Coronavirus - Travel impacts II

[Ready]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gearhead Jim What happens if the tour company simply goes out of business? The credit card company won't be able to get money from them any more than we could. IIRC, many credit cards have a sort of "trip insurance" so that if the tour is paid on the card and then cancelled and the tour company stiffs you, the credit card will pay you. I think...

Credit card companies charge a percentage of every transaction as a fee to cover the cost of running their business, which includes the cost of protecting the consumer against disputed transactions where a merchant fails to perform a service or ship a product. If the company goes out of the business the credit card company likely will take a loss but that’s built into their fee schedule.

[davebarnes]

We are very pleased with AirBnB's actions.
Received 95+% refunds on cancelled reservations in Genova, Nice and Lyon.
The hosts in Genova and Lyon were very agreeable, but Cecilia in Nice was a jerk.

P.S. One week into our quarantine and all is well.

P.P.S. My heart is breaking for Italia and all the wonderful people we met there.

[audreyh1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chuckanut The NPS has closed Yosemite NP completely. Not only the guest facilities, nobody is allowed to enter at all. https://www.nps.gov/yose/learn/news/...guidance-2.htm

Apparently a major problem was visitors arriving in groups and staying close socializing. Also, visitors weren’t prepared to deal closed bathrooms.

[explanade]

Quote:

Originally Posted by davebarnes We are very pleased with AirBnB's actions. Received 95+% refunds on cancelled reservations in Genova, Nice and Lyon. The hosts in Genova and Lyon were very agreeable, but Cecilia in Nice was a jerk. P.S. One week into our quarantine and all is well. P.P.S. My heart is breaking for Italia and all the wonderful people we met there.

How far out were your reservations?

[ncbill]

Successfully returned home today...two domestic flights.

Looks like Delta consolidated the 2-3/day flights we flew down to one daily.

And moved to much smaller jets...fairly crowded onboard.

What made the biggest impression on me was my regional airport...normally the multistory parking garage is full of several hundred vehicles, as it was when we departed a week ago...when we arrived only a couple dozen vehicles were left.

[davebarnes]

Quote:

Originally Posted by explanade How far out were your reservations?

2 Genova (09MAR2020)
6 Nice
10 Lyon

[Sunset]

Quote:

Originally Posted by davebarnes We are very pleased with AirBnB's actions. Received 95+% refunds on cancelled reservations in Genova, Nice and Lyon. The hosts in Genova and Lyon were very agreeable, but Cecilia in Nice was a jerk. P.S. One week into our quarantine and all is well. P.P.S. My heart is breaking for Italia and all the wonderful people we met there.

Were your reservations for March or April or May or farther in the future ?

Wondering on AirBnb cancellation, seems it only goes as far as April 14th.

[harllee]

I too am wondering about Air BNB reservations. We have an Airbnb reservation starting May 1 that we need to cancel but their cancellation policy seems to run only to April 14.

[DrRoy]

Arrived home yesterday from our aborted trip out west. We were almost a week in Page, AZ, and things were closing nearby. We were supposed to go to Moab, UT for two more weeks but just headed for home. On the first day coming back we heard that Moab had closed all lodging so it was for sure the right call, but still disappointing. Our VRBO in Moab will be refunded.

A later photography tour in backcountry Utah was cancelled and refunded 87%, with the remainder as a future credit. The air on Delta is now a credit that is good for booking W/O penalty through early Jan. '21, but I do not know now what I would use it for.

The combined spending for all of this including guiding for special photography, lodging, food, etc. is about $5000. That will be cash for us but lost economic activity.

[misanman]

Quote:

Credit card companies charge a percentage of every transaction as a fee to cover the cost of running their business, which includes the cost of protecting the consumer against disputed transactions where a merchant fails to perform a service or ship a product. If the company goes out of the business the credit card company likely will take a loss but that’s built into their fee schedule.

Obviously quite a few years ago but our trip to England was interrupted by 9/11 (we were scheduled to leave on 9/12) and the outfit we purchased our tickets from went out of business. We filed a claim with MasterCard and they covered the total cost of our tickets without any hassle.

[athena53]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ncbill Successfully returned home today...two domestic flights. Looks like Delta consolidated the 2-3/day flights we flew down to one daily. And moved to much smaller jets...fairly crowded onboard. What made the biggest impression on me was my regional airport...normally the multistory parking garage is full of several hundred vehicles, as it was when we departed a week ago...when we arrived only a couple dozen vehicles were left.

I saw some of this, too. Left Kansas City on March 10 and even then the terminal seemed eerily quiet for a weekday morning. My flight home from Bolivia 3/18 was 4 segments and I never would have booked that if I had choices, but I didn't. (Starting 3/20, Bolivia was closing its airports to all arriving and departing international flights.) Layover of only 1.25 hours in Santa Cruz, Bolivia before the all-important flight from Santa Cruz (VVI) to Miami, 4 hours in Miami (needed to go through Passport Control, Customs, get and re-check bags), an hour layover in Houston.

It all worked. Left VVI an hour late but landed at MIA only 15 minutes late, Immigration wasn't any crazier than I'd experienced at any other entry port, and I suspect it was because air traffic was down and we weren't coming from a high-risk area. Everything else ran on time. On an average day I suspect I would have missed a connection somewhere.

[NW-Bound]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bestwifeever Just found out DD and her family are going to South America for spring break in a couple of weeks. Kids, gotta love them.

I just remember this.

I wonder if BWE's DD family is back in the US safely. South American countries are closed down.

[sengsational]

Quote:

Originally Posted by misanman Obviously quite a few years ago but our trip to England was interrupted by 9/11 (we were scheduled to leave on 9/12) and the outfit we purchased our tickets from went out of business. We filed a claim with MasterCard and they covered the total cost of our tickets without any hassle.

That's good to know. Once we get farther into this, and the dispute cases start getting resolved (one way or the other), we (as in this forum community) should probably compare notes on which cards are siding with the airlines and travel companies, and which card companies are siding with customers. For years, every dispute I opened went my way without any back and forth. Recently, two disputes went back and forth. I won one case outright and split the difference on the other (server increased the tip and I disputed the whole thing, but ended up paying the non-tip amount).

Anyway, I hope that just collecting proof that they cancelled the service (did not deliver what I bought) is enough. Right now, one flight is not yet cancelled (they did cancel all flights up to March 31, but my flight is April 14). They'll probably extend cancellation past the March 31st date, and that's the point I'll dispute that one. But if they fly the route that day, it would be harder to justify getting my money back.

[luckydude]

OZ officials are trying to round up passengers from the cruise ship Ruby Princess (of the Princess Cruises). Four passengers from the cruise ship tested positive after the ship had docked and all passengers disembarked in Sydney:

https://news.yahoo.com/officials-scr...064520224.html

Even now, there are still multiple cruise ships sailing, some with infected passengers, others not:

https://news.yahoo.com/coronavirus-c...163207612.html

These passengers likely face a long journey home with travel restrictions now imposed all over the world.

Lucky Dude

[Bestwifeever]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NW-Bound I just remember this. I wonder if BWE's DD family is back in the US safely. South American countries are closed down.

Thanks for asking! They were supposed to go there on 3/21 but yes, they had already bailed on the trip two weeks before that—after getting their kids and themselves vaccinated for yellow fever and typhoid a month before they were supposed to go (not related to COVID-19).

[explanade]

Quote:

Originally Posted by davebarnes 2 Genova (09MAR2020) 6 Nice 10 Lyon

Which airline?

Many airlines are holding firm on refunds because they're facing a cash crunch.

There are a few people who report complaining loudly enough and getting "exception" refunds.

[Sunset]

Quote:

Originally Posted by explanade Which airline? Many airlines are holding firm on refunds because they're facing a cash crunch. There are a few people who report complaining loudly enough and getting "exception" refunds.

AA has changed my flight twice now (a return flight to/from UK) scheduled in May.
I'm planning to cancel it, and have tried phoning in but the phone line gives me the overloaded message.

I bought the ticket with miles & cash, so basically want to know what happens when I cancel. The web site has a button "Cancel".
But there is no indication does it just cancel and do whatever it does ?
Or does it take me to a page with options, and choice, and then let me pick, or tell me before action is performed ?

I know if I click it, and it cancels out (maybe lose my miles) , there is no way I can phone in to reverse the process...

A more detailed website would help, and cut down on phone calls.

I know it's not an emergency, as I can wait, and simply hope UK ban's all USA flights due to Covid-19 , then wait for AA to cancel flight. Of course it's possible that might not happen

[Ready-4-ER-at-14]

Our son just cancelled his wedding celebration ceremony in Japan in May about a day or so ago. They had the civil service in Feb.
We and our relatives all cancelled flights on United, cancelled hotel stays in both Tokyo and a city a few hundred miles away where her family lives.
One service said refund to credit card in 24 hrs. Other said 30 days.
Not sure status of air fare as spouse did it and has not "debriefed" me yet.
We did buy travel insurance when we bought tickets in jan or feb but no idea if
they pony up if we get stiffed over this.

He plans to reschedule in the fall when things are more understandable and predictable. We may do some sort of online meet and greet soon.

[Retired Expat]

Check your hosts policy as you might be able to cancel anyway. But it only makes sense if flight restrictions keep you from going somewhere or an area is still under lockdown that the extenuating circumstances clause will apply. I am likewise trying to cancel my extended European vacation.

At least 70% of things were cancellable and the others likely will become so as they push out the waiver dates because this isn’t going to clear up in a couple of weeks

[davebarnes]

Quote:

Originally Posted by explanade Which airline?

None. Trains.
We were scheduled to travel to Nice from Genova had had tickets on Thelo. They refunded 100%.
We were scheduled to travel from Nice to Lyon on the TGV and SNCF refunded 100%.

The only tickets/bookings we did not get refunds for were the €82 for 2 museums in Milano. They gave us a credit good for 1 year. Whatever.