FAQs regarding travel under the current restrictions

05 June 2020

Taking care of people is at the heart of everything we do here at Travel Counsellors, and now more than ever our aim is to keep you as informed as possible on the latest information on travel across the globe. We’ve collated some frequently asked questions from customers, which together with the latest advice from consumer advisory Which?, and the support of your personal Travel Counsellor, aims to guide you through the current circumstances surrounding travel, as we look forward to the time we can explore the world once more.

What does the current FCO Advice mean?

The FCO is currently advising against all non-essential international travel. Whilst we do not yet know when travel restrictions will be lifted again, we are seeing countries across the globe continuously reviewing and updating their travel restrictions, and many of our customers are making enquiries for travel towards the end of this year.

Due to the open-ended nature of the advice please liaise with your Travel Counsellor regularly for the latest information.

Can I book a new holiday?

Yes. When it comes to booking your next well-earned break or business trip, you can rest assured that our focus on customer care and traveller wellbeing means that you will be in safe, expert hands. Your Travel Counsellor can provide a host of options to ensure you have the choice and flexibility to make stress-free travel plans, safe in the knowledge that you have an experienced travel professional with you every single step of the way. Our TC Flexible Promise also means you can benefit from free amendments up to eight weeks before departure on selected TC Packages.

What’s more, when you book a travel package your money is protected by our unique ATOL-supported financial trust, which safeguards you from the failure of any supplier involved in your booking.

For holidays later in the year or in 2021 we also advise that you have valid travel insurance – not just for the duration of the holiday, but from the day you book. If your annual insurance policy is up for renewal, please read the T&Cs to make sure they haven’t changed to exclude coronavirus-related claims (Please see further information on travel insurance below)

When can I travel in and around the UK?

The current Government advice means you can now travel around England to exercise and visit beauty spots, but are not yet able to stay overnight in accommodation away from your home.

As restrictions lift in a phased approach, UK holiday accommodation will reopen as part of ‘step three’ of the Government’s lockdown strategy, which we believe will take place no earlier than 04 July. When this happens, your Travel Counsellor will keep you informed of the host of UK breaks available, and property owners will need to meet specific guidelines to minimise the risk of infection for visitors.

We will be working closely with all of our domestic product suppliers to ensure our customers can enjoy a UK break whilst ensuring safety and wellbeing remains of the utmost importance.

How do the new UK quarantine rules affect my travel?

The government has announced that they will soon be asking people arriving to the UK by plane, ferry, or train to spend 14 days in quarantine. This means that, before arriving, anyone coming into the UK will have to provide the address where they intend to self-isolate, staying somewhere private, and away from others (except those they travelled with).

The quarantine rules will apply to everyone once the FCO ban on travel lifts. The quarantine will not apply to passengers traveling from the Republic of Ireland, although Ireland currently requires UK citizens to self-isolate on arrival.

Your Travel Counsellor will keep you up-to-date on the latest Government advice on the quarantine time required after your trip. It’s key to note that the requirements may not cause the travel partners involved in your booking to cancel your trip. Therefore, if you’re unable self-isolate on returning to the UK, your Travel Counsellor can advise on the options you have to change your booking to a later date.

What will happen to my 2020 package holiday?

Looking after your safety and wellbeing is, and will continue to remain, so important to us, so in the unfortunate circumstances that you’re unable to travel due to current restrictions cross the globe, your Travel Counsellor will work closely with you to rearrange your travel plans.

If you wish to cancel your trip before the travel partners involved in your booking issue the news that they are cancelling bookings up to any given date, it’s important to be aware that you may risk losing your deposit and incur cancellation fees. Unfortunately, you will be unable to claim this on your insurance as it will be deemed as a ‘disinclination to travel’.

Due to the constantly evolving nature of the situation we are currently working on a rolling 28-day policy for future departures. If you would still like to discuss your travel plans outside of the 28-day window and are considering the option to cancel, please do bear in mind that you may incur cancellation charges. Should the FCO lift restrictions and you are able to travel to your destination but still wish to cancel your trip, then cancellation fees may also be applied in these circumstances.

Your Travel Counsellor is always available to advise you of the best options for you. At this time, many customers are opting to rearrange their travel plans and look forward to a well-deserved break at a later date to avoid cancellation charges.

When should I rebook my cancelled holiday?

The FCO state that their travel advice is under constant review and will be relaxed as soon as circumstances allow, and consumer advisory Which? is advising travellers to reschedule their trip to a date as late in the year as possible.

Your Travel Counsellor will provide the most flexible options available to you, offering much-needed peace of mind that should you need to amend your booking, you have the support of your Travel Counsellor and the travel partners involved in your trip to make the changes required.

What if I haven’t paid for my holiday in full yet?

If you have a holiday that is due to travel later this year and are yet to pay in full, please speak to your Travel Counsellor about the options available to you. These could include the possibility of deferring payments, holding credit for the money you’ve paid so far, or moving your holiday to a later date.

When you book a TC Package through your Travel Counsellor, your money is protected by our unique ATOL-supported financial trust, which safeguards you from the failure of any supplier involved in your booking.

What about my flight-only booking for summer 2020?

If your flight is cancelled, you will be entitled to a refund as long as your booking was with an EU airline, or any airline departing from an EU airport.

For bookings due to fly in the coming months where the airline has not yet cancelled the flight, you will be unable to cancel without incurring a fee, but you may be able to receive a refund in due course. Airlines are currently prioritising imminent flights and are waiting for further announcements from the FCO before cancelling flights departing later this year.

If you are due to travel later in the year and have already made the decision not to travel, the date of journey should be amendable for free on a flexi ticket. Even if it isn’t a flex ticket, many major airlines have updated their policies to be more accommodating for customers due to travel at this time. Please seek the advice and support of your Travel Counsellor for further information on your flight-only booking.

I have an accommodation-only booking for summer 2020

For accommodation-only bookings where the property is closed due to local government advice, you should be entitled to a refund from the accommodation provider. However, if the accommodation is open for business and you cannot travel there, unfortunately the accommodation provider isn’t obligated to issue a refund. Please speak to your Travel Counsellor for further advice on the options available to you if you have made an accommodation-only booking.

I’m due to set sail on a cruise in summer 2020

Many of the major cruise companies have cancelled sailings for May, June and later in the year. If your cruise is not going ahead it may be possible to postpone your trip by up to two years depending on the cruise line and their terms & conditions.

If your cruise is still currently scheduled to set sail, we would advise against cancelling now as you may incur a cancellation fee. If the cruise doesn’t go ahead you should be able to receive a refund or a credit voucher which will provide you with more flexibility.

Your Travel Counsellor will stay close to your booking and provide all the necessary information about cancellation and postponement policies should your cruise not go ahead at this time.

What should I do about travel insurance?

You should always take out travel insurance at the same time as booking a holiday, but travel insurance has changed dramatically since the beginning of the Coronavirus pandemic.

Whist buying travel insurance may not cover for claims related to coronavirus now, it should still cover for a range of other issues. If you’re buying an annual policy, the start date needs to be the date that you book the holiday (or as soon as possible afterwards) in order to cover for claims made before your trip begins, such as possible cancellations.

If you’re taking out a single-trip policy, when you provide the holiday’s start date you will be covered from the day you take out the insurance to the day you return home from holiday.

We know that it can be tricky checking the terms and conditions of your travel insurance policy, so your Travel Counsellor is always on hand to discuss travel insurance options with you.

Please remember we are here for you. Should your plans change for any reason, you can always rely on your Travel Counsellor to provide a personal travel advice – whether that is to amend a booking or ensure you return home quickly and safely when needed. For any further questions please don’t hesitate to contact your Travel Counsellor.