Thanks to all of you who have written me with your questions and problems regarding the coronavirus pandemic and your travels. If you have a question and don’t see it answered in one of my rounds, e-mail me at peter@petergreenberg.com.
EMAIL: Louis Rivera
Mr. Greenberg, we were scheduled to travel to Sicily on March 28, 2020. On March 2, 2020, we received an email from
Go Ahead Tours that they were postponing all travel for trips to Italy through 32 March 2020. Were received a refund for the tour, but they insist that the $600.00 deposit is not refundable. I have attached a copy of the letter. This afternoon I spoke with a representative of the company, named Cayleigh. She was adamant no refund was forthcoming for the $600.00 deposit. Please advise. Thank you for any help that you can provide
Louis Rivera
Peter Says: Is this tour company based in the United States? if so you can either dispute that charge on your credit card, or as a last resort file a claim in small claims court.
EMAIL: Elaine Wilson
I am booked on American Airlines for a round trip ORD/LHR/ORD, August 19 – September. I have not been notified by American of any changes, but in just looking at my trip in my account online, I see that the August 19 departure has been changed twice.
My original booking on the ORD/LHR leg is the August 19 day flight departing ORD 9:05 a.m. – the first change was to an 11:30 p.m. flight August 18, with the 2nd change being to a 7:25 p.m. flight also on August 18. The new date and time do not work for me, so I cannot accept the change. The trip (cruise) will ultimately be canceled in any event.
The return leg on September 3 has not changed from the original booking.
My question is what does one do when 1/2 of the flight now cannot be taken due to the airlines flight changes of days? Can I get a refund for the entire trip or just for the outgoing leg and have to accept a voucher for the return?
Thanks for any insight you can give.
Elaine
Peter Says: They have essentially cancelled your flight twice, so you ARE entitled to a full refund from American.
EMAIL: Abby Mcafee
Peter,
Thank you for taking the time to read this email.
I had planned a trip to Great Britain on June 15th for my immediate family, parents, and aunt. I booked everything myself through irAbnb and Icelandair. From reading the emails you answered it sounds like waiting is the best course of action now, but I would appreciate your insight.
Also I had submitted my passport at the end of March. Should I just assume that the passport office would start processing again if travel was miraculously opened up?
Thank you, Abby
Peter Says: Passport offices are currently closed, and you should continue to wait until the airline cancels the flight. passport offices should open up within the next two weeks since there is a huge backlog of requests, not to mention about two million additional U.S. passports have now expired.
EMAIL: Susan Kibbey
Hello from Texas. My name is Susan Kibbey. I bought four tickets to travel from London to Paris on June 10 / Coach class. But these were expensive and according to my TA
Eurostar is un-willing to refund. When pressed they said they would allow if travel commenced before end of March 2021. This must be booked by 30 Sept.
My trip involves grandchildren who a not able to travel before end of school year in 2021 (hopefully we have school)
Can you help? I can provide CC receipts and tickets.
Peter Says: Please do provide all information and let me see what I can do.
EMAIL: Susan Cornell
Hi Peter,
An hour after we boarded a Sea Cloud Cruise in the Caribbean, the captain announced that the 10-day trip due to islands shutting down with corona virus concerns. We were told that we’d be reimbursed for the travel expenses, and the Cruise would be refunded.
Today I was told that we would only have the cruise refunded and the difference between what we would have paid for return flights and the new cost of the rescheduled flights.
We are not, in fact, being reimbursed for taxis or the flights to and from the Cruise.
What are other travelers doing in this type of scenario? What can we do?
Greatly appreciate your advice!
Thank you,
Susan Cornell
Peter Says: Susan I need all the details. Please email me dates, confirmation numbers and full names of anyone at the cruise line with whom you have spoken.
EMAIL: Theresa Skog
Can you help us please? Eight sisters were booked on a royal Caribbean cruise for March 15. We learned on March 13 of new CDC guidelines that we would likely not be allowed on the ship. We cancelled on that day. Just hours after we cancelled, Royal Caribbean canceled and will not refund us ! If we had cancelled a few hours later we would have been refunded. In addition we were within 48 hours of sail which should have been allowed a refund but they tell us it is midnight the night before 48 hours. Ouch. It’s over $10,000 for cancelling in a window of less than a day on either side.
They actually told us we should show up at the dock to be denied. This is with people who should either not be exposed or exposing themselves to others. One is a nurse who could not say she wasn’t exposed to people with the virus. Another is 70 years old and new guidelines required a doctors note which of course she did not have as we had already traveled from Minnesota to Puerto Rico.
I have spent so much time on the phone with them to ask them to review again but only get a runaround! We are so surprised that they aren’t treating us better as loyal cruisers. I am a diamond level cruiser with them.
How do we get through to them to talk to someone other than front line Customer service?
Thank you for any advice you can give us!!!!!
Teresa Skog
One of 8 sisters between ages of 53 and 70 who are frequent cruisers – this would have been our 7th annual sisters cruise
Peter Says: Please send me all the details – reservation/confirmation numbers and dates and full names and titles of those with whom you communicated at Royal Caribbean, and let me get into it.
EMAIL: Janet Dunnington
Hi Peter,
First of all, thank you for all your knowledge of travel industry during this turbulent times due to Covid-19 and taking time to answer our questions.
You responded to my South America situation in Round 6. I sent you all the information you suggested I send you.
I have not heard back in newest rounds.
My update
American Airlines is refunding our money and putting our points back in our account.
SA Expeditions is letting us reschedule the Galapagos trip for next year. They are refunding 50% now and we will owe that back prior to 2021 trip.
Journeyou is letting us reschedule the Peru trip for next year.
My problem remains is Latam Airlines that Journeyou booked September 3, 2019 for our trip May 1 2020. Airlines has cancelled flights but journeyou said they will not refund nor let us reschedule it until our 2021 trip but could use it up to this September 2020. It is $1089.00 for each of us ( 3 people). The flights were roundtrip Lima to Cusco and Lima to Guayaquil Ecuador.
My questions: Does Latam fall under US Dept of Transportation rule for refunds if they cancel?
Should I contact cc company to see if they can dispute charge (even though we paid Journeyou and they booked and paid Latam airlines?
Thank you so much for what you do,
Janet Dunnington
Peter Says: LATAM falls under U.S. DOT rules if your flight originates from or arrives back to the U.S. it doesn’t appear that it does, so dispute the charge with the credit card company immediately. Your issue is not with LATAM but with the travel operator who booked the flight and the tour.
EMAIL: Chrystal Griffin
I have a flight on July 7 on Qantas. They sent me a message that says that everyone who has a flight before July 31 should cancel their flight by April 30 to get a credit. Is it possible to get a refund if I wait until after April 30?
Peter Says: If they are offering you a full refund then yes. But if their idea of a “credit” is a voucher, then wait until they actually cancel the flight to preserve your rights to receive a full refund.
EMAIL: Max Alovisetti
Hi Peter,
Here’s my situation – I booked a flight and hotel for my wife and I to Bermuda for March 26th through the 31st. Since we’re both over 70 and my wife has an underlying medical condition I cancelled our trip on March 17th. Jet Blue has given us a credit for the flight ( no refund) but has repeatedly said it would take 4 weeks plus to get information regarding reimbursement of the hotel costs. Is there anything I can do other than grin and bear it? I’ve called them numerous times and I’ve always gotten the same answer, wait. Thanks, Max Alovisetti, 59 Marlboro St., Newburyport, Ma. 01950
Peter Says: Did you book both the hotel and the flight thru Jet Blue? Did you pay with a credit card? Please let me know.
