Holiday in Mid June...

[Newbie1999]

... to Portugal, and need to get one child a first passport, and renew another child’s passport.

Is there any point?!

Newbie I don’t trust that we’ll get a refund and even if we do it’ll be a long hard battle. TUI could even go bust in the meantime. We’ve paid an £800 deposit. I'm inclined to just write that off than pay another £4000. I just wish there was some clear and concise guidance from the FCO! Their current stance of no travel for the foreseeable future is unhelpful because travel companies are now using their own interpretation. As far as TUI are concerned all holidays from 1st June are going ahead!

I sent 2 childrens passports off in Feb, not even begun processing them yet so I wouldn't bother ordering one now, especially seeing as you defo won't be flying in June.

As for holiday refunds, they don't have to give a refund if only part of a holiday is paid, so it's better to fulfill your contractual obligations by paying the balance and then you will get that and your deposit back.

I get that Spuds but the problem is that a lot of holiday companies are not refunding and only giving credit. Plus if the holiday does go ahead, what is it going to look like? While it grieves me to do so I think I’d rather lose my deposit.

Unbelievably we are still waiting for our flights to New York at the end of May to be cancelled so we can get a refund...! They are currently still showing as going ahead and the travel agent told us flights are still going ahead! (This is with Virgin)! So it’s a valid question the op is asking. We just want to get our money back but we can’t unless they’re actually cancelled

For cancellations companies simply can't afford to refund 3 months of holidays in advance. Plus I hate to say it but with the way the US pandemic is being handled I suspect flights will be operating sooner than expected - although that doesn't mean UK will allow them in or out.

@SpeckledFrogsLog apparently so. My sister had nothing but agro and was stranded abroad. They've now said they'll give them full 'refund" plus 20% in credit. If they want a cash refund then they'll have to wait until march of next year as per their new terms and conditions. She warned me as were booked to go in June. Obviously I said they cant so that it has to be within 14 days under atol/abta but they've extended to 28 days. She said no they've looked and they amended the policies quietly 2/3 days ago saying that companies can wait 12 months after your original holiday date! Ergo why I'm gonna look to move mine as can only imagine prices will go up next year and they will get booked up quickly as you only have a year to use up the vouchers they give you too!

We have a ferry booking for mid June. The ferries are still running so I'm not sure where that leaves us. They will allow free adjustments to booking up til May 31st but charging a fee to change after that. Not sure if campsites will be closed or will they want guests by then?

Hotels where I am are expecting to reopen in June and if that is the case then we will want tourists, because once we are open we need people in and spending as we will have staff and running costs to cover. Dilemma dilemma!

For now I'm leaving it and will make a decision next month.

Thanks Parma that’s helpful to know. I think I’m going to have a go at moving our holding to next year to try and preserve our deposit. Hopefully they’ll go for that. If not I’ll just have to forfeit our deposit.

Passport office doing passports can maybe be done remotely so I'd send off passport applications to join the queue otherwise when lockdown finishes passport office will be swamped. I had a hol early June with 2 different companies as both flying separately. Jet 2 have cancelled. Tui haven't

The terms and conditions that applied when you purchased the holiday apply. They can't unilaterally change terms and conditions and apply the changes to already booked holidays. They'll try, but they don't have a leg to stand on legally.

I agree with Rebecca on the passports. I would apply now if you don't need to do it in person, so you've got time to allow for processing delays for them if possibly you can go away later in the year.

They are asking people to NOT apply unless travelling in an emergency on compassionate grounds.

Ok thanks, that's fair enough.

We've got a break in Edinburgh booked for June ( moved from mid March) flying from London. Do we re arrange again and to when? Confused.com

We're booked for the states in July. I'm hoping for a simple cancellation and refund. Hmmm

We sent passports off this week to be renewed and I've already had an email and text to say two of the four have been processed (they had to be sent to two different offices for some reason). I don't think our holiday will be happening even in August but they needed renewing and I wasn't willing to risk not having them if our holiday does go ahead

This June? I wouldn’t bother as it’s likely to be a waste of several months passport.

Wow @sparepantsandtoothbrush that's impressive, I've been waiting over 6 weeks for ours

Must have got in there just before they asked people not to send applications in anymore too

You will need the passports at some point and there will be a backlog, so get the applications in.

I sent 3 passports off for renewal on the 12th march, to be processed by 2 separate offices. We received 2 back the next week, but the one sent to liverpool is still being processed.

@Parmavioletmum what your sister has told you isn’t right. Under the Package Travel Regulations you are entitled to a refund within 14 days and that can’t change unless European law is amended. ABTA have been lobbying the EU to do this and, in the meantime, they are suggesting to their members that they should give credit only, on the condition that the credit can be converted to a cash refund at a later date. You’ll appreciate that this is because the travel companies are in serious cash flow difficulties if they have to refund so many holidays at the same time, particularly as they may not have got their own refunds from the airlines and hotels. They are also offering ATOL bonding on the credit, so that unused credit is not lost if the company goes bust. The problem is that ABTA’s advice to members was very badly drafted and some travel companies thought they were being told that they could tell customers that they could not give refunds. This isn’t true and ABTA have since clarified the position- see here If you insist on a refund they are legally obliged to give you one.

@SpudsAreLife84 my daughter’s boyfriend has just got his passport back. Took just over a week. Seems strange yours not through yet.

I applied for a passport last week for my baby born at the end of Feb, I've had several updates saying its being processed atm. Seems very strange nothing has been done on yours @SpudsAreLife84.

@ArgumentativeAardvaark ahh thats good to know. So far all I've seen is people waiting weeks and weeks for their refunds and I said I thought it was 14 days too like you say and tui seem to either ignore those posts (in reference to refunds) etc.