Advice for if you have a holiday booked for this summer – including if you are eligible for a refund

Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis has offered some advice to those who were due to go on holiday, including if you are eligible for a refund and what your travel insurance policy may cover.

It follows Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab extending the coronavirus lockdown on Thursday, April 16 for at least another three weeks.

It means that it won’t be until around Thursday, May 7 that the current coronavirus measures will be reviewed – throwing many people’s travel plans into disarray.

This is what Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis has to say on the issues for holidaymakers:

Can I get a refund for a trip that I have already booked?

Your right to cancel a holiday and get a refund depends on travel advice issued by the Government Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO).

Most insurers and airlines generally take their information and policies from this advice.

The current advice from the FCO is to avoid travel “indefinitely” – so if you have a trip coming up in the next few weeks, you could be entitled to a refund.

However, there needs to be a FCO warning in place on the day you are due to travel in order to receive a refund.

I’ve got a holiday booked in the next couple of weeks, what should I do?

If you’re due to go on holiday within the next few weeks, Martin Lewis says that there is a good chance it has already been cancelled.

If this is the case, his advises that you speak to your travel firm to find out your options.

He says that package holidays should be fully refunded and that you should also be able to secure full refunds on most flights as well.

My holiday is imminent but has not been cancelled yet, what advice is there?

This is the time to go to your travel insurance policy.

Most insurance policies will allow you to claim for cancellation but only if you booked the holiday and insurance before FCO warnings and before coronavirus became a “known event”.

I have a trip booked for the summer, should I cancel it and will I receive a refund?

As FCO advice only applies to trips within the next few weeks, cancelling a holiday that you have planned for the summer could result in you not receiving a refund.

Unfortunately you will have to wait until nearer the time to find out if you can get a refund or make a claim.

I have a holiday booked but no holiday insurance, what can I do?

The advice is that if you have booked a holiday, but no insurance then it is probably too late.

Martin Lewis has said he doesn’t know of any policies offering to cover cancellations and claims caused by coronavirus.

He also added that most annual policies are now exclude coronavirus cover for recently booked trips.

The latest Foreign and Commonwealth Office travel advice can be seen here.

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