This was supposed to be the year I fulfilled my mother’s lifelong dream of traveling to Italy. But this spring — thanks to the coronavirus — instead of drinking Aperol spritzes on a cruise from Barcelona, we’ll be home scouring the internet for antibacterial soap. In addition to worrying about a global pandemic, many families are wondering what to do about spring and summer vacation, including if they can get a refund on their planned trips.
Should families cancel their vacations?
Financial considerations
Can you get your money back?
This leaves families to wonder — if they do cancel their vacation, can they get their money back? In my case, no. I can’t get my money back, but I was given a credit for a future cruise. Some airlines, like Frontier and American, are waiving change fees with restrictions depending on dates of travel. And others, like Alaska Airlines, are allowing customers to cancel flights and receive a credit; Lufthansa says customers can get their money back if their flight is canceled, according to Market Watch.
Cancellation policies for hotels are on an individual basis. Marriott’s website says it’s waiving cancelation fees in some countries including Japan, South Korea, and Italy through March 31. Your best chance of getting a good outcome and possibly getting your money back is to give them a call.
“Often, calling and being nice goes a long way toward getting your refund,” Lois Alter Mark said.
What about travel insurance?
At the beginning of the outbreak, it appeared that travel insurance wouldn’t cover canceling a trip over fear of coronavirus. But some insurance carriers are now allowing coronavirus-related cancellations to be covered, according to CNN.
If you are planning to go somewhere, there is Cancel for Any Reason insurance. Speaking of planning for travel, there are a lot of travel deals right now.
Should you take advantage of travel deals during the coronavirus outbreak?
You can fly from Los Angeles to New York on Southwest later this month for $235, including taxes and two bags with no change or cancellation fees. Deals like these are very tempting, but should we go ahead and try to book travel?
“I wouldn’t take advantage of bargains now unless they’re for months from now and they’re refundable,” Alter Mark advised. “It’s very disappointing to have to cancel a trip you were looking forward to but imagine being quarantined in that place for two weeks.”
