Coronavirus Update

2/28/2020 11:43:35 AM Link 0 comments | Add comment

There has been a lot of news coverage lately about Coronavirus. While we don’t have a crystal ball and can’t predict the future, we thought it might be helpful to share from our experiences thus far about how the travel industry is responding to the coronavirus emergency.

If your travel plans are cancelled by the operator, you will likely receive a refund or credit of the amount paid. Especially in Asia, many airlines are cancelling flights, hotels are closing, and cruise lines have cancelled sailings. Generally speaking (though not always), when your travel plans are cancelled by the operator, that operator will issue a refund or a credit that you can use for travel at a later date. In fact, some operators are offering a refund AND a credit as a goodwill gesture.

Cancellation policies and change fees are sometimes being relaxed. Many tour operators understand that people are a little bit nervous about travelling, given the changing nature of the coronavirus situation. This is especially true for travelers to Europe, where we’re seeing coronavirus spread, but not at the levels where cancellations are necessary. We’ve worked with a couple of tour operators who have modified their usual cancellation/change policies to enable clients to change their trip location and/or trip date due to concerns about further spread of coronavirus. These tend to be handled on a case-by-case basis, but it’s nice to see that tour operators are extending a lot of goodwill to clients.

Travel insurance may help to cover you if you are impacted. In the worst-case scenario where your travel is impacted by coronavirus, travel insurance MAY help to protect you. I just looked at a policy I have for an upcoming trip, and I’ve realized that it will cover me for medical treatment if I am diagnosed with coronavirus while traveling. It will also pay for additional hotel nights if I am quarantined. It will not reimburse me for the cost of my trip if I decide to cancel and not go (fear of contracting the virus is not a “covered reason” for cancellation). Each travel insurance company has different policies, so you should make sure you have read your policy and fully understand what is covered and what is not covered. If you have questions, call the insurance company directly for clarity. If you have not yet purchased travel insurance, you may want to explore Cancel For Any Reason coverage, which would allow you to receive a partial reimbursement for cancelling for any reason.

While coronavirus is causing some disruption in the travel industry right now, we feel good that the tour operators we work with are handling individual situations with care and compassion. If you have a Globe Travel trip coming up and are concerned about coronavirus, give us a call to discuss your options. We’ll work with you and the tour operator to try to find the best solution.