To say that the COVID-19 pandemic has affected just about every aspect of our lives would be an understatement. Though not as horrific as its effect on people’s health and finances, the impact on travel and the travel industry has been unprecedented.
As travel restrictions in the U.S. and some parts of the world ease and more Americans get vaccinated, you might be among those looking to take a trip in the months ahead. The good news is that many airlines and hotels have adopted more flexible change and cancellation policies as a result of the pandemic. Here’s some advice on travel in the time of COVID-19.
Key Takeaways
- Many hotels and airlines have updated their change and cancellation policies to be more flexible.
- Using miles and points can be a good hedge if you’re not sure you’ll be able to take your trip.
- Most travel insurance policies do not cover fear of traveling due to COVID-19, but they may cover you if you contract it.
How to Get a Refund Due to COVID-19
If you have tickets for a flight that was canceled or significantly changed, you are entitled to a refund, even if your ticket was originally nonrefundable. As vaccination rates continue to increase and serious illness from COVID-19 subsides, however, many airlines, hotels, and travel agencies have discontinued the refund policies put in place at the height of the pandemic.
However, given a recent uptick in cases related to variant strains of the virus, and the emergence of various “hot-spots” around the globe, many travel-related businesses continue to be more flexible with their refund policies.
If you have upcoming travel plans and are becoming increasingly hesitant due to concerns over Covid-19 at your destination, the first thing you should do is check the website of the hotel, airline, cruise line or other provider for the latest information related to cancellations. Even if you believe you’re not entitled to a refund based on the stated policy, it never hurts to plead your case.
Before calling, though, arm yourself with as much information as possible. If traveling abroad, it’s best to check the specific country’s department of health website for information related to testing, vaccinations, quarantine and other safety guidelines.
If you’re traveling to Spain, let’s say, and the government requires incoming travelers to quarantine for two weeks, an airline might be hard pressed to deny your request for a refund or, worst case, a future credit. In addition, check the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC)’s website for travel advisories at your destination.
In some cases, the CDC outright recommends to avoid all travel to certain countries or territories. It is doubtful that a large hotel chain would refuse some sort of accommodation for a refund or credit, given that the CDC advises against travel.
If you have tickets for a flight that was canceled or significantly changed, you are entitled to a refund, even if your ticket was originally nonrefundable.
Getting a Refund If You Booked With Miles or Points
One of the biggest advantages of using miles and points is their increased flexibility compared with cash bookings in many instances. Again, cancellation policies vary by airline or hotel program, but it’s generally true that it is easier to get a refund if you’ve booked with miles and points.
One scenario for which it can be slightly more complicated to get your miles refunded is if you used them to book with a partner airline. Say you used Turkish Miles&Smiles miles to book a flight on that airline’s Star Alliance partner United Airlines. If you wanted to change your United flight (or United canceled it), you would still have to deal with Turkish Airlines for any changes, cancellations, or refunds.
Does Travel Insurance Cover COVID-19?
In most cases, travel insurance does not cover changes to travel plans caused by fear of flying due to COVID-19. This is something that many people learned back in March and April of 2020 when the pandemic started to spread.
In the months that followed, some insurers began to include COVID-19 illness, quarantine, denied boardings, or destination surges as covered reasons to cancel or interrupt a trip, or to seek reimbursement for emergency medical care. But the rules for what’s covered can vary by insurance company and even by policy. So if you have a travel insurance policy, it’s worth inquiring to find out.
Since at this point COVID-19 is considered a “known event,” many policies may still not cover changes or cancellations resulting from it. As an alternative, you can also buy a Cancel for Any Reason (CFAR) policy. CFAR policies are typically more expensive than traditional travel insurance but, as the name indicates, allow you to cancel for any reason.
How to Book Travel Now
Even though travel restrictions in many destinations have been lifted and the number of vaccinated Americans continues to rise, no one knows for sure how soon the pandemic will end. It could be a good idea to make only refundable reservations for any upcoming travel. That will give you flexibility in case you need to change or cancel your trip, whether due to health concerns, quarantine orders, or other factors. Comparison shop when booking plane tickets or a hotel as some companies are more flexible than others.
Because most award reservations are refundable, miles and points can also be very useful here.
The Bottom Line
Most airlines and hotels have adjusted their cancellation and change policies to make it easier to alter your travel plans. Even so, if you’re planning to go somewhere in the near future, it could be wise to look for refundable tickets, hotels, and other arrangements. If you book with airline miles or hotel points, changing your travel plans may be easier.
Travel insurance is not likely to be very helpful if you want to change or cancel a trip due to fear of travel because of COVID-19. Most policies would only cover medical situations like catching COVID-19 while traveling or missing a trip as a result of contracting it.