Too late to cancel final payment for holiday abroad

[Freeekedout]

Booked a holiday to Majorca with Lastminute.com in September last year, travelling early August this year. We decided a few weeks ago that we don't want to go, but the advice about cancelling on various forums and articles said leave cancelling as long as possible in the hope that it would be cancelled for you so you wouldn't lose your deposit (for example, if FCO advice changes, airline cancels flights etc).

Our final payment was due today so we've logged on tonight to cancel. It said that the request had been submitted and that we'll hear from them at some point. Meanwhile, it says that to stop payments leaving your account, you have to cancel the payment three days before it's due.

We're screwed aren't we? Payment will go out for a holiday we don't want to go on. I am so cross with myself for not cancelling sooner, but we followed the advice of so-called experts (MSE, well respected newspapers etc). I logged into Lastminute.com earlier in the week to read about cancelling, but it didn't say anything about allowing three days for their credit card payment request.

Have we got any other options - other than go on the holiday and worry the whole time, or lose the total amount we paid for the holiday? We bought insurance when we booked the holiday, if that makes any difference. I feel sick.

Can you sell the holiday? It usually costs for a name change but even if you got 500 quid for it its better than nothing.

Well the warnings against travel were lifted last week (or earlier), quarantine was ended and flights were reinstated, so it was obvious that holidays would be going ahead and not being cancelled. MSE and other respected sites were advising caution about paying in full if you didn't want to go. I don't think insurance will pay out just because you are disinclined to travel.
Our travel company cancelled our holiday 2 weeks ago, whilst travel was still not advised and that are refusing to pay out till after January next year.

It's just been a really crazy week with the end of term that we just hasn't had a chance to log into the website this week. Aarghh, so cross with myself. Clutching at straws, but I wonder if they'll let us change the dates?

To be honest if it's self catering I'd probably still go. Airports are very strict at the minute, masks worn and plane air is filtered every 2-3 mins.
I'd be happy to dip in the pool to my shoulders being super mindful not to get it in my mouth/face and otherwise would sunbathe and walk for a week.
In some respects resorts will never be cleaner or more organised than they are having to be now.

My holiday to Spain was cancelled after the flight corridors were announced so it’s still possible it will get cancelled. I got all my money back.

We decided we didn't want to go on the basis that it's all inclusive. Although the hotel have said that staff will serve food as much as possible, I still don't like the idea of a buffet. We've been to the hotel before and it was very clean, but the thought of people touching tongs etc is really putting me off.

Hotel is on the very edge of Magaluf (well away from the parties!) but I've seen on the news about Magaluf hoteliers regretting their decision to open.

Yes you can probably pay to change dates, any later than now will likely incur more than an admin fee though I’ve not worked in travel for many years

Glad you got your money back RosieLemonade. Had you paid the full amount? When were you due to travel?

I personally would still go if it’s not cancelled but understand people feel differently about these things, and you might also want to check what facilities are open in your resort and what precautions there are.

We’ve just booked a last minute trip to a campsite in France next week but to be fair are driving rather than flying.

Ah yes I can see AI would be more anxiety provoking than self catering

@Freeekedout we were due to fly at the end of August. Paid in full when we booked. TUI have cancelled all flights from our airport but think they may be flying from other places. So those people might be in a different situation.

Just as an aside TUI never told us the holiday was cancelled. We happened to see someone complaining in the local paper that they only found out their TUI holiday was cancelled when they read it in the local paper!

Why can’t you just go? Is there a reason I.e. you are vulnerable rather than just not wanting to?

We're going to Spain at the end of August and have booked since the air corridor was opened. The hotels in our area are apparently being scrupulous about cleanliness and food - we've booked B&B and the breakfast is always buffet. They are insisting on constant sanitising, and serving staff are bringing your requested food to your table. None of these holiday spots can afford another lockdown so it's in their interest to be over cautious. Personally I'd weigh up the pros and cons of the holiday and decide with my head not my heart. Many are on holiday there right now.

Unfortunately for you, the rules are back to normal as far as cancellation rules go, so it's either go or lose your money, as would have been the case for the last few weeks, there's nothing that could have been done, other than appealing for discretion, which I don't think LM have been very accommodating about.

Could you take your own tongs to use and wash them in your room after each use if that's a major worry?

Some holidays definitely aren’t going ahead though, for example the Mauritian borders are still closed and no flights are going in or out.

Yes, but for Mallorca, where the OP is going, it's back to normal as far as cancellation rules apply. So she goes or loses her money.

If the OP was going to Mauritius, it would be different, but she's not, so their rules don't help the OP.