Coronavirus Travel Rights
Holiday refunds, travel insurance cover and more
The Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic has devastated travel around the globe, and brought overseas holidays to a halt. Earlier this summer, the Government did lift some travel restrictions, but sadly advice against travel to many countries has now been reinstated, while local restrictions are now also affecting holidays in the UK and those living in Wales can't go on holiday at all from Friday. To help, we've been working flat out to answer your questions on travel insurance, cancellations, refunds 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 daily. 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).
In this guide
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) issues advice to UK nationals on where it's safe to travel abroad. As well as being a useful safety guide, this can sometimes determine whether or not you're able to get a refund or insurance payout if you're due to travel to specific locations.
When the coronavirus outbreak first spread, the FCO began gradually warning against travel to certain countries, and between March and July it advised against all but essential travel to ALL overseas destinations. Since 4 July 2020, that warning has been lifted for some countries – though as we explain below, for many countries, including Belgium, France, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands, restrictions have now been reinstated.
FCO advice isn't the only consideration when working out where you can go. Quarantine requirements for those returning to the UK are an important consideration – those arriving from many destinations must still self-isolate for two weeks, which may make travelling impractical. And it's also important to be aware of other countries' entry restrictions – for example, the FCO has no warning in place for Australia, yet Brits are still not allowed to enter the country.
New. From Friday, all travel from Wales is banned for two weeks
Local restrictions being introduced here in the UK could also affect whether you're able to go on holiday abroad. For example, as part of the Welsh "firebreak" lockdown which starts on Friday, those who live in Wales won't be allowed to go on holiday in Wales, in the rest of the UK or overseas until Monday 9 November.
For more, see UK holiday restrictions tighten below.
Quick questions
Many restrictions have been reinstated, including for Spain and France
In early July it looked like travel was gradually opening up, yet as coronavirus cases have surged again across Europe, travel restrictions have been reimposed for a number of destinations, including Andorra, Austria, the Bahamas, Belgium, Croatia, Curacao, the Czech Republic, France, Guadeloupe, Jamaica, Luxembourg, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, mainland Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain (though England and Scotland are allowing travellers from the Canaries from 4am on Sunday 25 October), Switzerland, Turkey and Trinidad & Tobago:
- The Foreign Office is now advising against all but essential travel to all these countries.
- Anyone arriving from these countries must self-isolate for 14 days. This includes returning UK holidaymakers.
- Brits currently overseas AREN'T being advised to return immediately. So you don't need to cut your holiday short.
What are my rights if I've booked travel and restrictions are bought back in?
Coronavirus has resulted in millions of cancelled holidays – and airlines and travel firms are still cancelling many trips, even though some travel restrictions have been lifted.
In this situation, your first step should be to try and get a full refund from the travel firm – though that is proving tough for some in practice.
If you're struggling, you can also try to get money back from your card firm, if you booked with a debit or credit card, or your travel insurer. We've full help on what to try below.
Travel firms SHOULD refund you for cancelled trips – though many are dragging 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 a major MoneySavingExpert.com survey.
Even if some firms are being 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 EU flight delay rules (which still apply this year despite Brexit, 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 has acknowledged current circumstances are making it "very challenging" for airlines to sort it that quickly – and in practice, it's likely to take longer right now.
- 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 at the moment it's likely to take longer – and the Chartered Trading Standards Institute has told us insisting on a 14-day turnaround may be tricky at the moment, given the volume of refunds travel firms are grappling with at the moment. So it may 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 specific but you SHOULD still get a refund. While flight refunds are covered by EU rules and package holidays by the Package Travel Regulations, there aren't such specific rules with such clear timescales for other travel bookings, such as car hire or hotels.
Generally speaking, if the service you have booked isn't provided, you should be refunded – and that's a principle the 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.
Struggling to get a refund? You may also be able to claim from your card firm
If you're really struggling to get cash back from the firm you booked with, 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 your money back from it. See our Section 75 and Chargeback guides for full 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 that if you're entitled to a refund from a firm you've booked with, you'll generally need to chase that firm for a refund rather than trying to claim on your insurance.
For example, Planet Earth told us that customers would have to pursue their request of a refund from their travel company all the way, even if this entailed taking the legal route. Similarly, Leisure Guard told us that customers should pursue all routes, including claiming from their card provider under Section 75 if possible. This also applies if you're offered a voucher, rather than cash, when you're legally entitled to a cash refund.
It's worth noting though that just because insurers say they won't accept your claims, that doesn't mean there's no point in trying. Insurers want to avoid paying out when they can and while it is correct that you should seek a refund from the provider first when you're legally owed one, if you're really struggling it may be worth contacting your insurer and seeing if it'll help you – even if it's by goodwill. If you've had success claiming on your insurance in this way, please let us know at news@moneysavingexpert.com.
If all else fails, there's the legal route
If all else fails, you could choose to pursue your holiday firm via 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 make a legal challenge will vary depending on what your 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.
My child's school trip has been cancelled – how can I get a refund?
We've heard from lots of parents who've paid for their children to go on school trips via with specialist providers like PGL and NST, which of course haven't gone ahead due to coronavirus travel restrictions. Some have been left £100s out of pocket and are unsure where to go for a refund.
This is a really difficult issue and answers aren't clear-cut. Below we've set out the latest info we have and what you can try to get your money back – plus the issues facing schools. We'll continue to update this. If you've been affected and have got money back another way, or if you've questions that we've not covered, let us know at news@moneysavingexpert.com.
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If you've booked a future trip and it's NOT been cancelled by the firm you booked with, then your rights are more complicated – it depends to some extent on what travel restrictions are in place and what insurance cover you have.
NB: Here we're only talking about trips which HAVEN'T been cancelled by the firm you booked with. If your trip has been cancelled, see above for full help on how to get a refund.
Important. DON'T rush to cancel your trip yourself
If you're trying to shore up plans, and thinking of cancelling as 'it won't happen' or 'I won't go anyway', be careful. Unless your travel firm or airline has a generous cancellation policy, if you choose to cancel, that's known as 'disinclination to travel' and you aren't entitled to money back from the firm – or your insurer.
Instead, wait for the holiday firm to cancel and, if it does, you're due a refund. Even if it doesn't cancel, if the Foreign Office still advises against travel to your destination when you're due to travel, as long as you bought insurance before coronavirus became a 'known event' on 13 March 2020, most will cover you.
Yet even if you don't get a refund from either route above, you're likely no worse cancelling later as opposed to now.
However, if you're definite you won't go, ask the airline or travel firm to move the date or give you a voucher. It doesn't have to, but some are being flexible, and there's no harm in asking.
Package holiday not cancelled when there's an FCO warning in place? You SHOULD still get a refund from the operator
With package holidays, if a Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) warning is put in place (as has now happened in Spain and France) under the Package Travel Regulations you SHOULD be able to get a refund within 14 days – even if the trip's not been cancelled.
The rules state if "unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances" occur which "significantly affect the performance of the package", you're due a full refund if YOU cancel. And while they don't specifically state that an FCO warning would count as one of these circumstances – though they do give as an example "the outbreak of a serious disease at the travel destination" – in practice travel trade body ABTA says firms MUST refund you if the FCO warns against travel and you can't be given a holiday without "significant change".
So you should be able to get a full refund, but always check first with the firm before you cancel.
If your holiday's not been cancelled but travel restrictions are in place, you MAY be able to claim on insurance
Between March and July, the FCO had warned against all non-essential travel overseas. That warning has now been lifted for some countries, but it remains in place for others.
As well as being a useful safety guide, FCO warnings are important as they're usually the key trigger that travel insurers often use to determine whether or not your policy will pay out if you have to cancel a holiday booked before the warning was put into place.
If your flight or holiday is still running and you have insurance, it may cover you (though as explained above, for a package holiday it's worth going to the firm first). If an FCO warning is in place for your destination at the time you're due to travel, you're likely to be able to claim on insurance if your policy covers coronavirus cancellation – this will usually be the case if you took out the insurance and booked the trip before mid-March, though this is not the case for all policies, so check. See more in I've bought travel insurance – am I covered? below.
Sadly, if you have no insurance, or you either booked the holiday or bought insurance after mid-March, you're unlikely to get anything back.
Of course, for many the relaxation of Government travel restrictions will be good news as it means you'll be more likely to travel as planned. But if you still don't want to travel – for example, because there are quarantine requirements or you're still worried about safety – your chances of a refund may be less.
What if the country I'm going to says I can't come in or I have to quarantine?
Some travellers are now facing another dilemma – the UK Government says they can travel, yet the country they're going to won't let them in or insists they must quarantine for a certain amount of time on arrival.
If you do need to quarantine when you get to your holiday destination, it's unlikely 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.
So if you don't want to go, you'll likely have to see if you're covered on your travel insurance. But it'll depend on the policy you have and who it's with, as answers vary. For example, Direct Line told us it would offer cover if you bought the policy before 13 March 2020, Planet Earth said it would assess things on a "case-by-case" basis, while Admiral said you wouldn't be covered.
New. I'm affected by the Welsh lockdown – will my insurer pay out?
A two-week lockdown is taking place in Wales running from 6pm on Friday 23 October.
Travelling out of Wales for a holiday is not permitted under the regulations and the Welsh Government is advising travellers to contact their holiday provider if they can't travel and want a refund.
If your travel provider won't refund you, you'll have to go to your insurer. Whether you'll get your money back depends on your specific insurer.
For example, Planet Earth told us it wouldn't cover you in this scenario, while Admiral, Churchill and Direct Line said customers would be covered as long as they booked the trip and the insurance before the pandemic became a known event in mid-March.
What if I have to quarantine on return to the UK?
Since 8 June 2020, travellers arriving in the UK from some overseas destinations have needed to self-isolate for 14 days.
We've been asked by several users if they'll legally be able to get a refund on travel abroad (for example, a flight or package holiday) if they were unable or unwilling to quarantine for two weeks on their return, and therefore were unable to take the 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.
Quick questions
My trip's still running but I don't want to go – can I cancel and get a refund?
To be eligible for a refund, it's usually the case that the firm needs to cancel the booking rather than you doing it, as if you cancel, unfortunately there's no guarantee you'll get a refund. Plus, you're unlikely to be covered by travel insurance, providers of which would usually regard you cancelling as a 'disinclination to travel'.
There are a few exceptions to this though. For example, if you booked a package to attend a specific event which has now been cancelled, such as the 2020 Olympics, then under the Package Travel Regulations this may count as a "significant change" and so you may be entitled to a refund.
Of course, what constitutes a "significant change" is slightly ambiguous, so if you feel you won't be getting the same holiday you paid for and no longer want to travel as a result, it's worth requesting a refund and seeing how you get on.
Quick questions
Some airlines, hotels and other travel firms WILL now let you cancel or rebook
It's worth checking directly with your airline or hotel even if your original booking was on a non-refundable basis, as some have started to introduce special cancellation or rebooking policies to help those affected by coronavirus. And even where firms haven't introduced special policies, it's worth asking anyway if there's any flexibility, as in some cases they'll be willing to let you cancel or rebook.
Beware though – even where there's flexibility, you may have to give notice to cancel or rebook, as some firms charge fees for last-minute changes.
Here's what firms have told us they're doing (although this changes regularly, so you'll need to check with companies directly for the most up-to-date information).
Airline cancellation and rebooking rights
| Airline (and link to full info) | Cancellation and rebooking policy |
| British Airways | Can cancel any booking made after 3 Mar 2020 and due to take place before 31 Aug 2021 and get voucher valid for 2yrs. No late notice fees apply – see BA update below |
| Easyjet | Has temporarily waived flight change fees for bookings 14+ days away – so anyone with an existing booking can move it to another date if they give notice. A £5 fee applies if making the change over the phone |
| Jet2 | No refund if you cancel. £35 fee to change date |
| Norwegian | Costs may be involved in changing your booking, unless it's a Flex or Premium Flex booking |
| Ryanair | From 10 Jun 2020, no change fee if you move Jul and Aug bookings up until 31 Dec 2020, so long as you give at least seven days' notice. From 17 Jul 2020, no change fee if you move Sep bookings up until 31 Dec 2020 – same notice applies |
| Virgin Atlantic | Customers who make bookings before 31 Dec 2020, for travel all the way up to 31 Aug 2021, will face no change fees (for up to two changes or one name change) if they choose to amend the booking. Can rebook to travel anytime before 31 Dec 2022 |
Hotel and package holiday cancellation and rebooking rights
| Company (and link to full info) | Cancellation and rebooking policy |
| Accor | Guests who booked a non-flex rate direct for travel until 31 Dec 2020 can change booking without fees |
| Airbnb | Reservations for stays and Airbnb Experiences made on or before 14 Mar 2020, with a check-in date between 14 Mar and 15 Oct 2020, can be cancelled before check-in |
| Best Western | No specific details – says its hotels, which are independently owned, have been encouraged to show "empathy and flexibility" |
| Jet2 Holidays | Costs involved if you cancel |
| Marriott International | Existing reservations for future arrival dates will have the same reservation policies as when the booking was made. For new reservations made from 6 Jul 2020 with an arrival date on or before 30 Dec 2020, bookings can be changed or cancelled with no charge up to 24 hours before the scheduled arrival date |
| Tui | Customers can amend hols for free if they contract Covid-19 beforehand, and will be covered for an extended stay and new flight home if asked to quarantine at their destination. Tui will contact you if there's a "significant change" to your holiday |
BA's letting many cancel flights in exchange for a voucher – but think carefully before accepting
British Airways is now allowing anyone who has a flight booked which is due to depart up until the end of October 2020 to cancel it for free and claim a voucher for its value to be used on future bookings. (If you've booked since 3 March 2020, you can do this for flights due to depart up until 30 August 2021.)
You'll be able to use the voucher on flights which depart up until 30 April 2022. (For full info, see the BA website).
It's important to be aware that if BA cancels a flight, you're legally due a full refund. Yet if you voluntarily agree to a voucher for a non-cancelled flight, BA has confirmed you lose your right to a refund.
So if your flight is still currently set to go ahead, you'll need to weigh up whether you want to ask for a voucher now or wait to see if it's cancelled later on, meaning you could ask for a cash refund.
While BA says it tries to give customers as much notice as possible if their flight's cancelled, at the moment its schedules are constantly under review and whether your flight goes ahead will depend on a range of factors, including different countries' travelling restrictions – so there's no definite timeframe for when you'll find out if your flight's been cancelled.
However, BA says you can request a voucher right up until check-in for your scheduled flight closes. So if you don't want to travel and would prefer a cash refund, you could wait to see what happens to your flight – if it isn't cancelled and you're not owed cash, you can still request a voucher.
For BA loyalists who can afford to, taking a voucher is a decent thing to do. Plus if you may choose not to travel anyway, even if the flight's on and your destination's not covered by Foreign Office warnings, this offers extra flexibility. And as these are price-based vouchers, not vouchers for identical flights, if you'd booked expensive peak-season flights and now want to rebook to a cheaper time or destination, there could be a real advantage in going for the vouchers.
But it cuts both ways. There's no guarantee you'll get a decent deal if you rebook, and you could be better off flying with another airline – so for many, taking cash may make more financial sense.
Passport at or nearing expiry? Renew it ASAP
The Passport Office is warning, understandably, that renewing is taking longer than the usual three weeks.
We're hearing reports that at the extreme, some are taking three months or more, while Fast Track face-to-face services are suspended – and the Government's now admitted there's a backlog of more than 400,000 passport applications.
This is causing a lot of stress to those with upcoming travel booked, as Tracy emailed: "Been waiting 13 weeks. Now looks like our holiday will have to be cancelled, costing us £1,000s." And 'no passport' isn't covered on most travel insurance policies.
But the Government's now introduced a new five-day fast-tracked service to help those due to travel in the next fortnight whose passports have been delayed – so if you're set to go abroad imminently, you can ring the Passport Office on 0300 222 0000 to discuss the situation and ask for your application to be fast-tracked.
What if a family member or I get coronavirus before/during our trip?
Some travel insurance policies will cover you in this scenario – though it depends what policy you have and when you took it out/booked your trip.
If you bought insurance and booked the trip before mid-March, it's likely you'll be covered for cancellation, though check. Equally, many newer insurance policies offer coronavirus medical cover – so you're protected if you catch coronavirus while travelling, or if you or a family member get coronavirus before travelling and can't go on your trip.
However, don't assume you're covered – you'll need to check. See more in our Cheap Travel Insurance guide.
Am I covered if I miss my holiday because the area where I live has entered into a localised lockdown?
If you live in an area which has been ordered into a local lockdown (as has now happened across several areas), then you may be required to stay at home if the Government advises against all but essential travel to, from and within the area. That means if you had an overseas trip booked during this period, you wouldn't be able to go.
Unfortunately, in this situation you've no special refund rights with your travel firm, so if the flight's still running and your accommodation's open, you won't be automatically due a refund – but your travel provider may offer you some flexibility if you explain the situation.
Your first step in this case would be to speak to your airline, hotel or package provider and ask if you could postpone the trip to a later date, or cancel it and get a refund. However, if your trip's still running, ultimately your rights depend on what terms you booked the trip on, and the cancellation and refund policies of the travel firm.
You MAY be able to claim on travel insurance if there's a local lockdown
If you don't have success with your travel provider(s), you may be able to claim on travel insurance.
If you took out your travel insurance or booked the trip after the pandemic was officially declared, it's likely you won't be covered as coronavirus will be considered a 'known event'.
But if you booked and bought travel insurance before this, then whether you're covered will likely depend on the details of your policy, including whether it excludes coronavirus cancellations and whether it includes travel disruption cover. We're speaking to a number of insurers to find out what cover they're offering in this scenario, and will update this guide when we hear back.
Note that if you travel anyway despite the local lockdown, you may risk invalidating your policy cover as your policy may insist that you abide by Government advice.
With overseas travel significantly disrupted, many will have chosen to book a holiday within the UK this autumn – and half-term is fast approaching for many schools. But in recent few weeks we've seen lockdown rules across much of the UK rapidly tightened, with a new 'tier' alert system in England and upcoming 'fire-break' lockdown across Wales – leaving many wondering if they can still travel, and if not, what their rights to a refund are.
Important. The situation in different areas is changing rapidly, so do check the latest rules for yourself before taking any action.
How 'tiers' and new lockdown rules affect UK travel
Whether you're allowed to travel depends on the rules where you are and where you're going, plus how many of you are going (see multiple household restrictions below), so this can get complicated. To find out what restrictions apply in a given area, check the Gov.uk website – here are the key need-to-knows:
- Holidays in Wales are completely banned from Friday. This blanket restriction is part of Wales' 'fire-break' lockdown, which applies from Friday 23 October to Monday 9 November. However, until Friday the rules are more complicated. You can't holiday in the 17 areas of Wales which are in local lockdown – including Cardiff and Swansea – regardless of where you're travelling from, and can't holiday in ANY part of Wales if from a "high-risk area", which includes tier two and three areas of England, the central belt of Scotland and Northern Ireland.
- If you live in Wales, you can't holiday ANYWHERE from Friday. Again, this restriction is part of the 'fire-break' lockdown running from Friday 23 October to Monday 9 November – you can't holiday within Wales, elsewhere in the UK or overseas. Until Friday though, the rules depend on which part of Wales you live in – in short, you can't go on holiday if you're in a local lockdown area.
- Travel is not advised to or from areas in England with 'tier three' restrictions, or central Scotland – but it's NOT against the law. The Government says people should "avoid" travelling into or out of parts of England with tier three restrictions – which currently includes Liverpool and Lancashire – except for purposes such as work, education or caring responsibilities. This means you shouldn't holiday in a tier three area, or holiday elsewhere if you live in a tier three zone – though this is currently guidance rather than a legal restriction.
Similarly, the Scottish Government says people living in the five central belt health board areas – Lothian, Lanarkshire, Forth Valley, Ayrshire & Arran and Greater Glasgow & Clyde – are "advised" not to travel outside of their own area unless they need to. And similarly, it says that those who live elsewhere shouldn't visit these areas unless they need to – though again, these aren't currently mandatory travel restrictions.
- You CAN travel to or from other parts of Scotland, or areas in England under 'tier two' restrictions – but only with your household or support bubble. Large areas of England, including Leeds, London and Newcastle upon Tyne, are currently subject to tier two restrictions. You can holiday there, or in parts of Scotland outside the central belt area described, but extra restrictions apply and, crucially, different households can't mix indoors. (The Scottish Government has also asked people to "think about whether you need to travel".)
If you live in one of these areas, you can leave and go on holiday elsewhere – though this should only be with members of your own household or support bubble.
- There aren't any extra travel restrictions in 'tier one' areas of England (though you could still be affected if you've booked a trip to a higher-risk area). If you live in a tier one area, you only need to follow the usual coronavirus rules, such as the rule of six. This means you're free to leave your area and go on holiday elsewhere (including areas under tier two restrictions, though you'll need to follow local restrictions while you're there).
But if you do have a trip booked, you'll need to check what the rules are at your destination – for example, if you've booked a trip to Wales you may be unable to go.
- In Northern Ireland, people are also being advised that "no unnecessary travel should be undertaken". We're checking the legal status of this advice and whether it means those in Northern Ireland should not be travelling elsewhere for a holiday, and will update this guide when we know more.
Holiday firm cancelled 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.
When the pandemic first hit, this wasn't always the case – we had 100s of complaints from holidaymakers who said they were only offered a new booking or voucher instead. However some of the big firms which initially refused to pay out, such as UK holiday providers Hoseasons and Sykes Cottages, have now backtracked and changed their coronavirus booking policies.
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.
Do check the small print of your contract for any specific exclusions though, and you may also want to consider showing forbearance if you can – if you're offered a rebooking instead of a refund and are happy to take it, it helps at a time when the travel industry is struggling as never before.
Holiday not cancelled? Your refund rights depend on what lockdown rules are in place
In some cases, your holiday may still be running or your accommodation open, but you may be 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 – for example, if you've a trip booked at the end of the month to Wales – 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".
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.
While some holiday firms, such as Marriott and Travelodge, have said they'll offer refunds in this situation, with others it's less clear-cut. For example, some Premier Inn customers initially reported being denied refunds, though Premier Inn now says it WILL consider refund requests on a case-by-case basis.
It's also worth noting it may be harder to prove that you're prevented from travelling due to lockdown rules if the restrictions relate to where you live. In this situation, when you speak to your holiday provider it may be worth providing evidence of the specific reason you're unable to travel.
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, such as part of England under tier three restrictions, 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, you've no automatic right to a refund
If you are still permitted to go on your holiday under official restrictions and guidance – for example, you're from a tier one area and are holidaying in an area that's also under tier one or tier two restrictions – 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?
Travellers who've booked trips where multiple households are due to stay together have faced increasing restrictions in recent months. For example, in England the Government initially said a maximum of two households could go on holiday together, then introduced the "rule of six", which means if guests are from multiple households, only six can stay together in total.
Here are the rules on multiple household holidays as they now stand:
- If you live in an area of England with 'tier one' restrictions, you can go on holiday in a group of up to six, though if you're going to an area with tighter rules you'll need to obey these while you're there.
- If you live in or are planning to visit an area of England with 'tier two' restrictions, or Scotland, you can only go with your own household or support bubble.
- In other areas of the UK, holidays are either advised against or banned (or will soon be banned), regardless of how many households were due to go.
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. We're checking if this remains the case and will update this guide when we know more.
Right now, the situation with travel insurance is complex – different policies offer different levels of cover, and there are lots of different scenarios under consideration. Here are the key need-to-knows if you've already got travel insurance and booked your holiday:
- Cancellation due to coronavirus travel restrictions MAY be covered – but it's likely this will only be the case if your insurance was taken out and holiday booked before mid-March. If you took out your policy and booked your holiday before the FCO warned against all non-essential travel in March, most (though not all) insurers should cover you for cancellation due to coronavirus travel restrictions or disruption as long as an FCO warning remains in place for your destination. (You'll be expected to try for a refund from your airline or travel firm first though.)
The same should apply if the FCO lifts its travel warning but then reimposes it before you're due to travel.
If you either took out your policy or booked your holiday after the FCO warning was put in place in mid-March, you're much less likely to be covered for any kind of coronavirus travel restrictions or disruption. It's worth noting though that Nationwide's FlexPlus packaged bank account does now offer coronavirus cancellation cover on new trips in some circumstances, so if you've recently taken that cover and have since booked a new trip, you may also have protection for future cancellation – see more in our Cheap Travel Insurance guide.
- Some policies MAY cover cancellation even if there's no FCO warning when you're due to travel. It's not just about the FCO travel advice – even if the FCO warning has been lifted when you travel, your trip could still be disrupted, leaving you needing to claim. So it's also worth checking whether your policy covers cancellation if there's no FCO advisory but either your flight or hotel is cancelled, and you can't travel as a result. Some policies do cover this, other's don't – for a rough idea, see our insurer-by-insurer info below.
- Some polices MAY cover cancellation due to coronavirus illness. Some policies may also cover you for cancellation if you – or, in some cases, a family member – get coronavirus before you're due to travel. This is more likely to be the case if you took out your policy and booked your holiday before mid-March, but in some cases newer policies and more recent bookings may also be covered, depending on your insurer.
- Non-coronavirus cancellation will LIKELY be covered by your policy. In most cases, regardless of when you got your policy or booked your holiday, travel insurance will cover you for cancellation of a holiday which isn't related to coronavirus – for instance if you were to break your arm, be made redundant or suffer a bereavement before travel.
One exception to this though can be if you book a holiday while an FCO travel warning is in place for your destination. If you do that, some insurers won't cover non-coronavirus cancellation until the FCO warning is lifted. Others, such as Nationwide, say they will, so it depends on your policy.
- If an FCO warning is in place at the time of your trip, you're UNLIKELY to be covered by your insurance if you decide to travel anyway. Many insurers warn that travelling when the FCO advises against it can invalidate your cover – so it's usually a bad idea, as you won't be protected while you're away.
There are a few exceptions though, and your insurance may also remain valid if your trip's deemed 'essential' – the FCO warning is only against non-essential travel. So if in doubt, check with your insurer.
Quick questions
If you are one of the many who had to postpone your 2020 holiday and rearrange it for later this year or 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 re-arranged 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 FCO 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 FCO 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 added. The extension will also apply for renewing customers up until 10 Aug. (3) Applicable to Leisure Guard policies purchased before 18 Jun 2020. |
||
We always say get your travel insurance ASAB (As Soon As you Book). Normally that's because if you leave getting insurance until just before you travel, you're not covered for anything that happens before the point you get it which stops you going – thus you've waved off half the value of the cover.
After the FCO warned against all non-essential travel in mid-March, many insurers stopped selling new policies altogether and we had to pull our travel insurance best buys as a result. Yet a few are now offering cover again – dirt-cheap prices have gone, so prices are higher, but it's still affordable.
Until recently, the only travel insurance policies which would cover your holiday being cancelled if the Foreign Office were again to warn against travel were those taken out pre-pandemic for holidays booked pre-pandemic. Nationwide says its FlexPlus packaged bank account will do it too, even for new customers, provided the warning wasn't in place when you booked the holiday or got the insurance, whichever is later.
However, be warned – from 1 January 2021, Nationwide's travel insurance cover will change. While its insurance cover remains top-of-the-range, if you book a holiday after 1 January you won't then be covered if you need to cancel for a Covid-related reason, including:
- If you or a travelling companion have been told to self-isolate but don't actually have Covid-19.
- If the Foreign Office is advising against all travel or all but essential travel to your destination.
- If your pre-booked accommodation goes into local lockdown.
- If you, or a close relative, were suffering from coronavirus when you booked the trip.
Even if you're struggling to get a policy that'll cover coronavirus cancellation, it's still worth getting insurance ASAB (As Soon As you Book) if planning a trip – or ASAP if you've already booked one. There are a whole host of reasons you might need to claim which are nothing to do with coronavirus – for example, if other illness or a bereavement stops you travelling, or you have something stolen while abroad.
For full help on travel insurance, including what policies taken out now will cover and our top picks, see our Cheap Travel Insurance guide.
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