How confident is everyone feeling about booking travel?

[SJaneS48]

Just interested in others thoughts really!

We’ve got nothing booked & our May holiday was cancelled. I’m assuming other than a U.K. summer break booked at the last minute if it’s feasible is on the cards for us for 2020.

I am thinking about 2021 though - obviously while we’re all hopeful there will be some medical breakthroughs, there aren’t guarantees. I’m also on furlough and not entirely sure that I’ll have a job to go back to at this point. I’m not the main wage earner though.

I’m quite keen to book something up for either Easter or Summer next year (flexible plane tickets and cancellable accommodation obviously) but something is holding me back, prudence I guess! What are others of you doing?

Hi SJane Sorry your 50th was cancelled.

We are still cancelling this years - Italy school trip cancelled but now have all money back, Malaysia / Thailand August trip I'm cancelling as not viable now. I'm still having fun and games trying to get refunds on that so makes me very nervous about booking something else. Though now am very well versed in refund rights It's taken me 3 months to get one of the refundable hotels I booked directly to refund so I'm not booking things direct with hotels again, other one I booked direct (non-refundable tbf) doesn't reply at all. Booking.com was great with all the refundable ones, non refundable variable - one refunded on second request with FCO travel advice, other won't refund even if closed but Booking.com are making them offer a date change, that could be useless though. But Booking.com refundable hotels should be safe enough though not sure what happens if hotel goes bankrupt - our insurance you need to pay bankruptcy extra to get covered.

Flights if go into EU are currently refundable if cancelled but its due to some EU regulation I think and outside of EU AirAsia is not refunding if cancelled. What happens next year when we are out of EU? I don't know. Other issue is travel insurance not covering covid going forward. Leaving EU or EHIC won't be valid next year I think not that I ever found that any use anyway. But I would want to be certain I was covered one way or another for covid pre vaccine / solution. I do think it's fairly hopeful for that by next summer, hopefully before but until there's more certainty on that won't be booking anything outside UK. Sorry that was an essay. I would love to travel again but only when it's more normal, we will get back money apart from AirAsia flights and 2 hotels.

I also discussed this with DH last night as looks likely that we will get a 2 year credit note eventually from AirAsia in theory at least and was asking DH whether summer 2021 or Easter 2022 to use it - not sure will go to summer 2022 and he said he wouldn't be confident with summer 2021, go for Easter 2022. Quite depressing to have 2 years though with no main summer holiday though think he means do Europe or UK next summer. I will see what destinations can use credits for though as they also go to Australia which might be a safer bet for next summer.

We went on honeymoon to Sri Lanka this February and are really hoping to go in Feb again 2021. I've booked all of the hotels which I can cancel right until the last minute but I'm not booking the flights until towards December. It'll be over 1k for the flights & im not risking it yet.

@KoalasandRabbit - thank you, it was a shame but then most of us have had to miss out something and I’ve decided I’m still 49 till I can celebrate properly! Like you, we’ve had ‘fun’ getting refunds with the airline still not coming through as yet. On the positive front, DH has said I can choose where we go with the money, so with some extra dosh we can go somewhere a bit more exciting than what he had planned, bless him! Am very glad he can’t read this!

Completely agree that there are many if, buts and maybe’s. These have me sitting on the fence! DD has been doing California in Geography and is very keen to go there, it’s the first time she’s got properly excited about a destination (other than Disneyland!) and I’d like to go there too so we’ve gone as far as planning destination options! There seem to be some very cheap flights at the moment, although it’s a worry that certain airlines might go pouf! in the next 12 months. I think personally I’ll sit on the fence for another couple of months and then debate it further when summer 2020 flights are released!

Hope your flight credits will extend to Australia - good luck with that! @boredboredboredboredbored, your name sounds like how I feel the majority of the time at the moment! We went to Sri Lanka last Easter and loved it & I get how it’s pulling you back! I think waiting till December makes sense though!

We've now gone with UK break for 2020. Hope you manage to go somewhere you prefer in 2021.

AirAsia have now stopped credit refunds for anything but flights they cancel so not a chance we will get to Australia using the £280 I've got back so far on a 2 year credit note in Malaysian currency. Thai hotel for 2 nights would only defer a year so if there's a vaccine / solution we will go next summer to Thailand and Borneo though quite a big if at this stage and may need to write it off.

Have you got any further in your plans yet?

Last I heard (in Aus) is that we shouldn't expect to travel overseas until July next year so I would be cautious about planning trips here. There was talk of a NZ and possibly Pacific Islands "bubble" but with the recent spike of cases in Melbourne that is looking unlikely. I love to travel and was gutted to have trips to Canada and Bali cancelled but luckily Australia is so big being confined to local travel is less of an issue. Tbh nobody here wants people coming from the UK/Europe/USA until countries get it under control.

@KoalasandRabbit, no further than you and yes, agree that even next summer is looking a bit iffy! We did look at booking a U.K. break (the AirBnB listings advertising properties as ‘ideal for self isolation’ or in one instance ‘virtually on the doorstep of the nearest hospital’ (!!) didn’t totally inspire us) but have decided that as not much might be open anywhere and the local population isn’t going to want us being there, we’ll do a staycation.

As for 2021, we’ve sort of decided on California and will (probably!) book in September. DH is already muttering about about US death rates though so when it comes to making that booking I imagine it will depend on where his head is at. Shame about Oz but your original plans did sound great so hopefully we’ll have a more positive 2021 and your trip will come off!

@SnowsInWater, don’t blame you Aussies not being up yet for outside tourists. Pretty sure I wouldn’t want lots of people from across the world descending on our town right now, the gangs of idiotic teens are bad enough!

We have had Italy in June cancelled, they have rearranged for next June. Majorca 8th July, was cancelled. Still no refunds. My sisters got her hen do abroad in Ibiza next July. Other than that I'm not going to book anything. We usually go away twice a year but I'm not booking anything for the foreseeable. I'm going to have a staycation and go visit the inner hebrides in August instead.

I've booked a trip to Iceland in November and Florida (eek) for next Feb.

I feel like we will get to Iceland but the numbers in the US (and Florida especially) right now are crazy so we're prepared it won't happen. Both breaks booked through an agent and reputable suppliers so am keeping positive that even if we couldn't go we wouldn't lose the money, would possibly get a refund or credit note which is fine.

We were borderline between staying home and daytrips and going to Devon but the main place we are staying has made us very welcome. Had to try and arrange everything to reduce risk so got an apartment in a castle with beautiful 50 acre gardens which are open to us but not public and a few theme park things open there but not to public and will clean everything. They seem to be operating in a very careful way and have not opened their pool or theme park and only 7 apartments let out on whole grounds and hand gel everywhere.

There are quite a few places opening up but not all seem that careful, probably desperate for money to survive. We are trying to be very careful going in own car and self catering in apartment though with secondary schools going back full time in September and whole year bubbles and pubs reopening don't rate the chances of not having a second wave.

Australia was never a serious suggestion, we went there a few years ago and wouldn't go long distance until a vaccine / solution. We have refunds on summer holiday apart from £1550ish but within that we have credit notes for 2 years for £560 and a hotel moving up to 15 August for £270 and a promised cash refund for £120 in 2 months. Insurance could possibly pay out £180. 3 short flights could also still be cancelled which is the rest. But all of that may not be useable without a vaccine. I hope we can get to Thailand / Borneo next summer but if not so be it. I wouldn't want to risk anyone over there especially with many can't afford good healthcare. I would be amazed if we have it now as rural and left house once since March other than food shopping but once schools back a lot harder.

The castle in Devon has just sent us 10% of our money back saying its a goodwill gesture though it suits us having theme park closed and can just use gardens ourselves.

Result! The castle apartment sounds lovely and a perfect spot.

From memory (and it’s pretty rubbish!) I think your DC are very keen on animals and that’s the driving force behind many of your trips? Not sure where you are going in Thailand but the (Animal Welfare) Charity DH works for do quite a lot of work out there and he was out there doing investigative work into bad welfare venues 2 years ago so if you’d like me to ask him where is great and which venues to avoid with a barge pole, let me know and I’d be happy to pass on the info.

We re booked this year's August holiday for similar dates nx year when it was cancelled. As it's a once in a lifetime trip, we didn't want to get refund & are a bit nervous about pricing for nx year - Central America, so can go up (or down) depending on Brexit economy. This way, it's actually £50.- cheaper!
If it gets cancelled again due to virus or otherwise, it's plan B - whatever that is!

We’re meant to be in The USA in September (booked back in January) but I have no idea if that will happen or even if I’ll want to go!!!

Thanks SJane I didn't find anything animal related in Thailand where we going (Bangkok, River Kwai) that didn't look dubious at best and appalling at worst for animal welfare so that's why we were going on to Borneo (Oranutan sanctuary in Sepilok and sun bears in Sepilok) and Perhentians (turtle conservation project at Bubbles Dive Resort). My son has autism and an animal obsession, though we all love animals, have a cat, 3 silkie chickens and indoor rabbits here now. I think rearranging we would go for a simpler trip, I wish could get to Borneo with 1 flight but you can't. The River Kwai hotel (Home Phutoey) wouldn't refund and has just moved a year but may just write it off if not viable. Though saw Air Asia go from Bangkok to Borneo. Too early to plan seriously yet though.

I have a holiday booked for three weeks time. It isn’t great tbh.

It sounds obvious, but anticipating going on a lovely holiday is such an important part of the holiday itself for us. Now we have no certainty of whether we are going (will there be airbridges? Will the flights get cancelled anyway?) or what it will be like when we get there - masks? Will local people be annoyed we are there? Etc.

Not going to book another holiday until I know we can look forward to the break with confidence. No idea when that will be.

We were booked to go to Alaska next month which has obviously been cancelled. In the process of waiting for refunds. We won't be rebooking Alaska for next year - I feel its too soon and uncertain. We are holding off booking anything for next year until March / April when the winter flu season has passed in case there's a second wave.

It's my 40th next year and I wanted to do a big trip, probably Canada/Pacific Northwest, particularly as DS will only be 4 so we can go in term time whilst we still have the chance. But right now I just can't book anything and I probably won't until we get to the stage there is a vaccine/sufficient treatment that all social distancing and masks etc can be dropped. And life can be normal again. It just wouldn't be fun eating out or going to tourist places if having to still think about minimising spread of the virus. I'd rather save my trip of a lifetime until this awful situation is over.

That makes sense if it’s a big celebratory & unlikely to be repeated trip! I’d agree that the looking forward to a trip and the planning are a big part of the excitement. Though I think we’ll book something come September, I don’t think I’ll believe we’re actually going till much much nearer the time. I’m even very hesitant about making a restaurant reservation at the moment (after months of moaning about missing eating out!).

We had two trips planned for this year (Israel for DH's 50th at Easter and Paris with his family in May), both of which were cancelled and we have now have vouchers to rebook. The BA ones have to be used by end of April 2022 and Eurostar by end of 2021. I have no idea what to do at the moment and I think we'll wait and see what happens with the the virus this winter. We had planned to take our DC to California next summer for two weeks and we're US citizens so we are allowed to travel, but do we really want to? I'd LOVE to be able to book some travel. I miss it so much and particularly having stuff to look forward to, but all this uncertainty and having to rearrange and rebook and accept vouchers is stressful and a PITA

We've booked Mexico for November and we're still hoping to go. If they aren't flying by then we'll change to Dominican Republic.

Providing it doesn't get taken off the airbridge list we are going to Antigua in 3 weeks.