I am getting concerned about whether to make plane reservations in 6 weeks (which I was going to do today)...I know that no one knows when this will end, but does anyone know airline policies (or have experience) with refunds if they still have air travel restricted? Particularly if you book on-line? I know if things don't look good a week/5 days in advance I will cancel hotels...at least the ones that you pay a penalty fee for last minute cancellations. Has this affected anyone elses decisions? I really feel for those in the tourism business if this continues.
I do know that most of the high school trips from this area either got re-routed to Costa Rica and that area (different wardrobe from France) or cancelled. Our high schoolers may be stuck in Greece...makes me wish I had gone as another staff member!
Posted by
Nederland, CO
108 posts
No, not that I know of...
Posted by
Sacramento
38 posts
My daughter-in-law was supposed to join me in Paris today but her flight from Calif has been cancelled -- American and Delta are giving a "one-time" waiver to change flight plans through June, but that's about all the laxity they're offering. I'm a little nervous about being able to get home on 5/1 -- although there are worse things than being stranded in Paris...
She has also had a problem getting good info from American Airlines -- different agents saying different things.
Posted by
Seattle, USA
990 posts
This could well be a continuing problem for months to come. I will say that it makes travel insurance more attractive, at least for non-refundable hotels and airfare. I'm a bit worried, though, about coverage. Suppose the volcano settles down and then erupts again a few months down the line. Insurers don't cover risks that were already known about at the time of the insurance. So...would that be a "new" eruption and covered by insurance or a "continuation" of the current eruption and not covered? No one knows what position they will take (though my cynical side thinks it knows!) I still will err on the side of buying trip delay insurance, even knowing that there is uncertainty about whether it will cover eruptions later this summer. But YMMV.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32353 posts
Susan,
Given that some test flights were conducted over the weekend (with no apparent problems), I suspect that the travel restrictions will be eased somewhat this week.
However, as another post mentioned, this could go on for some time. I believe that last time the Iceland Volcano erupted, it continued for a year or more. There's another larger Volcano right next to it, and if that one starts, the problem will get much worse.
I'm supposed to depart in a few weeks, so will be anxiously awaiting to see what happens.
Cheers!