TUI / Turkey advice

wheelie_haes

Hi,
A bit annoyed with TUI to put it mildly! Any advice would be appreciated.
We are due to fly to Turkey in August and our balance (£5k) is due next week.
We booked in confidence back in January because of the TUI promise (where they wouldn't take us anywhere we have to quarantine on return...) but they have sneakily reworded their promise.  I would say the holiday is clearly off, subject to government review but having just spoken with an adviser I was informed (despite Turkey being on the red list) the holiday is currently 'on' - so we have to pay the balance or move the holiday to next year!
Only problem with moving to 2022 is the £300 discount code and free child places are not transferrable (they only apply to new bookings) so a similar holiday in 2022 is coming in way more expensive, anywhere. Even if by some miracle Turkey is moved to the amber list we would have to self isolate upon return (which is the same as quarantine only difference is we do it at home and not in a hotel) which we just can't do. We both work and the children would miss the first week of school! TUI are absolutely ok with that and say 'not our problem'. How are they allowed to do this, and what can we do other than pay the balance or move the holiday? 
I have travelled with TUI for 10 years, safe to say I will never use them again.

superbigal

Pay the balance and hope it is cancelled. 
You can certainly transfer your booking value to another with free child places as i have just moved my Turkey fortnight back to October and actually had a large balance reduction.

Caz3121

wheelie_haes said:

I would say the holiday is clearly off, subject to government review but having just spoken with an adviser I was informed (despite Turkey being on the red list) the holiday is currently 'on' 

Many travel insurance providers take a similar approach (eg if covered for wanting to cancel as FCO advice is in place, the situation is relevant x days before travel - often 28 or 30 days)...it is too early to know whether Turkey will be in red, amber or green in three months time as situation is reviewed regularly. TUI don't know, you don't know and it is likely the government don't know.
If you pay the balance and the holiday is cancelled you get your money back, if you pay the balance and the holiday is not cancelled as Turkey ok then you can choose to go or pay to move, if you don't pay the balance then you forfeit whatever the terms and conditions say you do.

Westin

As Caz highlights, August is a long time off and things can and probably will change before then.  Whilst you might not be happy with what TUI are saying, I can’t see that they are doing anything incorrect at this time.

Portugal was the only European country on the Red list not so long ago. Look at it now.

I expect if they cancelled August departures you would equally have the enraged on here demonstrating that their summer trip of a lifetime was being cancelled and their life left in ruins.  

I would put it out of your mind for now and revisit 4 weeks before your departure date.

GingerTim

"Even if by some miracle Turkey is moved to the amber list"
According to Johnson's spokesman this lunchtime:

"There may be essential reasons for which people still have to travel to amber list countries but of course strict quarantine and testing measures will apply. There are some limited reasons why it might be acceptable to travel - for work purposes, protecting essential services or compassionate reasons such as a funeral or care of a family member but otherwise people should not be travelling to these countries." (https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2021/may/18/uk-covid-live-news-local-lockdowns-indian-variant-latest-updates-live)

Holidays not one of them - but who knows if you're going to asked about what your business is going to an amber country. Something perhaps to bear in mind, anyway holiday companies really should be offering refunds to those booked to travel to an amber-listed country nearer the time.

sheramber

TUI are only cancelling holidays up to 13 June at present.
Call centre staff can only advise the current position, which at present is the holiday has not been cancelled. They have no idea what management might be planning for the future.
They will not cancel a holiday in August until much nearer the date in case the situation changes.

MattMattMattUK

August is a long way off with the speed that changes can happen at the moment, it is largely a case of wait and see, however booking any form of international travel during a global pandemic is always going to be risky. Even if Turkey was on the green list at the time of travel it could chance whilst you were out there and you would be required to either isolate or quarantine on return. 

You have taken a risk, it may or may not pay off, but you made your choice. Now you have a second choice, jump early, move the holiday, don't pay the balance and lose the deposit, sit tight and wait. No one can make the decision for you.

welshmoneylover

I paid mine and when tui cancelled I had a full refund; I would do the same if I was going in August.
i don’t think any of us will be going anywhere for the rest of 2021