To think the gov should be giving some proper advice re booking flights and holidays for next year post Brexit

[P3onyPenny]

I had no idea re the open skies issue or that insurance companies won't be insuring cancellations caused by Brexit. Having seen two threads on MN discussing it,I now do.

Not everybody can afford to lose the cost of holidays and flights,many need to book now for next summer as flights get released.

It's a bit late and a bit shit that consumers aren't getting warnings or advice.

@GhostofFrankGrimes

Do they prey on unicorns?

Their preferred diet is the brains of sensible MPs with a coherent vision for Brexit. But unicorns will do as they are more common

I think there has been enough in the media to know it is a huge risk, how many times does it have to be said that Brexit is a complete cliff-edge gamble. Anyone with any sense at all won't book yet.

sensible MPs with a coherent vision for Brexit

Oxymoron

Really I watch and read the news daily and had no idea .Also had no idea insurance companies weren't insuring any cancellations due to Brexit.

And how in reality is no booking for anything on a national scale going to work?

We've booked our summer holiday for next year.

It's an 'ATOL-protected package holiday' so we understand if there are any issues with delivering the package e.g. no flight, the tour operator is obliged to refund our deposit in full. Or indeed, our balance (although it isn't due until after March anyway).

ATOL protected sounds rather dull, it's a family adventure to Japan! It's with a company we've travelled with to Thailand and Sri Lanka and are fantastic so we're confident. We also paid our deposit with a credit card, mainly for the points to be fair.

I have spent next year's holiday budget on a shotgun and lots of tinned goods

We’ve also booked next years holiday! Will worry when there’s something to worry about. Nothing I can do about it now.

I thought ATOL protection only covered you for the tour operator going under? I hope I’m wrong, though, as I have a holiday booked for April and have been worrying about this.

I can say that the CS is completely overwhelmed by preparing for a wide range of outcomes, in pretty much every single area of life you can think of, and many more besides.

The problem is that no one can advise on what will happen because no one and I mean, no one, knows what the final deal, if there is one, will be - and no deal looks increasingly likely. 'Nothing is agreed until it's all agreed' means that we can't even pin down some parts of an agreement.

Read the latest no deal papers and you will get an idea (and only an idea) of the complexity of the task.

I’ve just checked what ATOL protection is, and it only covers the travel company collapsing, so won’t help if flights don’t take off due to no deal Brexit.

Have you checked the T&Cs. According to the other thread travel companies are well aware and updating to say they won't be covering for gov decisions.

I don’t think the ATOL protection will be valid if the Open Skies agreement isn’t sorted. THe T&C’s probably contain similar clauses to holiday and insurance companies whereby events of national government/outside their control aren’t covered.

I've booked my holiday for May next year, it hadn't even occurred to me that Brexit might cause a problem. Hey ho, it's too late to worry now.

1. No one knows

2. The government doesn't give this sort of advice any more (I don't know that it ever did TBH). Tory government = small, hands off, private industry knows best

Of all the massive brexit issues, ‘people might want to go on holidY’ Is not the most pressing.

People don't just fly to go on holiday.

DS flies out to France on the school ski trip with 99 other pupils on 30th March. I’m not in the slightest bit concerned, I really don’t believe the sky is going to fall down.

go somewhere outside Europe? Somewhere you need a visa anyway and can plan for or don’t need one at all...

People dont fly just to go on holiday but most business flights are not booked a year in advance.

ITA

I am staff of a convention that draws people in from all over the world, attendee's and dealers attendance from Europe is all up in the air and we're worried its going to hit our numbers.

Brexit death squads going door to door dishing out punishment beatings for anyone found with pesto or garlic in their larders.

Jeez, I'm really scared now. I've got some Pont L'Eveque in the fridge. They'll probably give me electric shocks in the fanjo for that.

ATOL protection doesn't just cover a tour operator going under. It doesn't cover say complaints on not liking a hotel, but if it's a package holiday, if the tour operator can't deliver an ATOL-protected package in time, they have to refund you in full if you don't want a change of destination.

Maybe tour operators will change their policies, but ours haven't.

@LakieLady I've heard Nigel Farage has a special device for that

CSA it isn't about visas