Holiday Abroad in May Booked: What to do?

People are scrambling about all over the world to get home. Think that we have to be grateful that we are not stuck at an airport with no plane

How things can change in a week. Flights cancelled on my birthday and no packing or flying this week. Stay safe all.

FloraDora9, not sure where you would have heard ‘the hotter the country, the less likely to have the bug’! It’s true for some viruses, but not for this one. After all, there are plenty of cases in Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia!

Trixee, sorry to read that. We are going to lose the deposits, but it’s worth it for our health. Also, many travel companies are really struggling because so many people are cancelling and very few people are booking. If they don’t keep the deposits, they might go out of business. Some might do anyway.

We have just cancelled a holiday to Tenerife in June and Jet2 have kept our £260.00 deposit, even though I have a lung disease.

The advice is the hotter the country the less likely to have the bug . We are going in a few weeks time to the Canaries and will go unless things get a lot worse.
see this advice from an expert re flying.
Since the virus is already out there, should I avoid plane travel just to be safe? After all, when you fly aren't you breathing in recycled air?

"The air's actually pretty clean. It gets recirculated through these HEPA filters that really are very good at clearing stuff out," says Vicki Hertzberg, a biostatistician at Emory University, who co-led a study on flights and disease transmission with scientists at Boeing. "So in some aspects, the air on a plane is cleaner than what's going on in your new office buildings."

I would not go if I was booked on a cruise though.

We have booked a four day cruise Southampton - Hamburg and back on the Queen Mary in early May. Perhaps we could sleep on deck and have meals delivered out of the wind behind the funnel

Turns out, our trip to South Africa can’t just be pushed by to September. In order to get flights and safari lodge to marry-up (aggravation is the cost of it not being a package holiday), it will have to start on 31st October. Since that means we’re away in November, I’m hoping the bloody virus isn’t back by then. It will probably be too soon for a vaccine!

We are booked to go on our cruise in July of this year and obviously quite worried about all this going on. However we received an e-mail yesterday from the cruise line offering us a 100% refund for any cruises booked up to Sep this year. I am so glad they have offered us this as we really didn't want to take the risk as 2 of our ports are/were in Italy.

I think cruise lines in particular will take a big hit on this current problem. Not sure if we shall take any holiday this year until we see how all this goes.

That's a whole other problem isn't it CW52 We need to think about the welfare of others even if we feel its ok to travel.

Thanks curvy.
There are so many economic implications should we all stand still. Although I’d rather not be booked on a cruise!

I am currently on holiday from the UK, in Perth WA and I am flying to New South Wales next week to visit more family, then back to Perth for two more weeks, before going to Bali for a week, then home to Heathrow mid April! I am well aware of the risks but believe I will be safe providing I take all necessary precautions. This is my holiday of a lifetime and I am determined to enjoy it! I was already inAustralia when news of this virus first broke, so no choice really but to keep going ahead with my plans and I urge everyone to do the same! Life is too short to give up and give in!

We are in Australia and due to fly to the UK to visit family going via Thailand. I have asthma, my DB has leukemia and my BIL has severe COPD and diabetes. We could never forgive ourselves if we picked up the virus on the journey over and passed it on, so I think the trip is off until it’s all settled down. Let’s all hope it does ?

A few holidays booked, but one here in Switzerland, then a UK trip and later South of France- wo not worried as we will have good healthcare and good cover, and quickly home or in our own flat if in UK.

Have a lovely time dogsmother, I’m very envious!

Off on a safari holiday to Kenya on Monday.
It’s the airports and aircraft that we will be cautious about, but absolutely carry on. I will not sit around and wait and see.

I would normally book a long haul holiday in May, for various reasons I haven’t this year and don’t intend to fly anywhere until this scare is over

If I had paid the deposit I would hold off paying the full cost as long as possible, a lot of travelers are going to do that. We can expect the Corona virus to get worse before it gets better and travel advice may well be very restrictive by May.

I’m going on the Orient Express with my daughter on 17th April, GW to Venice, a long planned trip, but short. Just arranged insurance, no problem and they reassured me. Will have to see how things go of course. My daughter is cabin crew long haul, so hope she’s ok...
I’m not watching the news as it depresses me, but will take action if advised.

If you have a holiday booked get Travel Insurance NOW! Keep monitoring the Foreign Office website as they will advise on different destinations. You can always go another holiday later if possible, but I wouldn't go against FCO advice.

Jennyluck, your credit card won’t cover it I’m afraid. You are only covered (if your payment is over £100) for goods or services that are not provided, or are faulty. If you choose not to go, the service is still available to you. I would have left m6 decision longer if it were feasible, but once the finally balance becomes due, you lose the whole cost of the entire trip.

We’re booked to go to Spain in June, but have got to pay the balance at the end of March. I am concerned about travelling now. If I hadn’t already booked it I wouldn’t go.
But reading all the comments, paying on my credit card might be the way to pay. I usually just pay with my debit card. ???

Flygirl, I am planning to live my life. That’s why I’m not going until this virus that attacks the lungs settles down

I have pushed the booking back to the end of August when it should have mostly run it’s course.

Go and enjoy it. Live your lives.

I have a flight to Texas booked for Tuesday ( to see son and family). I’m only worried that we won’t be able to go or once there won’t be able to return. I’m not an anxious person and don’t worry about getting the virus.
We are also going to Paris in April ( for DH to run the marathon), to Berlin in May, Majorca in June and a big family holiday in Santorini in July. I wouldn’t dream of cancelling and will take the consequences if I’m being foolish.

Glad you have made a decision to suit you and not at a great monetary loss. On that basis you have made the right choice.

GreenGran, the problem with ‘wait and see if it gets worse’ approach is that, once the balance of the trip becomes view, the entire cost of the holiday is lost, so the decision needs to be made, usually 11-weeks before the date of the holiday.

Like Sodapop, we have dogs, cats and in our case, chickens and fish, so if our return home is delayed, it has implications beyond what is happening to us.

To those who have posted in praise of South Africa and the Kruger area, I’m with you. I have been been before. I know health care and services are good. We’re not so much concerned about being there. Our concern is about being with, and passing thousands of people in Heathrow and Johannesburg airports and fewer, but still plenty in regional airports in the UK and in South Africa. Not to mention two short flights, plus a 12 hour flight in the way out, and the same on the return leg. We will go, just not in May.

Today I managed to push back the flights and most other arrangements to the 28th August. I’m just waiting to hear from the Safari Lodge. This saves losing a fair bit of money. There are just a few admin fees for each of us.