You may be entitled to a rebooking, refund or credit voucher for holidays cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic. How to cancel your holiday plans affected by COVID-19. "Flight Centre are charging a $300 per person cancellation fee, which could equate to $1200 per couple for cancelling land and air components. Bookings with a Flight Value Voucher must be made on a computer. With international travel bans in place due to COVID-19 and the government advising restricted local travel, it may become impossible for travel providers to deliver prebooked flights, tours, cruises and accommodation, let alone for you to travel. If it does apply, deposits should also be refundable in cash or other means, such as a credit voucher. the expiry date should allow a reasonable amount of time to use the credit after travel bans are lifted, if the travel bans are extended, making the amount of time to use the voucher no longer reasonable, then the credit expiry date should also be extended. The same holds true if you’ve requested to exchange your ticket for a voucher. Flight Centre's explanation for the charge is the recouping of the costs of arranging the travel and that it is sanctioned by the ACCC" – Vic Reynolds, CHOICE member. The consumer champion accused the two major British airlines of ignoring EU guidance, which stipulates that airlines should automatically refund any unused vouchers 14 days after they expire. Customers who take credit from Flight Centre rather than refunds will be offered a $200 voucher. The regulations — whether in the United States, United Kingdom, European Union — state clearly that you’re owed your money back if the airline cancels your flight. A contract on the terms set out in these Booking Conditions will exist as soon as we issue a confirmation invoice. But where a provider, for example the airline, has refunded money to the travel agent, it's expected those funds will be returned to you as soon as possible. We would like to offer all customers impacted by recent flight cancellations and recently announced flight cancellations a Travel Voucher as our way of apologising for this disruption. What constitutes a reasonable fee is a grey area. Be careful with cancelled bookings that were arranged by a travel agent that subsequently went broke. Your choice: voucher now or wait for a refund. So, like Vic said, if a couple booked flights and accommodation through Flight Centre, that fee could quickly multiply. Travel: ‘I was told I can’t get a refund because I had a voucher and now the case is closed. Flight-Delayed.co.uk will be happy to help you claim the refund of your cancelled flight or booking 0 If so, you can use this contact form to make use of your 14-day right of cancellation. If you're aware of an insurer that does cover travel agent insolvency, let us know in CHOICE Community. You received a voucher after your flight was cancelled and would like to revoke it? If you have purchased your booking with other amenities (package travel) you are still entitled to the refund of the whole package. Read our advice on travel insurance and insolvency for more information. Following the collapse of online travel agent Fly365, CHOICE saw an example where a person requested a refund, only to lose their money when that refund was transferred back to Fly365. South Australia, Victoria, and New South Wales have specific legislation, while in other states, common law may apply, so check with your state consumer affairs body about how it could affect your situation. Rebooking or asking if the airline can hold your credit voucher may be a better option in this case. It's unlikely your travel insurance will cover your losses if your travel agent goes bust, but always check with your travel insurer rather than presume you won't be covered. Flight Centre's cancellation policy stipulated an international cancellation fee of $300 per person per booking, in addition to supplier fees. But these days you're more likely to interact with online travel agents via booking sites like Booking.com, Expedia and Airbnb. You are more likely, but not always, eligible for a refund or credit once a travel provider, such as an airline, cruise line or hotel, has cancelled the service you were due to receive. When booking with a Flight Value Voucher that the departure airport of the new booking must be in the same country as the departure airport of the original ticket. If they won't honour your booking, then refer to our advice on how to get your money back via a credit card chargeback. But the fine print is still subject to Australian Consumer Law. Whoever you paid your money to is generally who you need to get your money back from. To purchase a gift card phone 0800 24 35 44 or email your nearest store. If you have travel insurance, your policy may cover your travel agent's cancellation fees, so check with your insurer. Enter a valid email address (e.g. While travel agents and third-party booking sites have their own terms and conditions, all are still subject to Australian Consumer Law. When you make a change to your ticket, you’re no longer confirmed on your initial flight. I called up today to attempt to get a refund for my flight in April. Even if the airline has already offered you a voucher, you can make a claim for the full refund of your booking's price. Embattled travel group Flight Centre has said it will refund thousands of customers who were charged $300 per person to get a refund on cancelled international flights or $50 to refund cancelled domestic flights. Everyone in Australia who has a holiday booked is considering cancelling or rescheduling, and the travel industry, from providers through to travel agents and insurers, have unprecedented workloads. Frustrated contracts law differs per state. Confirm all the conditions below. If a Gift Card is sold or used in breach of this condition, FCTG may in its absolute and sole discretion cancel or render invalid the Gift Card without a refund and the Gift Card holder may be refused redemption of the Gift Card. Throughout the coronavirus crisis, CHOICE will be here to help. If your travel agent already paid money to the airline, accommodation or other travel service provider before it went broke, your service should still be valid. If you're unable to process a credit card chargeback, you'll need to register with the travel agent's external administrator as an unsecured creditor. Get a deal on your next flight with a Flight Centre voucher or Flight Centre promo code. They’re also starting to lean on governments to allow them to give vouchers … Read more about how to use chargeback And Section 75 %PDF-1.5 %���� In our travel insurance comparison of 132 policies, we were unable to find any insurers that would cover insolvency of a travel agent and unfortunately we're not aware of any insurer that does. p��� `T�E0?dxø�1�ђхы1�Q���@6�?�ye��T��ØB>i&��`���H�20�\�D� p,� Credit voucher is valid until 31 December 2021, after which you may change your credit for a refund if not used, and no Flight Centre fee will be charged. Flight Centre Vouchers 2021 Flight Centre has everything you need to go anywhere you need. FCTG will take all reasonable steps to notify you of FCTG’s intention to cancel or render invalid a Gift Card within a reasonable time before cancelling or rendering invalid the … According to the competition watchdog, these cancellation fees were charged from 13 March, and refunds will also apply if you were charged by Aunt Betty, Travel Associates, … The ACCC said it would've enacted court action if Flight Centre didn't change its position. Compare more features to find the right cover for you. The Australian Federation of Travel Agents advise that in normal circumstances it can take up to 12 weeks to process refunds. Should you have any questions, read our FAQs or contact our Gift Cards Team on 1300 765 982. So even though the airline may end up canceling your flight closer to the departure date, they don’t need to refund you. Travel agents can charge a cancellation fee that reflects the reasonable costs of making the booking to start with and then cancelling it. If your flight is canceled, you can choose to reschedule it or request a refund to the original form of payment or by voucher. The ACCC has welcomed the announcement that Flight Centre will stop charging customers hundreds of dollars in cancellation fees in order to get a refund for travel cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. "We have paid a deposit for a two cities tour of Russia. If you booked via a third-party booking site, persist with the cancellation via that site, even if they try to refer you to the supplier (unless the supplier actually hands your money back). So if you think your trip won't proceed because of travel bans, or you're worried about travelling amid COVID-19, speak to your travel agent about your options. A message to our customers. Stay informed. I’m not impressed at all by its customer service. The fee should be specified in the travel agent's terms and conditions and should reflect expenses like office costs and the leg work involved in contacting suppliers to process refunds or credit vouchers. The ACCC's advice for travel cancellations and changes is that businesses may offer remedies such as a credit note or voucher under the agent's terms and conditions. However in the current situation, it can take even longer. Unless the policy does change, the only way of getting a monetary refund if is you have a medical certificate stating that you will not be able to travel within the vouchers time period. "We have submitted 100,000 refund … 3 May 2020. Does travel insurance cover the COVID-19 coronavirus? The ACCC's guidelines advise the travel restrictions may also trigger a 'frustration of contract' under general law, which could entitle you to a refund or credit voucher for any payments you've made, less the travel agent's 'reasonable expenses' incurred before the cancellation. With the spate of cancellations due to the coronavirus, travel agents may offer rebooking or a credit voucher with the agent. It's a challenging time for the travel industry and unfortunately we've already seen travel agents like STA Travel enter administration. Unused balance on expiry of this card will not be refunded or credited. How to stop frequent flyer points expiring. If you can, please consider making a donation so we can do even more in future. This is worth noting if your travel agent is applying a fee in a similar matter. Your refund will be processed by the airline or travel provider, and returned to you once received by Flight Centre. CHOICE supports the First Nations people's Uluru Statement from the Heart. Our guidance is equally applicable to online booking sites as it is to bricks and mortar agencies. This places you in a queue to get your money back, behind secured creditors, such as staff and shareholders. People cancelling their holiday due to the COVID-19 pandemic were surprised to find out Flight Centre charged $300 cancellation fees, while STA Travel retained money from cancelled flights and accommodation as a credit. They said Flight Centre charged all 30 guests a cancellation fee, totalling around $9,000 – despite the cruise company offering a complete refund. you have a right to a refund under state or territory legislation or common law. Most travel products can also be booked around 10 to 11 months in advance meaning you could travel up to October or November 2022, or even later, depending on the booking type. endstream endobj startxref name@example.com), How to stop frequent flyer points expiring. This depends on the terms and conditions of the contract with the travel agent and whether a frustration of contract would apply. %%EOF If your deposit or booking is refundable, this is subject to Flight Centre having received the funds from the travel service provider and/or being authorised by the travel service provider to refund your deposit or … To share your thoughts or ask a question, visit the CHOICE Community forum. Other vouchers will only be refunded in ‘exceptional circumstances as a gesture of goodwill’, such as if a school trip could no longer go ahead, it said. If the price of the new ticket for which you will exchange the voucher is lower, the difference is refunded as a new voucher, which is valid for 24 months from the date of issue.