Two weeks left before our holiday balance is due...

[Cheekysquirrel]

And I still don’t know what to do.
I’m really torn because I really really really want to go and have been looking forward to it for a year.

OTOH we’d lose £3,000. At least right now we will only lose the deposit and can move the flights - although heaven knows until when.

Flying with Air France, four night break two weeks post brexit.

I just don’t know. Sensibly I should cancel and then if / when brexit is delayed I will feel really cheated. But if we don’t cancel and if / when no deal happens we could end up with no holiday and £3k down.

I am immensely fucked off.

If you've booked with the Walt Disney Company you should be covered if you can't go due to Brexit from both Abta And your insurance

[Abta has also advised in its guidance that holidaymakers who book to travel after March 29 and then find their holiday cannot go ahead due to Brexit will get a full refund if it is a package holiday with a UK travel company.
http://www.travelweekly.co.uk/articles/318004/abta-issues-practical-post-brexit-travel-advice

Good luck!

I remember reading a U.S. document that had been classified that someone had managed to leak. It described about five or six partial nuclear meltdowns that had occurred in the United States because of the Y2K issue when changeover occurred. They were called " Hotscrams ".

I couldn't say I blamed the government at all for trying to keep this information from getting out. That you only had partial meltdowns and not full ones represented success and why scare the general public unnecessarily?

If you have tried to do computer programming then you would know how exact the program has to be, not only the logic of your program but having a wrong letter or symbol in place can greatly affect things.

Governments being as clever as they can sometimes be, it may have been decided to allow this document to be leaked to refute the idea that Y2K preparation was a total waste of money.

What if something similar had to be done in the future?

Of course things do happen at nuclear power plants that can go really wrong as in Russia and Japan.

We haven’t booked as a package holiday though.

Our flights are atol protected but not the hotel. Disneyland Paris have issued a document saying they won’t refund due to brexit.

I'd go, airlines are contingency planning like mad (I work in the industry) incase of any problems so that flights can get away. It's absolutely not in the airlines best interests to have chaos, cancellations, and passengers/ planes/ crew delayed and in the wrong place- it costs the airlines a fortune.

We're flying out on holiday on actual Brexit day 🤦🏼‍♀️😂🍷

That's a bit crap of Disneyland Paris considering how deep their pockets are and how much they charge! I suspect that if there are hundreds of people in your situation who end up losing that amount of money there will be legal challenges which may go either way really.
Also, If you've paid the deposit by credit card you are also covered under the consumer credit act. You don't need to actually pay all the balance on your credit card, just the deposit will do.
I think you're correct in thinking that you're running a risk and no one can tell you what do really. Personally I haven't booked any holidays or flights before the summer. However I do believe, for what my opinion is worth, that on balance of probabilities you're more likely not to lose out either because you'll be able to get there or because you can find a way to get your money back.

I don’t remember there being official MB hysteria.

It was the press who were being hysterical not government, from memory.

The airline industry is 'too big to fail' and so, like the banks, a way will be found to keep flying (roll over existing agreements in full, until new Ines with changed terminology are signed or completely new ones devised).

The queue for a visa might be the one that scuppers you, depending on how France/Scene/EU rolls it out - anyone know what their readiness is like?

"A way will be found" doesn't cut it for me. Eventually yes but in the weeks following a No Deal Brexit who knows what will happen. It's quite shocking how many people on this thread are blissfully oblivious to the potential disruption.

Why don't you look at other ways of travelling? For a holiday this expensive I might look at scoping out a backup travel option, and perhaps allowing an additional day for travel either end of your stay. If you can afford to spend £3k on a holiday, then travelling (for eg) by train to Dover, as a ferry foot passenger to Dunkerque and then TGV direct to Paris must financially be an option that is open to you.

For a 4 day holiday, the main risk is travel delay that eats into your holiday - so if possible give yourself the flexibility to travel 1-2 days earlier.

I've been worrying too. We booked ages ago to go to Spain in May. We've saved for around 10 years, it's our first holiday abroad. Then this pile of bollocks comes along to wreck it. We've paid £700 plus the cost of 4 passports, and have around £1k left to pay. I've read that insurance won't cover if flights are cancelled or delayed because it's 'political.'

All I can do is hope for the best as I have zero control over it but in reality I'm constantly anxious about it.

I think you're thinking doomsday scenario. Life will carry on, just be prepared for extra checks.

I was worried about this. Haven't booked anything yet but spent money this year getting the whole family of 5's passports up together. Wanted to book something as 2 of my DCs have never been abroad, and the one that has can't remember it. I was thinking Greece. Then stalled about booking because of this Brexit bollocks and not knowing what's happening. My dp is a leaver who thinks 'it'll all be fine' so can't get a sensible answer out of him. But my friend has booked a holiday to turkey after brexshit and he says if it's Atol protected you're alright? Might need a holiday to get away from the dire state the country will be in!! 🤣🤣

It’ll be just my luck to move it until August / September and then they will delay brexit until that date!

We're going.

Obvs we don't yet know what the impact will be, no-one does. But we'll sort it out. Don't know how as don't know what will need doing but we'll find a solution. We are flying from a small airport which will probably cope better than the biggest ones.

If you're going to worry the whole time up to that date, you might be better to cancel. But if you can be a little more gung ho about it, just go!

That's a bit crap of Disneyland Paris considering how deep their pockets are and how much they charge!

They’ve been losing money for years. The only reason they’re still afloat now is because US Disney have bought almost 100% of shares and put an investment plan in place.

Flyingcat - won’t insurance compaies claim force majeure if Brexit causes flights/holiday disruptions, and therefore not pay out? I’d only rely on insurance in this case if it makes specific mention that it will still honour their obligations even in the event of any Brexit-related disruption.

won’t insurance compaies claim force majeure if Brexit causes flights/holiday disruptions, and therefore not pay out? I’d only rely on insurance in this case if it makes specific mention that it will still honour their obligations even in the event of any Brexit-related disruption.

All major insurers have put clauses in regarding Brexit not being grounds for refunds.

My friends dd is going on huge school trip to Berlin on March 30th. The school and their travel agents aren't worried and are going ahead as planned.

It will be fine. Don't cancel. You'll regret it.

We are off to South Africa, My husband is from there. The day after Brexit! We have stopovers in EU countries. I'm taking my chance and not giving it another thought

We’re going to Disneyland Paris the week after brexit and flying too. My parents are coming with us and were going to drive, but DH and I thought that was more bonkers than flying and convinced them to switch to flying. We’re hoping flights will go ahead without too much issue. There’s probably more likelihood of drones stopping flights!

The millennium bug is a ridiculous comparison. That was a certainty, millions of pounds and hours of expertise was spent preparing for the possible consequences.

Brexit is full of uncertainty. We don't know if we will leave on March or if we do what preparations have been made for whatever kind of exit scenario we have eventually to cope with. Spain can kick up all the fuss it wants but if we don't have access to air traffic control or Eu airports don't agree to us landing or taking off or flying over their air space planes will be grounded until a deal is made. Check your insurance to see if any Brexit repercussions are covered. Have you booked through an ABTA agent and will they guarantee they will pay in case you need to rebook?

Personally I am not booking any overseas trips until there is more certainty as to whether the planes will be flying.

I think it’s agreed that will will be able to fly to Europe but not on to a further destination.
It’s just if the flights are capped or it’s chaos and there’s loads of delays that it might mean some flights are cancelled.

I think it’s agreed that will will be able to fly to Europe

That's not quite what has been proposed (plus it isn't "agreed" yet).

What is proposed?

All major insurers have put clauses in regarding Brexit not being grounds for refunds

No, the tour operators have said it is not a ground for compensation.

But if you have booked a flight and it doesn't go, you will get a refund. But that doesn't mean you get any money back for hotels, car hire etc.

In the OP's shoes, I'd book Eurostar. There have been mutterings about the French not recognising British drivers but it's more likely to be fine. The problem with the 2018 rule for the planes is how do you find out which flights were on the 2018 timetable and which are additions for this year? Some might be at different times, but be the same flight number as last year - but others will be new. It will take some research to work that one out.