Coronavirus - Travel impacts II

[fh2000]

I was able to cancel our March trip, and April-June trip for full refund. Our next paid for trip is in September to France.

At this point, I think likely I will need to cancel it. At this point, I am waiting a bit for the Norwegian Airlines to cancel the flight so I can get the refund.

 

[athena53]

We had a big chunk of our planned spending for this year marked for travel. Since we likely won't have much of it happen (all the really expensive stuff has already been cancelled), that means it will get rolled over to next year (if we're lucky).

Seems like this should be a fairly common thing among this community, so all the travel-related parts of the economy are likely to have a very good year when people start going places again. Assuming they can get through this (and not all will be able to), I'm thinking much of the industry is likely to get back to normal within two or three years.

I agree to some extent- I would LOVE to book some major trips to interesting places but the next one actually booked is in October, 2021. I'm nowhere near confident about earlier dates yet. I still think it will take longer for the industry to recover because so many people lost their jobs and will need time to recover before they can even think of travel. There will be permanent closures among hotels, museums, and other attractions that didn't survive. Any remaining laws restricting the crowding of planes and cruise ships will result in higher fares.

It may take even longer for business travel to recover. Companies are saving a bundle by using Zoom instead of putting employees on planes and sending them to conventions. They probably WILL go back- they did after 9/11- but not right away.

 

[Trooper]

It may take even longer for business travel to recover. Companies are saving a bundle by using Zoom instead of putting employees on planes and sending them to conventions. They probably WILL go back- they did after 9/11- but not right away.

Good point about business travel and the use of Zoom to accomplish (maybe) the same thing. I suspect that post-COVID management will have some level of expectation that employees continue to Zoom in lieu of travel, simply to further cut costs.

 

[Retire2013]

I cancelled a cruise with Princess. The cruise date was scheduled for June 6, 2020. I cancelled on March 10. Was informed by my travel agent that I would receive a full refund within 10 to 15 days. I STILL HAVE NOT RECEIVED that refund. I checked with my travel agent a couple of times and she kept saying that Princess is very behind and Princess had informed travel agents not to contact them because they are very behind in processing refunds.

Is anyone on this Forum dealing with waiting for a refund from a cancelled cruise? What is your experience?

 

[audreyh1]

Good point about business travel and the use of Zoom to accomplish (maybe) the same thing. I suspect that post-COVID management will have some level of expectation that employees continue to Zoom in lieu of travel, simply to further cut costs.

After 2008, people were traveling less for business for a while, because companies were really focused on cutting costs. But somehow after a few years companies seem to go right back to the old ways of lots of business travel, attending conferences, customer meetings face to face, etc.

 

[Sunset]

I cancelled a cruise with Princess. The cruise date was scheduled for June 6, 2020. I cancelled on March 10. Was informed by my travel agent that I would receive a full refund within 10 to 15 days. I STILL HAVE NOT RECEIVED that refund. I checked with my travel agent a couple of times and she kept saying that Princess is very behind and Princess had informed travel agents not to contact them because they are very behind in processing refunds.

Is anyone on this Forum dealing with waiting for a refund from a cancelled cruise? What is your experience?

Same story, my TA was Costco, I cancelled March 17 (almost 6 wks ago) Costco said refund in about 10 business days, after about 12 business days I called back Costco. They then said it would be 60 days

I disputed the final payment as was told refund, but none showed up. Could not dispute the entire amount due to early payment of deposit.

My refund request, and yours (Retire2013) were both done prior to Princess changing their policy to say it would take 60 days to refund.
I phoned Princess, the worker said their policy was retroactive

 

[TrvlBug]

I cancelled a cruise with Princess. The cruise date was scheduled for June 6, 2020. I cancelled on March 10. Was informed by my travel agent that I would receive a full refund within 10 to 15 days. I STILL HAVE NOT RECEIVED that refund. I checked with my travel agent a couple of times and she kept saying that Princess is very behind and Princess had informed travel agents not to contact them because they are very behind in processing refunds.

Is anyone on this Forum dealing with waiting for a refund from a cancelled cruise? What is your experience?

Princess cancelled our Alaska land/cruise in Sept and advised the refund would be made within the next 60 days.

 

[oldphd]

Had an experience with United that seemed unusual.

We left on a trip first of March with return early April. Ended up changing plans to return home early in mid March. Changed flight was cheaper than original. Under old circumstances with change fees, would expect nothing, actually a charge. However, this was in the time when they were waiving change fees.

So... My new flights were about $60 cheaper for the two of us. I get an e-mail from United saying they will refund the difference of $60. Then, they refund two different amounts that total about $40. So I file a complaint asking for the other $20, giving them their own e-mail saying I should have gotten the $60. The reply I got was my flight change was non refundable.

They were probably overwhelmed, not worth the $20 to try to again.

On the plus side, I got a full refund of a VRBO stay that was close enough to be 100% forfeit. Owner took the step, which wasn't required, presumably from a long term business perspective.

And I have another flight credit on Hawaiian airlines that has to be used by 12/31/2020. When this all started I figured that would be reasonable to do, but as things are evolving I'm not sure a late fall trip will be in the cards.

 

[Souschef]

Our local Los Angeles news had a shot of the roads around LAX. There was not a car in sight!

 

[Ian S]

Since American Airlines cancelled our flights to Europe and back (departure scheduled for tomorrow 4/28), they have approved the refund and now we're waiting for it to show up on the VISA card. Today, I applied to Allianz, our trip insurer, for a premium refund since we our trip is no longer. They had announced that they would allow premium refunds as long as there had been no claims. I received an email response saying that they had received my request and it would take 5-10 business days to review. Assuming that goes through, we will not be out any money for this trip.

 

[sengsational]

Interesting about Allianz. I understood from World Nomads that I had no refund due, and could only make a claim if I happened to be sick on or near the departure date.

 

[Trooper]

Since American Airlines cancelled our flights to Europe and back (departure scheduled for tomorrow 4/28), they have approved the refund and now we're waiting for it to show up on the VISA card. Today, I applied to Allianz, our trip insurer, for a premium refund since we our trip is no longer. They had announced that they would allow premium refunds as long as there had been no claims. I received an email response saying that they had received my request and it would take 5-10 business days to review. Assuming that goes through, we will not be out any money for this trip.

Our trip insurer, CF Travel Insurance (brokered through insuremytrip.com) didn't offer a premium refund for our cancelled cruise. Instead they told us our policy was good for another two years if we did not make a claim on our current trip.

 

[Ian S]

Interesting about Allianz. I understood from World Nomads that I had no refund due, and could only make a claim if I happened to be sick on or near the departure date.

The Allianz policy was purchased through American at the same time as our tickets so maybe that makes a difference. I usually purchase the insurance separately but the price at the time seemed like a decent deal.

 

[Ian S]

Our trip insurer, CF Travel Insurance (brokered through insuremytrip.com) didn't offer a premium refund for our cancelled cruise. Instead they told us our policy was good for another two years if we did not make a claim on our current trip.

Our policy was for a set number of days and based I assume on our current ages so not sure how it would work for a trip two years from now that might differ in length.

 

[FIYes]

Anyone dealt with Lufthansa? We were scheduled to travel to Portugal in May. Clearly that is not happening. All we are being offered is a chance to rebook. I would really prefer a refund since who knows when it will be safe to travel again. What we have been offered is the chance to rebook by August with travel starting no later than April 30, 2021. We booked this trip through a company and I am concerned that we are not getting very good options.

 

[sengsational]

Anyone dealt with Lufthansa?

No, but with most big airlines, if you simply wait and don't do anything, they will at some point alert you that THEY cancelled your flight. At that point, you might get an option for a refund. If not, open a dispute on that credit card transaction. The airlines all hope you'll agree to some future credit, but you didn't buy an "expiring credit", you bought passage from A to B on a specific date, which they didn't deliver.

 

[The Cosmic Avenger]

British Airways is STILL running one of the two flights a day on the route our tickets are for in July, and still only says you can get a voucher for flights between now and May 31. However, if I click on cancel, it now brings me to a voucher form.

Do the rest of you have any musings or opinions about the odds of them cancelling all flights, vs. the chances that they may STOP offering vouchers at some point before mid-July?

The good news is that as of May 1, BA switches from canceling the first of the day to canceling the second of the day, which is the one we're booked on, so if I play refund chicken there's a chance my flight will be canceled, although there's also a chance they won't be offering vouchers by then.

Argh.

GOOD NEWS! BA updated their website with this important policy change: "Travel vouchers are now valid until 30 April 2022 (includes previously issued vouchers)"

I'm still hoping to hold out for a refund, but that should give us plenty of time to reschedule, plus with this extension I'm not as worried about not being able to get a voucher if I wait and play "refund chicken" until my scheduled flight in July.

 

[Sunset]

No, but with most big airlines, if you simply wait and don't do anything, they will at some point alert you that THEY cancelled your flight. At that point, you might get an option for a refund. If not, open a dispute on that credit card transaction. The airlines all hope you'll agree to some future credit, but you didn't buy an "expiring credit", you bought passage from A to B on a specific date, which they didn't deliver.

I always thought there is a time limit to dispute a charge. Can a person really dispute a charge if they bought the ticket/reservation many months ago ?

 

[harllee]

My 50th high school reunion is scheduled this summer on June 13. It would be in my hometown in North Carolina a couple of hours from where I live now. I had thought of going but once Covid -19 came I figured it would probably be postponed until later in the year or even next year. To my surprise I got an email yesterday that the 50th reunion was still on--at the local country club, in a smallish inside room, food buffet, alcohol, a band and dancing in a room with 68 year olds. What could possibly go wrong? I am horrified. Of course I am not going. I checked with several of my friends from my class and no one I know is going. The email made it sound like Covid-19 had turned out to be nothing and that after May 8 the North Carolina stay at home order totally goes away. Actually the NC cases and deaths continue to climb and our Governor just extended the stay at home order until May 8 and said only once we have declines for 2 weeks will things start to slowly open up. I can't imagine the country club will be able to host a big reunion party on June 13 and even if they can who in the right mind would go? SMH

 

[dixter]

just curious... why/who would choose june teenth for a reunion...

 

[harllee]

just curious... why/who would choose june teenth for a reunion...

I think that may have been our graduation date 50 years ago

 

[Aerides]

just curious... why/who would choose june teenth for a reunion...

Juneteenth is June 19th:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juneteenth

 

[dixter]

got all my dates mixed up... I was actually thinking Friday the 13th and Juneteenth came out of the keyboard... and whats even more weird is June 13th is on a Saturday... must be cabin feaver kickin in...

 

[Freedom56]

I received this today from British Airways:

Dear Customer
You’re booked to travel with us in May from London Heathrow to Geneva. However, due to the ongoing situation with coronavirus, we will be continuing with our temporary suspension of flights on this route and as a result your flight has been cancelled.

For information on how to request a refund, please visit our coronavirus information page on www.ba.com.

Alternatively, you can call us on 0800 727 800 from within the UK or +44 (0)203 250 0145 from outside the UK. Call waiting times may be longer than expected so thank you for your patience. All changes will be subject to availability.

If you have a British Airways Holidays flight and hotel or flight and car package, we will be in touch.

If you’ve booked through a travel agent, please contact them directly.

For the latest information on coronavirus, including answers to frequently asked questions, please go to www.ba.com/coronavirus
Thank you for choosing to fly with us, we appreciate this is a stressful time for many of our customers and we’d like to thank you for your understanding during these unprecedented times.

British Airways

I was expecting to wait 72 hours before our flight which departs the 23rd of May to start the process of requesting a refund. The flight from LAX to LHR on Virgin Atlantic has been grounded but not cancelled yet officially. However the specific flight I was on is no longer on Virgin Atlantic's future schedule. They are still operating two flights a day from LHR to LAX. I purchased the two business class tickets from Expedia and the British Airways segment is now gone from my itinerary with a note from Expedia indicating that they will be contacting me regarding changes to my itinerary. I didn't want to wait so I contacted Expedia today and demanded my refund as my original itinerary is no longer valid and per DOT rules we are entitled to a 100% refund for the two tickets ($4996). Expedia requested 24-72 hours to get a resolution from the airlines. I told Expedia that, if I don't see a notification for a full refund within 72 hours, I will file a dispute with my credit card using the cancellation notification from the airline to document my dispute.

 

[sengsational]

I always thought there is a time limit to dispute a charge. Can a person really dispute a charge if they bought the ticket/reservation many months ago ?

I was surprised/pleased to find out that the normal 60 day limit was not enforced on airline tickets, presumably because they "make you" buy them so far in advance.