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.

 

[PineappleSkip]

Oh it's good to be in the UK....... 4 more countries have banned us

Oman, Norway, Cyprus and Czech Republic.

Not affected just yet by that, but if Norway extends their ban past March 26 then I get into a spot of bother.

Norway? That would be the Norway with the 5.1m people and the 700 cases.
Do they not want UK people leaping out of the frypan?

Turkmenistan has a lengthy list of countries it's not accepting people from, including Australia - and UK passport holders, of course

Cheers skip

 

[jeza]

Not looking good for me with the new restrictions imposed by Singapore. I'm supposed to fly CDG-DOH-SIN in mid June. At least there is still a bit of time for it to possibly change by then, more hopeful than expectant.

COVID-19: Travel restrictions for foreign visitors entering Singapore

All short-term visitors will not be allowed to enter or transit through Singapore

www.gov.sg

Additional Precautionary Measures to Prevent Further Importation and Spread of COVID-19 Cases | Ministry of Health

www.moh.gov.sg

 

[RooFlyer]

Flying MAD-LHR tomorrow (Saturday) with overnight Sat and then LHR-DOH-ADL. Hope the blighters won't mind me staying in a hotel room at T4!

 

[Flashback]

UK has just announced to avoid travelling to Madrid

Spain travel advice: Foreign Office statement, 13 March 2020

The Foreign & Commonwealth Office now advises against all but essential travel to parts of Spain.

www.gov.uk

The other announcement I was expecting hasn't landed so maybe Monday or maybe a change in tact.

 

[amaroo]

Canada has just issued the same global travel warning as our PM.

Denmark, Czechoslovakia has closed its borders.

Spain not looking very good at all.

 

[PineappleSkip]

Per capita, spain (and france) not looking as bad as Norway, and I think Denmark and Switzerland. Norway has twice as many cases per capita as Nordrhein-Westfalen, the hardest hit province in Germany.

edit: see below. Spain very bad in parts...

 

[RooFlyer]

Per capita, spain (and france) not looking as bad as Norway

I'd be surprised if the contamination in the east of France: Grand Est, Hautes de France, Haute Savoir # was not up with the max anywhere else in Europe ( except Italy). I was supposed to visit there now, but I've cancelled and am heading home!

# I'm mixing up categories of regions

 

[amaroo]

Italian CMO has sadly passed from the virus. 23% jump in deaths overnight.

Death rate running at 1/15 or 6.7%

 

[PineappleSkip]

Correction, just noted the deaths numbers. Madrid last reported with 1990 cases among 6.5m people. That makes it worse than most of Italy (the outbreak there is still largely in the North)...

BBC just reported these EU travel restrictions...

• Denmark: Bans all foreigners from entering without a valid purpose (such as residency or emergency family visit)
• Poland: Foreigners banned from entering from Sunday
• Czech Republic: Bans all foreigners from entering the country, except those with residence permits. Bans its own nationals from leaving
• Slovakia: Closes borders to all foreigners except Poles and those with a residence permit
• Austria: Closes three land border crossings with Italy to all foreigners, except those with a medical certificate issued within four days. No restriction on Austrian nationals
• Ukraine: Closes border crossings to foreigners (except diplomats) for two weeks
• Hungary: Closes land borders with Austria and Slovenia
• Slovenia: Closes six border crossings with Italy. Bus and train travel suspended. Foreigners may only enter with a medical certificate issued within three days
• Serbia: Closes border crossings with Romania, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Croatia
• Romania: Closes borders with Hungary, Ukraine, Bulgaria and Moldova
• Albania: Closes borders with Montenegro, Kosovo and North Macedonia

 

[Port Power]

My trip to Japan on March 23rd is still on. The tour company rang yesterday to reassure but also with the offer to defer until same time next year. All venues through Japan are open. We are a small group <20. However they are reviewing the situation again on Monday. I am still willing to travel. I have noted, due to a remark on AFF, that the return flight has been changed from the 747 to an A330. That’s a pity, I was looking forward to flying on the 747 again, probably for the last time.

 

[Jeju]

Cruise from Sydney cancelled and now I'm trying to figure out if we can get a refund on our domestic flights to Sydney.

 

[Curlycoat2]

My conference in the US was cancelled. Full refund from Delta, Marriott and Millenium Hotels. Millenium was a big surprise as it was a non refundable booking. The only people to charge me a cancellation fee were Qantas and they are trying to tell me they can’t give me an insurance letter showing that charge because I now don’t have a booking? I am covered for conference cancellation in my NIB travel So I am felling very lucky!

I have another Conference in June so lucky I bought Multi trip insurance last October because I get to do it all over again with Qantas I suspect

 

[p--and--t]

Canada has just issued the same global travel warning as our PM.

Denmark, Czechoslovakia has closed its borders.

Spain not looking very good at all.

No problems there then. Czechoslovakia was disbanded in 1993

 

[FlyboyAl]

I have a colleague who is travelling to the US for a family reunion on the 24th with Qantas.
He has been told by his TA that the cancellation fee is $750, which is about 20% of his total fare.
He is livid and threatening all sorts of action, especially as the Smartraveller advice is don't travel.
Do we think Qantas will change their refund policy, or does it have to get worse with travel bans before it might happen.
He was offered a $300 fee to change his booking, but as he never goes overseas, it doesn't help him.

 

[Flyinfish]

Just wondering if I can draw on people's experiences of getting a refund from Qantas Hotels/Etihad? Is it better to contact the hotel itself? Or Qantas? Unfortunately my flight booking SYD>LHR and DUB>SYD with Etihad was through Aunt Betty which isn't responding to emails . I also have a couple of flights to and from Milan (UK, Ireland) which I'm thinking will probably be cancelled (Aer Lingus). All this mid April-early May. I do have InsureandGo TI bought early Jan but I think they require Do Not Travel and I need to try to get refunds from providers first. Hoping for some leniency!

 

[lovetravellingoz]

He is livid and threatening all sorts of action, especially as the Smartraveller advice is don't travel.

It currently is not Do Not Travel but is

United States of America

Australian Government travel advice for United States of America. Learn more about local safety, laws and health risks.

www.smartraveller.gov.au

We now advise you to:

Reconsider your need to travel to the United States of America, including Alaska, Puerto Rico and the Hawaiian Islands.

Still current at:14 March 2020
Updated:13 March 2020

 

[Pushka]

I have a colleague who is travelling to the US for a family reunion on the 24th with Qantas.
He has been told by his TA that the cancellation fee is $750, which is about 20% of his total fare.
He is livid and threatening all sorts of action, especially as the Smartraveller advice is don't travel.
Do we think Qantas will change their refund policy, or does it have to get worse with travel bans before it might happen.
He was offered a $300 fee to change his booking, but as he never goes overseas, it doesn't help him.

He doesnt have a case for any action. The advice is one below Do Not Travel. Many of us are in the same situation.

 

[Curlycoat2]

I was charged the $400 cancellation fee by Qantas. In my fare type it specifies $400 so it probably says his fee in his fare type. I have to admit I was disappointed they charged me considering the reason I can’t go. They were the only Aussie company involved in my trip and the only supplier NOT refunding in full. Even the non refundable hotel refunded in full.

 

[p--and--t]

I was charged the $400 cancellation fee by Qantas. In my fare type it specifies $400 so it probably says his fee in his fare type. I have to admit I was disappointed they charged me considering the reason I can’t go. They were the only Aussie company involved in my trip and the only supplier NOT refunding in full. Even the non refundable hotel refunded in full.

Emirates, Royal Air Moroc and Egypt Air won't accept cancellation of my tickets either without a similar fee or higher fee.

Its not just Qantas, its most airlines unless there is a schedule change from their side you can reject and invoke a refund.

 

[Curlycoat2]

Delta fully refunded me with zero fee. It is what it is but it’s not as though I had A change of mind. No matter I am covered for the fee with my travel insurance so will claim it back that way.