Portugal & Love holidays

amygill1990

Looking for some advise

I booked a package holiday with love holidays back in Jan to go to Portugal in September. This was meant to be a little break at the end of my masters placement. Unfortunately I am still on placement when I am due to go as it started later with the lockdown. I can take annual leave but have decided I am not going to go. This is largely because I don’t think my travel insurance would be valid  with Portugal still being on the FCO list and because I cannot take the 14 day isolation at home (due to university start back dates and finishing my placement). So I am definitely not taking this holiday.

Love holidays are impossible to get hold of, so wanted to ask what my rights are (if any) in terms of obtaining a refund? I paid in full at time of booking on a credit Card

 thanks 

Voyager2002

Do you have travel insurance?

Browntoa

My loveholidays holiday for the end of August was cancelled last week . Have you checked that your flights are still going and the hotels actually open ? 

Check directly , not via loveholidays . 

If either are cancelled then log onto "my booking" and tell them

Alan_Bowen

If you cancel and the holiday is still available, then you may not have any right to a refund at all. Currently, the FCO advice is against all but essential travel to Portugal but that may change between now and when you are due to travel as they do seem to be getting on top of the issue, unlike Spain where things are going from bad to worse and Germany have now followed our advice and told Germans not to travel to Spain or the Balearics.
If the holiday is cancelled by Love Holidays before the date of travel, and that will probably be only if the flights are no longer available, check by looking at the website of the airline you are booked with, then you are entitled to a full refund. So don't jump the gun yet, check your flights but if they are still there, so is your holiday and as it is your choice to cancel, you may be subject to cancellation charges which may well be 100%.
If the FCO advice doesn't change, if you had booked with any other operator, apart from On the Beach or this one, they would have cancelled and given a full refund but these two say if the airline won't refund, neither will they but they will refund the hotel and transfers if already paid for. 

amygill1990

I won’t cancel right now, I’m aware that will stop me being able to get anything back. I do have travel insurance (they’ve told me to contact LH) and my flights right now are still going ahead and I believe the hotel is still open. But surely if the country is on the FCO list the day I am due to depart I should be able to get some sort of refund? Would that be through insurance, LH, or credit card?

DCFC79

amygill1990 said:

I won’t cancel right now, I’m aware that will stop me being able to get anything back. I do have travel insurance (they’ve told me to contact LH) and my flights right now are still going ahead and I believe the hotel is still open. But surely if the country is on the FCO list the day I am due to depart I should be able to get some sort of refund? Would that be through insurance, LH, or credit card?

Refund should come via LH but if they dont play ball then its Credit card or insurers.
Theres still 2 weeks left, you might find as it gets closer the flights etc are cancelled.

amygill1990

DCFC79 said:

amygill1990 said:

I won’t cancel right now, I’m aware that will stop me being able to get anything back. I do have travel insurance (they’ve told me to contact LH) and my flights right now are still going ahead and I believe the hotel is still open. But surely if the country is on the FCO list the day I am due to depart I should be able to get some sort of refund? Would that be through insurance, LH, or credit card?

Refund should come via LH but if they dont play ball then its Credit card or insurers.
Theres still 2 weeks left, you might find as it gets closer the flights etc are cancelled.

DCFC79 said:

amygill1990 said:

I won’t cancel right now, I’m aware that will stop me being able to get anything back. I do have travel insurance (they’ve told me to contact LH) and my flights right now are still going ahead and I believe the hotel is still open. But surely if the country is on the FCO list the day I am due to depart I should be able to get some sort of refund? Would that be through insurance, LH, or credit card?

Refund should come via LH but if they dont play ball then its Credit card or insurers.
Theres still 2 weeks left, you might find as it gets closer the flights etc are cancelled.

Thank you that’s good to know. So I should sit pretty for now and if the country stays on the FCO list I can either try for a refund with LH or go to credit card? Regardless of flights going / hotel
open?

eskbanker

amygill1990 said:
So I should sit pretty for now and if the country stays on the FCO list I can either try for a refund with LH or go to credit card? Regardless of flights going / hotel

open?

You can try anything, but unfortunately it's not as simple as that - if the flights are going then LH aren't refunding unless the airline does (they won't), although they may refund hotel costs, and in that scenario your credit card won't be in a position to refund either.  Their current policy is explained at https://www.loveholidays.com/faq/questions/message-to-customers-about-changing-fco-guidance/ but is still subject to change.

mattyprice4004

My understanding is that the FCO advice is just that, advice only - not a ban on travel. 
By this logic, if your hotel and flights are still operational then it's your insurance company who will need to refund you; LoveHolidays are still able to provide the service you paid them for, you'd simply be choosing not to travel. 

Your credit card won't be able to help either, as LoveHolidays are able to provide the holiday you paid for. 

If the hotel closes or the flights are cancelled, LH should refund you in full though. 

amygill1990

mattyprice4004 said:

My understanding is that the FCO advice is just that, advice only - not a ban on travel. 
By this logic, if your hotel and flights are still operational then it's your insurance company who will need to refund you; LoveHolidays are still able to provide the service you paid them for, you'd simply be choosing not to travel. 

Your credit card won't be able to help either, as LoveHolidays are able to provide the holiday you paid for. 

If the hotel closes or the flights are cancelled, LH should refund you in full though. 

Got it
cancelled flights / hotel - try LH or credit card

no cancelled flights hotel but still on FCO - insurance 

what a palaver! Can’t be helped just want to know who I go to for what in all likely situations 

amygill1990

Update 

I have now spoken to LH
They have told me I can cancel now and will get a hotel refund only. I have to do this 14days prior to going on holiday. I’d get £207 back out of a £618 holiday 

if I do not do this and Portugal is still on the FCO list I can try and claim for the hotel at a later date

they are saying I will never be due a flight refund as Ryanair are still flying as this is all just advice from the govt.

To sort my hotel refund I have until Friday. Would people advise me do this or should I see what I can do if portugal stays on the FCO list at the time of my departure through insurance / credit card?