Cancel holiday over corona virus?

[fraufruit 42,468]

IKR? I haven't seen my son and my family in almost a year and a half. That's a record for me.

[atinherne 69]

1 hour ago, fraufruit said:

I'm booked to the U.S. in May. Just attempted to start my cancellation process and this is what I got from Expedia after entering my info -

 

Given the exceptional circumstances, we may not be able to respond before your travel date. Please know that we are working to process your request as quickly as we can. No additional action is required unless you hear otherwise. Thank you for your patience. Please do not contact us for status updates. We will respond by email as soon as we are able to process your request.

 

I did take out travel insurance and tried contacting that company first but they told me I have to go through Expedia. 

 

Time to wait and see.

 

 

Yes I am getting similar emails from them and if you read facebook expedia you will see so many unhappy costumers that have taken their insurance!!! 😬

[arunadasi 7,075]

For once in the last 25 years or so, both my kids are not only on the same continent, not only in the same country, but right on my doorstep, even in my home (son)!
The only relative missing is my Austrian granddaughter. For once we are all together, and I'm so glad that is so in this crisis.

I had a few trips planned in May, June, July and August. The May one is cancelled completely, the June one is still open but not yet booked; these two were to meet up with friends and colleagues. A pity, but no huge deal.

[Rushrush 301]

 

Talking with a friend via Zoom and he mentioned how he was about to take an 8 hour train ride when a friend called him and said the place is shut down, very happy he took that call!

[LeonG 14,850]

Update on my opodo situation: My friend who booked my ticket got an email from them saying that they are working on our case but that it will take some time.  They said they need to work things out with the airline.  The airline already told us that they have no problem giving a refund so lets see what happens.

[Gambatte 970]

LeonG, thanks for the report.

Update from our side: the day before the flight was due the aircompany confirmed the flight got canceled. Immediately after that I get a message from Opodo kindly reminding to get ready for the check-in, the flight was fine (it wasn't).

See what happens...

[atinherne 69]

1 hour ago, Gambatte said:

LeonG, thanks for the report.

Update from our side: the day before the flight was due the aircompany confirmed the flight got canceled. Immediately after that I get a message from Opodo kindly reminding to get ready for the check-in, the flight was fine (it wasn't).

See what happens...

Our flight was also cancel and even so we got emails telling us that we could already check in 😬

so yesterday I was on the phone with expedia and they told me we must take our case to eurowings- eurowings tell us to take our case to expedia... 

Expedia is telling ha policies with airlines are changing and we will have an answer in 4 weeks 🤷🏽‍♀️ I waited in the line for 2 and half hours to hear this. 

[keith2011 2,677]

1 hour ago, atinherne said:

Expedia is telling ha policies with airlines are changing and we will have an answer in 4 weeks 🤷🏽‍♀️ I waited in the line for 2 and half hours to hear this. 

 

The airlines are certainly trying to give out vouchers rather than cash refunds so maybe they are now trying the same with bookings through an agent.

I did hear a part of a report on the news last night that travel companies were offering voucher only refunds even for fully paid in advance pauschle holidays that were cancelled because of the virus. Anyone hear that in full and/or can post further info?

[Gambatte 970]

2 hours ago, atinherne said:

I was on the phone with expedia and they told me

You done better than me. The best I was "told", by the Opodo phone computer, was that they have no record of our booking ref. number!

[Gambatte 970]

2 hours ago, atinherne said:

Our flight was also cancel and even so we got emails telling us that we could already check in 😬

so yesterday I was on the phone with expedia and they told me we must take our case to eurowings- eurowings tell us to take our case to expedia... 

Expedia is telling ha policies with airlines are changing and we will have an answer in 4 weeks 🤷🏽‍♀️ I waited in the line for 2 and half hours to hear this. 

 

Could it be a case of "yes, your right are clear and I know I must fulfill, however, because it costs me cash I will simply try to make it for you very stressfull, in the hope you will simply give up for the sake of your own mental health..." 

Money money money

[malcolmpow 20]

I phoned lufthansa to cancel flights yesterday,

I didn't get it all, but I think in german they said "for faster times, speak to an english agent" (poor phone reception so some words cut out),

got through pretty much instantly, oeprator said my flights had been cancelled and i'll get the money back, but because each refund has to be done individually and there were many refunds happening, the refund could take months to appear in the bank.

[Gambatte 970]

Update: after the flight we booked with Opodo got canceled, and the best ever we coiuld get was their computer at the phone telling us: "sorry, no record of your booking reference", here the latest:

Opodo got us this email:

 

Wurde Ihr Flug gestrichen? Das können Sie tun
(Wenn Ihre Reise bereits abgeschlossen ist und Ihre Flüge normal durchgeführt wurden, ignorieren Sie bitte diese E-Mail).

Der Reiseverkehr ist weltweit beeinträchtigt, so dass viele Flüge von den Fluggesellschaften gestrichen werden. Angesichts der wachsenden Zahl an Fluggästen, die eine Rückzahlung für ihre Buchungen beantragen, haben die meisten Fluggesellschaften die Barrückerstattung eingestellt und den betroffenen Passagieren stattdessen Gutscheine und kostenlose Umbuchungen angeboten.

Sollte Ihre Fluggesellschaft Rückerstattungsgutscheine anbieten, handeln wir als Ihr online Reisebüro in Ihrem Namen, um Ihren Gutschein für Sie zu beantragen, sobald er verfügbar ist. Um Ihre Zustimmung zu diesem kostenlosen Service zu geben, klicken Sie unten einfach auf EINVERSTANDEN. Sobald wir Details haben, melden wir uns bei Ihnen. Wir stehen Ihnen bei der Umbuchung zur Seite, wenn Sie bereit sind, neue Reisepläne zu schmieden. Wir haben bereits mehr als 300.000 Anfragen bearbeitet, um Kunden dabei zu helfen, die Kosten für ihre Buchungen zurück zu erhalten.

Bitte beachten Sie, dass unsere Teams Ihre Buchung im Auge behalten, um auf eventuelle Aktualisierungen der Fluggesellschaft zu reagieren. Sie müssen uns daher zu diesem Zeitpunkt nicht kontaktieren. Wir wenden uns direkt an Sie, sobald wir Näheres erfahren.


Mit freundlichen Grüßen,

Opodo

 

 

I am inclined NOT to accept. If I do accept, my fear is that I am clearing them of their responsibilities, equivalent of telling them: "fine, I don't want a refund from you guys, let's see instead if you can help me get a refund from the aircompany". The refund (or rescheduling, or voucher, whatever) should come from the party with whom one has the contract in the first place.

After all the aircompany writes "if you bought your flight directly from us speak to us, but if you bought it via an agent, it's the agent you must speak to"

What's your opinion?

Thanks,

[atinherne 69]

1 hour ago, Gambatte said:

Update: after the flight we booked with Opodo got canceled, and the best ever we coiuld get was their computer at the phone telling us: "sorry, no record of your booking reference", here the latest:

Opodo got us this email:

 

Wurde Ihr Flug gestrichen? Das können Sie tun
(Wenn Ihre Reise bereits abgeschlossen ist und Ihre Flüge normal durchgeführt wurden, ignorieren Sie bitte diese E-Mail).

Der Reiseverkehr ist weltweit beeinträchtigt, so dass viele Flüge von den Fluggesellschaften gestrichen werden. Angesichts der wachsenden Zahl an Fluggästen, die eine Rückzahlung für ihre Buchungen beantragen, haben die meisten Fluggesellschaften die Barrückerstattung eingestellt und den betroffenen Passagieren stattdessen Gutscheine und kostenlose Umbuchungen angeboten.

Sollte Ihre Fluggesellschaft Rückerstattungsgutscheine anbieten, handeln wir als Ihr online Reisebüro in Ihrem Namen, um Ihren Gutschein für Sie zu beantragen, sobald er verfügbar ist. Um Ihre Zustimmung zu diesem kostenlosen Service zu geben, klicken Sie unten einfach auf EINVERSTANDEN. Sobald wir Details haben, melden wir uns bei Ihnen. Wir stehen Ihnen bei der Umbuchung zur Seite, wenn Sie bereit sind, neue Reisepläne zu schmieden. Wir haben bereits mehr als 300.000 Anfragen bearbeitet, um Kunden dabei zu helfen, die Kosten für ihre Buchungen zurück zu erhalten.

Bitte beachten Sie, dass unsere Teams Ihre Buchung im Auge behalten, um auf eventuelle Aktualisierungen der Fluggesellschaft zu reagieren. Sie müssen uns daher zu diesem Zeitpunkt nicht kontaktieren. Wir wenden uns direkt an Sie, sobald wir Näheres erfahren.


Mit freundlichen Grüßen,

Opodo

 

 

I am inclined NOT to accept. If I do accept, my fear is that I am clearing them of their responsibilities, equivalent of telling them: "fine, I don't want a refund from you guys, let's see instead if you can help me get a refund from the aircompany". The refund (or rescheduling, or voucher, whatever) should come from the party with whom one has the contract in the first place.

After all the aircompany writes "if you bought your flight directly from us speak to us, but if you bought it via an agent, it's the agent you must speak to"

What's your opinion?

Thanks,

We are going exactly throuth the same thing with expedia and eurowings... Last was: give us four weeks to figure all new policies coming in (expedia)

[fraufruit 42,468]

I started with my travel insurance company and they told me to deal with Expedia, not the airline. 

[LeonG 14,850]

9 hours ago, Gambatte said:

I am inclined NOT to accept. If I do accept, my fear is that I am clearing them of their responsibilities, equivalent of telling them: "fine, I don't want a refund from you guys, let's see instead if you can help me get a refund from the aircompany". The refund (or rescheduling, or voucher, whatever) should come from the party with whom one has the contract in the first place.

After all the aircompany writes "if you bought your flight directly from us speak to us, but if you bought it via an agent, it's the agent you must speak to"

What's your opinion?

Thanks,

 

I don't think opodo was ever going to refund the money if the airline wasn't going to.  They are making a percentage of every booking but no way would they have the funds to refund all the flights that didn't take place if the money isn't coming from the airlines.

 

What I see though is that they are only offering you to help you get a voucher, not a refund as they are saying: 1. most airlines are only giving out vouchers now, not refunds and 2. if you want a voucher, klick einverstanden and we'll help you get the voucher from the airline.  So.. it looks to me that if you accept their offer, you are agreeing to get a voucher, not a refund, even if your airline might still be open to a refund, which is of course better for opodo because they keep their percentage.

[Gambatte 970]

Thanks for your opinion.

Refund or voucher, either will do I don't really mind.

Still, I never ever got a contract with the aircompany, I never paid them, why would they give me anything? I had a contract with Opodo, it's them who took my money... I fear if I click OK, they will later said "you accepted our offer to HELP you dealing with the aircompany, by doing this you gave up your claim to ever get anything directly from us"

[Gambatte 970]

16 minutes ago, LeonG said:

no way would they have the funds to refund all the flights that didn't take place if the money isn't coming from the airlines.

 

how about this: they should have the/my funds already, it will not come from the aircompany, it came from me (it came, past tense).

Presumably most of the cash they got from me in the first place, they paid (or were going to pay) the aircompany. But the aircompany canceled the flight. If opodo already paid the aircompany, it's between the two of them to sort this. If opodo has not yet paid the aircompany, they still have all/most of my cash.

Oder?

[LeonG 14,850]

Just now, Gambatte said:

 

how about this: they should have the funds, it will not come from the aircompany, it came from me (it came, past tense).

 

If they did not transfer the funds to the airline yet, then they should still have them.  However, if the airline is of the opinion that they are not going to give refunds due to higher power event or whatever they have in their small print and they are supported in that by law in whatever country they operate in, they may well have a claim against opodo to get the money so in that case, opodo can not both transfer the funds to the airline as well as back to you.  They have to pick one.

 

[Gambatte 970]

This being the real world and greed always being highest on everybody's list, I fear that even if the legal small print makes a customer entitled to the refund (dunno if they do), the company or middleman is going to try all sort of creative dirty tricks to make it extremely stressful and painful so at the end no matter what your rights are you just give up, at least to preserve your own mental health.

[LeonG 14,850]

39 minutes ago, Gambatte said:

This being the real world and greed always being highest on everybody's list, I fear that even if the legal small print makes a customer entitled to the refund (dunno if they do), the company or middleman is going to try all sort of creative dirty tricks to make it extremely stressful and painful so at the end no matter what your rights are you just give up, at least to preserve your own mental health.

 

Right, everybody wants money.  I've heard of at least some airlines having small print excluding refunds for things they have no control over such as weather, terrorist attacks, pandemics possibly etc. but probably depends on the law in different countries.

 

Reading opodo's terms at  https://www.opodo.de/agb/  I found that they are willing to help you at least try to get taxes and airport fees back on flights that didn't take place, however, their fee for doing so is 39€ per person.  Otherwise, they just seem to point at the end provider and their refund rules.