WWYD Thailand via Qatar

[Mummen]

This is more of a wwyd - Just looking to pass the time and get out of my own head until our travel agent is able to give us some options.

We are due to go to Thailand over the Easter break, flying through Qatar and booked through a UK travel agent. Our flight hasn't been cancelled yet but almost certainly will be.

I haven't contacted my travel agent yet because our flights are still a few weeks away and they are rightly dealing with people who are stuck overseas or travelling imminently. Rebooking for another date isn't an option for us unless it's deferred until next Easter.

Assuming our options might be:

• Reroute to Thailand with a different airline.
• Take an equivalent holiday without flying east e.g. to the Carribbean
• Get a refund

This is a big holiday for us, we have been planning it for well over a year. Which would you go for if you were given those options?

Is there an other option that we might be given? I want to be prepared for when I do speak with our travel agent because we'll have to make a quick decision.

The cost and amount of planning are a shame but some what irrelevant. I’d cancel the flights and accom and try and get refund. I wouldn’t take a one year postponement.

Same situation so watching with interest. We’re planning on reviewing prices for direct flights once we can cancel the holiday under insurance. If the direct flights are too expensive/booked up, we’ll just cancel everything and go next year. If we can get a direct flight, we’ll still go.

We researched the holiday for ages and ruled out loads of alternative destinations at the time. I don’t want to spend 1000s of pounds on a last-minute different holiday I don’t really want to go on.

I'd get a refund.

I would reroute with a different airline.. we flew direct

I'd get the refund, but I'm a fairly anxious traveller at the best of times. I wouldn't really want to go anywhere long haul right now, even by a "safe" route.

Hi Op - the direct flights home from Thailand have quadrupled in price since I booked my return flight 8 days ago so it's quite possible rerouting may be too expensive for you.

Edited to add the Caribbean is very expensive as far as eating out is concerned - you will need a lot more spending money.

All these replies show there isn't one obvious answer!

@AbzMoz why do you think the cost and time spent planning is irrelevant? Does that mean that with everything that's going on you wouldn't even consider going on that holiday? I think you might be right.

@Jinglealltheway92 I think I'm with you on that and @PrincessofWells confirms there was a reason we were going to Thailand and not anywhere else.

I'm leaning towards refund (assuming it's available) and we'll think about going again next year but I don't want to be rushed into it or have all that money tied up for another year.

If we go for that it still means we've got 2 weeks of school holidays to fill and will have to find something else to do.

We are in the same situation OP, we were looking at the Caribbean as an alternative but it’s looking like it will be so much more expensive. We already have the Dominican Republic booked for later in the year but the Easter trip was to celebrate a big birthday.

We were in a similar situation but Sri Lanka over Easter via Dubai (as DH said he preferred the planes) but booked independently. Did you book a package or just flights as that can alter what offered.

We have gone for the full refund option. Direct flights have gone up over the past few weeks from around 1.1k each when we booked (same as we paid for Emirates) to 2k each a few days ago before refunds were announced and are now at almost 4k each for our dates. The increase in price by £3k each means that's not a sensible option.

We have booked something else but a cheaper European option as didn't want to spend a lot on an alternative with last minute choice and restricted options. Rerouting seemed not viable for us either, when you book direct its done one flight at a time and sometimes flights offered are several weeks later and we have a strict timetable. Hope you can find something. If its a package and flights are not running then you should be offered a refund or an alternative destination so maybe worth looking if there is anything of interest.

If your agent can reroute your thailand flight at no extra cost it would be fine.

It's a lovely country.

It’s a real shame but I would avoid the travel esp over Middle East airspace as I’d be anxious about getting there, getting home etc

i mean that it’s a shame to have spent the time on planning but that can’t really be a factor in the decision - if someone said plan to go now, would you?

friends / colleagues have been disrupted and paid for additional flights (which in turn have been cancelled with no refund), and/or had to pay additional hotel nights (again not claimable on insurance as it’s a war). I just don’t think it’s worth it at the present time and if you have the option of a refund take it and thank your lucky stars

In case anyone is interested in the outcome - we cancelled, got a refund and have now booked something in Europe instead. Our flight still hasn't been cancelled but the travel agent was fantastic and proactively contacted me to offer the option to cancel with a full refund. Rerouting wasn't an option because direct flights from Europe were all fully booked for our dates.
It will definitely incentivise me to book a package holiday again in future for peace of mind.

We can’t cancel and get a refund right now. Waiting to see if the airline cancels and if we can go with a different carrier. I can’t imagine relaxing on a holiday after this stress. Airlines and insurance sure don’t make it easy. Glad you had luck through an agent. Also making me rethink for future.

My sons college had a trip to Thailand organised for may. Its now been cancelled due to the extra costs involved because they can't fly via the middle east. So I would take the money while you still can'