Summer 2021 holiday deals might tempt holidaymakers to book early, but the risk is that your plans could be disrupted due to COVID-19.
Thousands of holidaymakers are still fighting to get refunds from tour operators and airlines for trips cancelled this summer. While many more are finding their airline won’t refund them for flights to Spain and France, even though the government says they shouldn’t currently travel.
Whilst during a national lockdown, it’s probably not advisable to book, there are ways you can safely book a holiday in 2021 that protects you from almost any disruption, including the government’s ever-changing travel restrictions, being forced to self-isolate or the financial failure of your travel company. Follow the steps below.
DO:
Book a package holiday, rather than flights and hotels separately
This will protect your money if the company fails – and this has become essential. Several tour operators, such as STA Travel and Fleetway Travel have already gone bust. We will see many more in the coming months. But if you have booked a package holiday then you’ll get a full refund, as package holiday operators pay into an insurance fund run by the Civil Aviation Authority.
It’s crucial that the package holiday is Atol-protected. Almost all tour operators in the UK sell holidays that are Atol protected, but there are a handful of exceptions. Use our guide to check if your holiday is Atol protected
No similar scheme exists to protect customers who book flights and accommodation independently. If your airline fails or your hotel closes, you may well lose your money – or worse, you could be stranded abroad.
Book a package holiday to protect against changing travel corridor lists
The government changes to the countries on its travel corridor list has left many holidaymakers who booked flights and hotels separately out of pocket. Despite the government removing countries from the list and advising against travel airlines have continued to fly and refused to refund customers. Again, a package holiday can stop you losing out.
When the travel advice against a country changes most tour operators, unlike airlines, will cancel package holidays (see exceptions in don’ts at the bottom). You’ll be offered a trip to an alternative destination or can claim a full refund under the terms of the Package Travel Regulations.
Similarly, some tour operators – including Tui – promise clients ‘quarantine-free’ holidays. If your destination is removed from the UK’s rapidly changing list of travel corridors, they will either cancel and refund you in full or you’ll be allowed to move your holiday to a later date.
Pick a provider who will refund you
More holidays later in 2021 are likely to be cancelled. If yours is, you want to make sure you’ll get your money back without a fight. Many travel companies, including some of the biggest brands, have taken months to refund customers for holidays that were cancelled due to COVID-19.
A handful of 20+ firms did the right thing throughout the crisis and paid refunds within 14 days. Consider giving them your business.
Which? Recommend Provider holiday companies, such as Hays Travel, Jet2 Holidays, Kuoni and Trailfinders are also committed to paying cash refunds within 30 days, if not sooner.
Use a local travel agent to book
During the current crisis many customers have struggled to contact travel companies who have failed to keep them informed of changes to their bookings, about cancellations or the progress of their refunds – some companies have even turned off their phones. You won’t get that if you book with a good travel agent.
A good travel agent will be on hand to amend your booking if further travel restrictions are put in place, or if things go wrong while you’re away. You’ll know someone is at the other end of the phone to help if you have questions or, if your trip is cancelled, fight for your refund.
Look for flexible holiday booking policies for 2021
Whether rising cases in the destination puts you off travel, NHS Test and Trace tells you to isolate or a change to the travel corridor rules means the holiday is off, booking with firms that offer flexibility to change your plans is essential.
The best are those that allow you to cancel or change your holiday right up to the date of departure as you might only become aware of a problem, such as a change to the travel corridors, at the last minute. That sort of flexibility only seems to be available with luxury operators, but there are some other useful policies to look out for.
British Airways Holidays allows changes free of charge up to 21 days before travel. Tui will allow you to change your holiday up to 28 days before the holiday.
Book a hotel with free cancellation
If you’re booking a hotel separately, look for one that offers free last-minute cancellation. Some individual hotels, especially in the UK, are offering this and booking direct is the best way to get the cheapest price.
Failing that, hotel booking sites such as Booking.com offer free cancellations for many properties, but they may charge a higher nightly rate for the flexibility.
Buy travel insurance as soon as you book
Travel insurance that covers you for coronavirus related illness and disruption is available again. This is going to be essential in 2021, as from 1 January UK residents will no longer be entitled to free medical treatment in the EU under the Ehic scheme. You’ll need medical cover.
It’s essential you take out travel insurance as soon as you book your holiday, rather than when you travel, as you’ll be covered if illness or disruption happens before you travel. Look for policies that include cover for coronavirus-related disruption, such as cancelled and delayed flights or the need to self-isolate for a period.
You won’t find a policy that covers changing FCO advice and travel corridors. This won’t be a concern if you have booked a package (see above), but those with flights and hotels booked separately won’t be able to claim from insurance if they don’t travel because the FCO advice has changed. Coronavirus travel insurance: who will cover me?
Some airlines, tour operators and hotels are offering free COVID-19-cover, but only for the rest of summer 2020 or next winter, and you still need comprehensive travel insurance for non-COVID-19-related claims.
Pay with a credit card
You’ll get more financial protection if you pay for your holiday, flight or hotel with a credit card as Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act makes card issuers equally responsible for the delivery of a service.
This means that if your holiday is cancelled by the operator, or the operator or airline fails, or there’s a problem with the hotel, you could claim a refund from your card issuer as long as the holiday cost more than £100 and less than £30,000.
You get some protection if you pay with a debit card under the Visa and Mastercard voluntary chargeback scheme, but banks aren’t legally obliged to refund you.
DON’T:
Pay a deposit … if you can avoid it
You might be nervous about travelling if COVID-19 cases are on the rise by next summer or you might no longer be able to afford the holiday if you’ve lost your job or had a pay cut. Book with a travel company that is offering zero or low deposits and you’ll reduce your loss if you decide to cancel before the balance is due. Check the operator’s T&Cs to make sure you don’t have to pay an additional fee if you do cancel.
To further reduce the risk look for a company that will allow you to pay the balance as late as possible, in case things change. Tour operators typically demand the final payment 70 to 90 days before departure, but some have more generous terms.
You can reserve a summer 2021 holiday from £60 per person with both easyJet and Jet2 Holidays, and you have up to 60 days before departure to pay the balance with easyJet Holidays and up to 70 days with Jet2holidays.
Book with online travel agents
Many online travel agents, known as OTAs, have proven during the pandemic that they aren’t able to offer good customer service or the same level of protection as traditional tour operators.
Customers who booked with the likes of Lastminute.com and Loveholidays struggled to get hold of them to arrange refunds for cancelled holidays and they haven’t been kept informed of changes to their bookings. Loveholidays has even sent customers to hotels that were closed.
Some online travel agents, including Loveholidays and On the Beach, have refused to refund holidays to destinations that the Foreign Office says aren’t safe to visit.
source https://www.which.co.uk/news/2021/01/is-it-safe-to-book-a-holiday-for-later-this-year-or-2021-8-dos-and-2-donts/