Should I book a summer holiday during lockdown – and what are my rights if it’s cancelled?
HOPEFUL holidaymakers may be tempted to snap up a bargain break during lockdown, so we look at whether you should book now, and what your rights are if your trip is cancelled.
It comes as just this week Haven has slashed the price of UK trips for this July, while easyJet, Ryanair, and Virgin Atlantic have recently launched flight sales for summer 2021.
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But with some government ministers warning Brits not to book summer holidays this year, should you take the plunge?
Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel, said: “The different messages from the government about when holidays abroad might start again, and in which countries have been confusing and left many holidaymakers none the wiser about whether they will be able to travel any time soon."
Whether to book or not is ultimately your decision, but before you take the plunge, here's what you need to bear in mind.
Should I book a holiday now?
The FCO says you shouldn't leave the UK - and you could invalidate your insurance if you do
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has placed an indefinite ban on all but essential overseas travel.
This means that first off you may struggle to get to your destination, and second off, insurers are unlikely to cover any travel that the government has advised against.
And even if you do manage to get away despite the FCO advice, if anything goes wrong you're unlikely to be covered. That said, you should still be protected if your provider later cancels the trip.
A spokesperson for insurance trade body the Association of British Insurers said: “We understand people will be keen to book their next trip away however the best thing to do is wait and be patient as FCO restrictions are still in place and we don’t know when they will change.”
You may have to go into quarantine
If you're thinking of risking booking in the hope the FCO lifts its ban, bear in mind that new quarantine rules may be in place.
Everyone who comes to the UK from June will have to isolate for a fortnight, and you may also have to do the same in the country you arrive at.
Spain, for example, has introduced a 14-day quarantine in some regions - and some areas have said Brits won't be allowed in at all due to them perceived as being higher risk.
So you may to use up more day's worth of annual leave than you'd bargained for.
UK breaks are currently banned
If you're thinking of booking a UK break to get around the overseas rules, bear in mind that these are also currently not allowed.
Under the government's lockdown measures, hotels, hostels, bed and breakfasts, campsites, caravan parks, and boarding houses are still banned from reopening for commercial or leisure use.
It's said the earliest these can reopen is from July 4, although even then it depends on how the coronavirus situation progresses until then.
Can I get a refund if I book a trip now and it's later cancelled?
Whether you can claim a refund for a trip you book now that's later cancelled depends on a number of factors - and you should be aware of all of these before you buy.
Also see our holiday refunds story for more information.
You may be able to claim from your travel provider
If you booked directly with the airline, under EC 261 rules you're entitled to an alternative flight or a full refund if your trip is cancelled and you were due to be on a flight leaving the UK or a flight returning to the UK with an EU airline.
For other flights it depends on the carrier.
For those with a package holiday, you should be protected by Package Travel Regulations (PTRs), which again should mean you can claim a refund from your travel provider.
Alternatively, you may be covered by the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) if you booked via one of its members.
Just be aware you may face long delays getting your money back and you may be offered vouchers or credit notes instead of cash - you don't have to accept these but ABTA warns firms could go under otherwise.
You may be able to claim from your travel insurance provider
Travel insurance can cover you if your trip has been cancelled, but to do so your policy needs to provide cancellation cover for coronavirus - something many new policies won't protect you for.
Also be aware that most travel insurance doesn't cover UK trips as standard, so you'll likely need to buy this as an add-on. But again, be aware that many insurers won't cover covid-19 related problems on new policies.
A spokesperson for the ABI said: "Many insurers have changed their wording in light the virus being a pandemic, this is because it is now a “known” entity and travel insurance is designed to cover for the unexpected.
"This will only cover new policies taken out and is a temporary position that insurers will continue to review."
If you do claim on your travel insurance, also bear in mind you'll likely have to pay a fee known as an "excess" on any claim.
You may be covered by your card provider
Credit card payments of between £100 and £30,000 are covered under Section 75 of the Consumer Rights Act.
This means where you don't get the service you paid for, eg, your trip is called, your credit card provider is jointly liable and you can reclaim costs from them.
To start a claim, you need to contact your credit card provider directly.
For flights and hotels booked by debit card you may be able to claim a refund via the Chargeback scheme if your provider has cancelled your booking.
This also applies to credit card bookings of under £100.
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As with Section 75, chargeback can be used to reclaim cash for goods and services you didn't receive.
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But unlike Section 75, it's not a legal requirement so there's no guarantee you'll get your money back.
To start a chargeback claim, you need to contact your card provider within 120 days of the transaction.