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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

July holiday-spain

38 replies

Mumto1girl3boys · 26/03/2020 14:25

Just looking for opinions. We have a holiday booked for july to spain, we still have a balance to pay.
Whats the likelyhood of this holiday going ahead? I dont want to keep making payments if the chances are the holiday will get cancelled.
Has anybody already had theyre july holiday cancelled by the company?

OP posts:
FourEyesGood · 26/03/2020 14:27

I have no more information than you do, but sadly I really don’t think anyone will be going on holiday this summer - especially abroad.

DazedandConcerned · 26/03/2020 14:29

It's hard to say, and there are so many variables.

All airlines and holiday providers have stopped booking/cancelled bookings to 1 May. They all hope to be up and running by then.

Whether I'd cancel would depend on how much money had been so far spent on the holiday. If it's money you can't afford to lose you could hold on in the hopes of getting either your holiday or a full refund.

I'd also factor in who is going and if they are vulnerable to Coronavirus. It's easier to roll the dice if everyone is young, fit and healthy. It isn't a guarantee nothing bad will happen but it becomes less likely you will experience severe complications.

Best of luck and best wishes in this trying time.

donquixotedelamancha · 26/03/2020 14:45

Whats the likelyhood of this holiday going ahead?

I think there is absolutely no chance. Both the UK and Spain have massive outbreaks.

The UK probably has in the region of 100 to 300 thousand people infected. In two weeks the death rate, and the numbers infected, will be several times what they are now and the NHS will be really struggling. Because of the lockdown that situation will continue until either most people have had it or a viable treatment is widely available.

Assuming the lockdown works, several hundred thousand new infections may occur each month, perhaps even a million, but it will take a long time to reach a majority of the population at that rate. Similarly, even if a treatment or vaccine is proven to work tomorrow it is unlikely to have been fully tested, mass produced and have removed the danger in time for your hols.

Hopefully this disease will prove to be less deadly than we think, but I can't see any scenario that reopens tourism by summer.

Panicmode1 · 26/03/2020 14:47

We have had a holiday booked in Spain for the first 2 weeks in August to celebrate my mother's 70th for the past 2 years, but I don't think we will be going.... I'm gutted but can't see how it will be safe or sensible....

unchienandalusia · 26/03/2020 14:58

Do you have children OP? Our schools head has just written to us to say that one option (out of many) is that school term might be June and July (with August as a short holiday).

RepCones · 26/03/2020 15:03

I live in Spain. You will not be coming here. We're not expecting the DC to go back to school until the new year (Sept) starts. This is not going to be over in a couple of weeks, or even a couple of months.

tiredanddangerous · 26/03/2020 15:08

I think it’s extremely unlikely. We’re meant to be going at the end of August and I’ve resigned myself to it not happening.

Zillerdy · 26/03/2020 15:22

I listened to Paul Lewis on Money Box, Radio 4 last week about this particular issue.

From what I remember, he said that if you have booked a package holiday with an ABTA agency then you absolutely should go ahead and pay the balance as and when it becomes due.

He said although it seems counterintuitive, if you pull out now then you have lost your deposit and your holiday.

If the travel company cancels, then you get your money back. If they don't you still have your holiday.

You can listen to the show on BBC Sounds. It's the Travel and Coronavirus Episode which aired last Wed. He explains it much better than I did.

Original poster
Mumto1girl3boys · 26/03/2020 16:16

Thanks for the replies everyone. I think I will just continue to pay it and if we dont go at least we'll get a lump sum back. Obviously I would be gutted but theres far worse going on just now than us not getting on holiday. Its our 1st holiday abroad in 6 years and would also be my daughters 1st holiday. Theres always next year ( hopefully)

OP posts:
Ruby1991 · 26/03/2020 17:59

Its hard to say at the moment.

I also have a holiday booked in July and am literally 50/50 on my expectations on it going ahead. I am flying british airways and so far theyre only refunding or date changing for holidays upto 31st May. I also have 2 separate accomodations booked. No clue yet if they will extend that date. Even if I am able to go I don't know if I would even feel comfortable as its only 16 weeks away.

Its a tricky one to decide if you should still pay. I would, only because its likely to get cancelled anyway so you would prob get your money back (you'd have to look into this more though to be sure). And as PP said, pulling out now may mean losing what you've already put

SapphireSalute · 26/03/2020 18:02

Aren’t all the hotels and holiday companies closed down over there?

Original poster
Mumto1girl3boys · 26/03/2020 18:18

I've looked into it. Aslong as the holiday gets cancelled and its not just me choosing not tp go I'll either get a refund or option to change dates.

OP posts:
itsgettingweird · 26/03/2020 18:28

I have a holiday to Majorca booked for end of August.

To celebrate ds gcse results Hmm

This morning I woke up to an email telling they'd taken next payment.

All I could think was - I can't believe I'm paying for a holiday I'm not going to be able to go on!

Original poster
Mumto1girl3boys · 26/03/2020 19:24

Im going to keep everything crossed that myself and everyone else wih a summer holiday booked gets a nice surprise and we're all able to go. I suppose nobody knows what will happen over the next few months

OP posts:
Polkadotties · 26/03/2020 19:26

I am going to Rome in July. I am holding onto hope that it will still go ahead but in reality I know it won’t Sad

Sapphiresunrise · 26/03/2020 19:30

I'm hopeful that holidays can go ahead by July/August

PinkiOcelot · 26/03/2020 19:32

I have a holiday booked to Corfu in July. Balance due mid May. I don’t think we’ll be going.

Sapphiresunrise · 26/03/2020 19:35

The economy cannot stop forever. At some point, things will have to get back to normal, hopefully there will be much more testing by then and potentially a vaccine ?

Mummyshark2018 · 26/03/2020 19:37

Pay it otherwise you might not get it all back, we're booked for canaries end of July and obvs don't know if it will go ahead

chickedeee · 26/03/2020 19:41

Similar situation re deposit and balance

I see Paul Lewis's argument but would worry of some companies collapse (highly likely I think) however how long does it take to get a refund from ABTA?

Our holiday is early July I don't think it will happen Sad

Ponoka7 · 26/03/2020 19:42

Unless we have a vaccine or a reliable antibody test and they only allow people to fly if they are immune. Then it would be madness to allow flights into Italy and Spain again. Or most places.

This isn't going away. We are just minimising the spread. Once we start mixing, it will spread again, we are hoping that the hot weather will kill it off. Then we will have another wave in Autumn/Winter.

It will take months before we reliably know if we can develop immunity. There's just been someone diagnosed with two strains of it, at once. We need to find out how common that is. That makes a vaccine more difficult.

Clymene · 26/03/2020 19:50

The first case in Wuhan was on 1 December. On Tuesday, China announced the virus was under control. Singapore is now almost back to normal for residents and their first positive test wasn't until mid February. There is every chance that travel restrictions in Europe will be lifted in 5-6 months' time.

Sapphiresunrise · 26/03/2020 20:03

@Clymene glad to see some optimism :)

Original poster
Mumto1girl3boys · 26/03/2020 20:10

Ive just read reviews on my holiday provider, NOT GOOD apparently their ways of dealing with covid cancellations are dodgy so people cant get their money back 😫

OP posts:
donquixotedelamancha · 26/03/2020 20:14

On Tuesday, China announced the virus was under control. Singapore is now almost back to normal for residents and their first positive test wasn't until mid February.

Yes, but in both cases they managed to trace and isolate everyone who contracted the illness. In Singapore that was because they are a wealthy, small island which acted very quickly and decisively. In China they mobilised their enormous army, sealed and locked down a huge region, temperature checked everyone and locked anyone with a slight fever in their homes. Both countries cannot now open their borders again if they want to stay CV free.

We have cases all over the UK. There is just no way the UK can stop it spreading without some version of the current lockdown lasting for several months.

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