TUI have backed us into a corner and Esther way we will be out £1000-1500 out of pocker

Craigwhite1983

Back in Sept 2019. We booked a holiday with TUI all inclusive for May 2020, paid via PayPal so I could get my Avios points on my AmEx. 

Then Covid struck.....

TUI cancelled our holiday, and said they would issue a refund, but asked that we accept an incentive of £1000 to rebook the holiday for the following year,  so we thought we would keep the money within the company and get a holiday the following year so due to depart 29th May 2021...

now this isn’t viable ....

cyprus as it stands need proof of vaccine, we haven’t had it yet. 

We also need Covid tests at a cost of £750 to the group..... again not viable 

also a quarantine period ..... again not viable...

TUI have said they are planning this holiday as normal so I have the following two options 

on the £5300 holiday I either 

accept a £200pp loss so £1200 in total.

or rebook for free BUT losing all the incentive which covered the increase from 2020 to 2021 but means I’d have to pay that and probably more to rebook in 2022 

I literally don’t know where to turn. There customer service is atrocious just throws us off with standard rubbish. 

I wish I just took the refund at the time anyone have a clue how to get out. This situation, I either want a full refund or like for like holiday in May 2022

ess0two

I think your getting ahead of yourself here, wait for gov guidance...due in the next few weeks

michael1234

ess0two said:

I think your getting ahead of yourself here, wait for gov guidance...due in the next few weeks

 Wins today's most unhelpful prize.

OP: I can't pretend that I can offer you good advice but I do hope someone appears that can.

Thrugelmir

Your available choices are those on offer from TUI. Little point in wanting something different now with hindsight. To recoup lost money likely that hoteliers etc will have increased prices by 2022. 

Upsidedownandaround

michael1234 said:

ess0two said:

I think your getting ahead of yourself here, wait for gov guidance...due in the next few weeks

 Wins today's most unhelpful prize.

OP: I can't pretend that I can offer you good advice but I do hope someone appears that can.

They've been given good advice. The governement is due to give full details of it's traffic light system in the coming weeks. Once they do this then package tour operators will react to this. The OP should wait until thing become clearer around whether package holidays will go ahead or be cancelled.

The alternatives to waiting have already been outlined by TUI which they obviously aren't happy about.

[Deleted User]

michael1234 said:

ess0two said:

I think your getting ahead of yourself here, wait for gov guidance...due in the next few weeks

 Wins today's most unhelpful prize.

OP: I can't pretend that I can offer you good advice but I do hope someone appears that can.

On the contrary I think the advice to wait is the only option available at the moment.  The OP has been given his cancellation options thus far. Things could change in next few weeks. Nobody knows. 🤷‍♀️

Butts

According to TUI's website holidays departing before 31st May can be changed up to 7 Days prior to departure with no penalty incurred.

I assume your departure date is after May 17th or it would already have been cancelled.

This means by the time you have to make a decision the Traffic Light details for Cyprus will have been announced.

You will then be in a position to make an informed choice on whether to go ahead or not if the Holiday is still going to take place.

If it's cancelled in the intervening period all the better.

As for your situation going forward if the holiday does become viable and you choose not to go you are going to have to grin and bear dropping a bag for an identical replacement as it was your action in not taking a refund when offered that ultimately led to this.

Pollycat

Butts said:

According to TUI's website holidays departing before 31st May can be changed up to 7 Days prior to departure with no penalty incurred.

I assume your departure date is after May 17th or it would already have been cancelled.

This means by the time you have to make a decision the Traffic Light details for Cyprus will have been announced.

You will then be in a position to make an informed decision on whether to go ahead or not if the Holiday is still going to take place.

If it's cancelled in the intervening period all the better.

The OP's holiday is 29th May.

It seems the issue is that although TUI has said that a holiday can be amended without financial penalty, a change will result in the booking incentive offered last year by TUI being removed from the booking.

In addition, any increase in price for a 2022 holiday from what the OP originally paid for the holiday will need to be paid.

Craigwhite1983 said:

I wish I just took the refund at the time anyone have a clue how to get out. This situation, I either want a full refund or like for like holiday in May 2022

Lots of people - including me - are in the same position, although my departure date is mid June so I have a little more time to make a decision.

But what you want (above) is not going to happen.

Like others have suggested, I would wait to see what happens, always bearing in mind your 7 day cancellation/amendment option.

pattycake

I’m in the same boat as Pollycat  A holiday booked in 2019, fully paid in February 2020 for travel June 2020 moved to mid June this year.  Plus, I’ve had to pay a further £150 A’s this year was more expensive.

We have had 2 vaccines but the additional hassle of travel so soon makes us reluctant to go.  Next year is even more expensive.  £200 to £300 each more.  

I am hanging fire and hoping it’s cancelled but if not it looks like flipping again and paying more.

Butts

pattycake said:

I’m in the same boat as Pollycat  A holiday booked in 2019, fully paid in February 2020 for travel June 2020 moved to mid June this year.  Plus, I’ve had to pay a further £150 A’s this year was more expensive.

We have had 2 vaccines but the additional hassle of travel so soon makes us reluctant to go.  Next year is even more expensive.  £200 to £300 each more.  

I am hanging fire and hoping it’s cancelled but if not it looks like flipping again and paying more.

Rather than moving the Holiday from June 20 to the following year did you have the option to cancel for a full refund ?

Pollycat

Butts said:

pattycake said:

I’m in the same boat as Pollycat  A holiday booked in 2019, fully paid in February 2020 for travel June 2020 moved to mid June this year.  Plus, I’ve had to pay a further £150 A’s this year was more expensive.

We have had 2 vaccines but the additional hassle of travel so soon makes us reluctant to go.  Next year is even more expensive.  £200 to £300 each more.  

I am hanging fire and hoping it’s cancelled but if not it looks like flipping again and paying more.

Rather than moving the Holiday from June 20 to the following year did you have the option to cancel for a full refund ?

Yes (answering as pattycake says she's in the same position as me) we did have the option of a full refund at the time our June 2020 holiday was cancelled by TUI (around end of May 2020).

But the (I believe 15% rebooking incentive) was a very attractive offer and we really didn't think we'd be in this position 12 months on.

But there's no point wishing you had acted differently.

Decisions were made on what people thought best at the time.