Helpful advice if you’ve booked a foreign trip...
If you’ve got a holiday abroad booked, then you’d be forgiven for despairing at the ever-changing advice at the moment.
Even with the prospect of travel for the double jabbed, many countries could still decide not to let Brits in or could impose further restrictions. Plus, countries on the green list could move to the amber or even red lists with little notice.
Keeping on top of all the guidance can be tricky, so here’s an overview of the key things to bear in mind if you can’t travel.
IF YOUR TRIP IS CANCELLED BY THE AIRLINE OR HOLIDAY COMPANY
If your airline or travel operator cancels your trip, then you are entitled to a refund. For flights you should receive this within seven days of the cancellation date, while for package holidays it’s 14 days.
It’s more complicated if you booked through an online ‘marketplace’ rather than directly through an agent, as flights and hotels are often provided for by separate companies.
The Competition & Markets Authority has made it clear holiday firms should not stop you getting a refund if you can’t realistically travel – and they’re threatening to take reluctant businesses to court too.
WHAT IF THE BUSINESS WON’T REFUND?
If you’re having trouble getting your refund – or your company is refusing to give you one – you can claim the money back if you paid by credit card, under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act.
This means that your credit card company is jointly liable for the purchase and in fact many card providers are promoting this benefit. This doesn’t cover changing your mind though – it’s for when you can’t travel.
If you paid by debit card you can contact your provider to try and claim using ‘chargeback’.
This is not a legal right but is offered by many providers as long as you can show that you have tried to get your money back from your travel firm.
IF YOU DECIDE NOT TO TRAVEL
Don’t cancel your trip or you’ll lose your rights, including maybe the possibility of getting vouchers or an alternative date.
It’s likely that we’ll start to see a resale market for holidays people can’t take in the future, but for now, consider vouchers or moving the date to buy some time.
IF YOUR DESTINATION GOES ON AN AMBER OR RED LIST
This all comes down to the Government advice at the time. You can still travel legally to an amber list country, though the number of tests you have to take (and costs) increase. You may have to quarantine at home, though the Government is considering allowing the double jabbed some alternatives.
While much has been made of the ‘vaccination passport’, I’m afraid that we are still at the mercy of the changing rules in each country that you go to. Many European countries are concerned about the rise of the Delta variant in the UK, which means we can expect restrictions even with both jabs.
WHAT IF YOU’VE GOT A PROBLEM WITH A TRAVEL VOUCHER?
Many people accepted a voucher or refund credit note from a travel provider rather than a refund, only to be hit with extra charges, vouchers that don’t work or expiry dates.
If you accepted a voucher but feel the firm misled you or didn’t warn you that you couldn’t get a refund if you were unable to travel, you may be able to make a formal complaint. I’m predicting this will be one of the big complaint areas in the coming months so watch this space for all the latest guidance.
If you were issued a voucher automatically, or you received one despite asking for a refund when your trip was cancelled, you can dispute it.
I’ll be bringing you all the latest on travel and holidays, but if you need to make a complaint, you can find help at resolver.co.uk