USA - New York Holiday Last Minute

WillP852

Hey all,

I'd be very grateful if anyone could give me some advice. We've got a week holiday booked at the end of September to New York that was booked through LastMinute.com. The booking was made in November 2019, before the nasty C-V became a thing.

At current, we have only paid the deposit - because of Covid we have held off from paying the rest of the balance until finding out what our options are. We contacted LM about being able to rearrange the holiday for Sept 2021. They eventually (4 weeks later) responded saying that, because the booking was made in Nov 2019, the e-Ticket for Virgin Atlantic was only valid for 12 months - meaning we could change to Nov 2020 at the latest. However, correspondence from Virgin Atlantic directly suggested that, as we haven't paid the full balance yet, the e-Ticket validity would only start once we had paid the full balance to LM. I emailed back LM with this information and asked what our options were now. LM are yet to respond to this email.

LM are expecting the full balance to be paid in mid August. The flights are still set to go ahead at current, but the travel ban means we would not be permitted entry into the US (unless things unexpectedly changed between now and then). Can anyone advise what they think we should do? Our preferred outcome would be to rearrange to later dates in 2021, but if LM will not co-operate then we wish to be refunded our deposit as it is not currently possible to go on the trip that they are supposed to be providing!

Poecile

I am in your exact same position and I am extremely hesitant to pay the remaining funds with people reporting they are waiting over 120 days for refunds! and it doesnt help that LM have no certain ways to contact them!

mattyprice4004

It's not currently possible to travel there, but it may be nearer the time - we're booked to go to New York in September too and are holding fire for now. 

Theoretically the restrictions could end a week before your holiday, and you'd then be obliged to go or lose the full amount - you need the date of the holiday to pass and the ban to still be in force to have the upper hand. 

Socajam

Good luck with visiting in September
With the virus spreading like wild wire, I would give that place a wide berth

mattyprice4004

Socajam said:

Good luck with visiting in September
With the virus spreading like wild wire, I would give that place a wide berth

That's pretty much my current thoughts on it - I'm really hoping that our flights and / or hotel are cancelled. 
But for the OP and myself, we won't be entitled to a refund if the holiday does go ahead and we choose not to travel due to safety concerns. 

blindman

mattyprice4004 said:

Socajam said:

Good luck with visiting in September
With the virus spreading like wild wire, I would give that place a wide berth

That's pretty much my current thoughts on it - I'm really hoping that our flights and / or hotel are cancelled. 
But for the OP and myself, we won't be entitled to a refund if the holiday does go ahead and we choose not to travel due to safety concerns. 

Any of this guide helpful to either the OP or you?

Never cancel anything yourself.

It's a waiting game  which unfortunately means you may have to pay the balance as part of the "rules"

Neil49

Which magazine rates Lastminute.com as one of the worst travel companies in the UK and very difficult when dealing with Covid related refunds. 

You may want to consider just losing your deposit if it's not excessive and be done with them. 

eskbanker

Neil49 said:

You may want to consider just losing your deposit if it's not excessive and be done with them. 

Dangerous to assume that cancellation by the customer would only lead to loss of deposit!  Many providers levy cancellation charges considerably in excess of this, especially as the trip gets closer, so there have been plenty of posts by those who mistakenly believed that not paying the balance would avoid any further liability....

Poecile

I am extremely hesitant to give LastMinute ANY money at all for my trip to NY in Sep, I have only put down a £180 deposit but theyre expecting £1500 on 25th Aug which will be refunded in the form of a voucher IF it the travel ban stays in place. If you look at ANY social media post they are being flooded with negativity, 100+ days waiting for a response, no phone lines working, no email response and also apparently very close to going bust! I am fairly confident I will be biting the bullet on this one and fighting with them for the money but theyre not getting a penny from me with no assurance of the trip ever going ahead.

Butts

eskbanker said:

Neil49 said:

You may want to consider just losing your deposit if it's not excessive and be done with them. 

Dangerous to assume that cancellation by the customer would only lead to loss of deposit!  Many providers levy cancellation charges considerably in excess of this, especially as the trip gets closer, so there have been plenty of posts by those who mistakenly believed that not paying the balance would avoid any further liability....

Have there been any posts detailing the enforcement of "further liability" , indeed if you can find a Court Case relating to such circumstances it would be even more instructive.

DCFC79

Poecile said:

I am extremely hesitant to give LastMinute ANY money at all for my trip to NY in Sep, I have only put down a £180 deposit but theyre expecting £1500 on 25th Aug which will be refunded in the form of a voucher IF it the travel ban stays in place. If you look at ANY social media post they are being flooded with negativity, 100+ days waiting for a response, no phone lines working, no email response and also apparently very close to going bust! I am fairly confident I will be biting the bullet on this one and fighting with them for the money but theyre not getting a penny from me with no assurance of the trip ever going ahead.

How were you going to pay the remaining balance ?