How many of you have had holidays cancelled?

Terribull and Teetime
We were talking to a hotel manager yesterday evening of a large hotel in Albufeira. This hotel has Jet 2 customers. Lots and lots of regulations to adhere to and they are able as they are a large hotel and can easily manage safe distancing. The chap said that he did fear for smaller, older hotels that may not be able to comply by the new regs. Hotels are not open here yet but should be shortly.

Your holiday in September should be safe and let’s be honest, September is the nicest month in Portugal.

Jet 2 holidays are complying and a very large company in Portugal so your holiday should be safe, book for September you won’t be disappointed, much nicer than June.

We booked last August for flights with Jet2 for June 1st this year ..They sent us a email to say this flight had been cancelled due to Coronavirus. if we wished to amend booking go to Manage my booking , so we did and changed it to May next year ..all went through just fine and then a week later another email saying your flights to Murcia in May 2021 as been cancelled and a run down of tax and etc ..with the bottom line saying no refund ..£674 plus £20 to change flights ..no refund ..We have tried ringing , emailing , facebook text , Tweeting , not a thing ..So we have filled a form in online to Barclays credit card company and sent all Jet2 emails and booking ..printed it off and sent to Barclaycard Disputes , free post ..so we will let you guys know how things have gone on ..

At last managed to contact the hotel I was due to go to. Turns out something had been wrong with their website and they have fixed it. I've been able to cancel and obtain a full refund. It will remain to be seen what happens with our holiday later this year, which was due to be within the UK. I don't think there will be any travel abroad for quite a while. I do hope everyone here manages to get refunds or at least a rebooking. A relative of mine lost their money for B&B.

We had one of our ‘dog’ holidays booked for mid May with cottages.com in Shropshire. They are offering vouchers, not refunds so we’ve exchanged for the same time next year which suits us fine. The admin has been very good although understandably they were inundated with calls etc when everything kicked off with lockdown.

We were due to be on holiday in Majorca at the beginning of May - a special holiday to celebrate our daughter's birthday and the first time our little grandson had been abroad. Obviously it was cancelled. I've just received the refund. So all in all, I'm just really grateful to have the money back. There will be other holidays, I thinkwe may stick to the UK for a while once this is over.

P and O have cancelled all cruises to end of July so our June cruise is off. I was also lucky enough to win a Gransnet holiday to Tenerife - should be there now but unfortunately that has been cancelled - or hopefully postponed.

We should have paid the balance for a week in Jersey in early July last Friday, but had refused as the airline has been cancelling flights and it really doesn’t look as if things will be anywhere near normal by then. We also refused to cancel as the company would then keep the deposit. Then, on Friday they offered to carry the deposit forward to the same time next year and have held the same holiday price. That seems very fair to us. Hopefully the Virus will have subsided by then.

Our cruise ship cancelled our cruise without telling us and we were in the Maldives in the Indian Ocean expecting to board.
I am still waiting to receive a refund for a Ryanair flight cancelled 6 weeks ago.

We should have gone to the Canaries with TUI in March they cancelled it but as yet no refund. I tried to-day to get some money back from our annual travels insurance. It is free through Nationwide but we paid almost £400 in January to cover health issues. I think we should get a pro rata refund of some of it .

We should have been going to Canada next week. Booked almost a year ago with Trailfinders. Included Gold Leaf on the Rocky Mountaineer. Holiday of a lifetime. Almost 3 weeks of amazing scenery.I had planned and plotted for months. We know fortunately that we will eventually get our money back but now it looks like it will be spent on things like a new shed/ garden stuff etc. Can't see us booking again soon. Not the same. Sorry just feeling grumpy.

Pebblesterrier - your credit card company said that the guest house taking your money was "unethical". Theft is more like it. You say your holiday was for mid June. You had paid a deposit in February. So the balance for the costs of the holiday would probably realistically not be due until early May - or 6 weeks before you arrived. But you say that their explanation was they took the deposit/s (and from others) because they had no money to pay bills? That's unbelievable. And they took it from you for nothing, except in the hope that your holiday may go ahead later or next year. On the information that we have at present with no clue as to what will happen just a few weeks from now, even if you have your holiday eventually, why would they assume that they could take your money months ahead , take money from your card without agreement or explanation. You are now subsidising their living costs but cannot be certain whether your holiday will go ahead. Everyone is likely to be very short of money by the time this crisis is even half over, but you don't deal with this by helping yourself to someone else's money, surely.
Our own guests return year after year and there is usually a sprinkling of new bookings too. As soon as I was aware that nothing will be considered for re-opening in our town in France until mid-July this year, no bars, restaurants, tourist attractions, and we will possibly remain in lockdown until June, I decided that as we could guarantee nothing in terms of dates, I would not have dreamed of holding on to deposits or letting people make final payments. Some people will probably want to re-book next year, but if they don't or can't others will book in their place. Until we are able to see how the situation pans out, will there be flights, how is travel being managed, borders being opened etc.,we honestly cannot offer holiday accommodation here. To offer it "later" and under the present extraordinary circumstances is really just an excuse to hold onto their deposits and is not far off sharp practice. None of us has a crystal ball. And if companies don't answer your mails, if they go bankrupt, if they sell up and move on? You will have paid for nothing. If you have already paid towards something - goods, services, etc., that you are not going to receive on the dates you arranged, you are entitled to expect that your hard-earned money be returned to you, at your request and without excuse or delay.
And Jane43 someone actually wrote to you to snipe at your complaining about a lost holiday....there are more important things in life, etc.,? Seriously, there are some very strange people who appear on Gransnet sometimes, and who clearly are shameless! The very best of luck in trying to recover your losses.

We booked a fortnight in Lanzarote in mid May through Secret Escapes. All they’ve offered is a credit voucher. We paid in full rather than a deposit at the end of January even though it was far longer than 10 weeks before departure. We also paid a deposit for a Saga cruise in October and I’m highly doubtful about that going ahead either. No idea what to do.

DO NOT accept a voucher Actively pursue arefund Give them 7 days in which to respond Make a nuisance of yourself that generally works

There was also something on the news. They have to by law refund in 14 days. If you paid by credit card you also have back up there.

I haven't even had a reply as such, just an automatic 'we have recieved ..... '
I fear I must kiss my money goodbye.

We are booked to have a week in Jersey from the 6th of June flying from Norwich with Loganair. They have cancelled all flights until the end of May and the remainder of the cost is due at the end of this month or it will be assumed we’ve cancelled and lose our deposit. Of course we could pay the balance and then reclaim it but .....

Chances are Loganair will cancel all flights for June at the beginning of May so it’s most annoying that we won’t get the deposit back.

It's our Golden Wedding Anniversary on Saturday, lunch for 70 cancelled, and we should be going on a cruise in a week's time. Filled in form to get a refund for the cruise but haven't heard a word since. Just a waiting game, I think.

I think that if the company is a member of atol or similar, a voucher is safe. Hoping so as we have accepted one from Riviera travel!!

We booked a mid week break direct with a guest house on the south coast for mid June. I paid £30 deposit in February. Checking my credit card account I noticed that the balance of £270 had been taken. Permission had not been requested. I called the guest house who explained that due to the current situation they had no money to pay their bills so had taken the balance from customers who had paid their deposit by card. They could not refund the money. Said we could go later in the year if the lock down meant they would still be closed in June. On contacting my credit card they explained that what they had done was not ethical but I had entered into a contract when I paid the deposit! Although I feel for their situation I do think I should have been informed. Just hoping they survive the lock down and we are able to go later in the year ?

Thank you Theoddbird but my query is still WHO is responsible for refunding my money when I paid for a package from the travel company and did not deal directly with the carrier separately.
Surely the Travel Agent who took my money in a lump sum should be responsible for refunding me the same lump sum - or am I supposed to contact the hotel and the transfer company individually myself?

I have a holiday to Mykonos booked for middle of May. This was to attend the hen do for my future daughter in law. BA cancelled the outward flight 3 weeks ago but have not cancelled the return. I am waiting it out as I want a refund.
Also flights booked to Corfu in June for the wedding!! This has now been postponed until next year. Will have to wait for BA to cancel them. Unfortunately many guests have booked flights and hotels through BA and it’s impossible to actually talk to anyone. Hopefully they will allow guests to transfer bookings to 2021. The wedding is a year and a week later so hope that won’t be a problem.

Aside from the ins and outs of who you should deal with tge has been a lot of info on the vouchers being offered bt Ryanair. The advice is not to accept them. They are not ATOL protected therefore if anything goes wrong there is no comeback for you. Insist on another flight booking or your money back. Good luck sorting out the minefield.

They’ve offered me a refund on the outgoing flight but haven’t cancelled the return flight yet so won’t refund in full

That's crazy, if you don't use the outward portion of a return ticket, the return is usually cancelled. If you use the first leg and not the second they have been known to claim for the cost of a single fare, often much more than a return.

I had a cruise in March to the Arctic cancelled ...have been promised a refund straight to my Bank but so far nothing. I have had three concerts cancelled (two in the UK, one in Maastricht) and am being asked for payment in full for an overland Russian holiday in July, I am not too happy to make the full payment as the Russian land borders are closed, and on enquiring at the Embassy I am informed it is unlikely they will be allowing tourists in 'for the coming future' I am told by the tour co that if I don't pay the balance I will be in breach of contract BUT my argument is it is not ME who will be in breach of contract, as THEY contracted with me to take me in payment of money ….and neither they nor I can force the Russians to open the border (not that I would want to try !) so I am holding out ...an in any case, it is impossible at the moment to travel in this country (I don't have a car any longer) to obtain the necessary Visa from the Russian embassy as travel is only 'for essential things' Being over 70 and threatened (I HOPE with fake news !) that over 70's will be asked to self isolate for another YEAR I couldn't go anyway ……..IF my annual insurance Policy (only been able to use it twice since I paid over £1,000 for it !) contains suitable wording without too many prohibitive clauses ……………..I am happy to lose my deposit as the Visa would have cost me over £100, plus train to the Embassy, taxis hotels …...I shall look at my options legally …………...I know its not their fault, but the company (LEGER TRAVEL) is not a huge Co and the fear of them going bust and having to claim my money back if I pay in full in not a happy one …..cannot afford to lose the amount of money it was going to cost …..at least and until I get my refund for the cancelled cruise earlier in the year ...luckily I live next to the beach, and also have a little holiday chalet to escape to if and when I am 'allowed'......dare not take the risk of booking anything else ….will wait and go last minute !! good luck everybody

I posted on the Richard Branson thread previously about our attempt to obtain a refund on flights to California on May 6th and return flights on May 17th. Despite receiving a message from somebody on GN taking me to task for complaining about the prospect of not getting a refund and calling our much awaited holiday to Palm Springs, the first for four years due to ill health, a ‘stupid holiday’ when there are far more important things going on in the world, I will repeat the information we have.

1) Virgin Atlantic will refund if the cancellation is due to Corona Virus, they will also re-book flights with no Penalty but you have to pay any difference in the cost of the flights. There is a timescale for rebooking flights but this seems to be being extended as time goes on.

2) After applying for a refund it takes 30 days for V A to confirm the cancellation. After the confirmation of cancellation it can take up to 60 days for the refund to be processed. This was as of yesterday but I don’t know what will happen if Richard Branson does put V A into administration as he has suggested he will do if no government bailout is forthcoming.

However, this morning there was a useful feature on BBC Breakfast about holiday cancellations. Legislation states that refunds for holidays should be within 14 days and refunds for flights within 7 days. ‘Which’ are concerned about the number of companies who are refusing refunds and only offering vouchers, taking too long to process refunds or just ignoring contact made. They also said that if you have paid a deposit for a holiday and the balance is due if you don’t pay the balance you will forfeit your deposit; if you pay the balance you should get the full amount back if the holiday is cancelled at a later date but depending on who you have booked with this may take a long time and you may have to apply to ATOL. Some tour operators are offering an incentive if you re-book at a later date, 20% of the cost of the holiday you have booked was mentioned, I think this was from TUI.

Tangerine I agree with you, I think holidays abroad will be disrupted far into the future and that is why we have applied for a refund rather than rebooking the flights.