Holiday refunds - what's the answer?

[KitKat1985]

www.msn.com/en-gb/news/coronavirus/all-big-uk-airlines-and-travel-firms-denying-refunds-which-finds/ar-BB131auQ?ocid=msedgdhp

So it seems that pretty much every UK airline / travel company aren't doing refunds for cancelled holidays, much to the frustration of customers and against UK travel law. We've already had this with a company who we had a UK Easter break with (we were allowed to move our booking, but no refund available), and we also have flights booked for a holiday to Spain in the summer which it's looking increasingly likely we may not be able to go on, and the company concerned is only basically offering a credit note for the flights rather than refunds. Me and DH are both relatively lucky that we're both NHS staff so are both still working etc so not desperate for the money back, but I can appreciate it must be very upsetting if you are self-employed and have no income, or furloughed etc, and you can't get a refund worth hundreds or thousands of pounds for a holiday you can no longer take, and certainly can no longer afford. However even though we don't massively need the money back urgently, I am worried that we could lose our money if the firms we've booked with go bust, so if I'm honest would have also rather had a refund. But, I'm massively aware that if travel companies / airlines have to refund everyone who isn't able to take their holidays it'll probably cause the firms to go under and that'll cause mass job losses, and huge disruption to the travel industry for the long term. It doesn't feel like there's any easy answers here. Maybe the companies should offer a part refund / part credit note as a compromise? Or is there no reasonable compromise and holidaymakers should just take the potential hit to keep the industry going?

As an example I took over 100 flights last year. I have 23 in July alone this year booked.

I have had cancelled so far:
Rome rugby- 4 flights
Weekend in Europe- 4 flights
Trip to USA- 6 flights
Weekend in Europe early May- 4 flights
Week in Europe late May - 4 flights

I don't know whether to be impressed by your adventurous spirit or utterly disgusted by your horrendous carbon footprint.

I do think flight refunds are Airline dependent.
I was due to take several flights with an Indian Airline. Flight cancelled No refunds & only re-booking allowed in the next 10 months. The rest of the trip (separate to flight) has been cancelled & so There is no point re-booking flights.
I have had no responses to emails, phone calls etc. Even the credit card I booked through is not responding.
I am assuming money is lost.

I was due to take several flights with an Indian Airline. Flight cancelled No refunds & only re-booking allowed in the next 10 months. The rest of the trip (separate to flight) has been cancelled & so There is no point re-booking flights.

Where do you live? (country)
In which country was the website you booked it in based?
Where was the first airport in the flight sequence?

I don't know whether to be impressed by your adventurous spirit or utterly disgusted by your horrendous carbon footprint.

DH has multiple cancers - so this was to be our year to do the bucket list.

The hotel is closed yes. It’s a large hotel, I think they may have one or two others. Large, posh-ish hotel in the Lake District.

Fred : DH has multiple cancers - so this was to be our year to do the bucket list.

Oh that's ok then.

As an example I took over 100 flights last year. I have 23 in July alone this year booked.

And last year?

The hotel is closed yes. It’s a large hotel, I think they may have one or two others. Large, posh-ish hotel in the Lake District.

Then they didn't provide the service- ask again specifically requesting a refund and if they refuse do a credit card chargeback (did you pay by card?)

BA have been great and fully refunded our Easter holiday. Tui on the other hand...

Thanks Fred il give it a whirl.

And last year?

Work trying to keep the family business afloat whilst he was being treated. Sadly. He is from an EU family and usually spends a lot of time there, I couldn't do that and so had to go back and forth much more

No real holidays for us last year sadly.

Oh that's ok then.
To be fair if you are losing 35 years of your life expectancy then 12 months of travel doesn't seem that bad in the scheme of things.

We go carbon off set all travel-although that's a bit of a minefield- who knows.

We have had a full refund for our holiday at Easter with Jet2

@Fredthedoggie Ryanair offered free change of flight or voucher for cancelled flights. They had an online refund request form that you could use if you wanted a refund rather than change or voucher. Thousands of people tried for weeks to get the form to submit as it had a 'bug'. Nobody answered the phone or DMs on social media. Eventually with persistence I got the form submitted. A month later they sent me...a voucher. There is a link in the email to a supposed refund request form but the link doesn't take you to any such form. There is nowhere on the site to apply for a refund and again, nobody answers the phone. Chargebacks have been requested but credit and debit card companies are saying that as Ryanair aren't saying they won't refund, we aren't eligible. How is that following the law? How is that simple?

BA refunded within minutes of my call to them - was on hold for about 12 minutes but once through, perfectly fine.

Air Malta cancelled my flight about 6 weeks ago, told me to email for a refund which I did. An automated reply said refund in 2 - 4 weeks. Still waiting. Everytime I ring them they say they have no information and to call another time and so on. I see from FB no one has managed to get a refund from them for cancelled flights and they have now made most of their pilots redundant. I doubt I will see my money again.

Before people sneer about using budget airlines too - id rather pay more for a better airline but my ex lives in a place that they don't fly to so if my DS wants to visit him it's Ryanair or easyJet or nothing

I too have requested a s75 cashback from my bank who are looking into this. Sounds like I will draw a blank there too.

KLM are refusing refunds. I've gone through all the correct processes, I've found and quoted the correct EU legislation to them, and pointed out that it was updated post Covid19 and mentions that can't be used to refuse refunds. KLM still say they're not going to refund due to the unprecedented situation.

I've now applied for a visa charge back, but my bank have warned me that it may not succeed, despite all the copious evidence.

If that doesn't work my next step will be court.

So no Fred it's not rubbish. You've just been lucky with your provider.

@Codenamevillanelle
Exactly. This is the sort of response of many airlines and tour operators. I know what the law says but if companies chose to ignore the law it’s frustrating.
We were initially told we would receive a credit note with an expiry date of 31/07/20. If we hadn’t used it by then to book a future holiday we could ask for a refund. We didn’t receive it and now the company is saying (on its website - we can’t get an actual response) that it’s just a credit note with no refund option. Once we receive that we will approach the credit card company and try to get a refund that way.
I’m just irked by @Fredthedoggie implying that we’re all thick and all we have to is ask.
I should say that I do understand that many travel companies and airlines will go bust if forced to refund which is why initially I was OK to wait until August for a refund even although we were supposed to depart a couple of weeks ago. But I’m not willing to lend them money until December 2021 which is a date I’ve heard mentioned by ABTA.

My mum and dad booked through TUI and they ever so kindly said they could change their holiday for next year free of charge but couldn't get a refund

FIL has had his May flight cancelled but easyJet are only offering to re book or issue a voucher. No actual monetary refund.

I’m not doing well so far.

Ski trip - flight cancelled but I fell for BA’s voucher trickery so now have that not a refund. Accommodation, we’ve been offered a credit. Ski hire refunded bless them.
May trip to efteling- Efteling refunded but only because we had booked a hotel room, their cabins have different terms and we would have been offered a credit if we had that. Flights with KLM, cancelled, credit now and refund if you haven’t used the credit by july 2021!! Amsterdam hotel just saying “wait and see”.

Insurance is useless as has a “no coverage for epidemics” clause.

Haven’t even tried on the summer trips. Hoping we can still go... 🙉

Got an email from Hoseasons yesterday to say they have changed the time you have to pay your balance by from 10 weeks to 5 weeks before travel.
Better then nothing at the moment. Gives people a bit more time to make a decision to cancel or not.

I had flights booked with Norwegian, I've had an email to confirm they've received my request for a refund, and absolutely nothing since (21st March) so they've not agreed to refund and judging by Twitter everyone else is in the same boat. They're just fobbing off with 'long backlog, be patient' etc.

Because they've not refused a refund though I'm not sure at what point I give up on them and try to claim on insurance or bank chargeback?

@kitkat

Well, I can say Hoseasons definitely aren't offering refunds on our UK break even though they cancelled on us, and I spoke to them directly to ask. We were told we could change dates and that was it.

A lot are doing this along with the connivance of their trade associations who have "approved this change if approach". I understand why they are trying this as they will all go bankrupt, but once again, this is not what the law says. You entered into a contract for their services for a set date. If they cancel it they have to offer an alternative or a refund. It is your choice if you want a refund.

Suggest you put it in writing to them with proof of posting. Explain they are breach of contract although you understand why and require a refund. If they refuse then go online and start the small claims court process and issue the formal letter before claim. They will give you a refund unless they go bust first.

Hopefully you paid by credit card?

No sadly I don't even own a credit card Marie. It was booked on my debit card.

I might try again to see if I can get a refund, but I'm not hopeful. We were originally told to e-mail them rather than call so that they could prioritise their customers leaving within a week (fair enough) but after no-one replied to our e-mail for 2 weeks and it was two days prior to what should have been our leaving date, I eventually phoned them, but it took nearly an hour to get through. Maybe I need to try and e-mail again so it's in writing that we want a refund, but I from last e-mail experience I doubt they will even reply.

kitkat if your debit card is a visa debit card, you can still apply for a charge back.