun? Unfortunately money is an issue - so more expensive destinations are out for us (this holiday we have just paid off at £1400)!

Thank you for your advice.

Endora_2

Husband & I are due to fly out to Luxor on 23rd March for 7 nights at the Maritim Jolie Ville on Kings Island in Luxor, we booked through Thomas Cook (who we have used for our past 3 holidays) and have opted for the B&B only package. On speaking with local tour agent who we booked with they have informed us that we are just to basically wait and see what happens, if we are to cancell or change the holiday ourselves now we would not be entitled to a refund and would be charged if we were to change the details of the holiday, however if they were to cancel then we would be offered either a full refund, a holiday at another location to the same value or a holiday at another date either at the same location (if the unrest settles that is) or another location. Thing is with Hubby being self-employed he is limited as to when he can afford to take time off, also if we were to take up offer of another location but for the same dates where else would be the same temperature which isn't too far to travel to? We have also paid for extra legroom seats on the Thomas Cook airlines, at what point would we receive a refund from them and if we were to take up the offer of an alternative location would be still be able to get the extra legroom seats on that plane? Finally we booked accommodation overnight at Gatwick and to park the car there during our holiday, this was done separately as we got a better price than going through the tour op, would we get a full refund from them too? We do have travel insurance and our holiday has been fully paid up for. I'm just wondering how much notice will TC give us, will they leave it right up until the "wire" before telling us, in which case it wouldn't give us much time to decide whether we want the refund or an alternative location?:(