[Misc] Cancelled Flights/Holiday Refunds

[Deanbha]

Got flights to Cyprus booked for 26th May. My online booking stills shows that my flight is not cancelled.

 

[mwrpoole]

We had a holiday booked with BA to go to Orlando on 29th March. They cancelled it early March & refunded me next day. Refund went to credit card and I have only in last couple of days got refund from them.
We had tickets booked for Universal, Discovery Cove & SeaWorld and they aren’t refunding instead offering extensions & to re-arrange through 2021. I’ve claimed that on insurance but yet to hear.

 

[Denis]

Was meant to go on Caribbean cruise with TUI 19th April. As my son works for TUI airways and I know how hard it is for him, I didn’t want to cancel. I rearranged cruise for November and paid the extra.
They then started offering 20% off new bookings. I happened to go to their website and it said if you were due to fly before 15th May and had rearranged you could phone up and they would deduct the 20% off your new booking. So after holding for about a hour, I got through and got £396 deducted off my holiday, very pleased. I’m getting a bit fed up with all this negativity towards holiday companies!

 

[Beach Hut]

I am in a difficult situation. Booked August family holiday early this year (in early Jan) with Tui, I’ve already paid 50%, the remainder is due end of May. If I don’t pay it I’ll lose the £2k already paid and in theory I’m liable anyway under the terms but if I do pay it could I lose the full £4K? The first time in about a decade we’ve booked this early normally book in May/June, flipping typical.

Pay the difference, I just have with TUI for a two week late July holiday.

The probable issue is if cancelled do I just re-book and hope they stay in business as mentioned by someone else they appear to offer discounts

 

[Official Old Man]

There was an interview recently with the bloke from ABTA who stated quite clearly that if you take a voucher it is covered by ABTA should the company go bust. I've found a site saying he was on BBC Breakfast on the 10th April so may be worth digging deeper to find this interview.
Daughter had a trip to Scotland booked for May. AirBnB refunded instantly. Car hire the same. Airline (not sure which budget line), nothing yet.
Off topic slightly, I have a seaon ticket with NCP. I've not used it since mid March plus the car parks are now free to use anyway. I've been told that on renewal I will get 12 months plus as many months that the UK is in lockdown (rounded up) added on. So at least 14 months.

 

[Nitram]

Thanks for this. I suspect cruise lines are going to be hit as hard as any in travel industry so I do worry about the £'s back ... a credit voucher isn't what I'm after at all.

I probably will pay the balance (and definitely on credit card) but my fear is they run some sort of stripped down cruise (not really sure what that could be)

I also asked [MENTION=522]Kinky Gerbils[/MENTION] as he's in the travel biz and seems that not paying the balance is likely to forfeit the deposit but I can understand why cruise lines are not cancelling the actual cruises even if they don't expect them to sail

Regarding the offer of a stripped down cruise, or an alternative, consumer protection is on your side, they can offer something but if it has changes that are different to the contract you signed you are in your rights to demand a refund.

 

[Nitram]

There was an interview recently with the bloke from ABTA who stated quite clearly that if you take a voucher it is covered by ABTA should the company go bust. I've found a site saying he was on BBC Breakfast on the 10th April so may be worth digging deeper to find this interview.
Daughter had a trip to Scotland booked for May. AirBnB refunded instantly. Car hire the same. Airline (not sure which budget line), nothing yet.
Off topic slightly, I have a seaon ticket with NCP. I've not used it since mid March plus the car parks are now free to use anyway. I've been told that on renewal I will get 12 months plus as many months that the UK is in lockdown (rounded up) added on. So at least 14 months.

Which have said that ABTA issued notes may not be ATOL protected in which case the credit notes would be useless if the company folded. See my earlier reference. May be OK, may not.

 

[Balders]

No legislation has changed so for ATOL/ABTA holidays you are entitled to a full refund within 14days.

Call. Point out your rights. Reiterate your rights. Don't be fobbed off with credit notes, etc.

Having said that, should have flown on Friday to Morocco with TUI and they are offering 20% off if you take a credit note and book within 28 days. Same hotel, same stay at start of November (so weather pretty much the same) comes in at the same price so will probably take that (subject to checking insurance cover... Can see still being in lockdown wouldn't be 'unforeseen' and therefore no cancellation cover).

Have considered gambling on the holiday companies being desperate in their pricing for a while after lockdowns are lifted and taking a refund now to pay for a heavily discounted holiday later.

Just be mindful that the main thing in play here is the Package Travel Regulations 2018 if you booked a "Package" and the law hasn't changed in respect of this, so in theory a refund within 14 days, but this really isn't practical at the moment, in view of the shear volumes involved. If you have flight only then this comes under EU261 and therefore in theory a refund within 7 days, but again not practical at the moment. If you booked flights and other arrangements (Hotel, Car Hire, Park Tickets) separately then flights would be EU261 and the other elements being down to the separate T&C's of each booking arrangement. However as the PTR's are quite all encompassing, if you booked for an example a Disney Hotel and Park tickets through one company on one invoice, then those parts would constitute a "Package" and therefore subject to the Package Travel Regulations, so again in theory a refund within 14 days.

So it's not just who you booked with that has a bearing, it's also how you booked it, which would dictate your refund entitlement. And as has been highlighted, different companies are doing different things, mainly because the airlines/hotels either aren't refunding or taking an age to do it.

Also be aware that this is only relevant to ATOL if the Supplier fails and likewise ABTA. The Package Travel Regulations 2018 and EU261 are the main legislation in play here.

Also be careful in interpreting what ABTA are saying in all of this, as they are purely a lobbying association and anything they are promoting is not law (yet!) as the law hasn't changed. There is a general view in the Trade that ABTA are making a bad situation far worse.....

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Aparently I'm flying to Pisa next week. Easy Jet still haven't cancelled my flight.

They typically cancel them 3-4 days before I have found.

 

[sydney]

We had a holiday booked with BA to go to Orlando on 29th March. They cancelled it early March & refunded me next day. Refund went to credit card and I have only in last couple of days got refund from them.
We had tickets booked for Universal, Discovery Cove & SeaWorld and they aren’t refunding instead offering extensions & to re-arrange through 2021. I’ve claimed that on insurance but yet to hear.

seaworld....prrfft..? really..? are you going to ride an orca...?

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Ryanair have apparently just turned off the phones lol

 

[The Wookiee]

I was booked to go to Turkey beginning of April through Travel Republic- they cancelled it which I expected- at first I was told I would only get a credit note but then a week later was told I could choose credit or full refund, I opted for full refund, however I have now read on their site they expect refunds to take months not weeks !

So not holding out much hope to be honest.

Here is their statement updated on 17th April


It is important we reassure you that if you are eligible for a refund for the holiday you purchased with us, you will receive one. Due to the unprecedented demand caused by the almost-total shutdown of global travel, this refund process will take time. Something that under normal circumstances would take weeks, is expected to take months however, we have been working hard over the last few weeks to manage the situation and expect to refund you within months of your original request. We acknowledge this is far from ideal in the current circumstances and are very sorry for the longer wait times.
Our package holiday customers will have received the choice to take a credit note or full cash refund. The credit notes have been sent to you via email and provide you with the quickest way to use the value you have paid on a new holiday should you wish and are in-line with ABTA guidelines.

 

[Springal]

Got a reward (avios + 241 voucher) fairly complex booking with BA. Flight was cancelled but can't seem to do anything online. Think I'll take a voucher so I can rebook myself 12 months later I think.

Within that I had some AA flights booked internally USA. These are also cancelled and AA have a nice website to submit & see status of a refund request. But mine has been there 3 weeks now (with a 7 day review time apparently) unmoved. I'll probably get AMEX to sort this one out if it goes beyond a month.

 

[Weststander]

Simon Calder has on several occasions singled out Tui as acting appallingly over refunds during this crisis.

 

[happypig]

They typically cancel them 3-4 days before I have found.

Easyjet cancelled my return flight from Spain and didn't let me know at all, it was only because a friend saw it on twitter that I found out and managed to book on the last non-cancelled flight (costing me £200+ into the bargain which I've no chance of seeing again)

 

[Balders]

Got a reward (avios + 241 voucher) fairly complex booking with BA. Flight was cancelled but can't seem to do anything online. Think I'll take a voucher so I can rebook myself 12 months later I think.

Within that I had some AA flights booked internally USA. These are also cancelled and AA have a nice website to submit & see status of a refund request. But mine has been there 3 weeks now (with a 7 day review time apparently) unmoved. I'll probably get AMEX to sort this one out if it goes beyond a month.

If the AA Flights were booked on the one ticket with BA as a codeshare, then BA will be the only party in the frame for the refund of all legs. If you booked and paid for the AA flights separate from the BA flights,then AA will be in the frame for refunding those.

 

[Beach Hut]

Simon Calder has on several occasions singled out Tui as acting appallingly over refunds during this crisis.

Permission to say cock......

Oh well I would happily roll ours over for a year as have checked prices that are already much cheaper and just hope TUI still exists.

 

[Arthritic Toe]

I may be unique in getting a full refund from Ryanair. It was however in the early days when they had just cancelled flights to Italy.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Disney have already lost 500 million since this has started.

 

[atfc village]

BA were excellent in my case .Ok i queued on the phone from 6am for 75 minutes,but got no spiel offered refund straight away from a very helpful lady . Money back in account in 3 days . I have 4 flights with easyjet to chase . i have heard if refunded can take a month to get the money back.