Tui’s Covid Policy

thomas1100

Myself and my girlfriend booked a holiday with TUI in July 2020 to depart in June 2021, being hopeful that the covid situation would be gone by then. Obviously it has lasted a lot longer and gotten worse than we might have imagined and now we do not feel comfortable or safe to travel in June! 

Currently we have paid a £500 deposit with the rest to be paid by April. We have looked into TUI’s policies to try and see a way that we could amend our holiday without losing our deposit! However, we believe their policies are unfair. Current bookings are covered by free amendments when departing before 30th April 2021. But any holidays booked between 26th December 2020 and 28th February 2021 are covered up until 31st October 2021. I don’t see how this is fair that some bookings are missed out from this free amendment policy!

We contacted TUI about this and they pretty much told us tough luck and that our booking isn’t eligible for free amendments. So we decided to look into the amendment fees as we would rather pay this than completely lose our £500 deposit. However, we are not even allowed to pay to amend it! If we want to push our holiday to a later date then it will be treated as a cancellation and we lose our £500 deposit anyway! But if we had booked the holiday the month before, then we’d be able to amend it to a later date for just £50 per person! Once again I don’t see how this is fair to offer different policies to different bookings!

I have emailed TUI about us not even being offered the option to pay amendment fees and I am waiting for a response. Just wondered if you have any advice on what we can do, what our rights are and if there’s anyway we could not lose our £500 deposit?

Thank you very much,

Thomas Grenfell

[Deleted User]

It might not seem fair to you but you booked under those terms and conditions.   All you can do is wait to see what the situation is nearer the time of travel.  If nothing changes though and you fail to pay the balance when due then you will forfeit your deposit even if the holiday is subsequently cancelled by TUI. 

Browntoa

As above , you agreed to those terms and conditions on booking the holiday.

If the holiday still goes ahead you have 2 choices , cancel and lose money or go.

You may be required to pay the balance anyway under the low deposit scheme

Westin

If you wish to make changes now the terms you have agreed and being reminded about will stand.

As you will be aware the situation is changing daily.  No one knows what the travel situation will be like in next month let alone in June.   I would park this in the holding file for now and revisit in May. I don’t think TUI are being unreasonable at this point.

A more flexible approach to changes may be in place closer to your departure date in June, possibly similar to what is happening now for current and remaining winter departure dates.  

Choice is to either wait until nearer your June holiday date for a flexible/free change - or pay now what they are asking to make the amendment.

Pollycat

I have a holiday booked for June 2021.

It was originally booked in 2019 for June 2020.

When it was cancelled by TUI, we opted to defer the holiday by a full year.

It seemed like a good idea at the time.

6 months on and with 6 months to our travel date, we're not so sure that it was a good decision.

But things are changing and nobody knows what life will look like in 1 month's time, let alone 6.

Less than a month ago, Boris was promising us a 5 day Christmas celebration.

A few days ago, Boris was insisting schools were reopening.

The vaccine is good news.

We have no idea how positive an impact that will have nationally or globally.

As suggested by Westin, my holiday is firmly parked in the 'holding' pile and I'll review it nearer the time.

If you do wish to cancel 6 months before your departure date, you will have to accept the t&cs.

I wouldn't cancel in your circumstances.

Charlie149

Hi, I was in the same situation as you. I had phoned Tui shortly after booking to enquire why the COVID policy didn’t extend beyond April and they said that it was likely the policy would be updated if the situation continued and essentially that we’d be ok. Well, they updated their policy and we fell into that gap where for some reason we were not covered. My guess is that when we booked in August there were plenty of bookings and they didn’t see the need - maybe in the midst of lockdown 2 they are struggling for bookings and have therefore reinstated the policy. My only real concern was what would happen if we couldn’t travel because of regional lockdown affecting me but not the airport I was due to fly from. As it happened, flights recently opened up from my local airport so we cancelled and rebooked. We decided that alone was worth the loss of the deposit and we also have the reassurance of the free amendment policy. 

However, I agree with you that the inconsistency of the policy seems unfair. Have you tried one of the “consumer champions” to see if they can help? 

misterbarlow

We are in similar situation with Tui. 
We booked in spring 2019 and paid in full, for Aug 2020.
As the date came closer last year it appeared holidays were back on again and we didn't want to go, so we amended for free to Aug 2021 thinking it would be pretty much over by then... ha!!  Then shortly before the original date all hols were cancelled again and we could have got a refund, but had already moved it!

It doesn't look like much is going to change by August to me, and even if flights are operating, we again don't really want to go in August. We will almost certainly face paying for 4x tests either way at cost of hundreds, masks in airport, masks on flight, masks everywhere in resort, in the hotel, on the street, on the beaches, SD restrictions in pool, restaurants, etc, and this is not the holiday experience that I booked in 2019.

I have tried getting Tui to cancel it their end citing fundamental changes to the terms & conditions from when I originally booked in 2019 as this is not the holiday I was expecting back then, but they are not having it, and said we can cancel now but its £800 deposit lost!!

Westin

I am afraid what you are being told is correct. As are the options given.

August is a while off. None of us know the situation in 7/8 months, or indeed what restrictions regarding mask wearing or hotel facilities will be like then.

If you wish to cancel now you can, but right off the deposit.

misterbarlow

My thought is, I cant see any country dropping the negative test requirement at any time this year at least, and for example Tui offer one on their website at £70 each, which seems cheap, Boots are £119 and many others are £100+.
That's £280 min for us, will probably need one to to come back so that's each way, so it means paying an extra £560 to still go on the holiday!
When that's offset against losing the £800 deposit to cancel, we will only actually be £140 down!! 

Thrugelmir

misterbarlow said:

When that's offset against losing the £800 deposit to cancel, we will only actually be £140 down!! 

Then if you test positive before returning home. You'll incur the expense of accomodation for 14 days............