Coronavirus travel disruption - latest info and your rights

Mrs_B2019

What do I do?
My daughter attends school and a childminder and I work full time. I don't have family local to support and most of my friends also work full time. With the outbreak of corona virus we have received some information today, from the school and a second from the childminder. The school is stating that they may choose to close which is not ideal but we understand, But the childminder has stated that if she decides to close her doors and isolate that full payment will still be expected? In our original contract it states that absence down to my child is fully chargeable yet if she was ever ill that it would be not expected?
Personally I feel that this is quite a shocking demand? please correct me if I am wrong to think this. The business I work for has told me I will not be paid for the absence if I am made to take time away to care for my child, so not only will I suffer myself financially the money that I thought I would have had to back me up would then need to be paid to a childcare provider that is not open?

Please help me, I have messaged the childcare provider to query her request and had nothing back, but i really think that what she is putting into place is uncalled for. We will all be impacted by this virus financially but surely there has to be some sort of protection or support out there to help me? Or even point out to the childcare provider? please help me xx

Aylesbury_Duck

Mrs_B2019 said:

What do I do?
My daughter attends school and a childminder and I work full time. I don't have family local to support and most of my friends also work full time. With the outbreak of corona virus we have received some information today, from the school and a second from the childminder. The school is stating that they may choose to close which is not ideal but we understand, But the childminder has stated that if she decides to close her doors and isolate that full payment will still be expected? In our original contract it states that absence down to my child is fully chargeable yet if she was ever ill that it would be not expected?
Personally I feel that this is quite a shocking demand? please correct me if I am wrong to think this. The business I work for has told me I will not be paid for the absence if I am made to take time away to care for my child, so not only will I suffer myself financially the money that I thought I would have had to back me up would then need to be paid to a childcare provider that is not open?

Please help me, I have messaged the childcare provider to query her request and had nothing back, but i really think that what she is putting into place is uncalled for. We will all be impacted by this virus financially but surely there has to be some sort of protection or support out there to help me? Or even point out to the childcare provider? please help me xx

Where are you travelling to?  If you're not, I suggest you post this in the Consumer Rights section.

Tony69

Aylesbury_Duck said:

Tony69 said:

Aylesbury_Duck said:

Tony69 said:

We have a package holiday with jet2holidays booked for end of month. If the holiday is cancelled by jet2 or by the government stopping flights etc would we get a refund from jet2 or have to go through insurance?

Read the guide on page one of this thread.

I have and cannot see the actual answer to my query. Maybe you could help.

I could but I'd simply be typing out what's already been explained in full in the guidance, and I'm a less authoritative source.

Apologies for me being numb here but I’d take that right now as I cannot see the answer to my specific question in the guidance.

crenner

I've just come back from Italy after my week long ski holiday was cut short on the evening of day 1. Neilson flew us home the following day but are now refusing to offer any compensation or partial refund for the lost days of holiday. Whilst I appreciate the Italian government locking the country down was outside of their control, they are arguing that it was unforeseeable and therefore don't offer any compensation. 
Has anyone had a similar experience and been able to get them to pay up?

soolin

crenner said:

I've just come back from Italy after my week long ski holiday was cut short on the evening of day 1. Neilson flew us home the following day but are now refusing to offer any compensation or partial refund for the lost days of holiday. Whilst I appreciate the Italian government locking the country down was outside of their control, they are arguing that it was unforeseeable and therefore don't offer any compensation. 
Has anyone had a similar experience and been able to get them to pay up?

This sounds like an insurance job, so check your insurance cover. 

Westin

@crenner;  This cropped up yesterday.  
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/76925463#Comment_76925463

silvercar

@Mrs_B2019 “  But the childminder has stated that if she decides to close her doors and isolate that full payment will still be expected? In our original contract it states that absence down to my child is fully chargeable yet if she was ever ill that it would be not
expected?”

I would point out those contract terms.

MarkB2908

My son and I were traveling to Portugal to participate in a football tournament (in early April) which has now been cancelled / delayed until June/July.  I had booked a hotel in Portugal through Prestigia. At the time of booking (Oct 2019) I purchased a cancellation option which gave me the ability to cancel my reservation almost up to the day of departure (5th April).  Yesterday I received an email from RoomerFlex stating "Due to the massive impact of COVID-19 on the global travel industry we are facing extremely high volumes of requests and we will need to refund your payment of the Cancellation Option fee. The Cancellation Option for your travel reservation will be voided. " So it looks like they have cancelled my cancellation policy. Is this possible or even legal of them ?  any help / advice would be greatly appreciated.

ceh209

FCO now advising against all but essential travel to 'Madrid and La Rioja, and the municipalities of La Bastida and Vitoria (both in the Basque Country) and Miranda de Ebro (in Castilla y León)'
https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/spain

I am due to fly to Barcelona tomorrow for 3 nights. Obviously not on that list so far, but I expect that to change while we're out there as it spreads through Spain.

What happens if the advice changes while we're there? How do we get home, as I expect flights are mostly going to get cancelled?

I've tried amending bookings today, flights can be done but the hotel is non-refundable and they're not responding to email asking to change dates (I phoned and they said I had to email, and that they were 'considering' it.)

patricia1066

silvercar said:

@Mrs_B2019 “  But the childminder has stated that if she decides to close her doors and isolate that full payment will still be expected? In our original contract it states that absence down to my child is fully chargeable yet if she was ever ill that it would be not
expected?”

I would point out those contract terms.

Sometimes the contract isn't worth enforcing. In the longer term a good relationship with the child minder is essential.
Do you want to risk the child minder exposing the children to the virus simply because her staff cannot afford to stay home unpaid?
Perhaps the OP can ask if there is already a known risk of virus transmission occurring in the nursery.