With holiday companies advertising Christmas getaways amid the misery of lockdown, you might have your finger poised ready to book a festive trip. But is it wise?
While the thought of Christmas markets in Bruges or a cosy winter cottage break in the Cotswolds is tempting, there’s still a risk that it will be disrupted by coronavirus restrictions.
We can’t predict how freely we’ll be able to travel in December. Nor do we know how tight restrictions will be across the UK. But if you do want to gamble, there are things you can do to book safely and help protect yourself against things going wrong.
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Five reasons not to book trips for Christmas holidays 2020:
1. We don’t know if England’s national lockdown will end on 2 December
If you live in England and you book a getaway now for December, you run the risk that England will extend its national lockdown.
Under the current lockdown restrictions, in place until Wednesday 2 December at the earliest, you’re not allowed to travel away from home, either within England or internationally, for the purpose of a holiday.
If these restrictions are extended, we’d expect package holidays to be refunded. However, some online travel agents haven’t been playing ball and won’t refund the flight portion of the package if the airline hasn’t paid them.
But what about UK cottage holidays in the event of a lengthened national lockdown? We’d expect those to be fully refunded, too. If you can’t leave your home except for special circumstances such as work and food shopping, you can’t be expected to fulfil a cottage booking.
While most cottage companies have now committed to refund if national government restrictions prevent travel, you should be aware that in the first lockdown a lot of customers found it difficult to get their money back.
Companies such as Sykes and Hoseasons refused to refund until the Content and Markets Authority (CMA) began investigating. In June, both companies, as well as Cottages.com and English Country Cottages committed to refunds for all cancelled bookings because of restrictions associated with the coronavirus pandemic.
If you do book, be careful to choose one of the best-rated holiday cottage providers. Which? Recommended Providers will refund if you’re in a national or local lockdown.
2. There’s no way of knowing what your local restrictions will be
Each country within the UK has its own rules. If the national lockdown lifts in England, residents will likely be put back into the tiered system. If your region is placed into Tier 3, you shouldn’t travel out of the area. Scotland is also in its own tiered system where rules vary by region.
The Welsh government is only allowing residents to holiday within Wales. And while Northern Ireland residents can travel, they are subject to quarantine restrictions on return from certain countries.
These rules can change overnight, and there’s no way of predicting what restrictions will be in place at the time of travel. For instance, if you book a cottage for two households but are only allowed to holiday with your own family (under Tier 2 restrictions), this may result in a fight to get your money back.
Some cottage companies still refuse to refund those affected by local restrictions. They might let you move your booking instead. It’s a grey area, and you could be left out of pocket.
Additionally, if you’re bound by tough local restrictions and you’ve booked a flight overseas, the flight will likely still operate, meaning you’ll lose your money.
If you do book a trip abroad, choose a package holiday, as well as a company that promises to refund. These eight flexible companies are a good place to start.
3. Refunds are still owed from earlier in the pandemic
Some holiday companies have now been breaking the law on refunds for more than six months. And recent research carried out by Which? shows £1bn in refunds is being unlawfully withheld.
Before booking, ask yourself if you can afford to have your money tied up for what could be months. And if you do book a winter package holiday in the sun, choose a company that’s committed to refunding quickly.
4. You might not be covered on insurance
If your trip is cancelled because of government restrictions or a change in Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office advice (FCDO) advice, and your holiday company won’t refund you, it’s likely that any existing travel insurance won’t pay out (unless you took out your policy and booked your holiday before March).
You might be tempted to take out a new insurance policy with ‘COVID cover’, but to our knowledge only Nationwide’s insurance will pay out if you cancel because of changes to FCDO advice. And Nationwide is removing that cover from January.
Additionally, if you’re in a regional or national lockdown but you choose to travel abroad anyway, you will likely have invalidated your insurance.
Find out more about coronavirus travel insurance
5. You might be stuck in quarantine over Christmas
If you were considering a quick fly-and-flop break before the Christmas holidays, think about whether you’d have enough time to quarantine afterwards. Travel corridors can change overnight.
If, while on holiday, you’re asked to quarantine on return, will this ruin your Christmas Day plans to see family or friends? Is it a risk you’re willing to take?
The best ways to protect yourself when booking
If you decide to take a gamble and book a Christmas break, you might land yourself a cheap getaway. Lots of travel companies will be trying to lure us back in with deals.
But there are ways to protect yourself, such as choosing a package holiday, booking with a trusted company and paying with a credit card. Read our Eight dos and two don’ts on booking a trip during these disrupted times.
source https://www.which.co.uk/news/2020/11/christmas-breaks-2020-is-it-safe-to-book-holidays-abroad-or-in-the-uk/