Thinking of booking flights, just want to make sure I am protected

[Deleted User]

I am thinking about booking flights to Japan for December/January. Currently Japan is closed for tourism but may be opening again soon, I'd say it's 50/50 if it will be this year or in the Spring. As such there is a decent chance I would have to adjust the dates, which I can accept.

My plan is to get travel insurance before booking, so that the bookings are covered. The three airlines I am considering, JAL, ANA and BA, all offer free changes at the moment.

I appreciate that flights on future dates may be much more expensive, but as I'll go as soon as Japan opens up there is a chance that booking now will be cheaper than waiting, or at worst I won't lose anything.

Is there anything else I should consider?

macman

The protection you enjoy will depend on the type of ticket you purchase. if you buy a budget non-refundable, non-changeable ticket, then, as long as the flight operates, your comeback will be zero. 
The cover offered by your travel insurance will again depend on the policy terms, which we don't know. And all policy issuers require you to first mitigate your losses via the ticket issuer first, before you claim on their own policy.

[Deleted User]

macman said:

The protection you enjoy will depend on the type of ticket you purchase. if you buy a budget non-refundable, non-changeable ticket, then, as long as the flight operates, your comeback will be zero. 
The cover offered by your travel insurance will again depend on the policy terms, which we don't know. And all policy issuers require you to first mitigate your losses via the ticket issuer first, before you claim on their own policy.

Yes, obviously I will make sure that the current offers for free changes cover the ticked I am buying. I will buy direct too, avoiding middle-men.

Butts

[Deleted User] said:

macman said:

The protection you enjoy will depend on the type of ticket you purchase. if you buy a budget non-refundable, non-changeable ticket, then, as long as the flight operates, your comeback will be zero. 
The cover offered by your travel insurance will again depend on the policy terms, which we don't know. And all policy issuers require you to first mitigate your losses via the ticket issuer first, before you claim on their own policy.

Yes, obviously I will make sure that the current offers for free changes cover the ticked I am buying. I will buy direct too, avoiding middle-men.

Book with British Airways and if it's flight only you can cancel right up till check in virtually.

You will get a voucher for a future booking.

If you can turn it into a package by adding a nights hotel or Car Hire , only a minuscule deposit required and balance three weeks before travel. 

[Deleted User]

Butts said:

[Deleted User] said:

macman said:

The protection you enjoy will depend on the type of ticket you purchase. if you buy a budget non-refundable, non-changeable ticket, then, as long as the flight operates, your comeback will be zero. 
The cover offered by your travel insurance will again depend on the policy terms, which we don't know. And all policy issuers require you to first mitigate your losses via the ticket issuer first, before you claim on their own policy.

Yes, obviously I will make sure that the current offers for free changes cover the ticked I am buying. I will buy direct too, avoiding middle-men.

Book with British Airways and if it's flight only you can cancel right up till check in virtually.

You will get a voucher for a future booking.

If you can turn it into a package by adding a nights hotel or Car Hire , only a minuscule deposit required and balance three weeks before travel. 

What's the advantage of it being a package?

silvercar

[Deleted User] said:

Butts said:

[Deleted User] said:

macman said:

The protection you enjoy will depend on the type of ticket you purchase. if you buy a budget non-refundable, non-changeable ticket, then, as long as the flight operates, your comeback will be zero. 
The cover offered by your travel insurance will again depend on the policy terms, which we don't know. And all policy issuers require you to first mitigate your losses via the ticket issuer first, before you claim on their own policy.

Yes, obviously I will make sure that the current offers for free changes cover the ticked I am buying. I will buy direct too, avoiding middle-men.

Book with British Airways and if it's flight only you can cancel right up till check in virtually.

You will get a voucher for a future booking.

If you can turn it into a package by adding a nights hotel or Car Hire , only a minuscule deposit required and balance three weeks before travel. 

What's the advantage of it being a package?

Often a cheaper price and you only pay a deposit now and the balance 3 weeks beforehand. Also as a package, BA holidays generally cancel if Brits can't get into the country, whereas they won't cancel a flight just because tourism isn't open. 

BA flight only rules are that you can cancel and get a future travel voucher with no penalty if the flight goes ahead. if the flight is cancelled you can get a refund.

[Deleted User]

silvercar said:

[Deleted User] said:

Butts said:

[Deleted User] said:

macman said:

The protection you enjoy will depend on the type of ticket you purchase. if you buy a budget non-refundable, non-changeable ticket, then, as long as the flight operates, your comeback will be zero. 
The cover offered by your travel insurance will again depend on the policy terms, which we don't know. And all policy issuers require you to first mitigate your losses via the ticket issuer first, before you claim on their own policy.

Yes, obviously I will make sure that the current offers for free changes cover the ticked I am buying. I will buy direct too, avoiding middle-men.

Book with British Airways and if it's flight only you can cancel right up till check in virtually.

You will get a voucher for a future booking.

If you can turn it into a package by adding a nights hotel or Car Hire , only a minuscule deposit required and balance three weeks before travel. 

What's the advantage of it being a package?

Often a cheaper price and you only pay a deposit now and the balance 3 weeks beforehand. Also as a package, BA holidays generally cancel if Brits can't get into the country, whereas they won't cancel a flight just because tourism isn't open. 

BA flight only rules are that you can cancel and get a future travel voucher with no penalty if the flight goes ahead. if the flight is cancelled you can get a refund.

I see. Well I was thinking about hiring a car so I might look at that. Their hotel offers are not very competitive though, and I have a place where I normally stay anyway.

eskbanker

silvercar said:
Also as a package, BA holidays generally cancel if Brits can't get into the country, whereas they won't cancel a flight just because tourism isn't open.

This principle can be extrapolated to any package provider - by booking as a package, the traveller has all the protection afforded by the Package Travel Regulations 2018, which are much more consumer-friendly and extensive than those applying to flight-only bookings, so if there are "unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances occurring at the place of destination" affecting the package, such as tourists not being allowed to visit, then the traveller is legally entitled to cancel for a full refund within 14 days, even if the package provider doesn't proactively cancel it themselves.