Temporary board for Covid-19 travel disruption discussions

coey

Don't give in , demand a full refund , Latest [today] advice quoted from Which on UK holidays , unable to add link but easily found on google search....... " What you’re entitled to if your UK holiday plans are cancelled If you had booked a package holiday for the next few weeks – that’s where any two parts of the holiday were booked together, such as accommodation, car hire, transport and activities – the law says you are due a refund within 14 days. Some companies, such as Center Parcs and Haven, have already committed to providing full refunds. However, many companies are only offering customers credit or the chance to postpone their package. If this is not what you want, insist on your legal right to a refund. We’re lobbying for action to be taken over customers being refused refunds. If you had just booked accommodation and the hotel or B&B has now cancelled, you will generally get a refund. Many hotel chains, such as Premier Inn and Hilton, have said they will offer full refunds. Airbnb is also offering customers full refunds until 14 April. But we’ve heard from a number of customers struggling to get refunds. One disappointed holidaymaker, James, told us he had a holiday cottage in Northumberland booked during the lockdown period. But Cottages.com refused to refund his stay, offering him a 12-month deadline to rebook instead. James said the company ‘just couldn’t tell me what would happen if this all lasts more than a year, and said I might even have to pay more when I rebook. I feel very letdown.’ "

albertshepherd

I am due to pay the balance on a city/flight break to New York scheduled for May 5th with lastminute.com.

All deposits and payments will be with a credit card.

Should I pay or cancel I have until April 5th?

NikkiCB

EasyJet have cancelled our flight to Lyon on 6th April. They directed us to go to the website, but when we went on the 'Manage My Bookings' part of the website, the only options were to obtain a voucher or change flights; there was no option to gain a refund. When we rang up EasyJet, and eventually got through, they told us that they are not offering customers any refunds at all for flights cancelled by EasyJet, only vouchers or flight changes. I am sure that by EU law (which we are still covered by), we are entitled to a refund or a changed flight, so am I right in thinking that EasyJet are infringing upon these rights by not offering any refunds? Any help or advice at all on how to proceed would be really appreciated. 

11trossachs

Hi, can someone please clarify the situation with EasyJet vouchers, do you have to take them for a cancelled flight? If the voucher was for 12 months that would be fine however 6 months is too short...Can you get a refund at all?
thanks in advance 

langers638

HI. I CAN'T FIND ANYTHING HERE ABOUT THE DISPICABLE WAY SYKES COTTAGES ARE TREATING CUSTOMERS AND OWNERS AT THIS DIFFICULT TIME. I AM JUST HOPING THAT AS A SYKES COTTAGES DIRECTOR MR DONAHUGH IS A PAST EMPLOYEE OF MSE AND MAY BE ALLOWED TO GET AWAY WITH THE REFUSAL TO REFUND CUSTOMERS AND POCKETING THE MONEY 

Amateurd

langers638 said:

HI. I CAN'T FIND ANYTHING HERE ABOUT THE DISPICABLE WAY SYKES COTTAGES ARE TREATING CUSTOMERS AND OWNERS AT THIS DIFFICULT TIME. I AM JUST HOPING THAT AS A SYKES COTTAGES DIRECTOR MR DONAHUGH IS A PAST EMPLOYEE OF MSE AND MAY BE ALLOWED TO GET AWAY WITH THE REFUSAL TO REFUND CUSTOMERS AND POCKETING THE MONEY 

There are a few posts on the subject, Sykes and Cottages.com are doing the same things. If you booked via credit card, or you have separate travel insurance, you may have a claim. Some customers have reported losing 90% of their money, or offered alternative bookings at double the original price - effectively they lose 100% of their money.

KevRusski

Hi everyone,
My first post, be kind.

I was due to fly to florida / disney world 30 April and wonder if anyone can help with a few questions, I have held on the phone with Virgin holidays for 4 hours today and 4 hours yesterday, each time exactly on 4 hours I get cut off. Rather than getting into this been a horrible experience, poor service etc etc lets stick to whats important as its not easy for them, i sympathise and thats not my concern, despite the fact I should be able to discuss this with them.

Right now, my holiday is not officially cancelled but its about to be, and I was originally  trying to  get some information so I can make an informed descision.

1. I don`t want to be getting my money back and helping them go bust, but I have to look after my money. I would like, ideally, to just re-arrange the holiday. However, if I get one of these vouchers forced on me, is it protected by ATOL/ABTA because if you have gift card/voucher for any other business  and they go under you lose the money. If its brought into law that they can do this would it then be protected, whereas its not now?
2. Are my Disney tickets covered by the ATOL/ABTA protection scheme (all booked at same time with Virgin)? Same goes with other extras like the car insurance for the hire car through Virgin.
3. I bought some sea world tickets via "attraction tickets" and if I put back my holiday by one year I will have to cancel those (run out in Feb) and they charge me a 20% fee. However, Sea world allow you to push back for all of 2021. Anyone any thoughts on how to negotiate with Attraction tickets or avoid this. It seems poor.
4. A lot has been made about getting your holiday insurance at the time of booking your holiday, which I did a year ago, however, I`m failing to see why, because my policy will cover cancellations but I`m already covered by ATOL/ABTA and when I rang them a month ago the response was, speak to virgin not us? So although they cover the main holiday (not Disney tickets) I wouldn't use those clauses?
5. When my holiday is put back the holiday insurance I bought will be worthless, should I be able to get a refund on this if they will not amend the dates by one year. Which I`m pretty sure they wont do. I was going for 16 days if that makes any difference.

Thanks in advance.

Andi1974

Easyjet Insurance(Zurich) have declined to pay out accommodation costs due to the pandemic. The exclusions in my policy include this: 
Any loss directly or indirectly arising from any government’s regulations control or act. 
It is this that they are basing the claim rejection on. I feel that this is suitable ambiguous to challenge especially as on the same page they have the following:
You travelling to a country or area against the advice of The Foreign and Commonwealth Office or equivalent government or national authority, or the World Health Organisation.
This is an exclusion to the policy. As such, I am damned if I go and damned if I dont? Has anyone else suffered this same issue? And does anyone else have advice or thoughts?
The trip was for this week to Cyprus (also in lockdown).

BMC1957

Hi my wife and I are stuck in lockdown in malaga can't get in touch with insurance company, easyjet, and British consulate malaga can't help we have to keep apartment on as we have no option, we tried to get on rescue flights but no chance, it gonna be an expensive break as flights don't begin until May, any ideas would be appreciated

Winkers72

My partner and I booked to go on holiday to Cambodia and Vietnam on 3rd April with a complany called Citrus Travel. The FCO advised against all but essential travel to Vietnam effective 15th March 2020. In the week preceding that decision Citrus travel attempted to get us to cancel, reschedule or change our travel plans and was then unwilling to offer us a refund following travel restrictions being imposed. Citrus also asked us to pay an additional £250 each to take up their offer to rearrange our travel plans. Since that time my partner and I have been in communication with the company, whose name is on the ATOL certificate covering our trip, to get a full refund. Citrus have been avoidant, suggesting they needed to contact other suppliers in order to make us an offer of what I suspect will be a partial refund. I received a call from a manager at Citrus, Alex and my partner returned the call. Alex was attempting to intimidate my partner into cancelling the trip to enable them to pay out a lesser amount. We are getting absolutely nowhere with this slippery company Citrus. What do you reccommend? My partner booked using her credit card, she has also tried this route and spent over 4 hours on hold up to this point. I would really appreciate any advice you can give. Stay safe!