Help with Refund

tonyscumbria

Hi All,   My 'package holiday' to Sri Lanka is ATOL protected.  I booked with Gold Medal through a local travel agent.  I should be travelling on Thursday 26th March.  Sri Lankan Government has closed the Airport and the Hotel has also Closed.   I believe Gold Medal should therefore give me a Full Refund,   Am i correct.  If not do i claim through ATOL or my holiday insurance, which i took out well before Corona was identified.  Alternatively, as i made payment on my Credit Card, should i speak to them? 

Any help or advice you can give will be greatly appreciated.

TIA

Tony

bagand96

If Gold Medal cancel the trip (which seems likely as without a flight or hotel they can't fulfill it) they should offer you a full refund or a rebooking at a later date.  This is covered under The Package Travel Regulations 2018.  However, and here may come the problem, the industry is lobbying Government to try and get the rules temporarily relaxed due to the unprecedented situation. https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/package-holiday-refund-rules-suspended-abta-coronavirus-a9417261.html

No claim with ATOL, that only protects you if Gold Medal fall into administration.  Holiday insurance may be an avenue, but they will likely refer you back to Gold Medal and say claim your refund from then under your legal right to do so.  This is where the waters are very muddied right now as the Government haven't made a policy decision yet or issued any guidelines, yet industry is very much going down the voucher route.

tonyscumbria

They are currently try to offer the 'same holiday' next feb (my preference) but at an extra £1000 or 33% increase. Thing is i know i can do it independantly for similar price to what i paid this year!

Alan_Bowen

ABTA appears to believe that the law will be changed but right now there is nothing from the UK government, although a Cobra meeting is taking place and it is possible this is up for discussion, and there is certainly nothing from the EU Commission, who are the original source of the law in the first place