Peter answers your emails with travel questions and tells you what you need to know during this coronavirus pandemic. Email peter@petergreenberg.com if you don’t see your email answered in one of the rounds.
EMAIL: Steve & Jun
Dear Mr. Greenberg,
We departed ORD ( Chicago ) to CEB (Cebu/ Mactan Philippines) in early December 2019 using EVA AIR all the way – there was a brief layover in Taipai.We purchased round trip tickets.
On April 15th we received an email ,from Cheapoair stating that the airline has made a schedule change for our return flight of May 11th.We used Cheapoair to book our tickets for EVA AIR. This email stated that the airline may have canceled the flight or changed the departure dates,etc.
I went to the EVA AIR site and found the Taipai airport is closed and won’t open until May 31st.
There have been no updates from Cheapo.
Is the airline forced to honor our round trip ticket(return leg) when service opens up in Cebu/ Mactan Philippines ?
SPECIFICALLY, ARE THERE PROTECTIONS FOR ROUND TRIP TICKETS,THAT ORIGINATE IN THE U.S.?
WHAT IS TO STOP AN AIRLINE TO DRAMATICALLY RAISE ITS PRICE MIDWAY THROUGH THEIR OBLIGATION TO FULLFIL A COMPLETE JOURNEY.
We otherwise would have to pay around $2,000 more, for something we had already paid for.
WE shall accept whatever return date they give us,even if we have to stay in the Philippines for an extra month.They must not demand any more money,from us,if we do this.
Please advise us,
Thank You
Steve & Jun
Peter Says: Steve, you present a serious dilemma. Yes, EVA should honor your return flight WHEN they operate again. And there should be no increase in fare. The only question is date of your return travel….please stay in close touch with the airline so you can get on a return flight as soon as you can. and stay in touch with me as well.
EMAIL: Ron Lewis
I have an air trip through Expedia (better deal than UA) from PSP to MAD also using Lufthansa May 21. My Spanish classes will be cancelled officially.
UA has not cancelled yet but looked at current routing equals more stops and longer airtime (I assume too early for them to cancel and willing to wait) However, I assume Expedia has to act as my agent and work with the airline?. I want total refund….vouchers/credit always expire and who knows when European travel will be allowed?
What do I tell Expedia? (no phone calling to them until 2 days prior to trip). I do not want Expedia credit. Am I under DOT rules?
Thanks
Ron Lewis
PS Airbnb is not the most friendly cancelling with them BUT after many phone calls, I received FULL credit.
Peter Says: Congratulations on your refund from Airbnb. As for United, you MUST wait for them to cancel the flight to preserve your rights to get a full refund. You ARE covered under DOT rules, but Expedia has to wait for the airline to cancel as well before you exercise those rights. This is one of the perils of booking through an OTA — no one to talk to, and no one to advocate FOR you… they are NOT your agent, but the agent of the airline, and therein lies the conflict. Stay in touch with me as you get closer to your departure date.
EMAIL: Babra P
Hello, my name is Babra and I was supposed to fly to Nadi Fiji islands 4th of may which is the next couple days and return on the 16th.
I had made my reservation through Exploretrip and I called and canceled my trip due to this pandemic. They charged me $75 usd for fees and gave me a future travel voucher with Qantas for 822.25 which how much I had paid for. Qantas is code sharing with Fiji Airways so when I contacted Qantas I was advised to contact Exploretrip and Fiji airways.
Well I have been trying to book my future travel for Dec. and I have been on long hold times with Exploretrip and as soon as I tell the rep that I need to use my voucher they hang up. Sometimes it seems like reps are driving or doing something else and not even connected to their computers. It’s very very frustrating when after a long wait time they hang up. And they only want to sell the tickets to make their commission. Every rep gave me huge price difference in fares. I don’t understand if all working for same company and all have different prices.
Today I called and was advised by another rep Tina that I can only use Qantas and not Fiji Airways. The fare is $680 round trip on Exploretrip’s website for the dates am asking for leaving Dec. 8th and returning Dec. 22nd.
She told me that I can use those dates booking through Qantas but I will have to pay $760 on top of the voucher that I have for $822. This is a total ripoff because the flight is only $680 round trip.
I would greatly appreciate if one of your team members could look into this matter.
Thank you in advance
Babra P
Peter Says: I agree with you on the fare change and differential. Please send me more details.
EMAIL: Ed Ellis
Hi Peter
I have 2 tickets on American Airlines I couldn’t use. They were for the first week of April. Can I get a refund? They are of no use to us now as we have both been let go from our jobs and the money would be helpful to say the least.
Let me know what you think.
Regards
Ed Ellis
Peter Say: Ed, you didn’t cancel before the outbound flight date? You can only hope the airline DID cancel. Go back to the Airline and find out if they canceled the flight. Then ask for that refund. The airline might claim the tickets are worthless because you didn’t cancel. Although you might luck out with the argument that since the airline cancelled the flight before you did, you are still entitled to that full refund
EMAIL: Curt Johnson
Peter,
Love your show and advice, listen on WGN radio often.
Me and a buddy were going to Europe for about 3 weeks in starting mid-June (Geneva, Brussels, London, Iceland). I cancelled most parts so far with no penalty, plan to try again next summer. But with my AirBNB reservation in Reykjavik, they are refunding only 50%. (I got 100% AirBNB refund for Brussels). AirBNB has not been willing to step in to help us get 100% back. They appear greedy. What do you suggest at this point?
Regards,
Curt Johnson
Bloomington, IL
Peter Says: Curt, have you established a paper trail in which you have documented everything? I presume you paid with a credit card, and in that case and if they are still refunding only 50%, you should dispute the charge with your issuing bank. remember, you contracted for a service you did not receive. And copy me.
EMAIL: R. Matthews
Hi Peter,
Our family’s bi yearly reunion was to be held in July this year, Chicago.
What is our obligation regarding the block of rooms we contracted for the reunion, last year, now that we’re in the midst of Coronovirus and the social distancing rules?
The hotel is not offering any relief and seemingly trying to wait to see if “stay home” rules will be lifted here, but we have family that would be coming from all over the country and most are afraid to travel.
Do we have to wait until the hotel cancels or do we have any grounds to cancel first?…without unfair penalties?
The hotel is Hyatt Lodge in Oakbrook, IL
Really enjoy you and your REAL help & information
Please advise & Thank You!
- Matthews
Peter Says: Yes, the entire travel industry is playing wait and see, and trying to keep their options open, as I know you are as well. July presents a tricky situation, since most U.S. cities will probably relax some rules by then and if that’s the case, and the hotel is operating, they could make the claim that your reservation is a contract that is still valid. Have you established a paper trail with the hotel? Do you have a record of that correspondence? I’d like to see it. So send it to me.
EMAILS: Candee
Am wondering if you can help or advise about a situation that has developed with Viking Cruises?
Background: This July, eight of us were going to travel together via Viking for their Danube River cruise which started in Munich, via bus to Oberagmmergau for the Passion Play and on to Salzburg, then to join the ship on the Danube and end up in Budapest. All of us purchased the two day pre stay in Munich and the post two day stay in Budapest. And all of us purchased, per our own preferences, various shore excursions and other packages.
This email is about two female passengers (Dev and Nancy) who were rooming together. Each paid separately for their trip, airfare, room and board through Viking channels, as well as shore excursions (which differed in some cases due to different interests).
Viking cancelled the river cruise, rightfully so, due to the Covid-19.
We were all offered 100% refunds or 125% vouchers. One couple took the refund. My husband and I took the voucher. Two single gals (rooming together) took the vouchers. Nancy (rooming with Dev) took the refund. Dev wants the voucher.
This process of voucher vs refund went on for sometime with back and forth emails, phone conversations, etc. Due to a misunderstanding, the Viking agent innocently asked for refunds for Nancy (correct) and Dev (wrongly). Within minutes of learning this, Dev contacted the agent and said ….no I want the voucher. What can be done to correct this? She was advised to make some calls since the agent was powerless at this point.
Hence the Viking situation.
Dev is a business woman and so she handled the situation in a most businesslike manner and asked to move up the chain of command as each person she talked with said they could not help her. She finally ended up with a woman who said she would take it to someone higher up the chain of command than she is, and that she would call Dev back. She did not call Dev back. Dev called her several times over the course of five or six days, and finally reached her. According to Dev, the woman had just (conveniently) received word that Dev would be getting a refund not the voucher she wants. That the Executive Board had made a decision that there would be no exceptions. No exceptions to what is not clear.
Dev was hoping for the reasonable solution that she could get the voucher (and Viking would keep her money for up to 24 months), and she, Dev, could happily reschedule another cruise with Viking.
I am writing you, rather than Dev, for two reasons. Dev has wrung her hands over this and is so disgusted with the way Viking handled her legitimate request that she wants nothing more to do with Viking. At this point, they have lost a customer and have created some bad public relations. The other reason, I am writing, is that I am the one who pulled all these people together to come on the cruise with us. That is to say, they wanted to come, but I helped facilitate and coordinate. Dev has kept me apprised of her conversations with Viking over this matter.
My questions to you are: Can you help resolve this? Do you need more information? Can you advise? Have you seen this situation before?
My opinion is that Viking could easily treat Nancy and Dev as two single individuals (rather than as one because they are sharing a room on a ship). They are individuals, and Viking accepted their money as individuals, and therefore should treat their requests for either a refund or voucher as each individual wishes.
I do not understand this hardline approach and it has tainted my view of Viking’s business, as well as everyone else who was traveling with us. This would have been my husband and my third Viking river cruise.
Thank you for your time and expertise.
Candee Jones
Peter Says: The solution here might be simpler than you think. Just ask Viking to make the vouchers transferrable. Then give them the names. And figure out the money situation amongst yourselves. And do you have a paper trail of the correspondence here confirming your exchanges with Viking or the travel agent? Let me see that if you do.
EMAIL: Lawrence Slomin
Are flights booked through sky team alliance considered the same as booking with an airline and thus subject to a cash refund, or are they considered a third party or travel agent?
Peter Says: As long as the airline cancels the flight first, your rights are still preserved no matter who booked the ticket.
EMAIL: Melanie Gray
Dear Peter,
We booked a Galapagos cruise (with Silverseas) last year for end of July 2020.
The cruise line website indicates they are resuming cruises to the Galapagos beginning mid-June. Ecuador has been hard hit by the Coronavirus. I continue to monitor many websites (State Dept, NYT, Ecuador’s travel and exterior ministry, etc) regarding travel restrictions to Ecuador. Ecuador imposed a 3 week lock down mid-March and as of yesterday has neither updated nor cancelled/extended it. None of the websites that I’m using have been updated.
I have until June 1 to cancel with the cruise line for a full refund.
Are there other resources I should use to find out updated travel restrictions or should I plan that travel will not resume as stated on the cruise line’s website?
Thank you for your help.
Melanie Gray
Peter Says: At this point, June is way too soon. Galapagos cruises will most likely resume in November. So cancel and get your refund.
EMAIL: Linda Garnitz
Hi Peter,
My husband and I made a reservation through Hotels.com for a small hotel in Florence, Italy (May 8-12) . Unfortunately I booked a non refundable rate. Obviously the airline has cancelled and all travel into Italy has stopped. Hotels.com has offered a voucher for travel within a year. They had me contact hotel because originally hotel had said they would be offering a cash refund due to force majeure conditions. The hotel now says it is following Hotels.com policy of voucher. Do I have any options? It seems unfair and inflexible. When I told hotel that I was over 65 with a compromised immune disease so would not be able to book travel until there is a vaccine they offered that I could give voucher to a friend or family member.
Any suggestions that you have would be appreciated!
Linda Garnitz
Peter Says: Linda, at this point you need to dispute the charge with your credit card issuing bank. And if that dispute is denied, you still have an option to file a small claims court case against hotels.com, since they were the U.S. agency that booked the hotel, for a service you did not receive. Make sure you establish a paper trail confirming your conversations with the hotel or hotels.com. That will be essential if you want to go the small claims court route. Or, you could find a friend and give them the voucher and they can pay you! But in reality, you should be getting a full refund. Again, dispute the charge first, then build your small claims case.
EMAIL: Patricia Jordan
Hello Peter,
we have a May 11 flight from ORD to Lisbon and return from Porto on May 24 on TAP airline. The May 11 flight has been cancelled and they (Just Fly) were willing to refund the May 11 flight but say the May 24 flight has not been cancelled yet. TAP is no longer posting any cancellation so I am in a catch 22. They are not listing ORD flights at all anymore and are only saying they are not flying to North America between now and May 17. Should I take the refund for the first half of the flight and hope to get the return flight later? Do I need to get the refund prior to May 11th when my trip was supposed to begin? What if they do not cancel the May 24th flight by then? I did not take the refund yet and have not cancelled the flight on my end. I’m just not sure how to handle this. Thanks for any help you can provide.
Patricia Jordan
Peter Says: If you booked both flights in the same reservation, the cancellation of one flight obviously cancels the return and you are entitled to a full refund…now.
EMAIL: Jim Patterson
Peter,
If an airline changes your flight schedule and your original flight no longer exist, is this a cancellation of the original flight? I still get to my destination just not on the original flight. I really want a refund and not an ecredit with the airline but I need to know if is this a cancellation where I could request a refund.
Thanks,
Jim Patterson
Peter Says: Yes, it is considered a cancellation.
EMAIL: Lorraine Fann
Hi Peter,
I hope this email finds you and yours well. I want you to know that I am a huge fan of yours!! You make sense during a senseless time!!
Being a Travel Advisor during this pandemic has been a real eye-opener! I found you on Facebook and have been following you since the beginning of this turbulent event. My husband and I were scheduled to go to Nairobi via Amsterdam round trip on May 25th – June 10th, 2020. I called KLM after finding out that the flight was cancelled. (They did not send out an email. I went online to look and found out on my own.) The agent at KLM assured me that a refund request was entered and I would hear back from them shortly. I told her that I expected a full refund of $4472.29 back to my original form of payment. She reiterated that I would hear back from them and she understood my request.
Well…I am sure you can guess what happened. They issued us two travel vouchers. I just got off the phone with them and was told they would NOT be issuing any refunds although they were the ones who cancelled the flights.
Peter…can I dispute the charge with my credit card company or can you guide me toward what I should do now? I would SO appreciate any guidance you can give me.
I look forward to hearing back from you. Thanking you in advance for your time and effort.
Best Regards,
Lorraine Fann
Peter Says: If your flight from the U.S. was on KLM, then that falls under the U.S. DOT rule entitling you to a full refund. If KLM still insists on the voucher, then absolutely dispute the charge on your credit card statement. And if that fails, you are under the $7500 cap in small claims court and file a claim there as well.
EMAIL: Cheryl Brown
Hi Peter,
I booked a cruise on Norwegian in December 2019 for May 30, 2020
In January I made my final payment. $4178
In February, the price went down significantly. $2800
I had to cancel original booking and take a $900 cancellation fee.
Now that the cruise is cancelled, NCL only wants to give me back $2800.
I am asking for all the money back that I paid to NCL (less the $433 savings I already got by rebooking)
So I am asking for $2800 + $900 fee that I was charged.
The only reason that I took the hit of $900 cancelation, was that I was still going on the same cruise.
Otherwise I would not have cancelled and rebooked.
NCL broke the contract.
I wrote into NCL and I am waiting for their reply. Costco travel tried to call NCL and get the $900 but supervisor refused.
Should I take the loss and accept the $2800 with fears that Norwegian may go bankrupct?
Thanks. Please help
I am listening to your show in Chicago now. Great show.
Cheryl Brown
Peter Says: Cheryl, do NOT take the $900 loss. Do you have a paper trail with Costco and their conversations with NCL? Send it to me. Worst case scenario, dispute the entire charge on your credit card statement. And if that fails, you fall under the $7500 cap of a small claims court case, and you have a strong case.
EMAIL: Jose Rivas
Hi Peter:
I was asked to pay 20% of a summer camp in Provence before May 7th for my 10-year-old daughter. Camp experience would be from Aug. 3 til Aug. 21st. We live in Mexico City but were thinking of visiting my brother in Chicago before flying to France. What do you think we should do?
Jose
Peter Says: Most of Europe won’t really reopen before September, so I’d advise against making any payments and don’t schedule the camp.
EMAIL: Elisa Craft
Hi Peter,
I booked a hotel in Rome, Italy on Orbitz.com on February 16, 2020 for the Hotel Nazionale and the travel was scheduled for May 18, 2020 – May 21, 2020.
I received an email from Orbitz on April 24, 2020 stating that they’ve made it possible, “even though your lodging booking is non-refundable, to cancel and receive a voucher in the form of a coupon for your booking for Hotel Nazionale in Rome… If you want to cancel, we will issue you a voucher in the form of a coupon equal to the value of your booking, for use on a future stay at Hotel Nazionale in Rome .”
I believe this is fraudulent and a violation of the Fair Credit Billing Act (FCBA). After watching your videos and being further educated, Orbitz is not a bank and they cannot hold my money, interest free, for one year. It is of further concern that Orbitz is requiring me to travel to Rome in order to use my voucher. I am also required to cancel my reservation to receive the voucher, or lose my money entirely. Orbitz, nor the Hotel Nazionale, will cancel which on its surface feels like a fraudulent trap to remove any obligation on their part to comply with the FCBA.
Under the Fair Credit Billing Act, I am entitled to a cash refund and my financial responsibility is limited to just $50 and states I am not obligated to pay for services that are not as promised. I didn’t purchase a one-year voucher, I purchased a hotel room for May 18, 2020 – May 21, 2020.
Please help.
Elisa Craft
Peter Says: Elisa, you have eloquently stated your case. and I agree. First, dispute the charge on your credit card statement. And if denied, you have a great small claims court case. Let me know what happens.
