Would you book flights for October/November?

Selfish post...thoughts obviously first and foremost with the hardworking staff wondering what the future holds.

We were due to fly UC LGW-ANU in May with return in June.

Clearly that won't be happening. We have managed to reschedule the actual 'holiday' bit for late Oct to Nov.

My question is, would you be booking new flights for that time? Or holding off for now?

I'm aware we won't get refunded for our existing flights until closer to the time.

I also note prices on our route in Oct are very, very much higher than we paid for existing flights.

I’m afraid I wouldn’t be booking anything right now.

A) there is still no end in sight. The UK has not yet reached its peak. And even when it does, life won’t just return to normal overnight and the travel industry won’t bounce back like nothing has happened. Recovery will be slow and gradual. So right now IMHO the future is too uncertain to commit to anything 8 months away.

B) there is, sadly, no guarantee that VS will survive this. Or your hotel.

Thanks.

Not a hotel, its a yacht charter company owned by KKR, so not too worried about them.

Our position with the charter co is 'move it or lose it'. And it has to be moved within 2020. So not much choice on that part of it.

I’m sure KKR will change its policy if and when it becomes clear people won’t be using its services in 2020.

Watching the BBC News at 10 last night, the UK military are being put on a state of heightened readiness to assist the civilian services from mid-April for 6 months.

That should give you some idea of the timescales the government is currently working on. And even they are only a best guess, so uncertain is the situation.

My suggestion is to hold fire and see what happens. Not music to the ears of airlines and hoteliers, but as nobody really knows how long this will go on for, it would be a shame to make bookings for something that might not happen.

I have a trip booked for September. I’m not planning to cancel at the moment as I’m waiting to see what happens with travel restrictions etc., though I will need to make a decision by mid-June when I’m due to pay it off.

[mitchja]

Yes I’m the same here too.

I have trips booked for Apr (which I’ve already cancelled everything bar the VS flights now), Aug and Sept and whilst I’m not cancelling the later 2 yet, I’m playing it by ear.

I think all we can do is to try and remain positive and hope that things calm down soon and the minimum number of people are affected medically and logistically. I’m trying not to be like Private Fraser from Dad’s Army (for those that can remember that!).

My Orlando trip at the end of April will be a gonner but I haven’t cancelled anything yet. I think the villa maybe the only thing I’ll lose money on but lots of people are worse off so not complaining.

I have Boston in September and Orlando in January but I’m keeping everything crossed that thing get better and VS are OK after all of this.

Important notice to everyone:
When a flght is cancelled, the airline is obviously legally obliged to re-imburse you.
There has never been a problem with this before.
Eg. when BA cancelled my flights due to the (2010) strike, they immediately gave my money back.
My forthcoming UC VA flights to the USA will be cancelled soon.
But under the options list, there is no option to ask for your money back.
VA have "updated" their T&Cs, dated 12.3.20, and now say they will not return payment in case of cancellations.
To say this is outrageous is to put it mildly, when I booked, these T&Cs did not apply.
Can they get away with this?
I have absolutley no wish to move my flights to another date, for all sorts of reasons.

AFAIK there has been no change to the EU law that requires airlines to offer a full refund if they cancel your flight.

So if and when VS cancels your flight, and they refuse a refund, first lodge a disputed payment claim with your credit card issuer. Should that be rejected, you may have to go down the Money Claim Online (formerly Small Claims Court) route.

All this, of course, with the caveat that the EU doesn’t temporarily relax EC261/2004.