With life hopefully returning to normal, people are starting to venture out into the world and book holidays again. However, the lingering memory of snap lockdowns, travel restrictions, or catching Covid and having to cancel a trip has left some people wary of committing booking when – through no fault of their own – it could be cancelled.
When Covid-19 restrictions lifted here at the end of January, it seems the first thing many people did was book a holiday. Destinations special report looks at how holiday-goers seem determined to make up for lost time.
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So what rights do consumers have if a trip is cancelled? The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission says, “If you are on a package holiday which is affected by Covid-19 you have rights under package holiday legislation. Your package travel organiser is responsible if something goes wrong, even if another company carries out the services.”
If you are concerned for the safety of yourself and those travelling with you, it advises contacting the Irish Embassy in the country you are located. You should provide them with details of your situation and stay informed of any local arrangements that may be in place.
“Contact your package travel organiser directly to discuss your situation and confirm arrangements for transport home. If it is not possible to make the original departure date because of unavoidable or extraordinary circumstances, the package travel organiser must bear the cost of up to three nights’ additional accommodation in similar accommodation if possible.”
Michelle Anderson, marketing manager, TopFlight, says in the event that the advice, from the Department of Foreign Affairs for departures from Dublin and Cork or the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office in the UK for departures from Belfast, is against non-essential travel to your destination, or if there are restrictions in place in your destination that will significantly affect your holiday, there are options.
“You can choose to change to a different holiday or different date [a price difference may apply], receive a voucher for the amount paid [valid for five years], or receive a full refund.”
She strongly recommends taking out travel insurance when booking holidays. “It is essential that once you book a holiday that you take out travel insurance at the time of booking.
“You need to ensure the insurance policy has enhanced Covid protection.”