Overseas Holiday Cancellation - Travel Insurance or Credit Card

workingboy

Having like many to put off their overseas holidays like us for 2 years or more due to Covid.

We are looking again to book our long haul flights for Canada.

If I booked the flights now while seats are available and if for any reason we could not travel because of various reasons at the time of departure due to regulations etc on the day in May..

Could I claim the refund of the flights and hotel from our Travel Ins or Credit card.

thanks

Alan_Bowen

You can only claim against a card if the travel company has broken its contract with you. If the flights operate and the hotels are open, then there would be no claim. You, therefore, need to buy an adequate policy of insurance and read the terms carefully, you have 14 days after purchase to cancel it if it doesn't cove you for what you want

Alan_Bowen

Also, be careful which airline you book, some Canadian airlines, Air Transat in particular, refused refunds even when they cancelled the flights!

workingboy

Thanks,
BA or WestJet are currently being looked at.

Sandtree

workingboy said:

Having like many to put off their overseas holidays like us for 2 years or more due to Covid.

We are looking again to book our long haul flights for Canada.

If I booked the flights now while seats are available and if for any reason we could not travel because of various reasons at the time of departure due to regulations etc on the day in May..

Could I claim the refund of the flights and hotel from our Travel Ins or Credit card.

thanks

Credit card is only for breach of contract - its no different than claiming off the airline itself just may be easier dealing with a bank than an overseas airline

Insurance is all down to the T&Cs of the policy.

Right now there are various risks such as Canada changing its rules but flights continuing or an asymptomatic positive test result prohibiting you going that may not be covered by either. You need to read what the airlines (or booking agents) stance is on various scenarios and consider if its worth booking or if its worth paying more for flexible tickets.

I've personally found it a good time to travel as there has been a lot of availability for airmiles flights which are almost universally fully flexible anyway so have finally made a big inroad into using up our collection.

bagand96

If you are looking at British Airways then consider BA Holidays. Either add a hotel or car to your flights booking and it becomes a BA Holidays Package.  (You don't even have to add a hotel for your whole stay, even just the first night).

By doing this you only have to pay a £60pp deposit, and enjoy much better flexibility.... you can change the booking or cancel for a voucher upto 28 days before departure.  Currently the Customer Promise is valid for travel upto 31st August 2022.

Our Customer Promise | Information | British Airways

Of course on top of this I would also recommend decent Travel Insurance including Covid cover.

onashoestring

workingboy said:

If I booked the flights now while seats are available and if for any reason we could not travel because of various reasons at the time of departure due to regulations etc on the day in May..

Could I claim the refund of the flights and hotel from our Travel Ins or Credit card.

thanks

You will only be able to claim from your travel insurance  for what is covered by the policy you choose .

 Which? did a review of travel insurance policies and only found 5 that offered “complete” Covid cover - for example if Canada shut its borders to tourists from U.K. as France  recently did. 

These were Barclays Bank, Churchill, DirectLine, Nationwide Building Society and HSBC travel insurance policies.

https://www.which.co.uk/money/insurance/travel-insurance/best-and-worst-travel-insurance-akxsn9g15kgb

TELLIT01

Travel insurance will cover for illness, death in the family,etc and possibly Covid related travel bans, but will not cover a disinclination to travel.  Airlines only have to provide refunds if they cancel the flight - not if you decide you no longer wish to travel but they are still flying.

workingboy

OK,
Decided to search for flights and hotels etc to Canada.
In November/December searched via Google flights and BA was one of the cheaper airlines besides looking at a budget airline.
For my particular trip it was quoted at £3450 flying Premium outbound and Business Return.
BA currently have a so called Sale on which ends on the 25th Jan.
To do the same round trip, now quoted in the Sale £5290. An increase approx £2000.
Previously when booking the same trip approx 3yrs ago the Sale then was a sale.
BA have lost me as a customer, rip-off.

bagand96

workingboy said:

OK,
Decided to search for flights and hotels etc to Canada.
In November/December searched via Google flights and BA was one of the cheaper airlines besides looking at a budget airline.
For my particular trip it was quoted at £3450 flying Premium outbound and Business Return.
BA currently have a so called Sale on which ends on the 25th Jan.
To do the same round trip, now quoted in the Sale £5290. An increase approx £2000.
Previously when booking the same trip approx 3yrs ago the Sale then was a sale.
BA have lost me as a customer, rip-off.

Flights are priced dynamically. Airlines use algorithms that constantly review the demand and bookings and will change the price accordingly. 

It could be that the flights you are looking at have been very popular and a lot of people have booked, therefore the revenue management system at BA has raised the price. Sale fares may have been available but may have gone for those particular dates. 

workingboy

Thanks,
Phone their Customer Service and same response etc.
Tried several different dates online and phone, all with same answer give or take £50 or so.