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Your Money > Insurance Articles > Swine Flu: Your questions answered
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By Sarah Modlock
Nothing takes your mind off the recession like a holiday. And nothing takes your mind off a holiday like a flu epidemic. The global Swine Flu outbreak has led the UK Foreign Office to advise against travel to Mexico and the World Health Organisation to increase its pandemic alert threat to phase 4 (meaning the disease can be transferred from human to human). What do these developments mean for travellers? If you have booked or are thinking of booking a holiday to Mexico or the US, here's everything you need to know.. Q. Will I get my money back? A: While FCO advice remains in place, customers of ABTA tour operators who have booked package holidays to that destination for the period that the advice is in force will be offered alternative arrangements, or, if this isn't possible, a full refund of all monies paid to the tour operator. You may be able to recover this refund from your travel insurer but, if not, the tour operator must provide a refund. You won't be entitled to any additional compensation, as the reason for the holiday not continuing is outside the control of the tour operator. ABTA confirms that if you're overseas and the FCO advice changes to state that they advise against travel to your destination, your tour operator will either arrange for you to return to the UK as soon as is reasonably possible, or make alternative holiday arrangements where this is available or reasonably practicable in the circumstances. If no alternative is available and you fly home early, no compensation will be payable but you'll receive a refund of any unused services, such as accommodation costs, where your tour operator is able to recover these from its suppliers. If you have booked only a flight and not a package holiday, you have no legal right to receive a refund if you decide not to fly - unless you have paid for a fully-flexible ticket. Most travel insurance policies will not cover the costs of cancellation in these circumstances, though it is worth checking through the small print of your policy. Q: What if I am offered an alternative destination and don't want to travel? A: Many tour operators with big programmes are offering customers the opportunity to change their holiday to a different destination. You may feel you want to accept this offer, but you are not obliged to and must be allowed to opt for full compensation if that is what you prefer. Q: How long will it take to get my money back? A: There are no fixed rules about this and the length of time it takes to receive a refund will depend on the efficiency of the tour operator. Q: I've booked a holiday to the United States. Will I still be able to go? A: Holidays to the US are currently unaffected but any part of your itinerary that involves a visit to Mexico will not go ahead. Q: I've booked a holiday to Mexico later in the year. Should I change my plans? A: Your tour operator will decide how far in advance they'll be offering alternatives or refunds, should this become necessary. The exact period will vary as the advice from the FCO can change rapidly. Please check with your tour operator. Your tour operator will continue to review the situation and contact you closer to your departure date if it's necessary to change your holiday. Q: Can I cancel my trip to Mexico that is booked for later in the year? I don't want to go, even if I can. A: Check with your tour operator. Some are offering their customers the ability to rebook holidays to other destinations for free. If you have booked independently you may find it much harder to switch - check with the company. Q: I'm thinking about booking a holiday soon, but not sure where to. Where should I look for advice? A: Check out the country specific advice on the FCO website, www.fco.gov.uk. Get all the latest news on the swine flu epidemic. Useful links: |
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