Iceland Travel Cancellation Advice

Abbie1989

Hello, I wondered if anyone could offer any advice.
We are due to travel to Iceland on the 15th of January 21 until the 19th of January 21. Our flights were booked with British Airways and our accommodation was booked separately with Air Bnb. Both were booked in the middle of February 20, before COVID was around and travel insurance was taken out on the same day of the booking with RAC travel insurance.
Iceland is on the safe list for travel from the UK, however, in order to travel to Iceland we will have to quarantine for either 5 days with 2 COVID tests, or for 14 days on arrival.
As our trip is only for 5 days, both options of quarantine don't work for us so we are considering our options with regards to looking at cancellations/obtaining refunds.
Can anyone help offer similar advice on where we stand with regards to going about this? Any help would be much appreciated!
Aware with flights, the advice is to not cancel and to (hope) that the flight company cancel the flight themselves - which will allow us to obtain a refund. Otherwise I believe it is just the option of a voucher which lasts for 2 years.
For Air Bnb, it looks like we can cancel and obtain a refund due to the COVID circumstances, but we can only apply for this from the beginning of December due to travel being within the next 45 days.
If all else fails and we are declined a refund, has anyone had much luck in obtaining a refund with the RAC travel insurance? Or if not has anyone had any luck in getting a refund via their insurance with similar circumstances.
Thank you in advance.

[Deleted User]

hi Abbie
I was due to fly to Iceland for 5 days earlier this month. Like you I had booked before the pandemic. I rang BA to ask what my options were and they advised to call them 3 weeks before departure date which I duly did. A bit of a wait, to be expected of course, to get though to them but it was all very straightforward, they cancelled my flights and arranged a refund which I received a few days later.

hope this helps.
FM

[Deleted User]

Abbie1989 said:

Hello, I wondered if anyone could offer any advice.
We are due to travel to Iceland on the 15th of January 21 until the 19th of January 21. Our flights were booked with British Airways and our accommodation was booked separately with Air Bnb. Both were booked in the middle of February 20, before COVID was around and travel insurance was taken out on the same day of the booking with RAC travel insurance.
Iceland is on the safe list for travel from the UK, however, in order to travel to Iceland we will have to quarantine for either 5 days with 2 COVID tests, or for 14 days on arrival.
As our trip is only for 5 days, both options of quarantine don't work for us so we are considering our options with regards to looking at cancellations/obtaining refunds.
Can anyone help offer similar advice on where we stand with regards to going about this? Any help would be much appreciated!
Aware with flights, the advice is to not cancel and to (hope) that the flight company cancel the flight themselves - which will allow us to obtain a refund. Otherwise I believe it is just the option of a voucher which lasts for 2 years.
For Air Bnb, it looks like we can cancel and obtain a refund due to the COVID circumstances, but we can only apply for this from the beginning of December due to travel being within the next 45 days.
If all else fails and we are declined a refund, has anyone had much luck in obtaining a refund with the RAC travel insurance? Or if not has anyone had any luck in getting a refund via their insurance with similar circumstances.
Thank you in advance.

First of all you will have to wait until nearer the time as they say.  Nobody knows what the situation will be mid January.   The bad news is that if the flights go ahead as planned  then you may not be eligible for any refund if you choose not to travel.   You would have to check the terms and conditions of your insurance policy to see if you are covered for disinclination to travel due to quarantine requirements. or whatever is requested at the time of travel. . 

I take it you booked your air b n b on a refundable basis?   Your t's and c's should advise on cancellation and refund.   I would have thought if it is refundable you could cancel at any time up to a certain point before travel as they can potentially re-let the accommodation, so I don't quite understand the significance of 45 days? but in any event the beginning of December is close. 

Fingers crossed that you will get your holiday and not have to quarantine at all.   You never know

Abbie1989

Thank you both for your help!! 
We really don't want to cancel if we didn't need to, so at the moment we are just exploring our options should we have to make any amends/cancellations as we get closer to the date. I think I will contact BA and Air BNB to discuss our options as well, just to make sure.

Caz3121

currently BA are offering vouchers for those that booked before 3rd March and are due to travel up to 10th January. As your date of travel is after 10th January there is nothing they can really do for you right now. Best to keep an eye on the 10th January date changing - expected soon as they are currently zeroing out some flights up till end February