TOPIC:

DD wrote:

BC wrote: Yes mate...they're slugging us $500pp for the privilege as they reckon that's what the tour company and airlines are hitting them but it's better than losing the whole lot.

I'm assuming an astute person such as yourself BC had all the appropriate travel insurance covering all scenarios for such a trip and it was booked well before this Corona virus outbreak so I would have thought insurance would cover all of this without any out of pocket expenses, perhaps barring any excess?

Have you contacted your insurer?

Pandemic not covered mate, and at the end of the day you are taking a delay choice if lieu of full cancel and loss.

30plusyeardrought wrote:

Bazza wrote:

30plusyeardrought wrote: Yep fly late April and travel till early June.
Fly to New York 4 nights,jump on an Cruise Norwegian Getaway to Europe various ports and docking in Rome then we hire a car travelling. up the north of Italy then over to France.

Sadly it looks like it’s not going ahead and the thing that pisses me off is we won’t get a full cash refund instead it looks like they’ll offer a Cruise credit only.

Ouch...not a good one mate.

Looks like our trip has been cancelled.
At this stage a full cruise credit will be given and can be booked up to December 2022.
The only thing we are not clear on is the accomodation and flights side of the trip which was part of our package deal.
Should know all that within a week or two.

If you have a Italy flight some are offering refunds some are offering change at no cost.

BC wrote:

BC wrote: Yep...Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia in July...then South Africa next March. The July trip is a watch and wait at the moment and unfortunately pandemics is specifically excluded as a reason to claim a refund on travel insurance if we cancel. If the government declares any of those three as no go zones then we're ok but otherwise we're stuffed too if we chicken out.

Our travel provider has just given us the option of deferring the trip until 2021 or taking credits in lieu which is pretty good of them I think. At this stage we'll be taking them up on the offer....bugger.

From what I can see those places are unaffected BC, would there by any harm in still going?

Mate DFAT have lifted the travel alert to level 3 for all countries so we're inclined to sit it out and go when it's considered safer.

DD wrote:

BC wrote: Yes mate...they're slugging us $500pp for the privilege as they reckon that's what the tour company and airlines are hitting them but it's better than losing the whole lot.

I'm assuming an astute person such as yourself BC had all the appropriate travel insurance covering all scenarios for such a trip and it was booked well before this Corona virus outbreak so I would have thought insurance would cover all of this without any out of pocket expenses, perhaps barring any excess?

Have you contacted your insurer?

Yes DD as Bazza points out, the policy we have excludes refunds on cancellation due to epidemics and pandemics...it does however allow for refunds where the travel alert risk gets upgraded by DFAT to 3 or 4 which it has in this case. When we took the policy our in September those countries were at level 1 so we're talking to our insurer as we speak.

BC wrote:

DD wrote:

BC wrote: Yes mate...they're slugging us $500pp for the privilege as they reckon that's what the tour company and airlines are hitting them but it's better than losing the whole lot.

I'm assuming an astute person such as yourself BC had all the appropriate travel insurance covering all scenarios for such a trip and it was booked well before this Corona virus outbreak so I would have thought insurance would cover all of this without any out of pocket expenses, perhaps barring any excess?

Have you contacted your insurer?

Yes DD as Bazza points out, the policy we have excludes refunds on cancellation due to epidemics and pandemics...it does however allow for refunds where the travel alert risk gets upgraded by DFAT to 3 or 4 which it has in this case. When we took the policy our in September those countries were at level 1 so we're talking to our insurer as we speak.

These are indeed unprecedented times. I can't recall in my lifetime basically the whole world being affected in such a dramatic way. Our parents and grand parents have more than likely lived through worse in 2 world wars.

When the dust settles there are going to be serious questions asked of China and other nations that allow these sort of open wet markets where these sort of viruses originate. The WHO has to grow a set and demand health inspectors have unvetted access to any part of China, Thailand or wherever and the powers to shut them down immediately.

Well , that's me stuffed, thanks Sco Mo

Two weeks isolation across the board mandatory re - entry, 2 weeks off work and in isolation is not viable for my wife and I and the accommodation appear not to be offering or allowing changes, the airline is allowing a change with some cost.

that's the Lombok trip, about $2300 down the drain at this stage.

I don't think Sco Mo has really thought this through.

BC wrote:

DD wrote:

BC wrote: Yes mate...they're slugging us $500pp for the privilege as they reckon that's what the tour company and airlines are hitting them but it's better than losing the whole lot.

I'm assuming an astute person such as yourself BC had all the appropriate travel insurance covering all scenarios for such a trip and it was booked well before this Corona virus outbreak so I would have thought insurance would cover all of this without any out of pocket expenses, perhaps barring any excess?

Have you contacted your insurer?

Yes DD as Bazza points out, the policy we have excludes refunds on cancellation due to epidemics and pandemics...it does however allow for refunds where the travel alert risk gets upgraded by DFAT to 3 or 4 which it has in this case. When we took the policy our in September those countries were at level 1 so we're talking to our insurer as we speak.

How did you go with the travel insurance? I suspect if the reason for the 3 or 4 is pandemic then they will wriggle out.

Looks like I might have saved my dough

Resorts have agreed to move everything to December . Airline is offering 12 Month credit on cancelled flights.

Just have to wait for them to issue voucher!

Qatar are offering , free changes for flights or 12 Month credit vouchers for all flights up to 1 July, I'm flying October hope its all sorted by then but got a feeling it wont.

Qantas and Jetstar just annouced they are basically shutting down until May, 90% of flights gone.

yes mate...the mob we booked through have offered credits so I might not risk trying to get a refund through insurance and just take the credit voucher. There's a very nice little trip they're selling currently to Lapland in the Arctic circle for Christmas where you can go dog sledding, ice fishing and hacking around on the ice in a skidoo which we're looking pretty closely at....and extra $1k in cost but hey, why wouldn't you?