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.

 

[wendlle]

I've only got a USA trip planned but it's in November - hoping for the best there, surely everything will be normal by then but who knows
I've also got a family holiday to QLD May 2nd that I haven't touched yet, will just have to see how it all plays out over the next 3-4 weeks.

 

[Port Power]

I am pushing my memory, I think you are correct for domestic bookings, just cannot remember if the return sector had to be included within the dates. From memory I have used vouchers that started life as a domestic booking and then used these for international bookings for a future date post expiry and as I recall the rules are different for international bookings and voucher use. IMO the QF FAQs are out dated, not updated and have many flaws.

I have just cancelled my flights to Japan via the call centre (Australia). The lady was excellent. The voucher is valid to book for 12 months from original booking, in my case July 17 next year. However travel does not have to be before that date- just booked. So I can wait a few months and then book flights to a Japan for March 2021. (IF there is a schedule, and whether the flights currently “available” actually will be nearer the time.)

Travel Agents‘ booking systems might not be able to access the credit voucher.

 

[Flashback]

This will cause just a wee little bit of trouble if it comes to fruition.

Von der Leyen calls for ban on travel to EU

Restrictions on non-essential travel would initially last 30 days, European Commission president says.

www.politico.eu

 

[Curlycoat2]

Are we still able to cancel on QF and receive a refund less fees instead of a credit voucher?

 

[Pushka]

Are we still able to cancel on QF and receive a refund less fees instead of a credit voucher?

Yes. How much in penalty depends on the fare you booked. It's not pleasant.

 

[Bluewave]

I have just cancelled my flights to Japan via the call centre (Australia). The lady was excellent. The voucher is valid to book for 12 months from original booking, in my case July 17 next year. However travel does not have to be before that date- just booked. So I can wait a few months and then book flights to a Japan for March 2021. (IF there is a schedule, and whether the flights currently “available” actually will be nearer the time.)

Travel Agents‘ booking systems might not be able to access the credit voucher.

Wow, that would be better than having to fly by 31 Oct in my case. Though it's now a worry about viability of the whole airline industry

So how long were you on the phone waiting for customer service?

 

[PineappleSkip]

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cheers skip

 

[lovetravellingoz]

I've only got a USA trip planned but it's in November - hoping for the best there, surely everything will be normal by then but who knows

Normal could well be CV 19 re-occurring every flu season.

And remember that in the USA that it is getting to be their cold months from then, so if CV19 is seasonal like the common flu then that may well be CV-19 Season 2 time in the USA.

Also the vaccine may well not be deployed by then.

 

[Port Power]

Wow, that would be better than having to fly by 31 Oct in my case. Though it's now a worry about viability of the whole airline industry

So how long were you on the phone waiting for customer service?

I was on hold for 21 minutes. I could have done it through ‘Manage my Booking’ but I didn’t have the very first E-ticket and needed to know the original date of booking.

Reminder to all flyers to never delete/shred any e-tickets, no matter how many changes are subsequently made.

 

[coriander]

 

[get me outta here]

Anybody have advice for a friend who wants to get a refund for Qantas pre-paid week in a HKG hotel?
Voucher for QF flights already organised.

 

[Pushka]

Anybody have advice for a friend who wants to get a refund for Qantas pre-paid week in a HKG hotel?
Voucher for QF flights already organised.

I'd check to see if the Hotel website itself has a free cancellation now because of Covid then plead the case with Qantas. I'm doing this with booking.com over a Hilton Hotel in Rome. Booking.com are telling me it's Hilton who are saying No refund but on Hilton website they have a free cancellation policy even for non refundable bookings. So I'm squeezing Booking.com

 

[Cossie]

Friends were meant to go to Samoa yesterday, had a doctors certificate to say they were in good health, Samoa changed the rules, apparently you now need to prove you don't have the virus. Not possible for them to get a test, so they are in for a battle to recover costs.

 

[Seat0B]

I've just cancelled a girls weekend in Melbourne for first weekend in Melbourne taking advantage of the Qantas current voucher arrangements. Our comdey show was cancelled (the main reason for going) and plus 3 of the 5 in the party will still be in 14 day quarantine after jaunting off overseas. So not really much point going. I hope I can negotiate at least a voucher, and preferably a refund with the Accor chain upmarket hotel we had booked.

I have a Finnair Business Class ticket to CBR-MEL-SIN-HEL-CDG-VIE-HEL-SIN-MEL-CBR (yes it was a DSC special!!) with four legs on Qantas metal for 5 October. I am really hoping to still go ahead with this flight, but accept that it's not looking too good. I have decided to hold off booking any accommodation, ground transfers, tours etc until things are clearer as I can't find any suitable travel insurance. This goes against my nature as I love to have things planned out so I can relax. So I have a few more months of watching and waiting until I will know.

 

[get me outta here]

Thanks. Good luck, seems like it could be quite promising though.

I'd check to see if the Hotel website itself has a free cancellation now because of Covid then plead the case with Qantas. I'm doing this with booking.com over a Hilton Hotel in Rome. Booking.com are telling me it's Hilton who are saying No refund but on Hilton website they have a free cancellation policy even for non refundable bookings. So I'm squeezing Booking.com

 

[Pushka]

I've just cancelled a girls weekend in Melbourne for first weekend in Melbourne taking advantage of the Qantas current voucher arrangements. Our comdey show was cancelled (the main reason for going) and plus 3 of the 5 in the party will still be in 14 day quarantine after jaunting off overseas. So not really much point going. I hope I can negotiate at least a voucher, and preferably a refund with the Accor chain upmarket hotel we had booked.

I have a Finnair Business Class ticket to CBR-MEL-SIN-HEL-CDG-VIE-HEL-SIN-MEL-CBR (yes it was a DSC special!!) with four legs on Qantas metal for 5 October. I am really hoping to still go ahead with this flight, but accept that it's not looking too good. I have decided to hold off booking any accommodation, ground transfers, tours etc until things are clearer as I can't find any suitable travel insurance. This goes against my nature as I love to have things planned out so I can relax. So I have a few more months of watching and waiting until I will know.

I'd really hope by then it will have settled somewhat. The current issue now is the Peak and rounding that off so we can provide hospital resources For those who need it. The 20%. The peak will be gone by then. I hope. Maybe just book fully cancellable hotels.

 

[Flashback]

Another trip cancelled now due to the latest restrictions that have gone into place. Looks like the folks will also need to cancel their trip over here, which then means us cancelling another 3 of ours. Boy it's been a (potentially) expensive month! Not everyone is showing the same flexibility, so will sit on those ones until the cancellation policies hopefully change for the better.

IAG (BA, Iberia, Vueling etc.) will be rolling out 75% cancellations of flights in April/May also.

Note that for EU restrictions, I don't believe that is actually in place yet - only suggested... not sure why SmartTraveller is saying otherwise.

Coronavirus response

The Commission’s efforts to aid the fight against the pandemic. Find the latest actions and reliable statistics on the evolution of COVID-19 in the EU.

ec.europa.eu

 

[drron]

I'd check to see if the Hotel website itself has a free cancellation now because of Covid then plead the case with Qantas. I'm doing this with booking.com over a Hilton Hotel in Rome. Booking.com are telling me it's Hilton who are saying No refund but on Hilton website they have a free cancellation policy even for non refundable bookings. So I'm squeezing Booking.com

I was able to cancel all my Japan bookings on booking.com without penalty.Probably because the Japanese are more polite.

 

[Mogul]

Germany trip to Trade show late June postponed to June 2021.

 

[Flashback]

I was able to cancel all my Japan bookings on booking.com without penalty.Probably because the Japanese are more polite.

Expedia/Hotels.com are not being so kind, saying... you should have booked a flexible rate and any new bookings, book flexible. Definitely going against the grain.