MSE News
Coronavirus Travel Rights
Latest on travel restrictions being lifted, plus refunds and travel insurance help
After months of Covid-19 restrictions UK holidays are back on the cards, with guest houses, campsites and caravan parks reopening nationwide, while some overseas holidays will be allowed from 17 May. Whether you're wondering if you can now book a trip or are still trying to get money back for a cancelled one, this guide has key info on the latest rules, travel insurance, refund rights and more.
Important: This is a fast-changing situation. The info below is the best we have currently, but we'll be updating this guide. If you've a question that isn't covered below, please let us know at news@moneysavingexpert.com (though unfortunately we can't respond to every email).
Looking for other help? This guide focuses on travel, but also see:
- Coronavirus employees' help for the latest on the furlough scheme.
- Coronavirus self-employed help for the latest on support schemes.
- Coronavirus universal credit & benefits for info on help available.
- Coronavirus finance & bills for help with mortgages, rent, debts and bills.
- Coronavirus life in lockdown for help with shopping, weddings, MOTs etc.
Plus we've specific info on: Wedding cancellation rights & WFH tax reclaiming
As coronavirus cases have fallen, travel restrictions have begun to be gradually lifted. Travel within much of the UK is now allowed, and the Government has now confirmed overseas holidays can resume from 17 May for those in England (Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are able to set their own rules and we don't yet know when restrictions will be lifted there).
As restrictions ease, a new suite of rules is being put in place for English holidaymakers. You can jump to How the new traffic light system will work below – or read on.
Remember – even if the Government says it's okay to go abroad, there's no guarantee your destination will let you in (many currently won't) and there's still a huge amount of uncertainty as the rules could change unexpectedly. So before booking anything it's crucial to make sure you fully understand the financial risk, and book flexibly wherever possible.
The latest on UK and overseas travel restrictions
Travel restrictions vary depending on which part of the UK you're in. To find out the exact rules which apply in a given area, see the following Government websites for: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland - but here's a summary:
- England – self-contained holiday lets now open, overseas holidays to restart from 17 May. Stays in self-catering accomodation, as well as campsites, caravans, boats and second homes, have been allowed since 12 April. Hotels, as well as holiday lets for multiple households, are likely to reopen on 17 May.
You no longer need a reasonable excuse to leave England to travel to other parts of the UK, Jersey, Guernsey, the Isle of Man or the Republic of Ireland – but this does rely on the rules in these regions allowing people from England to enter, so check before booking.
Some overseas holidays will be allowed from 17 May, the Government has announced – see how the new 'traffic light' system will work for more info. In the meantime, if you travel abroad without a valid reason you could be fined £5,000.
- Scotland – holiday lets now open, but no set date for overseas holidays. As of 26 April, you can travel anywhere within Scotland, including for holidays. Overnight stays away from home in holiday lets and hotels are allowed – but limitations on indoor gatherings mean you can only stay in booked accommodation with members of your own household or extended household.
Scottish rules also allow unrestricted travel to England, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man – but you'll need to check those destinations' own rules for entry requirements and local restrictions before you go.
Travel between Scotland and the rest of the world is still not allowed unless you have a reasonable excuse. It remains unclear at this stage when this will change – though an announcement is expected soon.
- Wales – holiday lets now open, but no set date for overseas holidays. As of 12 April, Welsh residents are allowed to travel around the country and to the 'Common Travel Area (CTA)' of the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man and the Republic of Ireland – provided those regions allow entry.
Meanwhile, self-contained holiday accommodation in Wales, including hotels with en-suite facilities and room service (or that aren't serving food), have reopened to people from the same household or support bubble. The Welsh Government is yet to confirm when overseas holidays will be allowed.
- Northern Ireland – no news on when domestic or overseas holidays can resume. Those living in Northern Ireland are currently advised to 'stay local' – and only essential travel is allowed. As a result, overnight stays away from home for most are not allowed and there's no update yet on when holiday lets and hotels can reopen for non-essential visitors. You can only travel within the CTA or outside of it if you qualify for an exemption.
The Northern Irish government is yet to confirm whether it plans to follow the English Government's plans for overseas travel, though it has said the current coronavirus regulations will be reviewed on 13 May.
How the new traffic light system will work
While travel overseas remains banned for most, the Government confirmed on Friday that some international holidays for those in England can resume from 17 May. Countries will be placed in one of three categories, as set out below.
Note: The information below only applies to England for now. The Northern Irish, Scottish and Welsh Governments have yet to confirm they'll adopt the same system - we'll update this guide when we know more.
Traffic light system - a summary of the rules
| Category | Destinations on list | Rules on returning to England |
 Green |
Australia, Brunei, Falkland Islands, Faroe Islands, Gibraltar, Iceland, Israel and Jerusalem, New Zealand, Portugal (incl the Azores and Madeira),& Singapore, South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands, St Helena, Ascension & Tristan da Cunha | • Must take pre-departure test when returning • Must take polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test on or before day two of your arrival back to England • You WON'T need to quarantine on return, unless you get a positive result • Test packages must be booked before departure from one of the Government's approved list of providers |
 Amber |
All other destinations not on green or red lists - incl much of Europe | • Must take pre-departure test when returning • Must take PCR test on day two AND day eight after arriving • Must self-isolate for 10 days after arrival - can be at home • You can end self-isolation early on day five by taking an additional test • Test packages must be booked before departure from one of the Government's approved list of providers |
 Red |
Angola, Argentina, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Burundi, Cape Verde, Chile, Colombia, Congo (Democratic Republic), Ecuador, Eswatini, Ethiopia, French Guiana, Guyana, India, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Maldives (from 12 May), Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal (from 12 May), Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Qatar, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, South Africa, Suriname, Tanzania, Turkey (from 12 May), United Arab Emirates, Uruguay, Venezuela, Zambia, Zimbabwe | • Must take pre-departure test when returning • Must take PCR test on day two AND day eight after arriving • Must undergo 10 days of managed quarantine in a hotel, which could be pricey (currently in England single adult travellers are charged £1,750 for their stay). This must be booked before departure. |
The Government has said its traffic light lists are based on factors including the percentage of the country's population which has been vaccinated, the rate of infection, the prevalence of variants of concern, and the country’s access to reliable scientific data. A 'green watchlist' will also be introduced to help identify countries most at risk of moving from green to amber.
Crucially, the traffic light list above is subject to change. It will be reviewed every three weeks - and the Government's also said it will "not hesitate to act immediately" should the data show that countries' risk ratings have changed. The traffic light system itself will be formally reviewed by 28 June and then again no later than 31 July and 1 October.
Many countries have their own entry requirements or have banned Brits
It's important to note that the traffic light rules detailed above only dictate what you have to do on returning to England – so even if a country is on the green list above, you still need to check your destination's entry requirements and the UK Foreign Office advice for travelling there. Note that if the Foreign Office has advised against travel to your destination and you decide to go anyway, it could invalidate your travel insurance.
Countries across the globe have imposed various bans over the past year on Britons arriving from the UK. Australia, for example, has had a ban on travellers from the UK since the start of pandemic.
Even where there's no outright ban, there may be other restrictions in place – eg, you'll likely have to provide a negative coronavirus test and may have to quarantine on arrival. Check the Foreign Office website, as well as directly with the country itself for the latest before travelling – you can usually do this via its UK embassy website.
As restrictions ease, many will be considering booking an overseas holiday. But with millions of holidays cancelled as a result of the pandemic and ongoing uncertainty about the future, you may be concerned about what happens if you can't go.
Fear not. Whether you're looking at booking a new trip abroad – or you're trying to get a refund for a cancelled one – we've a round up of your rights below. (For help on your rights with UK trips, see our UK holiday bookings section below.)
Travel firms SHOULD refund you for cancelled trips – though many have dragged their feet
As a general rule, if you've paid for a trip and then the travel firm cancels, you should be due a refund. Yet that hasn't always proved easy with cancellations due to the pandemic. While coronavirus has been devastating across the travel industry, firms have been treating customers in very different ways – as shown by several major MoneySavingExpert.com (MSE) surveys we ran last year.
Even if some firms have previously been slow to refund customers though, your right to a refund is clear:
- With most cancelled flights, you're due a full refund within seven days. Most cancelled flights will fall under flight delay rules (which have been written into UK law, and cover all flights leaving the UK or EU as well as flights to the UK/EU on a UK/EU airline). These state you're entitled to choose between:
• EITHER a refund for the flight that was cancelled.
• OR an alternative flight (airlines call this re-routing) to your destination.
We've seen some airlines pushing customers towards getting a voucher instead, but you are absolutely entitled to a refund in this situation. In theory and according to the law this should also be paid in seven days, though aviation regulator the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) acknowledged it was "very challenging" for airlines to sort it that quickly at the height of the pandemic. While refund backlogs should now have been cleared, refunds may still take longer in the future if restrictions suddenly change and there's a spate of cancellations.
- With cancelled package holidays, you're due a full refund with 14 days. Package holidaymakers whose trips are cancelled are also entitled to all their money back under the Package Travel Regulations.
Technically you're due this refund within two weeks, but in practice it could be longer – the Chartered Trading Standards Institute previously told us that insisting on a 14-day turnaround could be tricky given the volume of refunds travel firms were grappling with. While most of these backlogs should now have been cleared, it may still be advisable to show forbearance and not push the law as far as it can technically go on the timescale. But the important thing is that you are due a refund.
With other travel bookings (hotels, car hire etc), the rules are less clear-cut but you SHOULD still get a refund. Generally speaking, if the service you have booked isn't provided, you should be refunded – and that's a principle the UK competition watchdog has clearly supported. Enforcing it may be tricky though, especially if the firm is abroad where local laws may be different to those in the UK – so there are no guarantees.
Some countries may require you to show a negative test result on arrival. If you've taken the test but the trip is then cancelled, you need to contact the provider you ordered the test from to see if it'll refund you - but there are no guarantees. If you've paid for the test but not yet taken it as your trip was cancelled, you may find providers are more willing to give refunds.
Struggling to get a refund? You can also try your card firm or insurer – though there are no guarantees
If you're having real difficulties getting the refund you're owed for a cancelled trip, there are other avenues you can try – though none are guaranteed to work:
- You may be able to claim from your card firm. If you paid by debit or credit card, you can also try getting money back via your card firm. Try claiming from your card provider under chargeback (or Section 75).
Under chargeback, which isn't a legal requirement, just a customer service promise, your bank will try to get money back from the bank of the firm you bought from – you can try it on debit card purchases and those which are less than £100. Alternatively, under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act, if you pay for something costing between £100 and £30,000 on a credit card, the card firm's equally liable if something goes wrong, so you may be able to claim. See full Section 75 and Chargeback info.
MSE founder Martin Lewis suggests you try chargeback first though: "Even if you actually have a credit card and qualify for Section 75, I wouldn't ask for that at this stage. I would ask for a chargeback. That's because under the chargeback process, which is part of the Visa, Mastercard or Amex rules, your bank is asking for money back from the holiday firm's bank, which your bank is unlikely to have an issue doing."
You can try speaking to your insurer... but it's tricky. Most travel insurers have told us if you're entitled to a refund from a firm you've booked with, you'll need to chase that firm for a refund rather than claim on your insurance. This also applies if you're offered a voucher when you're legally entitled to a cash refund.
Just because insurers say they won't accept your claims though, that doesn't mean there's no point trying. Insurers want to avoid paying out when they can and while you should seek a refund from the provider first when you're legally owed one, if you're really struggling ask your insurer if it can help – even if it's by goodwill. Plus if you are unhappy with your insurer's decision you can also take it to the independent arbitrator, the free Financial Ombudsman Service.
If all else fails, there's the legal route. Even though some insurers say you must do this before going to them, in practice this is probably the last resort – we've put it last because it could cost money, may be time-consuming and you'll need to weigh up seriously whether the sum you're chasing is worth it. How you do it will depend on what you're claiming for. A good first step may be to threaten court action in a letter – then you could end up having to file a county court claim online. See our Small Claims Court guide for full help.
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NB: Here we're only talking about trips which AREN'T cancelled by the firm you booked with. If your trip is cancelled, see above for full help on how to get a refund.
Important. Check refund policies and DON'T automatically rush to cancel your trip yourself
The table below goes through different airline, tour operator etc refund policies. If you can't go and you can get a refund, then simply claim that money back and you're done.
But if you're not certain to get a refund, and your trip has NOT been cancelled by the firm you booked with, don't make a rash decision and automatically cancel the trip yourself. That's because if it later cancels it (given how fluid the situation is, that may yet happen) you're due a refund so it's a bit of cat and mouse.
However, don't leave it too late and miss out on a voucher or the ability to change the ticket as there are often deadlines to invoke these policies. Even if there's a fee, that's better than losing all your money.
Remember, though – if you booked a cancellable hotel, or your airline lets you cancel for no charge, then you can cancel at will.
Unable to travel due to lockdown restrictions or is a border you want to cross closed? You may get a refund
We've an overview of the different scenarios, and what your travel firm or airline should do for you in each:
- Your trip's still going ahead but lockdown restrictions don't allow you to travel. General guidance from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) states that you should get a full refund if it would be illegal for you to use a booking - for example, if there's a full lockdown or 'stay at home' directive in place.
Yet this isn't a definitive interpretation of the law, and the CMA recently launched an investigation into airlines only offering vouchers not refunds in this scenario, so getting a refund may not always be plain sailing. Plus if you've flights that start in other countries, or hotels booked there, you're at the mercy of your travel provider and the country it's governed by.
- You can go on the trip but the country you're travelling to won't let you in. If your trip is still going ahead AND you can leave your region BUT the country you're going to won't let you in, then you're also at the mercy of your travel provider, although some are offering refunds (see the table below for more information).
Plus package travel regulations state if "unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances" occur which "significantly affect the performance of the package," you're due a full refund even if YOU cancel. So this may offer some protection if you can't get to your destination.
- You can leave the UK, and the overseas destination will let you in, but you simply don't want to travel. You're unlikely to get your money back as the provider is still offering the service you booked, unless you have a flexible flight and/or flexible or cancellable hotel booking.
If your flight or holiday is still running and you have travel insurance, it might cover you for trips where it's illegal for you to travel – but only if your policy covers coronavirus cancellation. This will usually only be the case if you took out the insurance and booked the trip before mid-March 2020, but check. If the trip or hotel was booked later, travel insurance is very unlikely to help you.
The same goes for those who simply change their mind – travel insurance won't cover this scenario regardless of when you took out the policy or booked the trip. See more in I've bought travel insurance – am I covered? below.
What are travel providers' cancellation and rebooking policies?
The table below covers the cancellation policies of major travel firms split into your rights when the firm cancels, your rights when you cancel due to travel restrictions, or your rights when you cancel despite being able to travel – this applies for usually inflexible tickets.
Be aware though that the situation is changing fast, so it's best to double-check with your travel provider directly before making any decisions:
Travel firm cancellation and rebooking rights
| Travel firm | Refund policy if firm cancels | Refund policy if you cancel due to travel restrictions | Refund policy if you cancel but no restrictions in place |
| Airbnb | Full refund | Full refund if you cancel 24hrs+ before check-in if host has 'flexible' policy or 5 days+ before check-in if 'moderate flexibility'. Cancellation fees apply with other policies. | |
| British Airways | Some flights cancelled until late summer (check yours here) - full refund, voucher or rebooking | Until check-in closes you can claim voucher valid until Apr 23 if you booked from 3 Mar 20 for flights before 30 Apr 22 | |
| Easyjet | All hols cancelled until mid-May - full refund, voucher or rebooking | Currently, for those affected by lockdown restrictions: full refund, voucher or rebooking | Cancellation fees may apply |
| Eurostar | Full refund | For journeys up to 30 Sept 2021, you can rearrange your trip without paying an exchange fee up to 7 full days before departure (but must pay any difference in fare) | |
| Hoseasons | Refund or voucher where accommodation must close | We've asked and will update when we know more | We've asked and will update when we know more |
| Jet2 | All flights and hols up to 23 June 21 cancelled - full refund | Cancellation fees may apply | Cancellation fees apply |
| Logan Air | Full refund or rebooking | Full refund or fee-free rebooking (but must pay any difference in fare) | Cancellation fees may apply |
| Loveholidays | Full refund, credit note or trip amendment
|
If country is closed, full refund, credit note or trip amendment due. If you cancel due to quarantining on return cancellation fees may apply | Changes and cancellations subject to usual T&C |
| Ryanair | Full refund or rebooking | We've asked and will update when we know more | We've asked and will update when we know more |
| Tui | Not operating holidays departing from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland up to and including 16 May - full refund or rebooking | Full refund or rebooking |
Change fee-free up until 28 days before original departure date if the booking is due to take place before 31 July 2021 OR between 1 Aug 2021 and 31 Oct 2021, if booking was made on or after 10 Feb 2021 |
| Virgin Atlantic | Full refund, voucher or rebooking | Custs who booked up to and including 5 Feb 21 have the option to two free date changes and one free name change. For new bookings, or if you are affected by a cancelled flight up until 31 Aug 21, you can make as many date changes as necessary with no service fee, all the way until 30 Apr 23. | |
The information in this table is constantly changing. This was the situation when we last checked on 14 April 2021.
When it comes to car hire, we checked the websites of several major car hire firms and saw that Avis and Budget say that bookings can be cancelled for free. If you've already paid, you can get a full refund if you cancel up to 24 hours before the day your rental was due to begin (though fees will be deducted from your refund if you cancel within 24 hours or don't show up). If you were due to pay on collection, you can cancel right up to the time your rental was set to start.
What if the Foreign Office advises against travel?
Between March and July 2020, the Foreign Office warned against all non-essential travel overseas. That blanket warning has now been lifted for some countries, but it remains in place for others – though this won't make a difference for most at the moment, as lockdown restrictions across most of the UK ban overseas holidays.
As well as being a useful safety guide, Foreign Office warnings are important in the following scenarios:
- Package holiday firms should refund you if there's a Foreign Office warning. If a Foreign Office warning is put in place under the Package Travel Regulations, you SHOULD be able to get a refund within 14 days – even if the trip's not been cancelled – but always check first with the firm before you cancel.
- If you travel when there is a Foreign Office warning, most travel insurance becomes totally invalid. This applies even for non-Covid issues as the whole policy is usually invalid. As there are some exceptions, do check.
Can I get a refund if I need to quarantine on arrival at my destination?
If the country you're going to insists you must quarantine for a certain amount of time on arrival, it's unlikely that airlines or hotels will offer a refund if they're open and running services. You also won't be able to use credit or debit card protection, because the service is still available.
However, if you've a package holiday, you MAY be able to get a refund from the travel firm. Where the destination country puts a mandatory quarantine in place for all arrivals, this could be considered a 'significant change' to your holiday. Package travel association ABTA says travel companies should offer an alternative or a full refund in those circumstances.
What if I can't or don't want to go because I have to quarantine on my return?
We've previously been asked by users if they'll legally be able to get a refund on travel abroad (for example, a flight or package holiday) if they are unable or unwilling to quarantine on their return to the UK, and are therefore unable to take their trip. The short answer is no, as the company would not have to refund you for your disinclination to travel – though some firms may agree to help out, so it's worth asking.
Your travel insurance is also unlikely to cover you if you have to quarantine in a hotel on return to the UK. However, insurance trade body the Association of British Insurers says you should ask your insurer directly to be certain, as some insurers may consider exemptions if you will be disproportionately affected – eg, if having to quarantine on your return will affect your employment.
Similarly, if a country moves from the green list to the amber or red lists in the new traffic light system, it's unlikely that you'll be able to claim a refund from travel firms or your travel insurer, as the change wouldn't impact the delivery of your holiday – only what happens when you get back. However, if your destination is reclassified, it's possible your travel provider may choose to cancel your booking itself – in the event this happens, the normal rules on cancellations would apply.
The Government has also said it will maintain a 'green watchlist' as part of the traffic light system to help identify countries most at risk of moving from green to amber, which could provide an added bit of certainty when booking – though it remains to be seen how this will work in practice, particularly as it's also said it "will not hesitate" to act immediately if a country's risk rating changes.
What if I'm stuck abroad?
With some countries around the world banning Brits and operators cancelling travel services, it may mean some UK households have been stranded abroad. We round up your rights in this scenario.
How do I get home?
If your flight home is cancelled and it's leaving from the UK or an EU country or it's to the UK/EU on a UK/EU airline, then the operator must get you home by any means at the earliest opportunity. If your flight doesn't fall within this scope, you're at the mercy of the rules of your flight operator.
For those on a package holiday, there is also an obligation on providers to arrange for you to get home, but this won't necessarily be as soon as possible.
For travel by any other means, contact your provider. If you're struggling to get help, you can also try contacting the UK embassy in the country for assistance.
Will free accommodation be provided?
If you're stranded due to a cancelled flight which is leaving a UK or EU country or it's to the UK/EU on a UK/EU airline then your airline must pay to put you up in the meantime, although you may need to pay and later claim this back. Keep hold of receipts and only expect reasonable costs to be reimbursed. If your flight doesn't fall within this scope, check with the airline if it's responsible.
For package holidays, trade body ABTA says providers are only obliged to put you up for three nights if your return trip is cancelled.
For travel by any other means, contact your provider. If you're struggling to get help, you can also try contacting the UK embassy in the country for assistance.
Can I claim these costs on my insurance?
If you're abroad for longer than planned due to your return journey being disrupted by travel bans, insurers we spoke to said your cover would be extended.
But while this means you'll continue to be covered under the usual terms of your insurance – so for example, you should be able to claim for emergency medical expenses – insurers we spoke to said you won't be covered for extra costs incurred by having to stay longer, such as extra accommodation or travel.
It's still worth checking with your insurer – but most policies won't cover you for coronavirus-related cancellation if you took out the insurance and booked your trip after mid-March 2020. As insurance only covers unknown events, that's the period most classed the pandemic as a known event.
With ongoing uncertainty around overseas travel, many are looking closer to home for their holidays.
But with some restrictions still in place across the UK, and the theoretical possibility others could be reinstated if there were to be another wave of cases, staycations aren't exactly a sure thing either.
So if you're considering booking a break elsewhere in the UK, or you’ve had one cancelled, we've set out what you need to know about getting a refund below.
(Also, check out our UK Travel Insurance guide to see if buying cover for your staycation is worth it.)
Important. The situation in different areas is changing rapidly and at short notice, so it's good practice to check the latest rules for yourself before taking any action.
If your holiday firm cancels your trip, you're likely due a full refund
As with overseas holidays, a key factor in whether you're owed a refund for a UK trip is whether your holiday firm has cancelled your booking. If yours does, then in simple terms you're likely due a full refund – and if you don't get one, you should fight for it.
If you've booked a package holiday then under the Package Travel Regulations you are entitled to get all your money back within two weeks of any cancellation. But even if it's not a package, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) says as a general rule firms MUST offer cash refunds for cancellations due to coronavirus. So if your holiday or accommodation booking is cancelled, you're likely due a full refund and should ask for one if it's not offered.
While it's less of a concern at the moment as restrictions on UK holidays have been lifted for many, it remains unclear whether firms are obliged to proactively cancel bookings where holidays are against the law – for example, if a strict lockdown or 'stay at home' directive were to be reimposed. We're checking and will update this guide when we know more. In the meantime, it's best to check directly with your travel firm whether it would offer a refund in those circumstances (though remember to check the small print for any specific exclusions as well).
Holiday not cancelled? Your refund rights depend on what lockdown rules are in place at the time of your trip
Things are more complex if your holiday is running and your accommodation is open but you're unable to go due to lockdown restrictions either at your holiday destination or in your local area. The key to your rights here is the legal status of the restrictions which are stopping you travelling:
If travel's illegal under coronavirus rules, you're likely due a full refund
The good news is in this situation the CMA says you should expect a full refund. Its guidance states that consumers should get their money back if they're not provided with a service due to lockdown laws, or can't access what they paid for "because, for example, lockdown laws in the UK or abroad have made it illegal to receive or use the goods or service". This would apply both to not being able to leave their area or to get to an area where the accommodation is based - and it will apply in the majority of cases due to current lockdown restrictions across different areas of the UK.
It's important to note however that CMA guidance isn't a definitive interpretation of the law, and this is a new scenario which hasn't been tested – so while you can direct your holiday accommodation provider to the guidance, complain to the CMA or even pursue legal action, there are no guarantees.
If travel's advised against but not illegal, your refund rights are less clear
If your trip is to or from a part of the UK where travel is advised against but not illegal, things could be more complicated.
Unfortunately, in this situation you may find it more difficult to get your money back if you decide not to travel. The CMA's guidance says if the restrictions which prevent a service being used aren't legal restrictions, it's not clear whether a consumer would be entitled to a full refund.
This doesn't mean you're definitely not entitled to a refund. The CMA says if a consumer would be at serious risk if they went ahead with a contract (such as a holiday booking) against Government guidance, the contract could be deemed to have been "frustrated" – in which case you could be owed a full refund. But it's much murkier – and again, you need to remember these are untested situations and ultimately only a court can decide how the law applies in different scenarios.
The best bet is to speak to your holiday or accommodation provider and ask what it'll offer. You may be able to cancel under your usual terms and conditions, or ask for more flexibility such as a date change. If you can't come to an agreement you're both happy with, you'll need to weigh up how hard to push for a refund. You can try the steps we outline above, but there are no guarantees and you may be less likely to have success if your trip isn't technically forbidden by law.
If you're still allowed to travel but decide not to go, you've no automatic right to a refund
If you are still permitted to go on your holiday under official restrictions and guidance, it's important to understand you don't have any automatic right to a refund if you choose not to go.
If your holiday's still on or the hotel's still open, your refund rights will simply depend on the terms and conditions you agreed to when you booked. Of course, these may still let you cancel for free or move your trip, and some firms are also offering extra flexibility to all their customers at the moment due to coronavirus, so it's still worth checking what your options are.
What if I've booked a trip for multiple households?
If your holiday is to and from a permitted area, but would break the rules because the travellers are from multiple households, CMA guidance suggests you'd be owed a refund (though it's not completely clear-cut and there are no guarantees).
When we checked back in September, all the major UK firms we've spoken to said they would pay out – see more details in our Social gatherings of more than six banned – your refund rights MSE News story.
The long and the short of it is that if you've booked a holiday, or taken out travel insurance since March 2020, then you're almost certainly not covered if your holiday's cancelled due to coronavirus. This is because coronavirus became a "known event" and insurance is usually only there to protect from unexpected events.
So whether you need to cancel because you can't legally travel due to a local tier restriction or lockdown, or whether the Foreign Office has banned travel to your intended destination, the result is the same – you're very unlikely to be able to claim on your travel insurance.
However, there are still a couple of scenarios where your travel insurer may still offer some level of cover:
- You or a family member get coronavirus before you're due to go. Some policies still cover coronavirus medically, and will pay out if you (or a family member or travelling companion) catch coronavirus and therefore can't go on holiday.
- You booked both the holiday and the insurance before March 2020. If this is the case, your travel insurance should still cover you, as both were booked before the pandemic was deemed a known event. However, you will be expected to seek refunds from your airline or travel firm first.
If you do have insurance, it's really only the coronavirus cover that has changed. Normal reasons to cancel a holiday, such as bereavement, illness, accident or redundancy, for example, should still be covered as normal (provided you're legally allowed to travel to your chosen destination).
If you're not sure what you're covered for, read your policy and ask your insurer. It should be able to advise you if you have a claim or not. If you're convinced you do, but it's turned down your claim or not treated you fairly, we've help in the questions below about what you can do.
Need travel insurance for an upcoming trip?
If you're booking trips for the future, see our Cheap Travel Insurance guide. All our current top picks cover you if you catch coronavirus on holiday and need medical help, and many cover cancellation if you can't go because you catch it in the days before your trip. We also have a few picks which let you add cover to travel against Foreign Office advice.
Quick travel insurance questions
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If you are one of the many who had to postpone your 2020 holiday and rearrange it for 2021, you might find that you can still use your current travel insurance policy. To move the insurance dates, or extend your annual travel insurance policy, you will need get in touch with your insurer. But in short:
- If you have a single trip policy, you may still be covered if you take the holiday within a year of the original travel date. For single-trip policies, the rearranged holiday would need to be within 365 days of the original departure date to do this.
- Got an annual policy? You might be able to extend it by up to three months. There is some flexibility for annual travel insurance policies, with many insurers giving the option to suspend the policy for three months, or get an extra three months of cover. For example, if you moved your holiday to February next year, and your travel insurance policy ends December 2020, you might be able to extend it to March next year.
- It won't cost you anything as long as your holiday is like-for-like, just at a different date. If your rearranged holiday is to a new destination seen as 'riskier', or for a longer trip, it is likely you will be asked to pay extra, eg, if you decide to swap your week in Spain for 10 days in South Africa.
- Your cover stays the same except for the coronavirus cover. While your original travel insurance policy might have included cancellation cover if the Foreign Office advice was not to travel due to coronavirus, it is likely you will lose this cover for any extension period of an annual policy or a rearranged single-trip policy. But you should still be covered if you need to cancel because you or a family member is diagnosed with coronavirus before you go (many give this, but not all). Plus when you are on holiday, you will still have medical cover, including repatriation, if you need medical help abroad due to coronavirus.
Everything else will stay the same – so, for instance, if you were to break your arm, be made redundant or suffer a bereavement before travel, your usual cover will remain in place.
- You can ONLY move your policy if it's due to Foreign Office advice or travel disruptions (eg, local lockdown). If your holiday has been rearranged because you no longer want to go this year, it may not be possible to change the insurance dates (as it will be viewed as disinclination to travel), but it is always worth asking.
- If you can't extend it, you might be able to get a refund instead. Many travel insurers are now offering pro-rata refunds to customers who've ruled out travelling due to coronavirus and want to cancel their policy. But you'll need to request a refund to get one – and should only do this if you're certain you no longer need the cover. Importantly, you can only do this if you haven't already made a claim on your policy. For more, see our Can I get a refund? section.
Here is a table showing what some insurers will let you do if you need to move your holiday because your original holiday has been cancelled. If your insurer is not listed, and you have feedback to share, let us know.
Which insurers will let you change your policy to your new travel dates?
Single-trip policy Annual-trip policy AllClear Yes Yes (1) Axa Yes No Churchill Yes No Cover4You Yes Yes (2) Coverwise Yes No Direct Line Yes No Insurefor.com Yes Yes Leisure Guard (3) Yes Yes LV Yes No Saga
Yes Yes Trailfinders Yes Yes (1) If purchased from 1 Jan - 14 Jul 2020, a three-month extension is added. The extension will also apply for renewing customers up until 10 Aug 2020.
(2) Three-month extension request ends 31 Jul 2020.(3) Applicable to Leisure Guard policies purchased before 18 Jun 2020.
- If you have a single trip policy, you may still be covered if you take the holiday within a year of the original travel date. For single-trip policies, the rearranged holiday would need to be within 365 days of the original departure date to do this.
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