Whats your move ,cancel package holiday and claim 50% back or wait ?

rae2820

Hello all,
I just wondered what some of you are doing in respect of your package holidays that are looming given the recent Covid-19 situation.
We are due as a multigenerational family to travel to Zakynthos in 50 days time. My parents in their 70's are reluctant to travel, given the current situation.I am sharing a 2 bed apartment with them on the same booking.My two grown up sons have a separate booking , one of whom has an auto immune condition.
I am aware that we need to be directed by the FCO and the travel agent as to whether they will begin cancelling flights in coming days and weeks and undoubtedly things will change. 
If we cancel today at the 50 day point we will be able to claim a refund of 50%. The tricky part is that i am hearing that certain Travel insurance companies will not cover and some have different stances, irrespective of whether you have a travel disruption clause etc.  if the FCO advises against travel or if borders are shut.
So I wonder what many of you were doing ? Sit tight and hope for a cancellation by TUI and refund , if indeed they are going to be able to do that or take the 50 % ?

Aylesbury_Duck

Have a read through the threads on here.  There are all sorts of variables at play.  Seven weeks is a very long time away in the context of a situation that is changing rapidly.  You need to understand exactly what your operator and insurer would do in different circumstances before making your decision.

Pollycat

rae2820 said:

Hello all,
I just wondered what some of you are doing in respect of your package holidays that are looming given the recent Covid-19 situation.
We are due as a multigenerational family to travel to Zakynthos in 50 days time. My parents in their 70's are reluctant to travel, given the current situation.I am sharing a 2 bed apartment with them on the same booking.My two grown up sons have a separate booking , one of whom has an auto immune condition.
I am aware that we need to be directed by the FCO and the travel agent as to whether they will begin cancelling flights in coming days and weeks and undoubtedly things will change. 
If we cancel today at the 50 day point we will be able to claim a refund of 50%. The tricky part is that i am hearing that certain Travel insurance companies will not cover and some have different stances, irrespective of whether you have a travel disruption clause etc.  if the FCO advises against travel or if borders are shut.
So I wonder what many of you were doing ? Sit tight and hope for a cancellation by TUI and refund , if indeed they are going to be able to do that or take the 50 % ?

I'll be paying the balance for our June holiday (with TUI) later this month.

So I'm sitting tight and hoping I'll be going to Crete.

rae2820

I think thats what we have decided to do to ....:)

Caramac

I’ve booked to travel to Italy with TUI in June. Up until this week I was looking at paying the balance later this month and waiting to see what happens. Now I’m trying to decide whether to try and change the booking to September before everyone decides to do the same. The problem is the situation is changing daily.

oellph

We have a booking for October half term to Lanzarote with TUI. Paid £200 low deposit towards the end of last year, now have to pay the next £600 before March 19th. If I cancel, we have to pay £800 (seemingly a deposit on a £2800 holiday is £1000). If I continue to pay would I still be eligible for refund / compensation / insurance claim if the situation has not improved in October or spikes again given we willingly continued to pay now that Covid-19 is a thing?

Pollycat

What do TUI say?

skshaw

I have a package holiday to North Cyprus booked for 2 of us through Go North Cyprus, departing 13/9/2020.  I have paid a deposit of £800 and the balance is due 7 days before departure.  I contacted Go North Cyprus to request moving the holiday to 2021 and provided various dates.  They said this was not a problem and they would come back to me with date options available to me.  I then received an email telling me, in order to speed up the transfer process, to contact TUI (who we have the flight with) to arrange the change.  I refused because I had booked a package holiday and informed them that it was their responsibility to make the change.  As a matter of interest, I did contact TUI and they agreed that I had done the correct thing and whats more they would only deal with the Third Party Agent as they made the booking.  I am also aware that this would compromise my ATOL protection and it wouldn't address the change of the hotel booking.  They responded and said they would 'do their best!'  My concern is that if they do not make the transfer, it will look like we just didn't bother to turn up for the flight.  How do I stand with paying the outstanding balance and recovering my deposit if the Company fails to action my request to move to a later date?