Spreading along with the coronavirus: Confusion
As the coronavirus spreads across the world and airlines cancel flights to and from China, many travellers have been stuck in limbo. Some are trying to get refunds, while others are unsure of whether to rebook their trips for later dates or cancel them altogether. With the State Department issuing a “do not travel” advisory and a declaration by the WHO of a global health emergency, the guidance to avoid mainland China is clear enough. Confusion reigns, however, for those with itineraries via China to other destinations. InsureMyTrip, a travel insurance comparison site, has recently experienced “at least a 30% increase in call volume,” said Julie Loffredi, the media relations manager. Most calls concern the coronavirus. “There are more people searching coronavirus than the flu right now,” she said. “It’s clear travellers are trying hard to get some guidance around it and know their options.” Maggie Yu, a software engineer at Capital One in Washington, D.C., planned to depart on a trip to Vietnam, Singapore and Thailand this week, but after a stressful weekend of frantically calling airlines, trying to rebook plans, get refunds, and understand the bans being issued by various countries, she decided to cancel. “The airlines were making changes fast, countries were changing their rules about which flights from what countries could come, and we spent so much time on the phone on hold, trying to get help,” she said. “I also didn’t want to end up stranded.” Story looks at her case. For some travellers, it’s been unclear who exactly is responsible for issuing refunds. Laura Clews had a China Eastern Airlines flight to New Zealand from London, with a stopover in Shanghai. When the flight was canceled last week, Clews spent several days trying to get in touch with the airline, ultimately learning that she would have to get a refund through the site she booked on, Travel Genio. Travellers can’t assume that travel insurance will cover the cost of a cancelled trip, warned Loffredi of InsureMyTrip. The various policies differ; it might depend on when the insurance policy was purchased. <br/>
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Spreading along with the coronavirus: Confusion
As the coronavirus spreads across the world and airlines cancel flights to and from China, many travellers have been stuck in limbo. Some are trying to get refunds, while others are unsure of whether to rebook their trips for later dates or cancel them altogether. With the State Department issuing a “do not travel” advisory and a declaration by the WHO of a global health emergency, the guidance to avoid mainland China is clear enough. Confusion reigns, however, for those with itineraries via China to other destinations. InsureMyTrip, a travel insurance comparison site, has recently experienced “at least a 30% increase in call volume,” said Julie Loffredi, the media relations manager. Most calls concern the coronavirus. “There are more people searching coronavirus than the flu right now,” she said. “It’s clear travellers are trying hard to get some guidance around it and know their options.” Maggie Yu, a software engineer at Capital One in Washington, D.C., planned to depart on a trip to Vietnam, Singapore and Thailand this week, but after a stressful weekend of frantically calling airlines, trying to rebook plans, get refunds, and understand the bans being issued by various countries, she decided to cancel. “The airlines were making changes fast, countries were changing their rules about which flights from what countries could come, and we spent so much time on the phone on hold, trying to get help,” she said. “I also didn’t want to end up stranded.” Story looks at her case. For some travellers, it’s been unclear who exactly is responsible for issuing refunds. Laura Clews had a China Eastern Airlines flight to New Zealand from London, with a stopover in Shanghai. When the flight was canceled last week, Clews spent several days trying to get in touch with the airline, ultimately learning that she would have to get a refund through the site she booked on, Travel Genio. Travellers can’t assume that travel insurance will cover the cost of a cancelled trip, warned Loffredi of InsureMyTrip. The various policies differ; it might depend on when the insurance policy was purchased. <br/>
