Travel Agent £100 to swap from Cape Verde

buel10

Hi.
A friend of mine had paid his travel agent +£2000 for him and his wife to go to Cape Verde but recently read the travel advice of:
'Cases of locally transmitted Zika virus have been confirmed in the last 2 months; you should follow the advice of the National Travel Health Network and Centre and discuss your travel plans with your healthcare provider, particularly if you’re pregnant or planning to become pregnant'.

He and his wife are planning to have children later this year but the travel agent still charged them £100 to swap to an alternative holiday destination that they didn't necessarily want to go to.

Is there any basis for this £100 charge in these circumstances?

jpsartre

As long as it's in the T&C of the booking the agent can charge what he/she wants for the change.

fairy_lights

If his wife isn't currently pregnant then I don't see why they shouldn't have to pay the fee, Zika won't pose any health risk to them and will it really be such an issue to delay trying to conceive for a few months?

buel10

fairy_lights wrote: »

If his wife isn't currently pregnant then I don't see why they shouldn't have to pay the fee, Zika won't pose any health risk to them and will it really be such an issue to delay trying to conceive for a few months?

Your knowledge of the virus is shockingly poor. I wonder if you'd feel the same if this was your daughter?

fairy_lights

buel10 wrote: »

Your knowledge of the virus is shockingly poor. I wonder if you'd feel the same if this was your daughter?

yes. I would tell her to go on holiday and delay trying to conceive - unless she's on the verge of the menopause why is that such a problem?

leylandsunaddict

Normal T&Cs apply. Anyone could say they were planning to get pregnant just to avoid the change fee.

When did they book because Zika and Cape Verde has been known about for months? If they'd already booked why leave it until now to ask about changing? If they're going to start trying for a family later this year then everything should be ok. The virus, even if she got infected, doesn't take long to clear the bloodstream. If her husband got infected they would have to wait about 6 months, which would take them to later this year.

Chickadee_83

I have a friend who went to Brazil and she has had to change her plans about starting a family as they werent really that aware when they went and their GP recommended a minimum 6 months before they started so they are waiting longer.

I guess £100 isnt the end of the world if its a luxury holiday but guess it depends on your priorities?

jpsartre

buel10 wrote: »

Your knowledge of the virus is shockingly poor. I wonder if you'd feel the same if this was your daughter?

How people feel about it is irrelevant, what matters is the T&C of the booking.

[Deleted User]

jpsartre wrote: »

How people feel about it is irrelevant, what matters is the T&C of the booking.

Exactly. And I'd say they've got to draw the line somewhere otherwise every single destination someone would find fault with an try to change holiday.