Unwell and upcoming holiday. Not sure what to do. Opinions needed.

[HumerousHumous]

Good to know what others would do in this situation. I have a virus of sorts, quite bad dizziness, nausea, headache, gastric upset and am due to fly away for a short break on Sunday with DH for a few days. Last chance to cancel is tonight to get at least the largest part, the hotel booking, refunded. We won’t get a refund on flights.
I have a history of IBS and with the one exception of a holiday in August just gone, I am always without fail unwell in the run up holidays and often during. It’s happened last for the 2 years. Coincidence, stress about going away (I’m a bit of a "home bird")… who knows…

So we now have a repeat. Things have been stressful with issues to do with my elderly parent for some time but my DF is now safe and well cared for in his care home so I can’t imagine why I’m feeling stressed and this is causing my ibs to flare.

Then again, I’m not actually sure it IS ibs due to the extreme dizziness, maybe just something viral.

I cannot decide whether we should cancel in time to get some money back or just wait till Sunday. As I said cancelling now and then finding I’m feeling better the day I fly - and actually could have gone - feels like a FAR worse scenario than leaving it till the last minute - going and feeling poorly, or cancelling on the day and losing all the money.

What would others do in this situation?


How long have you been feeling unwell? I'd take a covid test, as you symptoms sound like the current variant. Then if it's that you have an idea of potential timeframe - if you've just come down with it, prob won't be well by Sunday, if you've had it 5 days already, likelihood is you'll be through the worst in another 4 days.

Difficult one, you might feel much better by Sunday but equally could still feel rough. I think if it was me, I wouldn't cancel and just really hope I felt better by the time I was going.

I wouldn’t cancel, Sunday is a few days away and even if you’re still feeling a bit unwell you cold just get through the travelling and you may feel better once there.

No need to test for COVID 🙄

Id have a look online and see if I could get a reservation at a suitable hotel with free cancellation up until Saturday and whether it would cost much more. If I found one for a decent price, I'd cancel and book it instead.

Thank you for the responses so far. I did actually take a Covid test as per the suggestion and it's negative.

I'm feeling like cancelling is not an option - as I said I'd feel far worse cancelling and then actually be feeling okay. History with me is sometimes I'm still not feeling great on the day of travel, I go then am ok when I arrive. Other times I travel and the feeling unwell carries on. It could be it's the whole holiday thing. A psychological thing, gut/brain reaction.

Perhaps holidays are not for me.

That is an option. I think most places seem to be on a 24 hour thing so may still have the same predicament.

Have you got travel insurance?

Is there other accommodation that you'd be happy to stay in which has good availability? If so, you could cancel the hotel, knowing that you could easily book another one (possibly even rebook the same one).
It could go either way cost-wise - last minute booking = hike up the price vs last minute booking = sell rooms cheap to get people in.

Yes we do, with our bank account. I hadn't thought of that. So if an on the day cancellation had to happen we could potentially make a claim.

@BreastClinic I didn't say op NEEDED to test, or that if it was positive they must do x or y. Op asked what others would do. In their situation I would test because covid is currently rife around here and it's making people feel really poorly, but only for about a week and then they generally seem to be feeling fine again. For me personally, knowledge is power when I have to make a decision, so knowing would help me decide what to do.

As it is, the op tested and is negative, so unfortunately my idea was of no help to them.

I hope you manage to go and have a nice holiday op!

If you have to cancel go to the GP on the day so you have a record of being ill.
If you are sick too far in advance they'll say you knew you were sick beforehand!

Check the Insurance for the Excess as they'll only pay whatever amount is minus the Excess figure.

yes, although it's unlikely travel insurance will pay out if you don't have a doctors note and it's a preference not to travel when unwell rather than being too unwell to travel at all.

Maybe consider trying medicinal charcoal tablets to see if that helps ease some of the tummy problems? You just have to make sure you don't take other medications within a couple of hours of the charcoal tablets, I find them really good so might be worth a try OP.

Hope you are feeling much better very soon 😊 💐

Have you declared your IBS on your travel insurance?

I do sympathise, OP. I am also ill every time we are planning to go away.

I have got a GP appointment shortly and travel on Sunday. If it's a virus I could hopefully later get a certificate, if I don't go, confirming it's a virus. Is it deemed reasonable to hang on and see how you are on the day of travel (which I want to do) or do they expect you to make a decision in advance?

I don't think my problem is IBS as this is quite debilitating. To answer a pp I haven't declared because we have travel insurance with our bank account and it's sort of always been there for years and it appears to be different to regular travel insurance you take out when you have to tell them all this. It's rather unclear what you do with bank account insurance.

No need to tell people there's no need.

I ask about the declaration because it's a 'pre existing medical condition' so if you tried to claim against an IBS flare up you wouldn't get anywhere, I'm afraid as you wouldn't be covered. You would be if GP said you had a virus or gastritis though.

It's rough always feeling ill!

With insurance that comes as a side product for something else you still need to tell them about pre-existing conditions! You just phone them up and declare. It will be in the small print somewhere that only declared conditions will be covered, and/or there may be exclusions or - in extreme cases - that they may not cover you at all, even if you are technically entitled to the product by virtue of having the account.
DH has travel insurance 'free' with something else, and simply phoned up and told them about his diabetes. They asked the same screening questions any insurer asks and then noted it on his policy as a pre-existing condition which is fully covered. If he hadn't declared it, and then had a diabetic-related issue on holiday, it wouldn't be covered.

Whatever the outcome of this particular holiday, call your insurer and declare any conditions!

Thanks Buzzy and piggy I will declare the pre existing conditions.

Well it turns out that I have an ear infection with labyrinthitis for extra measure. And ear drums redder than lollipops. Starting a/bs and hope I will be ok for the weekend.

Oh nasty. That's why you feel dizzy.

Rest up!

I made it!! Just touched down. Thanks all for helpful comments x