Late August- anyone else have holiday paid for?

MizMix · 23-05-2020 11:16am #1

Hi There

Last year we booked a trip to Denmark and paid 100% of the accommodation (no option to just pay a deposit). Lesson learned but we never would have imagined what 2020 would be like! Dates are 26th August for 7 days. Husband no interest in going but the resort will not entertain even moving our dates- unless borders are closed which I think will be unlikely by late August. Ok I'm hoping they will be but in the likely situation they won't be by then I'm trying to figure out should we just write it off or go.

At the minute Denmark has very low no of active cases (closed borders early on and will prob only reopen late June/July) so I'm trying to think of valid reasons not to go unless cases start spiralling. is anyone considering holidays at this point or if you have booked for this time will you accept the loss (the fact we paid in full is making it harder). I'm on the fence and if we hadn't paid in full or had nothing booked I wouldn't dream of it but it's a lot to just write off....especially given kids will be back in school that week anyway....we have two kids so I'm wondering what real risk there is to travelling that close to september

GreyEagle · 23-05-2020 11:33am

MizMix wrote: »

if we hadn't paid in full or had nothing booked I wouldn't dream of it

There's your answer. I have a ferry booking to France in August but we will not travel. Period. Pity about the money spent and lost but things might be better next year.

Dodge · 23-05-2020 11:43am

No one here can give you the exact risk.

Asking for advice here won’t help IMO as you’ll have people saying ‘there’s no way I’m travelling this year’ and others saying they’re out the door ASAP

My only advice is not to let the money spent be an issue. Whether you go or not, you’re not getting that back.

Bananaleaf · 23-05-2020 11:48am

Yeah, I agree with Dodge. One thing I find myself coming back to a lot when making decisions related to 'money spent', be it a holiday that I have to cancel or even the other half of a burger that I'm too full to eat :eek: is - the money's gone now anyway.

Experience_day · 23-05-2020 11:56am

Maybe check closer to date. If there is very low amounts of people they might offer partial refund rather than have to keep services open etc

junebabies · 24-05-2020 4:04pm

Dodge wrote: »

No one here can give you the exact risk.

Asking for advice here won’t help IMO as you’ll have people saying ‘there’s no way I’m travelling this year’ and others saying they’re out the door ASAP

My only advice is not to let the money spent be an issue. Whether you go or not, you’re not getting that back.

Agree with this, the money is gone regardless.
OP I would wait to closer to the time to decide. Couple of weeks ago I would have said no way to August travel but I find my self pricing flights for September and October midterm.
We had a hotel booked in Majorca for August but no flights so we arent going but I think I'd consider it if we had.

costacorta · 24-05-2020 4:08pm

I said on another thread about a month ago that we lost out holiday in may but that we would still make out holiday in Tenerife in October. Life will be going back to some normality in next two months and we all have to learn to live around a living virus ..

ironclaw · 24-05-2020 4:13pm

costacorta wrote: »

Life will be going back to some normality in next two months and we all have to learn to live around a living virus ..

Whilst I agree with this positive outlook, the reality is that cases are rising in places where lockdowns have ended. It's far too early to make a call of normality. Likewise, as you approach Sept/Oct there is a general consensus that we will see a rise in cases as this is the traditional start of cold/flu season.

I wouldn't be making plans so far ahead, especially considering COVID-19 is now a well-established risk so your insurance and providers won't pay out on it.

By all means, make plans and bookings, but I'd only do it with the money I accept I may never see again.

zerosugarbuzz · 24-05-2020 4:17pm

MizMix wrote: »

Hi There

Last year we booked a trip to Denmark and paid 100% of the accommodation (no option to just pay a deposit). Lesson learned but we never would have imagined what 2020 would be like! Dates are 26th August for 7 days. Husband no interest in going but the resort will not entertain even moving our dates- unless borders are closed which I think will be unlikely by late August. Ok I'm hoping they will be but in the likely situation they won't be by then I'm trying to figure out should we just write it off or go.

At the minute Denmark has very low no of active cases (closed borders early on and will prob only reopen late June/July) so I'm trying to think of valid reasons not to go unless cases start spiralling. is anyone considering holidays at this point or if you have booked for this time will you accept the loss (the fact we paid in full is making it harder). I'm on the fence and if we hadn't paid in full or had nothing booked I wouldn't dream of it but it's a lot to just write off....especially given kids will be back in school that week anyway....we have two kids so I'm wondering what real risk there is to travelling that close to september

Have nothing booked but have every intention of going on holidays as soon as the borders are open. Unfortunately July and August are just too hot for us so it will be September or October when we go. In time you will see there is very little to be afraid of unless you or one of your family are old or vulnerable in some other way.

Conall Cernach · 24-05-2020 4:21pm

I'm in a sort of similar boat. I've the flight paid for in full and a 40% deposit paid on the accommodation since January for a holiday in the last 2 weeks of August. There is no sign of the flight getting cancelled yet but I have to pay the remainder of the apartment in July. If I tap out now and cancel the apartment but the flight goes ahead then I lose the flight money. If I pay the remainder of the apartment but the flight is subsequently cancelled then I've lost all that money. The country I'm planning on going to (Switzerland) is not yet open for international travel but will probably be so by the end of June.

krissovo · 24-05-2020 4:32pm

What’s the accommodation you are staying in? My mother is Danish and we can use use the family summer house if we want. They are usually on large plots so risk is low and the beaches run for miles so easy to social distance. The risk will be the same as if staying at home apart from the ferry from UK to Denmark as that is overnight but we will be armed with sanitiser to wipe it down.

MizMix · 24-05-2020 4:42pm

https://www.hvidbjergstrand.com/ It's a cabin here- it's part of a campsite/resort. My SIL and her partner (Danish) live in Aarhus so push comes to shove they can make use of it. Or if he calls them perhaps they'd be more generous changing our dates. We paid almost 1k and look I know the money is spent (good logical way of looking at it) but it's still a lot of hard earned money so I'll keep pushing them for a change of dates. I'm a bit surprised they won't even entertain us moving dates given they would easily rent it to Danish holidaymakers I'm sure.

Also agree cases will start going up again but August might be ok- but maybe Denmark won't even open their borders to here by then, Nobody knows I guess.

Since I posted yesterday due to flight times changing Ryanair have offered a refund/credit...so we've applied for that. I know it takes months but we'd be happy with vouchers. That's something I guess.

Dodge · 24-05-2020 5:15pm

MizMix wrote: »

[I'm a bit surprised they won't even entertain us moving dates given they would easily rent it to Danish holidaymakers I'm sure.

There’s nothing going to be easy for the travel/leisure industry for a few years.

While it won’t apply to everyone, there will be people nervous about travelling for a while (even internally) and there will be people will less disposable income for a while. People don’t even know for certain what schools will be like later this year and that is across the globe.

So airlines, hotels, campsites etc are doing all they can to keep hold of whatever money they have. Because there’s still so much uncertainty

Of course there are people who are willing to take risks (or they don’t believe there to be any risks) but regardless, there will be a huge drop in the tourism for a fair while yet

Beanybabog · 25-05-2020 9:20am

I’ve paid the ferry and two thirds of the accommodation for late august early September. I didn’t get the cancellation insurance so the only way we’d get refunded is if the resort is closed or one of us actually has Covid and can give a letter! I wouldn’t mind a credit note but it seems unlikely right now. The husband is determined that we’ll be able to go! I’m just going to ignore it for now. The world is a very different place right now to what it was three months ago, and in three months time it could be very different again. If we lose all the money I’ll be sick but at the end of the day it’s paid already, and I am where I am. I was reading a lot about travel predictions, restrictions etc but it’s pointless- I totally see the need to do that if you have to make a decision to cancel but that decision is out of my hands.

masterK · 25-05-2020 12:01pm

Not August but have flights and accommodation booked for early July to Greece. Paid 30% deposit on the accommodation and the rest was due today. Have no idea what the situation will be early July, flight is still scheduled. I had to cancel the accommodation.

The worst thing is now the accommodation are refusing to refund our deposit even though the booking had free cancellation, they will only issue a voucher valid for 18 months which they say is in line with Greek law. Apparently they refund you after the 18 months if you haven't used the voucher, but the apartments might not even be there then.

MizMix · 25-05-2020 12:16pm

Beanybabog with most places the cancellation insurance seems useless in this situation....but you are right, we have no idea how things will be in 3 months so I will try to forget about it for now

Masterk- most places seem to be pushing vouchers/credit initially but yes I agree it's not ideal esp given you paid for cancellation insurance. We also had france booked for June (went a bit crazy this year for the 40th) but happy to take vouchers from them as we really want to go next year....although part of me is concerned about 2021 also but will stay positive.

Kerry25x · 27-05-2020 11:03pm

Yeah I have a big trip booked to Southern Africa end of August - Mozambique, Botswana, Namibia and South Africa. Big trip that I was really excited for and put so much time into planning every detail. I've completely written it off and it's a relief not to worry about it anymore. Even if borders open and I can travel in August that doesn't mean I should and I don't want to contribute to the spread. Agree with what a couple other posters said that the money is already long spent so no point stressing about it now.

Think I should get a travel voucher at least for the big long haul flights with Air France but I had 4 or 5 short flights booked with small airlines that are unlikely to be refunded. Most accomodation was refundable with the exception of 2 airbnbs that are only 50% refundable. All the car rentals were refundable. All in I think we'll lose about €1400 as a couple.

Just an idea, you could try and work with the hotel and see if they'll give you credit to stay with them another time? Denmark is close, you could go when the situation improves maybe.

MizMix · 28-05-2020 8:26am

HI Kerry- that's my main point- the place in Denmark won't entertain moving our dates. We paid in full so it is a bit of a hard pill to swallow but we've decided we won't be going- even though cases in Denmark are very low

Kerry25x · 28-05-2020 8:29am

MizMix wrote: »

HI Kerry- that's my main point- the place in Denmark won't entertain moving our dates. We paid in full so it is a bit of a hard pill to swallow but we've decided we won't be going- even though cases in Denmark are very low

Sorry I missed that part. That's really a shame, most places would give some leeway in moving dates even if it's a non-refundable booking, especially in these extraordinary circumstances.

Late August- anyone else have holiday paid for?

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