Coronavirus travel disruption - latest info and your rights

Jtomo58

We have a packaged holiday with First Choice (TUI) booked for early August. We booked before the Corona Virus and were looking forward to the holiday, however, my daughter has a history of respiratory issues and is under a consultant at the hospital and has multiple medications each day. My wife also has severe Asthma. We have taken the decision that we no longer wish to travel and take the risk. We still 80+ days from travel. We have tried to cancel, but TUI say it has to be under normal conditions, so we would loose £800. We booked on a zero deposit and paid via DD. Firstly i am not sure where the £800 figure has come from. Secondly, i have tried exceptions due to my daughter's health. They were happy to discuss until i had to inform them my insurance did not cover the deposit at which point i am told i cant cancel. I have letters from the government to say my daughter and wife is in the at risk group, and also medical records. Tui still say their exceptions policy does not apply. Quite frankly, i am disgusted with TUI, i would have thought a big company like this would have been more compassionate.  Are you able to help?

Jtomo58

Jtomo58 said:

We have a packaged holiday with First Choice (TUI) booked for early August. We booked before the Corona Virus and were looking forward to the holiday, however, my daughter has a history of respiratory issues and is under a consultant at the hospital and has multiple medications each day. My wife also has severe Asthma. We have taken the decision that we no longer wish to travel and take the risk. We still 80+ days from travel. We have tried to cancel, but TUI say it has to be under normal conditions, so we would loose £800. We booked on a zero deposit and paid via DD. Firstly i am not sure where the £800 figure has come from. Secondly, i have tried exceptions due to my daughter's health. They were happy to discuss until i had to inform them my insurance did not cover the deposit at which point i am told i cant cancel. I have letters from the government to say my daughter and wife is in the at risk group, and also medical records. Tui still say their exceptions policy does not apply. Quite frankly, i am disgusted with TUI, i would have thought a big company like this would have been more compassionate.  Are you able to help?

My email's and responses from Tui, I'm sure you would agree, it's disgusting. 
Original email...

Dear Exceptions Team,

My family have a holiday booked on the xxth August 2020 leaving from xxxxx Airport to Kos, ref xxxxxxxx under the booking name Mr xxxx xxxxx

Given the current situation re Covid 19, we would like to cancel our holiday as both my Daughter and Wife remain in the at risk category and have letters from the government as such (Attached for reference). My daughter is under a consultant as she has respiratory issues and has had so from birth (Appointment letter attached). Given the seriousness of Covid 19 and the potential impacts particularly to my daughters health, we feel that the risk to continue with the holiday is too high and therefore would like to cancel with a full refund on the basis of medical conditions and the Covid Risk.

I also enclose a paragraph from our insurance company NatWest who confirm the deposit is not covered at this time. 

Please can you action the cancellation and full refund please and confirm the same. 

If you need anything else please let me know. 

Thank you in advance,

Response

I have taken a look at our exceptions policy and we are unable to offer you a cancellation with a full refund, if you were to cancel it would be under normal terms and conditions.

We can also offer you to amend your holiday free of charge to a holiday later this year or next year. You would be able to change your booking for later this year or next year to any TUI, First Choice, Marella Cruises or River Cruise we currently have on sale. If the new holiday cost is more expensive we would ask you to cover the difference and if it is cheaper we will refund you. You can call us on 02034512688 and we can change it over on the phone.

Second Email

Seriously!? I was advised by your agents this would be straight forward given my daughter's heath conditions.

You would rather I risk my daughter's health than offer a refund, even though we are over 80 days from travel!? This is disgraceful. Under normal circumstances we would love to go on holiday, my daughter can benefit from vitamin D from the sun, but given the high risk to her and even if travel restrictions ease, we do not want to risk her health and wellbeing. I have provided evidence of her situation, clearly, she is in an at-risk group.

I would urge you to reconsider, please. If I need a letter from the consultant in this regard it can be obtained.

Please reconsider. This is not something I would have expected from a highly regarded company such as TUI and First Choice.

 Regards

 Response

I have taken another look at this for you and we are unable to offer a cancellation with a full refund and can only offer to amend the holiday free of charge 

Life__Goes__On

Did you book for 4 People?

senatorjoe60

I have just checked my flights with Virgin Atlantic. Was supposed to fly from Manchester to Las Vegas at end of August. Flight is now from Heathrow. No NOTIFICATION from Virgin at all. I have already booked train to Manchester and an overnight hotel stay the day before the Flight. Both are non refundable. What can I do about the whole situation? I have sent a complaint to the CAA.

[Deleted User]

Hi i see travel up came bottom in the poll.  I have a flight booked thru them with air transat. Air transat are only giving out credit notes.  Where do i stand about getting a cash refund ?? My flight is from dublin. 

DPS-2016

Add Air Transat to the list of useless carriers!  One thinking offering and even trying to persuade vouchers - totally another thing to deny legal rights having requested (politely may I add!) a refund on four separate occasions!

Coco52

We booked a package holiday with Worldwide Cruises  We were due to go on 31/05/20 but the cruise liner has cancelled all sailings , I have emailed WWC and asked to be refunded this was 4 weeks ago what they are trying to say is they won’t refund because the airline haven’t actually stated as of yet that there have cancelled all flights. My argument to WWC but this is a package holiday if the cruise is not sailing then my holiday will not be going ahead , they have yet to come back. What are my rights 

Life__Goes__On

Coco52 said:

We booked a package holiday with Worldwide Cruises  We were due to go on 31/05/20 but the cruise liner has cancelled all sailings , I have emailed WWC and asked to be refunded this was 4 weeks ago what they are trying to say is they won’t refund because the airline haven’t actually stated as of yet that there have cancelled all flights. My argument to WWC but this is a package holiday if the cruise is not sailing then my holiday will not be going ahead , they have yet to come back. What are my rights 

Did you just pay Worldwide Cruises? or were flights paid to another company?  Was it just one invoice with a total(including flights)?

Coco52

We paid the complete holiday to WWC

Life__Goes__On

Coco52 said:

We paid the complete holiday to WWC

Then once the cruise was cancelled legally you should have been refunded (cash not voucher)  within 14 days, as it's clearly a Package holiday.