Travel In The Era of the COVID-19 Outbreak

[Huntn]

The wife and I have a trip scheduled to leave on 1 April to Houston-Paris. We booked through Delta Airlines on a codeshare flight with Air France. I visited Delta's site a few minutes ago and there is a CoronaVirus message that many fees are being waved for changes or flight cancellation, ie passengers cancelling their fights. I selected "Modify Flight" under our flight details and see there is a $300 fee to change the flight, or outright cancel the flight. This is for a normally non-refundable ticket. I suspect this is one of those fees mentioned that are being waved. I called Delta and got a recording that they are having unprecedented call volumes and if not traveling in the next 72 hours, to call back later, no option to hold.

Of note we also have Travel Insurance through Travel Insured International, a company either owned by USAA or works in proximity with USAA. Those familiar with the US Military will be familiar with USAA (United Services Automobile Association). According to them a world wide pandemic is not grounds for a claim, which I consider Bull. I purchased the tier of insurance that covers "illness", which is one less than the Cancel for any reason category.

What I'm projecting at this point is that we will be able to get a credit for our trip from Delta Airlines for future travel, which is not a problem for us. I'll post again once the matter is settled one way or the other.

Do you have a travel related story?

 

[D.T.]

Yes. Cancelled PA to DC, rebooked PA to FL (Orlando), then cancelled FL to PA to FL, cancelled all bookings, hotels/resorts, no fees, flights got credited back to Southwest which we'll use when things are sorted out.

 

[max2]

We are scheduled to fly in around 5 months I am not sure if we will be able to either.

 

[chscag]

Those familiar with the US Military will be familiar with USAA (United Services Automobile Association). According to them a world wide pandemic is not grounds for a claim, which I consider Bull. I purchased the tier of insurance that covers "illness", which is one less than the Cancel for any reason category.

I'm not surprised at the response from USAA. I'm retired military and have used USAA for years as my main insurer. Over the years USAA have raised their rates not only for Auto insurance but even more so for home owners insurance. (especially for Texas residents) Ever since USAA opened their company for all military and family members regardless of rank, their rates and service have gone downhill in my opinion. I wish you luck on getting your trip and credit with Delta resolved.

My wife fortunately was able to get on the last KAL flight from Seoul, Korea to Dallas, Texas last week before they shut down completely. She was in Korea at the time attending a seminar.

 

[Healer Flame]

Do you have a travel related story?

Was planning to go away after Easter for 2-3 months but glad didn't book for air fares and accomodation. Budget was $20 000-$25 000

 

[Huntn]

We are scheduled to fly in around 5 months I am not sure if we will be able to either.

A lot can happen in 5 months. The problem I see with buying air fare is that normally the earlier you buy the better the deals available, but it’s harder to apply that to this situation where there is uncertainty about the future.
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I'm not surprised at the response from USAA. I'm retired military and have used USAA for years as my main insurer. Over the years USAA have raised their rates not only for Auto insurance but even more so for home owners insurance. (especially for Texas residents) Ever since USAA opened their company for all military and family members regardless of rank, their rates and service have gone downhill in my opinion. I wish you luck on getting your trip and credit with Delta resolved.

My wife fortunately was able to get on the last KAL flight from Seoul, Korea to Dallas, Texas last week before they shut down completely. She was in Korea at the time attending a seminar.

To be clear it was Travel Insured International that said that, not USAA directly. I think I’ll get my airfare straightened out, but I‘ll be writing both of them a letter about my unhappiness that at a tier that allows you to CX for illness, that a contagious epidemic in a region or a world wide pandemic would not qualify as a reason to cover cancellation. Yes, I know it’s a matter of reading the fine print too, but still.

 

[AustinIllini]

We are scheduled to fly in around 5 months I am not sure if we will be able to either.

I legitimately wonder if when things pass there will be a huge run on businesses and flights for travel.

 

[Healer Flame]

Our major Airline just cut all International flights by 90% and domestic 60%

 

[Erehy Dobon]

We were notified by e-mail that our organized tour in Europe got cancelled. We chose to let the tour operator issue a credit applicable to a future tour rather than take the other option (refund). We have been faithful clients for many years, we know we will go on another one of their tours.

We cancelled our flights for this trip; the airline issued a flight credit. This was done in a couple of minutes on the airline's website.

We had also purchased ground transportation (train tickets), hotel accommodations and separate concert tickets after the group tour was done.

The box office for the concerts proactively notified us via e-mail of the performance cancellations and said that we would be refunded. They were actually the first company to inform us of the cancellation.

The train tickets were cancelled via the rail operator's website in just a couple of minutes. The money is already showing up as a pending credit to the credit card we used.

The hotel accommodations were cancelled via a couple of e-mails. They said they would be refunding the card.

I'm not sure what you are going to find open in early April in Europe. Some countries have already shut down restaurants, cafes, bars, etc. Almost all of them have shut major cultural attractions like museums, theaters, etc. Like the USA, professional sports in Europe have been suspended.

You might end up eating room service in your hotel and watching CNN or surfing the Internet. Some countries have closed nonessential stores so you can't even have fun shopping.

 

[0388631]

Huntn, you and your wife could always have fun by pretending to own a bed and breakfast in the French countryside amidst an outbreak of war. Perhaps make a fake bar with drinks and serve it to any customers coming by, which may be family.

If anyone gets the reference...

 

[Huntn]

Huntn, you and your wife could always have fun by pretending to own a bed and breakfast in the French countryside amidst an outbreak of war. Perhaps make a fake bar with drinks and serve it to any customers coming by, which may be family.

If anyone gets the reference...

Does this fantasy include actually going to France? I’m not sure what the reference is to without help. 😆

 

[rosyapple]

I'm not sure what you are going to find open in early April in Europe. Some countries have already shut down restaurants, cafes, bars, etc. Almost all of them have shut major cultural attractions like museums, theaters, etc.

EU just closed all incoming travels to Europe for the next 30 days. So I don't think anyone's going there for awhile.

 

[jeyf]

once you get there will you be able to return??
if your sick

for none business why travel if you are not going to enjoy it.

 

[StarShot]

Ever since USAA opened their company for all military and family members regardless of rank, their rates and service have gone downhill in my opinion.

I think you meant rates have gone uphill and service downhill.

I've been with USAA for 59 years and counting. I think it's safe to say that after Vietnam, the officer corps has decreased by thousands (perhaps 100's of thousands). USAA got to the point where they offered insurance to dependents and then enlisted ranks as well with the decrease in officer corps.

I have absolutely no problems with their service, but cost of insurance has definitely increased. Have no idea if the cost has increased by the inflation rate or higher.

 

[compwiz1202]

I legitimately wonder if when things pass there will be a huge run on businesses and flights for travel.

I don't want to try to even go anywhere short of work and groceries just like now even for a month or more after with the crowds there will probably be from cabin fever.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Huntn, you and your wife could always have fun by pretending to own a bed and breakfast in the French countryside amidst an outbreak of war. Perhaps make a fake bar with drinks and serve it to any customers coming by, which may be family.

If anyone gets the reference...

No.

I have not the slightest idea to which you refer.
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EU just closed all incoming travels to Europe for the next 30 days. So I don't think anyone's going there for awhile.

Exactly.

Thus, I doubt if anyone will be in a position to travel to Europe over the coming weeks, - or, if they do travel, I doubt whether they will be in a position to do anything, as restaurants and pubs and theatres and museums will all be shut down.

 

[Falhófnir]

I legitimately wonder if when things pass there will be a huge run on businesses and flights for travel.

I don't see it. Without wanting to sound like the grim reaper here, this whole thing is likely to knock the global economy for six. Even if it's 'over' in the timescale that's predicted (peak midsummer, back to background levels by autumn) I think we're going to be picking up the pieces for a long time after that. People will have other spending priorities, airlines will have to slowly re-commission fleets of planes that will have been largely mothballed for months, the cruise industry is going to be on it's knees, insurance providers will be battered and bruised, independent hoteliers and small cafe's, bakeries, restaurants etc might not have survived at all.

This really is a doomsday scenario for the travel and leisure industry, especially where the peak summer season is heavily relied on to help see them through a lean winter season. A 'bounce back' at the end is far less likely than a long, hard slog back to normalcy.

 

[chscag]

I have absolutely no problems with their service, but cost of insurance has definitely increased. Have no idea if the cost has increased by the inflation rate or higher.

Probably inflation but also likely due to the decreasing number of insureds even with the opening up of eligibility. The increase here in Texas for home owner's insurance has been excessive. I saved hundreds by going with another insurer.

 

[44267547]

I had a cruise scheduled for the week of April 20, and it’s unfortunate, because I really wanted to attend (It would’ve been my first cruise), however; it wasn’t even a contest, I had to cancel it. Fortunately I didn’t lose any money/cancellation fees, as it was already paid for me, surprisingly, it hasn’t been canceled by the cruise line yet, but I suspect that will happen as we approach into April.

At this junction, traveling is just too risky. And even my summer traveling vacation plans are variable at this point, being we really don’t know where this will lead, as it’s a day-by-day basis. The way I look at this, it’s a unique situation, but everybody’s involved, everyone is affected one way or the other or inconvenienced, we just have to work through this given the circumstances that are unknown.

I’m just thankful that I’m in superior health, my livelihood/job is not threatened whatsoever [as it is for others/businesses], and this creates ways for me to think more dynamically of what I can do with my time in my state and try new things, ventures, outings, ect.

Press on!

 

[max2]

It does not matter how healthy you are. Yes with this virus it does but people who were really healthy have died from the flu before.

That is my point.

 

[Erehy Dobon]

Influenza and coronavirus are two different infectious agents.

And you contradict yourself. In sentence one you say health doesn't matter. In sentence two you say health matters but specifically refer to a totally different virus family.

And guess what? The people who died of influenza -- whether they were healthy or not -- aren't going to die of coronavirus. Or HIV. Or bubonic plague. Or...

 

[0388631]

I have not the slightest idea to which you refer.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Actually, the original series - Secret Army - was far, far better.

 

[Tech198]

The wife and I have a trip scheduled to leave on 1 April to Houston-Paris. We booked through Delta Airlines on a codeshare flight with Air France. I visited Delta's site a few minutes ago and there is a CoronaVirus message that many fees are being waved for changes or flight cancellation, ie passengers cancelling their fights. I selected "Modify Flight" under our flight details and see there is a $300 fee to change the flight, or outright cancel the flight. This is for a normally non-refundable ticket. I suspect this is one of those fees mentioned that are being waved. I called Delta and got a recording that they are having unprecedented call volumes and if not traveling in the next 72 hours, to call back later, no option to hold.

Of note we also have Travel Insurance through Travel Insured International, a company either owned by USAA or works in proximity with USAA. Those familiar with the US Military will be familiar with USAA (United Services Automobile Association). According to them a world wide pandemic is not grounds for a claim, which I consider Bull. I purchased the tier of insurance that covers "illness", which is one less than the Cancel for any reason category.

What I'm projecting at this point is that we will be able to get a credit for our trip from Delta Airlines for future travel, which is not a problem for us. I'll post again once the matter is settled one way or the other.

Do you have a travel related story?

You bet i do

Friends visiting this afternoon from UK to Australia..

With the travel ban in place, dunno how they will get back. I suppose that should be fine, but you never really know for sure when will be "the next step"

Personally, if i was in a that situation, i don't want the credit,, i want my money so i can choose to fly with someone else in the future.

Ideally,, in such "excessive hold times" more shoud have been prepared.. One thing would "leave you name and number to call you back"

Help customesrs,, dont punish them in these times when its needed most.

 

[Huntn]

You bet i do

Friends visiting this afternoon from UK to Australia..

With the travel ban in place, dunno how they will get back. I suppose that should be fine, but you never really know for sure when will be "the next step"

Personally, if i was in a that situation, i don't want the credit,, i want my money so i can choose to fly with someone else in the future.

Ideally,, in such "excessive hold times" more shoud have been prepared.. One thing would "leave you name and number to call you back"

Help customesrs,, dont punish them in these times when its needed most.

Hope your friends get home soon!
Delta is offering ticket credit, which is ok as I am a retired employee of theirs, but I understand where you are coming from.