Foreign travel looks set to be up in the air for a while
If you’ve been looking longingly at international holidays and wondering if you should take a risk, you’re not alone.
Government messages on the subject are often cagey or conflicting – which has led to a huge amount of confusion across the four nations. I’m afraid there are no definitive answers, but my three top tips would be:
■ Play it safe. Look at the news and go with countries on the green list with a good vaccination programme.
■ Aim towards the later part of the year if you must book, but buy insurance.
■ Make sure you’ve got enough cash to cover emergencies and quarantine stays.
Things to watch for
Countries can go on and off the green, amber and red lists quickly. The Government has said we’ll get advance warnings, but bear in mind you could easily be away when a country goes onto a list where quarantine is required.
If it’s a red list, you’ll need to book an official quarantine hotel at £1,750 per person (including the testing costs), £650 for children over 12 and £325 for children between five and 12 years old.
All of this makes travel insurance vital. But bear in mind travel insurance varies considerably, so check the policies before you buy.
As a (very) general rule, insurance covers unexpected events or things out of your control, not for changing your mind. So, if you want to leave a holiday because it looks like the country you are in is going on the red list, you may not be able to claim any costs. Most policies cover Covid cancellations now, but not necessarily being turned away at the airport gate. Quarantine hotels are unlikely to be covered by insurance
Check before you travel
There’s a big difference between a holiday cancellation and simply not being able to go.
A huge grey area in travel became apparent during the last lockdown, where travel was banned but some planes still took off.
Even though we couldn’t travel, the flights still operated, removing the legal right to a refund. However, realistically, as you can’t travel, the firm should allow you to change the date of travel, get vouchers or even a full refund. And on that subject, some holiday firms have been very difficult about allowing people to cash in vouchers if their circumstances change and they can’t travel. This is totally unfair but assume that they’ll be difficult and ask them to confirm in writing that you can cash in vouchers before you agree to take them out.
Check before you book
If you spot a holiday you like the look of, you need to check with the business before you book. Firstly, make sure you can actually contact them if something goes wrong! Look for a phone number or email address – and if they only have an online form, send them a message and see how quickly they respond.
Send the business a message and ask them what will happen if you can’t travel because of:
■ Government advice
■ Travel advice in the country you’re going to
■ Lockdown restrictions
Ask if you’ll get a refund, if you can move the holiday forward and if you get vouchers, how long do they last for and can you cash them in.
I know this seems like a hassle, but these are the main problems that people have encountered with refunds in the last year – and a good holiday firm or airline should have clear and fair solutions and answers.
Careful how you pay
If you paid for a goods or services that you couldn’t use due to lockdown on a plastic card, you’ll have thanked your lucky stars in 2020.
It’s easier to get refunds if things go wrong with payments made this way – but there are catches. You’re best off paying by debit or credit card with the latter providing the most protection.
■ Resolver can help sort travel trauma for free at resolver.co.uk