Have you had to change/cancel travel due to COVID-19 (involuntarily or voluntarily)?

[robtemt]

I thought I would start a thread as a resource for AFFers who have changed or cancelled travel plans directly or indirectly due to 2019 n-CoV.

• Did the airline/cruise company cancelling or change your flight/cruise? Or, did you proactively or reactively cancel or change it on your own (and why?).
• Did they notify you directly, or did you discover it on your own?
• What was your original plan, and what was the revised plan?
• What was your experience like?
• Did you go through any travel insurance claim process, and how was that part of it?

For the record, part of my role at work is to monitor medical related issues, filter out mis/disinformation, and brief other staff using only verified facts from trusted sources, so I am not one to buy into sensationalism or hysteria. BUT, I am also an advocate of forward planning and monitoring situations that could affect travel plans.

Post automatically merged: Feb 10, 2020

To start it off…. We have begun voluntarily changing (or making back up plans for) our upcoming holiday SYD-(+/- SIN)-LAX-SJO-LAX-HNL-LNY-HNL-SYD

We are booked to the USA via SIN on SQ in a few weeks (F Saver Reward Booking). A few things caused us to start making contingency plans on getting to the USA including:

• Reading posts from Buttermilk Chicken regarding her RTW flight being disrupted between HKK and CEB
• Member Pushka raising a good point if Singapore will be next.
• Monitoring the World Health Organisations surveillance on n-CoV (as part of my responsibilities at work). Singapore confirmed infections were 28 on 5 Feb, 40 on 8 Feb, and 43 on 9 Feb. Several of these cases were human-to-human contact, with no recent travel to China.
• Bloomberg’s article this morning HERE, which discussed the spread of the virus from a conference attendee in Singapore, via a resort in France, to people in France, Spain, and the UK.

We contacted SQ, to discuss the options of alternative carriers, to which there were no available flights. The agent was very friendly, and said she understood the desire to rebook and avoid an Asia transit, but she said until official bans are in place, there were no options, but “we will offer options if Singapore becomes affected by travel bans”.

We began searching other options. We contacted VFF, who found one seat on DL SYD-LAX in W, and one seat on VA in J SYD-BNE-LAX. No other business or premium reward seats (except any seat) were available +/- 1 day of our desired travel (with pre-booked hotels, cars, and other flights to South America, and Hawaii). We will keep looking for another J seat on same day, and hopefully two on the same flight to free up closer to the date.

We have left our SQ bookings as is for now, and will cancel either that booking of the DL/VA booking closer to the date as thing develop.

Overall Experience:

• Wait times on the phone are obviously a bit longer, but I’ve not been on hold longer than 15 minutes with either VA or SQ.
• Staff at both SQ and VA call centres have been friendly, empathetic, and helpful in searching, but have no/limited availability and flexibility in voluntary changes so far.

 

[Pushka]

Thankyou. I'll try cancelling now then.

No joy from Qantas as yet. Still wanting the $600 pp cancellation fee. I just had a bit of a hint that maybe something in the bubble this week?

 

[get me outta here]

Bubble?

 

[Pushka]

Bubble?

I thought it was a cute word to use.

 

[ausnew]

Had a flight booked with Jetstar Asia from Singapore to HCM on March 22nd with my gf for a weekend getaway

As she is working in a hospital, all staff are barred from traveling overseas and even issued letters for Airlines. Several colleagues cancelled on SQ etc with no issues and got full refunds

No problem I thought in contacting Jetstar Asia then!. I was on the chat for 2 hours to request cancellation with no luck, so escalated to open a case for extenuating circumstances. 48 Hours later, the message came back. "I know it is frustrating when you have to change plans, but in this case we cannot accept that there is an exceptional case for allowing cancellation"

Then by coincidence, 48 hours later again Jetstar sends a mail to say they have cancelled the evening flight due to low numbers and rebooked us on the lunchtime flight (during a working day no less). Press accept to proceed with the booking change or ring to discuss

On ringing the call centre, the operator said she understood the situation. The answer?. Move the flight to next day evening flight. Urm, you do realise the return flight is Sunday lunchtime. This means we would arrive late Saturday night and then back to airport Sunday morning...I might as well just go airport shopping and stay there.

OK, that does sound like that could be a problem then, the operator said. I refrained from making the sarcastic reply of "You think!!!". Let me see what I can do she said. Anyway eventually she came back and committed to full refund

 

[Scr77]

Oops, obviously it is outsourced to NIB, which won't issue cover. Interesting as I went to NZ 1 week ago, bought TI the day before and no mention anywhere of coronavirus .

Anyone else here planning to risk travel to the USA?

We are booked to US in three weeks and current travel insurance won’t cover us. We won’t risk USA medical costs.

To my non-lawyer eyes, the ANZ platinum/black Credit card travel insurance doesn’t seem to exclude cover and was updated 1 March. Anyone else noticed this?

 

[pauly7]

We are booked to US in three weeks and current travel insurance won’t cover us. We won’t risk USA medical costs.

To my non-lawyer eyes, the ANZ platinum/black Credit card travel insurance doesn’t seem to exclude cover and was updated 1 March. Anyone else noticed this?

Good call not travelling to the US without guaranteed travel insurance. Even a few days on oxygen in a US hospital (If you can even get in) will break most peoples credit card limits!

 

[muppet]

We are booked to US in three weeks and current travel insurance won’t cover us. We won’t risk USA medical costs.

To my non-lawyer eyes, the ANZ platinum/black Credit card travel insurance doesn’t seem to exclude cover and was updated 1 March. Anyone else noticed this?

Do you mean because of covid-19 you’re completely not covered in USA? Or just not covered for covid-19 if that’s why you’re admitted to hospital?

 

[Scr77]

Good call not travelling to the US without guaranteed travel insurance. Even a few days on oxygen in a US hospital (If you can even get in) will break most peoples credit card limits!

Do you mean because of covid-19 you’re completely not covered in USA? Or just not covered for covid-19 if that’s why you’re admitted to hospital?

I‘ve spent a lot of time reading PDSs this weekend. Our main concern was medical costs if admitted with Covid19. The ANZ CC included insurance seems to be one of the best. However, we’ve missed the activation date of 31 January as we had a purchased policy in place that is now useless.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

So is the TI lesson from all this is to book TI straight away after the flights?
Obviously not now due to the virus

Yes. I always do.

Remember that a key TI benefit is cancellation protection for not being able to.

ie if you break a leg...as well as things like Covid19.

As soon as you have booked any significant $$$ and have so have something at risk you should have TI in effect.

 

[Ktan89]

Good call not travelling to the US without guaranteed travel insurance. Even a few days on oxygen in a US hospital (If you can even get in) will break most peoples credit card limits!

That's scary. I'm still on the fence if i should go or not, my trip starts 31st March but wont get to USA until the 10th April. I told my self i will decide in 2 weeks to see how everything is.
Originally I was banking on CC insurances to cover me but they wont so I went and purchase TravelInsuranz policy last week. Have a look at their PDF wording and read the FAQ to see if it will be suitable for you or not @RedSMS @Scr77. I saw a few others here purchased the policy over the weekend.

 

[Scr77]

That's scary. I'm still on the fence if i should go or not, my trip starts 31st March but wont get to USA until the 10th April. I told my self i will decide in 2 weeks to see how everything is.
Originally I was banking on CC insurances to cover me but they wont so I went and purchase TravelInsuranz policy last week. Have a look at their PDF wording and read the FAQ to see if it will be suitable for you or not @RedSMS @Scr77. I saw a few others here purchased the policy over the weekend.

I’m not sure about the activation dates with Travellinsuranz, but they don’t cover preexisting conditions that aren’t already listed. Unfortunately, this doesn’t works for one of us.

 

[ja1]

Mum had booked air travel to connect to a cruise in the pacific. Flight out of MEL through AKL and return via the same path but different end points. Cruise has now been cancelled so Mum's trying to figure out options as 1) She has air travel that doesn't connect any more and 2) without the other people there would be any point anyway.

So I've also looked at Cover-more's PDS and it's not clear if she's covered when a 'transport operator' cancels a leg of travel beween other legs (where the other carrier is AirNZ). Anyone got ideas ? She's going to talk to the travel agent first of all but it'd be interesting to know what happens in this instance when you're using two separate transport providers and one in the middle isn't available any more..

I understand how AirNZ could point out that isn't really their problem..

 

[Scr77]

Mum had booked air travel to connect to a cruise in the pacific. Flight out of MEL through AKL and return via the same path but different end points. Cruise has now been cancelled so Mum's trying to figure out options as 1) She has air travel that doesn't connect any more and 2) without the other people there would be any point anyway.

So I've also looked at Cover-more's PDS and it's not clear if she's covered when a 'transport operator' cancels a leg of travel beween other legs (where the other carrier is AirNZ). Anyone got ideas ? She's going to talk to the travel agent first of all but it'd be interesting to know what happens in this instance when you're using two separate transport providers and one in the middle isn't available any more..

I understand how AirNZ could point out that isn't really their problem..

I can’t help here, it really comes down to the PDS. But this whole travel insurance issue really does open a opportunity for a travel insurance lawyer/business (if it’s not already a thing)

 

[maia200]

Cancelled a flight to Taiwan on the 26th Feb and one to Las Vegas/New Orleans that would have left today. Am still at this stage going to SF and Las Vegas on the 16th April. I have time to change my mind and will wear the cancellation fee if Qantas doesn't. Have not booked hotels yet and notice the price has dropped. From this post am going to contact my travel insurance tomorrow as I have an annual policy which expires in May to find out if the virus is covered.

 

[Scarlett]

I think we're now up to hour 15 in the Serendiva Transit hotel in CMB, so you could say we've been affected by COVID-19 issues...

Flew CBR-MEL yesterday to connect to a UL J booking MEL-CMB-MCT (open jaw) KWI-CMB-MEL, with long layovers in CMB in both directions. Helpfully, UL had confirmed STPC hotels and meals during those transits, at the Ramada Katunayake (not the greatest place, but I'd planned to head into the city and play 18 holes of golf at Royal Colombo GC today, so was looking forward to that).
About 24 hours before departure, Smart Traveller helpfully sent us an update from Kuwait. Kuwait had updated its entry requirements with about 15 countries being put on restriction lists and one of the additions was Sri Lanka. Anyone visiting Sri Lanka in the 14 days before entering Kuwait would need a negative COVID-19 certificate, from a Kuwaiti endorsed medical facility.

I looked at how we'd go about getting that in the day before our travel to Kuwait: very difficult. Not surprisingly, tests are being used for actual suspected cases, not just anyone wanting one. Plus, results in 24hrs not guaranteed, so difficult to meet the Kuwaiti requirements.

My best option was therefore to try and get UL to change the transit hotel to the airside hotel, so that we don't enter Sri Lanka at all on the outbound journey. Asked when checking in (UL staff didn't know about the Kuwait restriction but accepted when explained that it was already in Timatic) and staff were sympathetic and told us they were trying to help by sending emails off. 12 hours later (via the Plaza Premium Lounge in MEL - not bad: certainly a nice change from the QF J dungeon-lounge) we front up to the Transfer Desk at CMB to a big fat nothing and complete indifference from the staff. Basically, computer says Ramada and we won't try to help in any way: we just issue vouchers. Finally they let me use their phone to call Reservations to see if it could be changed by someone in authority there. Guy says give me 15-20 mins and I'll call the Transfer Desk staff and let them know. Of course nothing... So I ring again after 45 minutes, get a different guy and he puts me on hold for about 10 minutes then comes back on and clearly knows something about my earlier discussion with his colleague and says he's calling the Desk now. I'm on hold again and mister recalcitrant original at the Transfer Desk gives me a thumbs up. Finally (at about 0500 CBR time...poor old Master Scarlett (7) had one decent melt-down) we get into a room and can get some decent sleep (got a couple of hours on the UL A300-300 on the MEL-CMB flight courtesy of the flat bed in J).

Have had breakfast in the Serendib lounge, back to the room (staff reminded us to leave the lounge after breakfast - we were 10 hours before our flight I guess) checking other elements of the trip and we'll be heading back to the lounge shortly for some more tasty curries before this evenings flight CMB-MCT.

So, all's well that ends well then... except that Kuwait have now banned flights between the two countries, so our UL return journey starting KWI-CMB might be in jeopardy. Fortunately the cancellation is only for the dates 8-13 Mar at this stage, so our flight hasn't been cancelled. If it does, next contingency plan is I'll be asking UL to fly us EK to DXB, to pick up the UL journey home from there.

Interesting times.

 

[muppet]

That's scary. I'm still on the fence if i should go or not, my trip starts 31st March but wont get to USA until the 10th April. I told my self i will decide in 2 weeks to see how everything is.
Originally I was banking on CC insurances to cover me but they wont so I went and purchase TravelInsuranz policy last week. Have a look at their PDF wording and read the FAQ to see if it will be suitable for you or not @RedSMS @Scr77. I saw a few others here purchased the policy over the weekend.

But you’re covered for everything else right? Its just COVID-19 you’re uninsured

Just to be clear.... according to choice, half of all policies won’t cover anything, even if they paid before the outbreak. Most i’ve seen have an “epidemic” or “pandemic” exclusion which is wonderfully worded such that a pandemic doesnt even need to be declared!

so how many cases does the US have?

Life must go on.

I’m currently in Singapore and just got back from weekend in Borneo. Life goes on even if every darn Plaza Premium and hotel Club Lounge is closed

Edit: factual inaccuracies corrected thanks to Pushka

 

[Pushka]

But you’re covered for everything else right? Its just COVID-19 you’re uninsured

Just to be clear.... virtually no policies will cover anybody, even if they paid before the outbreak. Most i’ve seen have an “epidemic” or “pandemic” exclusion which is wonderfully worded such that a pandemic doesnt even need to be declared!

so how many cases does the US have?

Life must go on.

I’m currently in Singapore and just got back from weekend in Borneo. Life goes on even if every darn Plaza Premium and hotel Club Lounge is closed

Not true. There are several policies that cover for Covid. Insure and go do.

I’ve just read online there are five likely Covid deaths in Indonesia. Goodness knows if true. The Government is naturally scrambling. I’d give it another week then chaos.

At least five suspected COVID-19 patients have died in Indonesia: What we know so far - National - The Jakarta Post

Here are five cases in which patients suspected of having COVID-19 have died across the country, but whose tests reportedly came back negative.

www.google.com

 

[Oubline]

That's scary. I'm still on the fence if i should go or not, my trip starts 31st March but wont get to USA until the 10th April. I told my self i will decide in 2 weeks to see how everything is.
Originally I was banking on CC insurances to cover me but they wont so I went and purchase TravelInsuranz policy last week. Have a look at their PDF wording and read the FAQ to see if it will be suitable for you or not @RedSMS @Scr77. I saw a few others here purchased the policy over the weekend.

Also a suggestion for everyone- please do your own research as it’s important, but I found that insure4less.com.au issues what appears to be the same insurance (Berkshire Hathaway) with a PDS that seems to be substantially the same, except they offer a medical only version of the policy for cheaper than Travel Insuranz. So if you are just getting it to cover coronavirus medical and you have another policy for everything else (or everything else that can be insured at this stage) you could save money. I just cancelled my Travel Insuranz in the cooling off period and bought Insure4less instead.

 

[OATEK]

Just posted in other Covid-19 threads that QANTAS re-routing QF1/2 through Perth using 787s from April to mid-Sepetember,

Qantas International network changes | Qantas

View information on our latest International network changes.

www.qantas.com

 

[Denali]

Also a suggestion for everyone- please do your own research as it’s important, but I found that insure4less.com.au issues what appears to be the same insurance (Berkshire Hathaway) with a PDS that seems to be substantially the same, except they offer a medical only version of the policy for cheaper than Travel Insuranz. So if you are just getting it to cover coronavirus medical and you have another policy for everything else (or everything else that can be insured at this stage) you could save money. I just cancelled my Travel Insuranz in the cooling off period and bought Insure4less instead.

For the dummies, your Insure4Less policy purchased yesterday for medical insurance will cover corona virus medical costs?