How to get a refund if you’ve got a holiday booked to France as new quarantine rules announced
THOUSANDS of Brits with holidays to France have had their trips thrown into chaos after the government imposed a last-minute travel ban.
The new rule follows suit to similar bans on all non-essential travel to Spain, Andorra, Belgium and the Bahamas due to rising coronavirus cases.
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It piles on misery for half of million holidaymakers who have trips booked, and it's worth pointing out that if you decide to travel in spite of the government ban, it will most likely invalidate your travel insurance.
For those returning from France, including the 500,000 Brits already there, the new rules mean a 14-day quarantine on your return to the UK.
The Foreign Office travel advice for France will also change when the quarantine measures come in.
It will advise against all “non- essential” travel to our neighbour — but will mean that those due to head there on holiday will be able to claim their cashback.
But what does it mean for your holiday and can you get a refund? We take a look below.
I’ve got separate flights and hotels booked - can I get a refund?
If your flight is still going ahead, and your hotel remains open, your first step should be to speak to each individual operator.
Unfortunately, you may not be able to claim a refund if your flight or hotel hasn’t been cancelled.
And as we've seen with Spain, many airlines have continued to fly leaving customers struggling to get a refund.
Travel: What are your rights to a refund?
MILLIONS of Brits have had holiday plans cancelled.
Firstly, speak to your airline or holiday firm about a refund or rearranging your plans.
You are entitled to a cash refund if they've cancelled your holiday but many have large delays or may offer vouchers instead.
If the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advises against all but essential travel to countries or regions, you may also be covered for cancellations by your travel insurance if the holiday provider or airline is not helping you.
Keep in mind the travel insurance must have been taken out before the FCO advice changed, otherwise you won't be covered.
If you don't have travel insurance, you may be able to claim your money back through your credit or debit card provider.
Credit card payments between £100 and £30,000 are covered under Section 75 of the Consumer Rights Act.
To start a claim, you need to contact your credit card provider directly - has a free tool that can help you do this.
Debit card claims or credit card claims of under £100 may be covered under similar Chargeback guarantees.
Some companies may let you rearrange your trip for free - although they don't have to do this, and it depends on when you're due to travel.
For example, Ryanair will let you change trips booked in July, August, and September for free as long as it's not within seven days of departure - and be warned you can only move flights once fee-free.
easyJet meanwhile will waive fees if you change fares online more than 14 days before travel.
Where flights to and from France and the UK are cancelled, you're entitled to an alternative flight or a full cash refund under EU laws.
For hotel bookings, contact your booking provider to check what cancellation policy it has in place - but you will be relying on its goodwill as technically it can still provide the service you've paid for.
I’ve got a package holiday booked - can I get a refund?
Where government advice is not to travel package trips are not expected to run, which means you should get a full cash refund under package travel rules.
But as we've seen with Spain, some package providers are continuing to run trips leaving customers wrangling for a refund.
Some firms say they'll only refund the hotel and transfer costs, while airline refunds will only be paid if and when tour operators receive this cash.
It’s crucial you wait for the tour operator to cancel your trip - if you cancel the trip yourself, you won’t be entitled to a refund.
What should you look for in a good travel insurance policy?
TRAVEL insurance policies can vary a great deal, but here are some "must have
- Medical expenses - A good policy will give cover of £1million or more for travel in Europe and £2million or more for the USA
- Repatriation service - The costs of getting you back to the UK for medical reasons should be covered automatically by your policy
- Cancellation and curtailment - A good policy will cover you for £2,000 or more if you have to cancel or shorten your holiday
- Missed departure - Covers additional accommodation costs and travel expenses up to £500 or more if you miss your flight due to circumstances out of your control
- Delay - You'll usually be covered for £250 or more if your travel plans are delayed due to circumstances out of your control
- Baggage cover - Covers you if your baggage is lost, damaged or stolen. Look for policies that have cover of £1,500 or more.
But again, it's worth speaking to your provider out if it will offer a goodwill refund, voucher or alternative trip.
Consumer organisation Which? notes how online travel agents, where you pick a hotel and flight to create a package, may not cancel trips.
Can I claim from my card provider or travel insurer instead?
Always go to your travel provider in the first instance.
If your provider is refusing to cancel flights, hotels, or holidays you're unlikely to be able to get a refund from your card provider as tecnhically the service you paid for is still going ahead.
Section 75 and Chargeback rules cover debit card or credit card purchases where you don't get the service you paid for.
When it comes to travel insurance, you may be entitled to make a claim - but this largely depends on when you took out the insurance.
Policies purchased before coronavirus was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation on March 11 may include cover for travel disruption and cancellations.
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But most new policies now have clauses that won't cover holiday cancellations due to coronavirus.
Check your insurance carefully to see what cover you have - if in doubt, speak to your provider.
Any more questions about your cancelled holiday?
LOOK below for more answers to your travel q's:
Q: I had a package holiday booked - will I have to lose the money if I can’t quarantine on my return?
A: Anyone who has booked has the right to amend their booking or get a refund. You may lose at least part of the cost of your holiday if you have booked with certain travel agents - many online - who packaged up flights and accommodation. Many airlines are continuing to operate flights, even if a country is added to the quarantine list so agents are unable to get a refund on the flight part of your booking.
Contact your travel company or agent and ask what your options are.If you have insurance in place that was taken out before the pandemic there may be some chance of claiming on that if the country you are travelling to is also added to the Foreign & Commonwealth list of countries where they are advising against all but essential travel.
Q: I have flights booked but we’ll now need to quarantine to on our return - can I get my money back if I don’t want to travel?
A: It very much depends who you are booking with. Easyjet and British Airways are both allowing customers who have flights cancelled the chance to either rebook, accept a credit note or get a refund.
They are also offering flexible booking policies which allow people to change dates and destinations up to the end of September if you no longer want to travel.
But Ryanair will not offer refunds - it will allow you to change your flights to a different date without having to pay a change fee.
Q: Will Eurotunnel and ferry crossings booked for the next few weeks be cancelled? Will I get my money back?
A: As of right now, both ferry companies and Eurotunnel are planning to continue with their services so if you choose not to travel because of the quarantine restrictions, you will need to contact them and see what your options are. Most companies are offering to postpone or re-arrange crossings for later in the year if you have booked a flexible ticket. Other tickets will be considered on a case by case basis but you may be allowed to rebook.