To think we might not be going on holiday next April after all?

[Hoardernomore]

We stupidly booked a holiday to France for about a fortnight after Brexit. I didn’t even consider brexit at the time, I just considered ds’s Easter holidays. It’s to Disneyland Paris and we’ve been waiting to take the children for ages. We’ve only paid the deposit on the hotel (stopping in Disneyland hotel so expensive if we end up not being able to go) but have paid for the flights.

We are idiots.

Would we be best to cut our losses and not pay the balance on the hotel and book for another time?

You are correct. Won't be able to claim on insurance. Won't get compensation. But will get flights and packages holidays refunded. It's a very clear distinction. Even Ryanair say will refund and they are the worse at things like this.

I'm not suggesting it's compensation blithering only that I would be very surprised if travel agents refund holidays paid in full if it turns out you can't fly due to Brexit.

Happy to be proved wrong.

Op, a holiday to Disney should be exciting and fun to plan, book and look forward to. I think you’ll have uncertainty and worry, and if I was you I’d probably re-book for the summer.

Can you pay a fee to change the flights to a later date? You might be lucky and be able to change the hotel too. But if the worst case scenario is that you lose £300, then although awful, this might be the best thing to do. You don’t want to tell your DC that you’re going to Disney, and then have to cancel last minute. Also, if it’s a short break, you don’t want your journey to be delayed hours.

If it's not sorted within 2 years, it's unlikely to suddenly get sorted within 2 weeks after Brexit.

So if there's no deal by the start of March 2019, you aren't getting on a flight to Paris in mid April. I would suggest even if there is a deal, unless it doesn't involve any new systems/proceedures for airport staff (including ones that you the customer don't see), there will be massive distruption and delays.

The comparassion to the Millennium bug does fit here actually, people were told there would be massive distruption and systems failing, but they didn't see that, because all the work was done in good time to ensure seamless transition to the new systems. If you aren't going to have big problems, then you do need to get the work done in advance. It will take months to train all the aircrew, passport and customs staff to use new systems and follow new rules. It's 6 months to go, but because there isn't a deal yet, no training or purchasing/installing of new equipment has started, because noone knows what will be needed.

My advice would be suck up the costs and change the flights to the February half term, the hotel at this point should be prepared to move your room booking over for a small fee.

Check the link plus check out Ryanair statement. Refunds will be given. Personally I would be happy for a re book for the following April and not get the money back.

can’t believe the level of naivety optimism on this thread

I love listening to opinionated people who’ve got absolutely no idea. Brexit has been a great gift to me in that way.

@Pinksparkly
Yes at present as the open skies agreement is as a member of the EU.
It will need renegotiating.
Negotiations made in a rush are a mistake.
The UK fishermen lost 'quotas' because with each BOAT a quota of fish was allocated for BRITISH but not other fishermen. There was a 'scrappage' scheme and without having read the 'small print' the quotas went with the boats. Other Europeans bought the boats, scrapped them but kept the quotas.
To unravel and renegotiate deals that have been 40 years in the making and remake them within a few months is sheer madness.

I'm speaking facts not naive optimism. Refunds will be given

From Thomas cook

“We clarified our terms and conditions to highlight that if customers could no longer fly, we would of course ensure that the cost of tickets, or package holidays, were reimbursed.”

I’m talking about the ‘oh it will get sorted’ people, who don’t know how or by whom but just assume ‘it will get sorted’

It very well might not

Check the link plus check out Ryanair statement. Refunds will be given. Personally I would be happy for a re book for the following April and not get the money back

blitherng it doesn't matter what Ryanair are saying, you are talking about a package holiday so it won't be booked with them.

As I said, I'm happy if you can prove me wrong but I've seen nothing to suggest the like of Thomas Cook will refund holidays in full if it turns out you can't actually fly to your destination.

They will incur costs for the accommodation cancellation and I can't see them sucking it up.

Ryanair statement

From September, when many people will start booking Easter and summer holidays in 2019, RyanAir will add a "Brexit clause" to all tickets sold for travel after 29 March .
It will warn customers that their tickets may not be valid if aviation regulation is disrupted in the event of "no deal".
If flights don't take place, the cost would be refunded.

Fair enough blithering. Is that specially in respect of Brexit related issues?

Bearbehind is quite clear...!

From Thomas cook

“We clarified our terms and conditions to highlight that if customers could no longer fly, we would of course ensure that the cost of tickets, or package holidays, were reimbursed.”

BlitheringIdiots - yes, for packages bought as packages - but while the OP will get her money back for the flights, as she clearly has bought flights and hotel separately, she'll only get the flight costs back, not the hotel and park tickets. If she'd booked a hire car, she wouldn't get that back either.

It's very common for people to book flights and hotels separately these days. It saves a lot of money, but it puts the risks on the traveller.

At this point, sucking up the costs to change the flight dates to earlier would be worth it.

Yes if the Brexit Clause is invoked it says refund. They won't pay for extra you booked away from them

Package holidays booked with a holiday company will be refunded in full. The experts all agree. The danger is booking flights and then a separate independent hotel or tour booking

Simon Calder says to book all inclusive holidays as they will be refunded. In practice I expect they will offer a credit for another holiday which I would accept

We've booked ours as a package with a couple of hotels as extras, but we paid extra to make sure we can cancel. Fingers crossed we'll get a refund if we can't go.

If I had booked flights only then yes I would be worried about independent hotel bookings. I would only book a hotel with a 24 hour before cancellation policy in that case

Let us hope the airlines and Tbomas Cook will be able to honour their promises.

This is why we book our holiday as a package with TUI. It means if something other than Brexit for example went wrong we would be refunded in full. I've toyed with idea of separate bookings but never done it. And I'm glad now!

That's much more generous than I expected but it's good to know.

To be fair, I too only book packages if it's long haul after things like the ash cloud etc.

Too much money at risk otherwise. That security more than makes up for a few quid saved by booking direct.

Yes when a taxi strike in Mallorca in July luckily we had booked a taxi transfer through TUI so they were obliged to get us to the airport. With a family it's a no brainer for me. I don't like being 'herded' generally but the security of the booking is worth it IMO

Book all Inclusive packages and will be covered
Link please.
To the travel company website, not to a news story about it.

I am crossing my fingers that if nothing is decided the EU might at least have some handover time to allow movement, as a lot of countries would lose quite a lot of cash without British holidaymakers. We have a holiday booked for August in Spain, so hoping something comes through by then.

echobelly
It won't because it CANT
That is the nature of international trade deals.

The UK can either back down and go for an EEA Brexit
Or it can do "no deal" and screw the country
but its the UK's call
as we are the ones who asked for the divorce

Outwith Brexit, you can get travel insurance to cover you when you book the various elements independently, but it is more costly.