Coronavirus travel disruption - latest info and your rights

discounthunter2010

I had flights booked for next week with Singapore Airlines (Manchester to Perth), booked using Amex card via travel agent - Opodo. Flights have been cancelled by airline and have been trying to get in touch with Opodo to get a refund under EU passenger rights. They are totally unreachable:

• Online portal doesn't allow me to do anything with my booking - It hasn't even registered that my flight status has changed (which it has on the airline website)
• Chatbot is useless, no longer even attempts to put me in a queue and just gives canned responses
• Phone service just says they are too busy and hangs up on me!

Is there any other way to get my money back, could I claim from the airline directly, or raise a S75 claim via Amex? I do have travel insurance but they need proof that airline isn't refunding me, which technically they should be doing if I could actually get through to anyone.
I appreciate there will be huge levels of contacts into these agents, but Opodo don't even allow you to wait in a queue! My concern is my flight date passes without me being able to reach them and they class me as a no show and refuse to refund

CyTravel

Hi. I live in Cyprus and had a short break to the UK booked at the end of April. The Best Western hotel I've booked has emailed me and said they will not be open and so have agreed to offer me a voucher instead valid till November 2021. However, chances are we wouldn't use it or fly over before that date anyway. I have asked for a refund instead but the reply I had was:

'It is the decision of both the hotel owner and directors that we will not be issuing refunds for the non-refundable bookings made. Instead we are offering the transfer of funds up to 30th November 2021.'

I could understand if I lived in the UK but as I live abroad it is much more difficult to arrange trips. Can I insist by law on a refund? I paid the full balance via PayPal. I took the room with the no cancellation option - but I haven't cancelled it, they have.

Thanks in advance.

Westin

@M271
Via your travel insurance providing you bought insurance cover that included Curtailment or Travel Disruption. 

RainyJ

I have a trip booked through Trailfinders for a 3 week fly/drive in California with my daughter which includes flights, car hire and hotels, we're due to fly on 9th June. I have to pay £7k balance to Trailfinders on 5th April, their T&C's state that that it's a binding contract since the trip was confirmed and £800 deposit was paid in August last year. With the current state of play, should I still pay this or could I be within my rights to postpone the trip until 2021 if they hold my deposit? Thank you

Westin

@RainyJ
You may wish to read the MSE article - Coronavirus Travel Rights, which is regularly updated.   Linked above in the purple box or from the link I have typed below.
In particular the section titled - "I've booked a trip, but I'm paying for it in instalments. I don't want to go – can I stop paying?"

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2020/02/coronavirus-travel-help-and-your-rights/?utm_source=MSE_Newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_term=18-Mar-20-50597963-386&utm_campaign=nt-hiya&utm_content=4

[Deleted User]

I had just started a tour of South Africa, 4 days into a 16 day tour, when we were told it had to be cancelled due to Coronavirus. It took a further 3 days to arrange flights (some of the group had to wait a further day or 2 with lengthg delays for connecting flights in Dubai. 
What is our entitlement to a refund on the holiday - pro rata or 100% - and is there any other financial compensation likely?

Westin

@ianmd: I think that will depend on what your travel insurance covers and pays for this eventually.  Read up and check under either Curtailment or Travel Disruption.  Not all policies offer this.

kbuckland

Hello. I'm looking for some advice please. I was booked to stay at a holiday park in the UK this weekend, which the company who own the park cancelled as a result of the lockdown. They are refusing to refund our booking, and only offering to give us credit for the amount we paid against a future booking at the same park within the next 12 months. The company has increased the cost of their future holidays, so it is impossible for us to rebook without adding at least £100 to our existing credit. If we don't use the credit, they will only refund us 5%. Can the company do this? Our understanding was that if we cancelled, the above was ok, but they cancelled the holiday not us, so should be providing a full refund? 

kazahall

Can anyone please advise whether we are required to pay the balance of our holiday to Spain, which is due on Monday? The holiday is booked for June and TUI are saying we have to pay and then have until the 31/5 to change the date. This might not be practical and would rather have a refund. Thanks for any advice.

Caz3121

kazahall said:

Can anyone please advise whether we are required to pay the balance of our holiday to Spain, which is due on Monday? The holiday is booked for June and TUI are saying we have to pay and then have until the 31/5 to change the date. This might not be practical and would rather have a refund. Thanks for any advice.

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2020/02/coronavirus-travel-help-and-your-rights/
have a read of the main article - 

• I've booked a trip, but I'm paying for it in instalments. I don't want to go – can I stop paying?

  You'll need to weigh up the risk based on what you've paid so far and what you've yet to pay, but this is likely to be a bad idea.

  The Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) warns if you're paying in instalments for a holiday and stop paying because you fear your holiday will be cancelled or you don't want to go, you are effectively cancelling the booking.

  This means that if the booking is subsequently cancelled by the operator you won't get your money back, whereas if you continue to pay and it's then cancelled, you would get a refund.

also -  If you have paid a low deposit then you will likely need to pay more before you can cancel.