Although in the last months of 2020 there was an apparent calm in relation to coronavirus cases thanks to the vaccination campaign, there was also a kind of relaxation among people, encouraged of course by the latter and the relaxation of some measures sanitary. For this reason, several people booked tickets and stays for their vacations in advance, which are now endangered by the appearance of the omicron variant and the rebound in positive cases.
After a 2020 characterized by the collapse of travel agencies and tourism service managers, those who booked their holidays in advance for the holidays again questioned the ability of the system to protect their reservations. However, this is not typical of our country, since during the Christmas weekend, almost 8,000 flights were canceled around the world.
How to cancel a scheduled flight?
- Travelers They should contact the entity through which they booked the ticket. In the case that it is a travel agency or an airline, attention should be paid to reservation modification policies.
- The commercial policies of tourist agencies will depend also of the measures announced at the national level; In the event that there is a mandatory restriction at the borders, you must have proof that shows the cancellation due to regional regulations.
- In the case of cancellation by the policies of the destination country or regionIt is important to check with the entity that manages the trip to know the possibility of postponement of the date or replacement of the place to travel.
How to cancel reserved accommodation?
When it comes to having to cancel an accommodation, the situation is similar, the traveler must negotiate with the tourist provider, although there is still no general regulatory framework that provides for a cancellation due to coronavirus infection.
This matches the explanation of Eduardo Palena, vice president of the Mar del Plata Hotel Business Association, who told this medium that, “The options depend on each company and the commercial policy they have, there is no generalization in this regard.”
“Something that it would be fruitful For these times, and the high levels of infections that exist, it would be that a contract be signed between the tourist provider and the traveler that includes a cancellation by Covid-19. An advance term of 2 days and a refund of 80% could be established, or some similar arrangement ”, advised in an interview Santiago Aramburu, a lawyer specialized in tourist rights and director of the Turhelp site.
What is COVID insurance?
Some travel assistance and insurance companies began to offer the “COVID-19 Insurance“, a policy option national and international coverage that provide specific plans for the scenarios that can be anticipated in the wake of the various past pandemic waves. These coverages usually include emergency expenses incurred in the event of a health alert being raised.
These options count with medical advice via video call with health professionals and you can depend on this assistance in the case of detection of COVID symptoms, the purchase of necessary medication and hospitalization if the disease worsens. In the event that the tourist tests positive for a swab, COVID insurance must provide hotel spaces to isolate those infected.