The Limited Times

Now you can see non-English news...

Coronavirus: can we expect a refund in the event of a canceled trip?

2020-02-26T15:33:13.269Z


Insurers are particularly reluctant to cover travel cancellation costs linked to an epidemic.


As the coronavirus epidemic progresses, many tourists have had to postpone their travel plans. But for those who have already booked a flight or a hotel in a risky destination, the question of a possible reimbursement remains complicated, if not vague.

Helen, 21, had planned to visit Venice with her mother for months. But "seeing the extent of the consequences (museums closed, carnival canceled ...)", and "the possible quarantine on return", the student preferred to cancel her week of vacation. But the reimbursement of the trip is particularly complicated for the young woman. “The airline offered to change my travel dates but it cost me 70 euros extra tax per flight. Might as well drop it, ”she says on the phone.

Unsurprisingly, the hotel is also reluctant to reimburse paid nights. "Since this cancellation is my own decision, they assured me that they would not pay anything," said bitter Hélène. "It only remains for me to leave them disastrous comments on Google," says the student who "on a tight budget" had "not been able to take out" insurance.

“Very rarely covered” epidemics

Hélène is obviously not the only one. "50% of travelers do not take it," said Yves Removille, a lawyer specializing in tourism law. And even in the case of a subscription, "insurance only very rarely covers epidemics," said the lawyer.

To avoid any unpleasant surprises, it is best to check the guarantee clauses in detail. "Some insurance may, however, advance medical or repatriation costs if you are ill on the spot," notes the specialist.

Alternatively, some tourists may approach their credit card providers. But then again, few of them guarantee to cover travel cancellation costs. "These insurances will be especially advantageous in the event of the death of a loved one or a medical operation before departure," explains Valérie Augros, lawyer at the Paris Bar.

Travel reimbursed within 14 days

However, there are specific regulations in French law. The Tourism Code, quoted on the government website, provides for full reimbursement of a stay (transportation, vacation rentals, hotel reservations, etc.) during an “exceptional and inevitable event” that occurs at the destination. . The reimbursement must then be made within 14 days.

"But this only concerns package tours including transport, accommodation and catering", nuances the lawyer. So-called dry flights canceled by the customer will therefore not be reimbursed.

“It pays me” newsletter

The newsletter that improves your purchasing power

I'm registering

Your email address is collected by Le Parisien to allow you to receive our news and commercial offers. Find out more

VIDEO. Coronavirus: "The world just isn't ready" says WHO expert

Similarly, "if you decide to cancel your trip to a destination where no contamination has been identified, we will probably not reimburse you," says the specialist.

In practice, however, travel agencies seem to do it on a case-by-case basis. Air France, for example, made a gesture, ensuring that it accepted postponements and cancellations at no cost for trips to northern Italy. Likewise, flights to and from Wuhan, Beijing and Shanghai will be fully reimbursed.

"At the appreciation of each player in tourism"

For its part, the low-cost company Easyjet indicated on its site that the Italian authorities had not given it any "advice on change". The flights being "always operational", "our terms and conditions are still applied", added the company. In other words, flight reimbursements will not be made.

The vagueness also remains at the level of the reservation sites. On its website, Airbnb ensures that travelers and hosts located "in a seriously affected area" can cancel reservations without charge. Similarly, Booking promises to reimburse people traveling to the affected areas in Italy with a registration date until March 14, according to Ouest-France.

Some travelers, however, had their request denied. "The establishment has not received an official communication from the Italian government, the original conditions of the reservation therefore remain valid," explained the reservation site to Kevin. The young man who was due to leave in early March for Venice was only offered a change of dates, as he relayed on Twitter.

Ah yes, personal negotiations were quickly aborted 😅😅 pic.twitter.com/INMiZklojH

- Kev'Litaliano (@KepacAuditore) February 24, 2020

The reimbursement cases also differ, because the law is not sufficiently precise, still estimates Valérie Augros. “How do you judge an exceptional circumstance? We don't really know. It is a bit at the appreciation of each player in tourism, ”notes the lawyer. He added: "Before, this qualifier concerned cases of force majeure such as areas affected by natural disasters or attacks, but this epidemic could give a new definition."

Source: leparis

All business articles on 2020-02-26

You may like

Trends 24h

Latest

© Communities 2019 - Privacy

The information on this site is from external sources that are not under our control.
The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.