Holiday booked pre covid 2 February 2022 at 11:43AM in Coronavirus travel help & info 10 replies 331 views

louflet

If a holiday was booked pre covid restrictions and has been moved every year, and the country we are booked has strict travel rules (have to be fully vaccinated) are we able to cancel and receive full refund inc deposit if a member of the family is unvaccinated and we are therefore unable to travel there? What are the rules as this was booked before covid and no restrictions were in place? 

[Deleted User]

You need to follow the rules in place at the time of travel. You won't get a refund for disinclination to travel.

If your booking is refundable, you can get a refund. If not, you would be looking at travel insurance, if it covers this scenario. 

sheramber

what does your travel insurance policy state?

If it is choice not to vaccinate then unlikely to cover.

If there is a medical exemption for vaccination some countries will allow entry? subject to requirements.

Will the travel company let you change to a country they could enter?

Can the rest of the party still go rather than lose all the money?

lisyloo

Do you have a package holiday with atol/Alta cover?
does the country say you can’t travel or that you have to quarantine.
i.e. Is it that you CANT go or are you choosing not to quarantine?

we don’t have full details but it sounds like the travel agent can provide the package and it’s choice to be unvaccinated.
ive been looking at a similar issue recently (Philippines) and it’s the travellers issues not the travel agents.

rigolith

Best option is to either get that family member to get vaccinated (if you still have time before travelling) or don't take them with you. Realistically, they are unlikely to be able to travel much outside the UK in the next 5 years if they are not vaccinated.

mattyprice4004

Some places have exceptions for children, but if this is an adult who just doesn't want the jab you have 2 hopes - and Bob Hope is dead. 
Since long before COVID (as long as holidays were a thing) it's been on the traveller to be vaccinated for travel to their chosen country - this is no different. 
You won't be getting a refund, the best you can do is either get the person vaccinated or not take them. 

Is this a child that doesn't fall into the vaccination group in the UK yet, a medical exception or a loony who thinks the vaccine is a hoax etc? 

superbigal

louflet said:

If a holiday was booked pre covid restrictions and has been moved every year, and the country we are booked has strict travel rules (have to be fully vaccinated) are we able to cancel and receive full refund inc deposit if a member of the family is unvaccinated and we are therefore unable to travel there? What are the rules as this was booked before covid and no restrictions were in place? 

You are able to travel there.  It is just the member of the family who is not vaccinated that cannot.

lisyloo

superbigal said:

louflet said:

If a holiday was booked pre covid restrictions and has been moved every year, and the country we are booked has strict travel rules (have to be fully vaccinated) are we able to cancel and receive full refund inc deposit if a member of the family is unvaccinated and we are therefore unable to travel there? What are the rules as this was booked before covid and no restrictions were in place? 

You are able to travel there.  It is just the member of the family who is not vaccinated that cannot.

We don’t actually know that (although I note the words the op chose).
some countries take unvaccinated people into quarantine, so it needs to be confirmed.

CKhalvashi

louflet said:

If a holiday was booked pre covid restrictions and has been moved every year, and the country we are booked has strict travel rules (have to be fully vaccinated) are we able to cancel and receive full refund inc deposit if a member of the family is unvaccinated and we are therefore unable to travel there? What are the rules as this was booked before covid and no restrictions were in place? 

It wasn't booked pre-Covid though.

When you've moved the holiday, you've likely created a new contract, making this a new booking in law.

If the country doesn't welcome unvaccinated arrivals then the choice will be to either vaccinate or lose your funds. It's the travellers responsibility to ensure they meet entry requirements and even under the PTRs, it's the travellers responsibility to take reasonable steps to ensure they can go on the trip. Vaccination likely would be classed as a reasonable step unless this is medically non-advised.

lisyloo

CKhalvashi said:

louflet said:

If a holiday was booked pre covid restrictions and has been moved every year, and the country we are booked has strict travel rules (have to be fully vaccinated) are we able to cancel and receive full refund inc deposit if a member of the family is unvaccinated and we are therefore unable to travel there? What are the rules as this was booked before covid and no restrictions were in place? 

It wasn't booked pre-Covid though.

When you've moved the holiday, you've likely created a new contract, making this a new booking in law.

If the country doesn't welcome unvaccinated arrivals then the choice will be to either vaccinate or lose your funds. It's the travellers responsibility to ensure they meet entry requirements and even under the PTRs, it's the travellers responsibility to take reasonable steps to ensure they can go on the trip. Vaccination likely would be classed as a reasonable step unless this is medically non-advised.

Some travel insurance policies did consider holidays to be under “pre covid” rules if it was the same holiday and you’d had continuous insurance.
mine (insure and go) did and I got that in a transcript.

However I agree deciding to not have jab is not insured.

Richard_T_

Why has the family member not been vaccinated?

if there is a genuine physical medical reason then they will need to check with their doctor and check the entry requirements.

 If its not vaccinated due choice then its likely there will be no comeback, the choice is get vaccinated ( if there is time) and go, or don't get vaccinated and lose out .

 Everyone has the freedom to choose to decide if they want to get vaccinated or not, but as with everything our choices in life can have wide reaching implications. If you choose not to get vaccinated, then one of the implications of that is that you may/will face limitations on international travel (ie not being allowed into another country) requirements to be vaccinated for acceptance into other countries have been known about for quite a considerable time , and as such if you want to be able to go abroad then a vaccination certificate is a certain.

So by choosing not to be vaccinated, you also choose to face the very real risk that any foreign travel - for whatever reason  from holidays to visiting sick relatives, funerals and so on will not be possible and if you have paid anything then there is the very real risk that you will loose the money , that is the choice you make if you choose not to be vaccinated.