Thanks to all of you who have written me with your travel questions and problems. If you have a question and don’t see it answered in one of my rounds, e-mail me at peter@petergreenberg.com.
EMAIL: Taylor Hoesch
How can I verify a hotel I’m staying at is compliant with latest fire codes?
It is ‘legal’ to test the smoke detector in a hotel room by pressing the button?
Peter Says: The best way to do this is to call the local fire department. They are tasked with inspecting hotels on a regular basis. They can tell you the date of the last inspection the hotel received, and if there were any violation, and, if so, if the infractions were remedied. Most hotel smoke detectors are hard wired, and as such, can not be independently tested.
EMAIL: Don Pitlik
Hi Peter,
On March 9, we cancelled our March 21, Minneapolis to Las Vegas Delta flight, due to coronavirus. We had to pay Delta a $200 cancellation fee per ticket. No money was refunded. Delta issued the remaining credit for another flight, which needs to be redeemed by January 30, 2021. These were expensive tickets, around $900 each. We were planning on meeting our adult children for a hike in Zion National Park.
In general we only fly once a year. It seems every time we book airlines, we get the shaft one way or anoother. Hate booking airline tickets with rates jumping as we’re online browsing. It’s crazy.
I’m guessing this replacement flight will not happen either.
Not a pleasing scenario.
Thanks for all your input!
Don Pitlik
Peter Says: Don, I feel your pain. But I continue to advise everyone that you lose certain rights if you cancel the flight before the airline does. But, under current U.S. Department of Transportation rules, if the airline cancels the flight first, you are entitled to a full refund of what you paid for the ticket, directly back to your original form of payment. This even applies “nonrefundable” tickets. But remember, these rules only apply if the airline cancels the flight first.
EMAIL: Richard Taylor
Good morning,
I have followed you for a long time because I am a traveler. Thank you.
I signed up thru AAA for a family cruise on Holland America, Seattle Alaska Seattle in Mid August 2020. I have a few hundred $ deposit to AAA.
I reserved 3 rooms, one for each family. I purchased cancel for any reason insurance through Allianz for two families and regular insurance for my wife and I. One family has a Cystic Fibrosis child and the other family has a Type one diabetic child.
In addition, I have some HA paid costs for dinner reservations.
I have the balance of about $16,000 due in mid May.
Do I pay the balance?
What are the options?
Insurance premiums refund?
Anything else you might advise me.
Thank you,
Richard Taylor
Peter Says: Most cruise lines are under a new rule from the Centers for Disease Control prohibiting them from sailing for 100 days. As a result, many cruise lines have canceled their cruise schedule through the summer, some until November. And at the same time, many cruise lines have revised their refund and cancellation policies again. Most will likely offer you a future cruise credit should you choose to cancel. However, they are also offering full refunds, but you must ask, and in some cases, demand this. Most travel insurance policies have exclusions in their language for coverage for pandemics. So your best bet is to go for the refund. But you also might want to wait until the cruise line cancels first. This will also allow you to get your insurance premiums refunded.
EMAIL: Miriam J.
Good morning,
What would be the best travel insurance to purchase if you have a pre-existing condition like Diabetes, heart issues, elderly parents with health issues, and in a case like this, a pandemic.
Thanks.
Peter Says: Sorry to report that you’re in a catch-22 situation here, since most insurance policies won’t cover you if you have a number of these pre-existing conditions. Each policy is different on who the insurance companies will/won’t cover based on individual pre-existing conditions. And, most travel insurance already won’t cover you in the event of a pandemic.
Hi Peter,
Thank you for all of the invaluable information that you always give, especially during this terrible time.
Right now, scheduled on Delta June 5-16 to Hawaii.. 6/5..JFK/SEA/HNL, and 6/16 KOA/LAX/JFK.. All Marriott properties, combo of points and cash.
Any early thoughts? Your 3/31 video had everything currently shut down over there.
I appreciate any light you can shed.
Ric Rosenbaum
Peter Says: Ric, Hawaii is still shut down, and may not open before the end of June. At this point, my advice is simply to wait until at least mid-May to determine 1) if the hotels will reopen by then, and 2) if the airline might preemptively cancel your flight. In both cases, you should wait for the airline/hotel to cancel first, to preserve your rights and get the full refund.
EMAIL: Annie Harrison
Peter,
I am a owner at the Surf Club in Marco Island and rented my unit this year to another owner. This occurred back in August last year. I believe he was looking to add additional weeks to his time for himself or additional family members. I have emails and texts confirming this and an email sent to the Surf Club noting the change of owner for that week, but no real contract per se with cancellation clauses, etc. Due to these unprecedented times, I was happy to return 50% (possibly up to 75%) of his commitment back to him and show a good faith of shared responsibility, but with a deposit kept by me as I took that unit out of inventory back in August. I was just wondering what legal precedents there might be in this case?
I appreciate any insight that you might have regarding this matter.
I look forward to hearing back from you.
Sincerely,
Annie Harrison
Peter Says: Annie, I am not a lawyer and don’t play one on TV (or the radio). But in the absence of a contract, I think you’re protected here. but if the week you’re talking about is for august, you might be back in business then.
EMAIL: Sean Keohane
Hi Peter,
Love getting the video updates. I’m a 4 million miler on American Airlines, I booked a flight for my family (5 members) utilizing frequent flyer miles from Madison, WI to Australia/New Zealand on August 1st – Aug 28th.
I was about to book all the paid flights from Sydney to Cairns to Melbourne to Christchurch, etc. plus hotels, transports, etc.
Question is – Should I wait to see what happens as I hope (pray) that things get back to normal come July, etc.? Would it be cheaper to wait as well? I can always redeposit my miles back into my account and pick another year,
What do you think?
Thanks in advance and keep on giving all of us your travel guidance. It’s greatly appreciated.
Sean
Sean Keohane
Peter Says: Sean, you must absolutely wait. We should know within the next 21 days whether or not the Australian government will even open the country to visitors before….November! So..stay tuned.
EMAIL: Ruth Nielsen
It’s so kind of you to keep us all informed on so many topics.
I am very sorry that my trip to Uzbekistan in May had to be cancelled but that is understandable but I was disappointed that the airline ticket I have with the Turkish Airlines has only given me a credit that must be used before Feb. 28th, 2021. I purchased it Jan. 20th, 2020. Considering the fact we may not fully recover from this pandemic for a long time I would think it only fair to at least give us 2 years. The ticket cost me $1,481. plus $756.69 tax plus $3.25 HST, total $2,242.94 CD. It’s not an amount you want to loose.
Have you anything to suggest??
Best wishes and good health, Ruth Nielsen
Peter Says: Ruth, as long as Turkish Airlines canceled the Turkish Airlines flight, you have the right to a full refund of what you paid for the ticket. So let me know.
EMAIL: Cathy C.
Hello Mr. Greenberg,
I have travel booked for Aruba, May 3, 2020, flying AA. Travel arrangements were made through BookIt. I am wondering if you know anything about their current situation. Their e-mail said they have canceled the resort and AA shows the flights canceled. I have “cancel for any reason” travel insurance. Would you recommend waiting for a refund or beginning refund paperwork with insurance which will be 75% at best.
Thank you for your time.
Cathy C.
Peter Says: Wait for American to cancel the flight and then get a full refund from American. then apply your insurance to the rest of the trip.
EMAIL: Janet Dunnington
Hello Peter,
My brother sent me your video and I was impressed by our knowledge about these turbulent times in the travel industry
Last year I planned a trip to Peru and Galapagos for me, my husband and brother.
For Peru booked through Journey You and Galapagos booked through SA Expeditions. Flying form US on American Airlines.
I finally got AA on the phone last week after 3 weeks of trying to ask why to have I not received a cancelation notice (AA suspended flights to SA through May 6 the last time I checked) our flight departs May 1. I was told we are still confirmed, and they will put us on another airline. I told them we are not going on another airline and canceling SA trip. They said if I canceled, we had to DEC. 31 to use the ticket. I told him I wanted a refund and he told me I should wait until 2 days before trip to see if they canceled. I also wanted our points back used to upgrade , they said they could not handle that , I would have to contact Advantage.
The two tour companies in SA I contacted before borders closed in Ecuador and flights and was told they were still operational and no refund. I will contact them again now that everything is shut down.
I have Travel Guard insurance and they said just fear of virus I could not put in a claim and or a refund of my payment to them.
Now that flights are suspended to SA and borders closed any thoughts on how I should handle this when I call all these companies and airlines back wanting a refund?
Thank you for you’re time
Janet Dunnington
Peter Says: Please send me the specifics of your flights, confirmation numbers and the names and titles of the officials with whom you have spoken and I will get into it.
EMAIL: Francine Landau
Hi Peter,
We booked business class travel to our daughter’s wedding in Israel from LAX for May (flying in April) via Expedia. The flight was Austrian Air to Israel, United back. How can we request a refund? All we are being offered is a limited-time voucher.
Thank you for the information you offer and for your advice.
Francine Landau
- The wedding had to be canceled altogether.
Peter Says: Francine, the current U.S. Department of transportation rules apply to all foreign airlines that fly to and from the U.S. as well, and since these flights have been canceled by the airline, your rights to get a full refund are preserved.
EMAIL: Tamar Amona
Hi Peter,
My family and I planned a trip to Lisbon on the 17th of May 2020 for 9 days.
We booked 6 tickets with Air Portugal and apartment with Airbnb.
Due to the coronavirus, we are not planning on taking this trip.
Shale we cancel it now or wait till May to do it?
I am looking to get 100% of my money back.
Can you advise us what the best thing to do?
Thank you,
Tamar
Peter Says: You should wait for the airline to cancel the flight first. that way your full refund rights are reserved.
EMAIL: Ron Grothpietz
Hi
My wife and I were scheduled for a river cruise on AMA Waterways for departure on April 20. This cruise was cancelled by them in March. AMA Waterways has offered a FCC of 115% if we cruise by Dec. 2022. There is no option for refund now we have to wait until Dec 2022 for any kind of refund which may include penalties. Since they cancelled the cruise, why do we have to wait until Dec 2022 to get a full refund? Do we have any recourse with this cruise line?
Thanks for your help,
Ron Grothpietz
Peter Says: You DO have recourse. Initially, all the cruise lines, desperate to preserve cash, were only offering vouchers. Now, more are doing the right thing and offering a full refund as an option. So try them again, and if they still refuse the refund, get back in touch with me with all the details of the reservation, confirmation numbers, and the names and titles of the officials with whom you’ve spoken.
EMAIL: Jeff Ross
Hi:
My wife and I booked a transatlantic cruise from Miami to Barcelona, departing April 18th on Norwegian (NCL). NCL cancelled the cruise and I am supposed to receive a full cruise refund within 90 days. (Yeah)
- We have purchased travel insurance from Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance through insuremytrip.com. My question is; Am I entitled to a full/partial refund of the travel insurance policy premium because NCL cancelled the cruise? It seems to me they have collected my funds with no risk of paying anything for the cancelled cruise.
- JetBlue has change my original outbound April 16th flight, (redeye from San Diego to Fort Lauderdale) to a redeye from San Diego to Boston connecting to Fort Lauderdale. My original flight (# 530) is not listed anymore on the JetBlue online schedule. Does this mean the flight is officially cancelled and I can now request a refund?
Keep up the GREAT work and thank you.
Jeff Ross
Peter Says: The answer is yes on BOTH!
EMAIL: Julie Adams
Hi Peter,
I have subscribed to your newsletter for a long time and I appreciate your diligence in being a solid source of information. I have just realized my passport expired 2 years ago and I have an event I want to attend in Canada in the first week of July of this year. I have taken my passport photos but when I looked online I see that at this time there are no expedited passport times available and the wait is approx 8 weeks but of course in these unpredictable times, all could change. I want to mail in the required passport forms but I want to try to ensure my request does not fall thru the cracks. Do you have any advice to prevent that from happening?
Thank you,
Julie Adams
California
Peter Says: U.S. Passport agencies have announced they are only issuing passports for emergencies only, and your situation doesn’t quality. However there are some private passport services that may be able to help. One — based in New York — is called “It’s easy,” and you might want to reach out to them. One caution: be prepared to pay for this special expedited service.
EMAIL: Teresa Cozad
I had a reservation through Expedia on American Airlines for March 17 to Madrid returning April 13. I booked the flight in November 2019. I received a $452.35 voucher with travel to be completed by Nov.14, a year from purchase date.
Today I chatted online with agent from Expedia to try to get a refund and was told no that’s not the airline policy. I mentioned I was entitled to a refund because flight was canceled and he said that the cancellation was due to government orders so I guess that means I don’t qualify? Then I asked for an extension on the voucher policy and also got a no not airline policy. Finally agent said to go online with AA and submit a form form a refund. I’m sure that won’t be honored especially since ticket was bought through Expedia. What can I do?
Thanks, Teresa Cozad
Peter Says: The Expedia agent is flat out WRONG. Under U.S. Department of Transportation rules. You are entitled to a full refund from AA because AA canceled the flights.
EMAIL: Denise Thomas
Hi Peter: I have fully paid separately the airfare, hotels, and tour costs for a trip to Greece August 28 to September 5th. Do you think that travel will be more normalized by then? If not, how long should I wait to try to request refunds from the airline, hotel, and tour operator? I have an Allianz travel insurance policy for the year, but the terms of the policy specifically exclude epidemics as a covered event.
Thank you for all that you’re doing to keep us informed.
Denise Thomas
Peter Says: Denise, at this point, wait, don’t cancel. You can then revisit the situation in Greece (and in the U.S.) around July 1st and then make an informed decision.
EMAIL: Heather DeAngeli
Hi Peter,
I wrote you a couple of days ago regarding my husband and daughter’s flight from Reno to Innsbruck departing on April 6, 2020. I took your advice and waited and today United cancelled the flight. As soon as my husband received the cancellation text I called United. Two and a hours later, I did receive a full refund to my credit card which will process in 7 to 14 business days for $3,022. 90 plus $136 in priority boarding fees. Of course, the initial agent tried several times to get me to accept the e ticket worth an additional 25% plus an extra 3 months past purchased date to travel, but they can’t travel and $3,022 is a lot of money. I was told that at the time of the e ticket expiring I could then request a refund. I told her under Dept. of Transportation rules, United cancelled the flight and I am entitled to a full refund today. Every time I was passed up the food train I repeated this. Finally, the supervisor Michelle relented, but had me hold for 30 minutes while she consulted (or got approval) from the Refund Dept. So, I still am sad and frightened about Covid-19 (our daughter works as a scribe in the emergency room), but I feel a relief that we receiving what we are entitled to, even though it took quite a bit of perseverance. Thank you for your years of work in the travel industry. Your newsletter is so helpful, interesting and entertaining. I still even have your 1999 Travel Detective book!
Sincerely,
Heather DeAngeli
Peter Says: Heather, thanks for writing and happy you got the refund. And…hang in there!
EMAIL: Jeanne Schopf
Does the “contract of carriage” for every airline include the stipulation that a refund must be made by the airline if the flight is cancelled by them? I checked the information shown online and cannot find any information like that. They only refer to cancelling for a credit that must be used within six months.
Thank you for all of your information.
Jean Schopf
Peter Says: Jean, in some cases (Delta) the language giving you the right to a refund if the airline cancels is in their contract of carriage. But for other airlines, their contract of carriage is superseded by U.S. Department of Transportation rules that state if the airline cancels your flight you are also entitled to a full refund paid back to your original form of payment.
EMAIL: Ellen Krinsky
Good evening Peter,
I read you advice and blogs and appreciate the information you provide for travelers. My question is (and I understand you can’t give a definitive answer) what do you think of the likelihood of our being able to take our planned trip to Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Finland. Right now our planned trip begins on July 20th. Would appreciate your best guess!
Thank you for your response.
Ellen Krinsky
Peter Says: Ellen, the hope is by July 20th Americans will be able to travel. However, that doesn’t mean the many foreign countries will accept us. In the absence of widespread corona testing or a vaccine, I’m expecting a number of countries will keep their borders closed to visitors for the next three to six months.
EMAIL: Rita Swain
Hi Peter,
My husband and I have been fans of yours for years, and we hate to bother you because we know how busy you are, but we have a quick question:
On Jan 31, we planned our wedding 55th anniversary trip for Aug. 5, 2020, purchasing non-refundable Delta tickets from DTW to LHR at a cost of $3,260.70. Dumb us.
This trip will probably not happen given the present circumstances. Do we cancel and pay the awful penalties because the airlines may be out of business, or just sit tight?
We promise we won’t hold you responsible for your decision – we value your advice!
Rita Swain
Peter Says: Rita, do NOT cancel yet. wait for the airline to cancel first. Then your rights are preserved to get a full refund.
