Positive corona test: Can I cancel my holiday free of charge?
Created: 01/18/2022, 16:05
By: Franziska Kaindl
If the corona test is positive, a trip can no longer be started.
© Michael Weber/Imago
Anyone who tests positive for the corona virus must go into quarantine.
But what happens in this case with a booked holiday?
Is there money back?
For almost two years, the corona pandemic has caused a lot of uncertainty and changing rules when traveling.
Due to the spread of the contagious omicron variant*, the number of cases is increasing again in many countries.
Some get it just before a planned vacation.
In this case, the break cannot take place because those affected have to go into quarantine.
But what happens to the travel expenses?
Positive corona test before departure: tour operators are allowed to charge cancellation fees
At the beginning of the pandemic, a travel warning or the corona restrictions at the holiday destination were still exceptional circumstances that made it possible to cancel free of charge. In the meantime, this free right of withdrawal no longer applies to many tour operators or hotels. Even a
corona infection no longer automatically leads to reimbursement of travel expenses
, according to the travel lawyer Paul Degott, according to the online portal
Reisereporter
explains: "If a traveler falls ill with the corona virus before the start of the trip, this is a personal reason.
Therefore, exceptional circumstances do not apply.
It is therefore not possible to withdraw from the package tour* free of charge.” The same applies to individual travelers.
Anyone who has to be in quarantine because of an infected family member cannot hope for reimbursement of travel expenses either.
"Even if the quarantine is ordered by the authorities, it is still a personal reason," reports Degott.
Also interesting
: What Corona high-risk areas mean legally for travelers.
Does the travel cancellation insurance apply if the corona test is positive?
Travel cancellation insurance usually covers the costs of cancellation due to illness.
However, some contracts contain clauses that
exclude diseases that the WHO classifies as a pandemic
.
So pay close attention to the small print of your insurance if you cannot travel due to a positive corona test.
In the meantime, however, many tour operators offer
special travel insurance packages
that are tailored precisely to such cases.
Also read
: Rebooking: how many times can I reschedule my package holiday?
Among other things,
Tui
offers
the so-called Tui Protect service promise, which saves customers cancellation costs of up to 1,500 euros per person if an official quarantine has been ordered. It makes no difference whether the traveler is actually infected or only suspected. The cost of travel insurance is already included in the travel price. The
FTI Group
offers a Corona travel protection for 9.99 euros, which can be booked in addition to the trip.
With it, a maximum of 1,500 euros per person will be reimbursed in the event of a cancellation if there is a positive PCR test.
The prerequisite is that the test was carried out 72 hours or less before departure and the trip is canceled within ten hours.
In the event of contact with an infected person, only the premium version of the Corona travel protection for 14.90 euros applies.
So, before you book your trip, find out about the tour operator’s travel protection packages and check exactly which cases are covered by the insurance and which are not.
(fk) *Merkur.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA.
