Has anyone cancelled a holiday without insurance specifically TUI?

[PinkMimi]

We have booked a family holiday, we have insurance but my parents do not. My mum is unfortunately unable to fly and is currently in hospital awaiting investigations. Our flight is next week, they have no insurance, has anyone successfully cancelled or moved their holiday due to illness if supported by a doctors letter?

I have tried (with Tui specifically) after my very young daughter at the time was diagnosed with an illness requiring surgery that left her unable to fly. My relative is a lawyer.. did all the correspondence for me. We got nothing. Absolutely nothing. Not even a sorry but…

This was a lot of years ago though so things may have changed.

Hoping your mum is okay x

Thank you @Jessforless, I hope so too, she’s having tests done today at hospital. I’m so worried about my mum and also so worried that they might loose out on their money for the trip. I’ve been looking online and without travel insurance it looks like they won’t be able to get anything back or even a credit for a later trip. I’ll call them at 9 and see what they say. I haven’t slept a wink :-(

What do the t&cs of the booking say? Usually at this short notice you wouldn’t be able to get anything back but different companies have different terms. I’d expect them to stick to their t&cs though, this is what insurance is for.

We cancelled flights online and got about £49 back from £350. It gave us the option to change them too but not sure of the price of that.
Without insurance a doctors letter will do nothing

I'm sorry your mum is ill. But you've just dodged a bullet buy not travelling with them, when they have no insurance.

I work in travel and I'd say at this stage it's unlikely unfortunately.

The policy of the company I work for (which is small and generally as flexible as we can be) is for no changes and 100% cancellation charges with 14 days of travel, and that's not an unusual industry policy.

I agree! How fortunate that this didn't occur a week later.

I'd be incredibly surprised if they got anything back to be honest but equally they should be beyond grateful that all they've lost is the money for the holiday. A week later and they'd be completely fucked.

You might be able to move the dates rather than get any money back.

Or could you still go even if your parents can’t?

Did you all book together on one booking? If you booked and is on your card, would check the terms of your own travel insurance carefully.

Double check with them that they definitely have no default travel insurance e.g. via a bank account or medical or life insurance cover or something like that.

If you cancel they should refund the tax element of the flight. Otherwise without insurance any change will be down to goodwill. Is your family still going or are you going to claim for cancellation ?

We booked a holiday for 9 of us. DSIL became pregnant and couldn't fly (placenta praevia). Our travel insurance (via bank account) refunded it all.

As @Catopia asks - who booked?

Are you sure they haven't got insurance. So many bank accounts offer it now. It's well worth checking

I was going to say this as well. We have a standard sort of travel insurance with our credit cards.

An expensive life lesson to learn unfortunately. Always have travel insurance at time of booking for this exact reason, that's what you're paying it for, Tui also do something called Tui flex which can be paid for at time of booking and this enables slightly more flexible t&cs. I think you'll have to draw a line under this one, but I really hope your mum is ok.

There is a FB site called Holidays for Sale/cancellation. You could have a punt at selling it there, but unfortunately due to name change costs I doubt you'd get much for it.

TUI refunded our entire holiday without insurance (our stupidity, I know), about 5 years ago when DH became gravely and suddenly ill. I will never forget the kindness of the person I spoke to when my world was falling apart.

It’s unfortunate if holiday can’t be refunded but I really don’t understand why people can pay £££’s for a holiday and they don’t purchase travel insurance for a few pound extra.

Hope your mum is ok

We've done it before where we booked the holiday but didn't actually book travel insurance until a few weeks before we flew. I didn't think about cancelling the holiday (to be fair we would have to deathly ill not to go) always just thought of travel insurance as cover for being out there

Martin Lewis always recommend that you book travel insurance immediately after booking holiday.

Hi there, I'm really sorry to hear this and I hope your mum makes a speedy recovery. Unfortunately, I think it is down to whoever you speak with at TUI as it's ultimately their call.
In saying this however, I would recommend checking out a site called transfertravel.com - you can sell your holiday on there so at least you/ your mum would be getting something back to hopefully put towards the next one x