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COVID-19 ruined my travel plans. Now what?

If COVID-19 canceled your travel plans, you are likely disappointed and wondering about refunds, credits, or vouchers for plane tickets, cruise bookings, tours, and more. Even if your scheduled travel is months away, you might be weighing your options. And many travel service providers seem to be working to address concerns about upcoming trips. 

Start by reviewing the travel provider’s refund policies and the terms of your reservation to see your options. In addition, many companies are posting information on their websites about COVID-19 travel-related questions. Many are offering refunds or rebooking options in light of the situation. Of course, check to see if you purchased travel insurance and what it covers. Some travel insurance policies may refund your cancelled trip.

Here’s what we know right now:

Airlines: According to the U.S. Department of Transportation , airlines must offer refunds, including the ticket price and any optional fee charged for cancelled or significantly delayed flights, even when flight disruptions are outside their control. If your airline isn’t doing that, you can report it to the U.S. Department of Transportation .

Cruise Lines: If you booked a cruise, your options will vary by cruise line. Your ticket contract lays out cancellation policies and your rights. For example, you may be offered a refund, or a credit or voucher for a future cruise. If you opt for a credit or voucher, make sure the expiration date is far enough out that you can use it. Read more from the Federal Maritime Commission about your rights and the recourse that might be available to you.

Trains: Amtrak is waiving change fees for reservations made before May 31, 2020; you can make changes online at Amtrak.com . For cancellations and refunds, call 1-800-USA-RAIL.

Lodging: Some hotel chains may be loosening their cancellation policies, waiving change and cancellation fees that would normally apply to non-refundable rates. Check with the hotel for your options.

As with many purchases, your best option is usually to directly contact the company you booked with to see if you can resolve a problem. So, whether you booked directly with an airline or hotel, or you used a travel site or consolidator, start with them. Then, to report a travel-related problem, contact your State Attorney General’s office or tell the FTC at ftc.gov/complaint .

To learn more about consumer issues resulting from the Coronavirus pandemic, sign up for the FTC’s consumer alerts at ftc.gov/subscribe .

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Allie May 01, 2020 Please comment on health travel insurance companies, who simply said mid-March they were no longer honoring an existing policy. Where to go for help?

Ms.Muggi May 01, 2020 thanks for this imported Infos

Rcope May 01, 2020 This article couldn’t have been more well-timed today. My trip to Cancun was cancelled three weeks ago by a major airline (unnamed), which would have left tomorrow, May 2nd. Needless to say, everything has been thrown into total chaos by Covid-19 for everyone across the globe. While my airline has offered future vouchers, I’m still having trouble with getting a refund or credit from the travel agency I used to book my resort. Hopefully they return my call or contact me somehow. I’ve placed an online request for a refund/other options, it’s just a nightmare for everyone planning anything, and every business involving travel is just so backed up. Thanks FTC, for the article. -RC

In reply to This article couldn’t have by Rcope

In reply to I am also trying to recover a by pcgreen

In reply to I'm in the same situation. by Don't use your…

In reply to I am having the same problem by Frustrated

In reply to YesI I have the same by Disappointed

In reply to I am in the same boat. Is by Frequent flyer

In reply to same here !!! I don't know by Jslott

EastIcon May 01, 2020 What about car rentals? I booked a reservation for May 9 rental from Fox Car Rental in Florida before Covid-19 outbreak. I have no future plans to visit Florida, so I would not want to rebook for a future rental, as offered through their policy. My flight was cancelled, and my lodgings were cancelled without problem. I DO foresee a problem with Fox. What is my recourse, aside from loosing over $300? Anyone else in similar situation? How did you fare?

In reply to What about car rentals? I by EastIcon

Beverley Nalven May 01, 2020 I bought round trip tickets for my grand children to fly from Charlotte NC to JFK arriving at JFK on March 16, 2020 and returning on March 22, 2020. American will not refund the charge of $422.22 to my credit card and will only give the same passengers a credit for the same flight at a date 12 months from their original Flights. They won’t refund my money or give me back the credits This is unacceptable

In reply to I bought round trip tickets by Beverley Nalven

I went ahead and canceled my April 15th flight to NYC but, only after the following events: * Feb 29, first death here in WA. * March 8, cases reached 500 in US. * March 11, WHO said this is a Pandemic. * March 13, president declares national state of emergency. * March 15, US cases surpass 3000 * NY state closes all school. * CDC recommends no groups of >50 for next 8 weeks. * March 16: * President says to avoid groups >10 and avoid going to restaurants * President says to stop discretionary travel * March 20: NY declared epicenter of crisis with >5000 cases in city * March 21: NJ (EWR) gov issues stay-at-home order * March 23: WA gov issues stay-at-home order. * March 23 flight cancelled. * March 24, >50k cases and 637 deaths in US * March 23 & 24 ASA008 (same flight as mine) was cancelled. * March 24: White House warns people who have been to NY to quarantine themselves. >25k cases. * I finally cancelled on 24th But Alaska Airlines still insist on only credit! Insurance I purchased from Alianz Travel was useless (read Consumer Reports, next time).

Funnygirlon't … May 04, 2020 Jet Blue only offers credits By the time it is safe to travel. I may not be able to, due to age and health. The tickets were none refundable at time of purchase. The consumer loses again.

Client-of-Trav… May 01, 2020 What if someone used a travel agent? Do you recommend going back to the travel agency or to the hotel / airline / cruise line directly? I know several people who used a travel agent and they were able to help them when the airline wasn't even answering the phone. Someone else booked directly with an online site and when they couldn't reach anyone there, they randomly called up a travel agent who actually helped them even though the agent is not the one who had booked their trip in the first place. So, I suggest if someone try asking a travel agent if they are at a lost as what to do or not finding the answers they need.

Don't use your… May 01, 2020 My husband and I booked a cruise on Carnival Cruise Lines for Sept. We were to depart out of Seattle, then Covid19 showed up and we cancelled our trip. We had already paid the trip in full plus money for the 2 excursions. We did purchase the travel insurance. We asked for a refund and they said we were going to be penalized almost $500.00 for canceling. We still have not received our refund or money back for the excursions. What do we do now? Just keep on waiting? It has been almost 2 months since we canceled.

In reply to My husband and I booked a by Don't use your…

masterredfox May 01, 2020 I would be concerned with getting a refund/credit than becoming upset that travel plans have been overturned. There's always tomorrow to take a trip. Keep yourself posted via the site you booked and paid through.

Bruiser May 02, 2020 Had to cancel two trips on physicians orders (age & medical history). Also complied with CDC Guidelines for those conditions and Whitehouse COVD Task Force. Southwest, Hertz and hotel refunded costs. Only one refusing to refund was Allegiant Airlines who gave me Travel Voucher because it is their "Policy" as I purchased a non-refundable ticket. Well the same applied at Southwest but they did the right thing and refunded. What if I am not able to use and what if I did travel in future and it needed to be a location Allegiant does not serve? Allegiant asking for "Bailout" money but may end up keeping my money plus bailout. What a company!!!

In reply to Had to cancel two trips on by Bruiser

Mike May 04, 2020 You sure opened a can of worms! I had a ticket as non refundable. I get that if I want to change or anything else. But when they aren't flying and don't deliver the service, how can they refuse my refund? This is happening to me. I could have showed up at the airport and the flight wasn't flying but they won't give me a refund because its non refundable. United Airlines at its very best. FTC...we need you!!!

In reply to You sure opened a can of by Mike

In reply to Same! They tell me they by Affected perso…

PBGsoccermom May 05, 2020 Hoping that the parents who paid out almost $1000 for 5th grade safety patrol trip to Washington DC will get some kind of refund even with purchasing the insurance. Still waiting to hear from the school. :(

Erika Kral May 07, 2020 Airlines - you are writing about refund. In my understanding is refund getting money back. No one US airline is giving refund. All only credits, what for foreign travelers unacceptable. How to proceed? Thank you

Bleysu May 07, 2020 EF Tours is keeping $ for trips that they cancelled due to Covid19. Depending on the time of travel, patrons are losing at least 500-1000$ for a service that was never provided. Please help us get full refunds. Thank you.

In reply to EF Tours is keeping $ for by Bleysu

You can report a problem with a business at www.FTC.gov/Complaint. The information you give will go into a secure database that the FTC and other law enforcement agencies use for investigations.

The comments you put here on the blog don't go into the law enforcement database.

In reply to EF Go Ahead Tours is doing by rnmlburns

Jason May 08, 2020 We had flights with both Frontier and Spirit airlines. Spirit flight was supposed to be 3/25/20 & Frontier flight was 4/3/20. All traveling states involved had Executive Stay at Home Orders on the dates of travel. Both Frontier and Spirit have refused the numerous requests for refunds---saying flights are nonrefundable. Both flights were purchased prior to the pandemic. Neither airline will deny that they are receiving Federal funding but yet neither will refund us, the taxpaying consumer. So we follow the laws by not flying & the airlines get to keep our money and receive Federal bailout money on top of it all. SMH

RayK May 08, 2020 Overseas Adventure Travel is a tour company located in Boston that has, within the past 30 days, attempted to unlawfully, unilaterally, and retroactively, amend the Terms and Conditions of its booking contract in order to attempt to refuse issuing cash refunds and only issue vouchers for future travel (even when they canceled the trip). They are hiding behind a "no class action" provision and think that prevents any single person from effective action against them. Hence, FTC help is needed.

In reply to Overseas Adventure Travel is by RayK

You can report a problem with a business at www.FTC.gov/Complaint . The information you give will go into a secure database that the FTC and other law enforcement agencies use for investigations.

Man May 09, 2020 How does this rule impact the agencies that sell airline tickets. I purchased four international airline tickets (Air France) from Capital One travel. Now, I have called both Air France and Capital One. Air France folks are really nice and are willing to issue full refund but they asked me to call my agency (Capital One). I have called Capital One numerous times and is put on hold for 2+ hours before disconnecting my call. This has happened more than 5 times and I have lost 10+ hours just waiting. I need FTC help urgently to crack the whip on agencies like Capital One Travel.

MFaggiano May 12, 2020 I booked a timeshare for April 2019 that I had to cancel because of Covid 19. I was offered rebooking from July to December 2019. I can't travel within that time frame as advised by my endocrinologist. Since I never got a cancellation policy from the timeshare owner. I was told to sell my week to recover my costs. I didn't sign up for this but I made an effort. 4 people responded but wanted assurance that they would receive a full refund if they needed to cancel. I text messaged the owner and haven't received a response. Im out $1300. This is bad business! I will be exploring my options and not giving up!

Justyna May 12, 2020 My flight got canceled due to COVID 19. The ticket was purchased online via a third party/travel agency. While trying to get a refund for my trip, the travel agency wants me to approve to cancel my ticket and agree to pay them a refund processing fee. Wondering if that is something they can require...?

Annie May 15, 2020 YMT Vacations is keeping $ for trips that they cancelled due to Covid19. Our group of 6 losing at least $300 each for a service that was never provided. FTC - Please help us get full refunds. Thank you

In reply to YMT Vacations is keeping $ by Annie

Neib12 May 16, 2020 I booked an AmaWaterways river cruise for July 19. AmaWaterways cancelled the cruise and will refund the payments I had made. But what about the flights? Turkish Airlines is offering a voucher that must be used by early 2021 which won’t work since I have a teaching position and can’t travel at that time. I do have travel insurance ....

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The Coronavirus Crisis

Complaints soar as customers fight airlines for refunds from pandemic cancellations.

David Schaper

A screen shows canceled incoming flights at T.F. Green International Airport in Warwick, R.I., on March 30, 2020. Consumer advocates and two senators say airlines are sitting on nearly $15 billion in refunds owed to customers for canceled travel. Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

A screen shows canceled incoming flights at T.F. Green International Airport in Warwick, R.I., on March 30, 2020. Consumer advocates and two senators say airlines are sitting on nearly $15 billion in refunds owed to customers for canceled travel.

Complaints about airlines refusing to pay refunds for canceled flights during the pandemic soared more than 5,500% over the previous year. Some customers are still trying to fight airlines for refunds, while others, who got credit or vouchers for future travel instead, are finding that those credits may soon expire.

And that's outraging some consumers who as taxpayers came to the rescue of the industry when airlines lost billions during the pandemic.

"It offends me," says Scott Slonim of the Chicago suburb of Mundelein, Ill. He and his wife, Nancy, had planned a special getaway for the end of March 2020.

"We were supposed to fly to Washington, D.C., to reunite with our cousin and his wife, to see the cherry blossoms, which we had never seen," Scott Slonim says.

The couple booked flights on American Airlines well in advance. But about two weeks before they were to leave, in mid-March, as the scope of the growing coronavirus pandemic became apparent, their doctor convinced them that they should not go.

Coronavirus Live Updates

Airlines want to cancel rule requiring them to refund fares for canceled flights.

"I am 70 and she is in her 70s, we each have underlying conditions," says the retired attorney.

The pandemic would soon decimate air travel, with the number of people flying plummeting 96% from pre-pandemic levels by mid-April. Airlines slashed their schedules and canceled thousands of flights, but American Airlines had not yet canceled the Slonims' flights, so Scott says he contacted the airline and asked for a refund.

"We got a form response from American Airlines, treating it as a cancellation, saying that we had canceled, which in effect, I guess we had, but ignoring our request for a refund," he says.

There's a reason for that: If the airline cancels your flight, federal regulations them to refund your airfare, but if you cancel, you could be out of luck. American did eventually cancel the Slonims' flights to and from Washington, D.C., but because the Slonims canceled first, technically, they are not due for a refund.

So Slonim says he reached out to the company again.

"We started our trip through the American Airlines internal bureaucracy to get to a human being, and ultimately, they responded by saying well, we could have a credit," he says. "Which is like giving us a wooden nickel."

They appealed to American again, in writing and by phone, and to consumer groups for help. They even filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Transportation, to no avail.

A spokeswoman for American says the airline is providing customers with additional flexibility to make sure those who want to change their travel plans have plenty of options to do so, and American has now extended the time to use flight credits through the end of March 2022. The airline has also eliminated most change fees for domestic and international flights.

But given their age and health conditions, the Slonims say they have no intention of flying again anytime soon, and they feared they will lose the $1,300 they spent on the tickets.

After being contacted by NPR, the airline reviewed the details of the Slonims' case, and the spokeswoman says they now will refund the Slonims' airfare.

Feds Warn Airlines Once Again To Offer Customers Refunds

The Slonims are not alone in feeling like they're getting the runaround, or worse, from the airlines.

The U.S. Department of Transportation has been flooded with more than 90,000 such complaints since March of last year. That's 57 times more complaints than the 1,500 filed in 2019.

"I will tell you that I have never seen a single issue generate so much consumer anger," says Bill McGee, aviation adviser and a longtime consumer advocate with Consumer Reports. "It's off the charts and this has been going on now for 14 months."

"The airlines have acted reprehensibly since Day 1 on this issue," he says.

McGee estimates that the airlines are sitting on $10 billion to $15 billion that they should refund customers, and adding insult to injury, he says, is the fact that airlines got billions in federal funding to keep them afloat.

"That was given by taxpayers, not once, not twice, but three times, without any givebacks to consumers," McGee says.

But the industry group Airlines for America says its seven member airlines already refunded nearly $13 billion to customers even while hemorrhaging cash at a rate of $100 million a day last year. A spokeswoman tells NPR that those refunds amounted to almost 20% of operating revenue last year, in addition to the billions of dollars of travel credits they issued to customers.

But there's a problem with those travel credits and vouchers for future travel, too.

"Those vouchers are absolutely coming due right now," says Melanie Lieberman, travel editor at The Points Guy travel website.

Airlines Offer Vouchers, Credits For Canceled Flights. Customers Want Cash

She says many airlines are extending the expiration dates for those travel credits to later this year or well into 2022, but she notes that getting an extension instead of having the credit expire may depend on when you bought your ticket and when you planned to travel. And Lieberman says every airline's policy is different.

"The best thing you can do is go double-check those dates, make sure you know the fine print, the details of when your voucher needs to be used and when your travel needs to be booked by," Lieberman says.

Sens. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Edward Markey, D-Mass., are calling on the airlines to offer cash refunds instead of credit for flights canceled during the pandemic and to eliminate expiration dates for travel vouchers. They say they will propose legislation that would force the airlines to do both.

The Department of Transportation has issued two enforcement notices in the past year reminding airlines and ticket agents of their obligation to provide refunds for canceled flights, and the agency this week updated its guidance for consumers who believe they are owed a refund.

A DOT spokesperson says investigations into the the enormous number of complaints continue but adds that "thousands of passengers who had initially been denied refunds have received or are receiving the required refunds."

Meanwhile, while complaints about denied refunds for trips they could not take skyrocketed last year, a new survey of those who did fly, finds that airline customer satisfaction during the pandemic hit an all-time high.

• department of transportation

What you can do if your flight is canceled

What you need to know during a chaotic winter travel season.

The nation's airports have been mired by holiday travel chaos , as several major airlines have cancelled or severely delayed thousands of flights nationwide due to dangerous weather conditions, staffing issues and system meltdowns.

Many travelers are left wondering what their rights are during extreme flight delays and cancellations.

On Tuesday afternoon, data from Flight Aware showed that nearly 3,000 flights had been canceled within, into or out of the U.S., while more than 3,500 had been delayed, after a rough Monday for flying.

Southwest Airlines alone canceled at least 70% of its flights Monday and 62% on Tuesday and Wednesday.

What are your rights?

Under federal law, consumers are entitled to a refund if the airline cancels a flight, regardless of the reason, and the consumer chooses not to travel.

Consumers are also entitled to a refund if an airline "made a significant schedule change and/or significantly delays a flight and the consumer chooses not to travel," according to the Department of Transportation (DOT).

The hang-up -- DOT has not defined what constitutes a "significant delay." According to the agency, whether you are entitled to a refund depends on multiple factors, including the length of the delay, the length of the flight and "your particular circumstances."

In most cases, airlines will first offer you a travel voucher for future travel, Scott Keyes, founder of Scott's Cheap Flights, told ABC News earlier this year.

"You do not have to click there and accept that travel voucher, because under federal law you're entitled to a full cash refund," Keyes said. "You may have to call the airline and demand to get that cash refund rather than the voucher."

Keyes also said to contact the party you booked your travel with, whether that be the airline itself or a third-party like a travel agency.

"You have to go through whoever you booked your flight with. And so, if you booked it with a third party with an online travel agency, that's who you're going to have to chat with," Keyes said. "The best practice is actually to book directly with the airline if the price is the same. Because when things go wrong, when they're delays or cancelations, it's far simpler."

There are situations, however, where consumers are not entitled to a refund. According to DOT, travelers who purchase nonrefundable tickets, but are unable to travel for a personal reason, such as being sick or late to the airport, are not entitled to a refund.

What if your flight is oversold and you're denied boarding?

On occasion, airlines may bump passengers from a trip when the flight is oversold. In cases such as this, airlines must first ask passengers to give up their seats voluntarily in exchange for compensation, according to DOT.

There is no limit on the amount of money or vouchers the airline can offer you, and passengers are free to negotiate.

MORE: What's creating flight chaos? A perfect storm of factors

If there aren't enough volunteers in these situations, airlines can select passengers and involuntarily bump them off the flight. If you're one of the unlucky few, the airline is required to compensate you in certain situations -- including if the passenger had a confirmed reservation, the passenger checked into their flight on time, arrived to the gate on time, and if the airline cannot get you to your destination within one hour of your flight's original arrival.

What if you decide to change your flight?

Consumers should know most U.S. carriers did away with change fees during the pandemic -- meaning if you decide to change your flight, you'll only have to pay the difference in fare.

ABC News' Sam Sweeney and Kiara Alfonseca contributed to this report.

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Proposed Law Would Guarantee Refunds for Air Travel Canceled by the Pandemic

For now, most airlines offer only vouchers, but still there are strategies to get your money back

A group of five Democratic senators today proposed legislation to guarantee a full cash refund to travelers who purchased airline tickets but couldn't fly because of the coronavirus pandemic—whether their flights were officially canceled or not.

Since the pandemic began grounding flights in March, many ticketed consumers have been offered credits or vouchers for future travel instead.

But with the pandemic sending unemployment to record levels, vouchers are simply not adequate, consumer advocates say.

“Many people need that money now,” says John Breyault, vice president, public policy, telecommunications, and fraud at the National Consumers League. Other consumers simply have no plans to fly anytime soon and have no use for a voucher.

Indeed, more than 25,000 complaints and inquiries—many concerning refunds—were filed with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) in March and April, up from an average of 1,500 per month, according to a May 13 statement.

And thousands of consumers have written to Consumer Reports to express their frustration about being unable to get their money back when the coronavirus pandemic canceled their trips.

Jan Themann of Plantation, Fla., for example, had invited her 86-year-old father to fly in from suburban New York to attend her son’s graduation from college. When the graduation was canceled due to COVID-19, her father tried to get back his $341.96 from Southwest but was offered only a credit that expires in a year.

“My dad joked that at his age he doesn't know what's going to happen in a year. But really, to expect an 86-year-old to get on a plane any time soon isn't reasonable," she says. “He lives on a fixed income and could really use that money. Meanwhile, the airlines are getting bailed out. I’m just really frustrated.”

What the Law Would Do

If passed, the Cash Refunds for Coronavirus Cancellations Act of 2020 would address two separate aspects of the refund problem.

The first concerns passengers whose flights were canceled. They're entitled to full refunds under current law. But many airlines have been offering vouchers by default, neglecting to inform consumers that refunds are an option. And the COVID-19 sections of many airline websites either don’t mention refunds or do so in tiny, hard-to-spot print.

The proposed law would allow airlines to offer vouchers to passengers whose flights were canceled, but only if they offer refunds at the same time and in a “clear and conspicuous” way.

The second issue involves passengers whose flights weren't canceled but who, heeding public health recommendations, decided not to fly. Current law does not entitle them to refunds, and most major airlines have been offering these consumers only vouchers.

The problem with this, say consumer advocates, is that the question of who cancels the flight—airline or passenger—is irrelevant in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, with public health officials counseling everyone to avoid all but essential travel.

“This is a national emergency. To apply rules put in place before this is wrong,” says CR aviation adviser William J. McGee. “If you want a voucher, great. But everyone who wants a refund should be entitled to get it, whether or not the flight was officially canceled.”

Many consumers, advocates say, have no use for vouchers because they were traveling for one-time events or will no longer be able to afford their planned vacations.

“Consumers are being put in an impossible position: Either follow advice of the CDC and local health officials, or eat the cost of their ticket,” says Breyault. Forcing consumers to make that choice, he says, has the perverse effect of encouraging them to fly.

Making matters worse is that airlines are delaying the decision to cancel flights in order to pressure more consumers to accept vouchers, Breyault says.

“Basically, they’re playing a game of chicken,” he says. “They’re waiting to cancel flights until as close as possible to the departure date—hoping consumers will call first, so they won’t have to give out as many refunds.”

The major airlines point out that they’re complying with federal law. They say that since the COVID-19 crisis began, they've allowed consumers to change their travel plans for no fee and have extended the length of time during which credits or vouchers for future travel may be used.

In addition, airlines maintain that they simply can’t give everyone refunds and still survive the economic impact of the COVID-19 crisis. During testimony before the senate commerce committee on May 6, Nicholas Calio, CEO of industry trade association Airlines for America, said the practice of giving vouchers instead of refunds “underscores the economic reality that if air carriers refund all tickets, including those purchased under the condition of being non-refundable or those cancelled by a passenger instead of the carrier, this will result in negative cash balances that will lead to bankruptcy.”

The proposed law would require airlines to promptly offer a cash refund whether the flight is canceled by the airline or the passenger decides not to fly. It would also require that any voucher or credits that passengers receive in lieu of a refund remain valid indefinitely, rather than for the one or two years the airlines are currently allowing.

Airlines: Give Us Refunds, not Vouchers!

Sign our petition.

What to Do Now

CR advocates, who have collected more than 89,000 signatures on a petition demanding cash refunds from airlines , support the proposed legislation. But unless and until it passes, getting your money back may take a little work.

Two general pieces of advice will help everyone. First, be persistent. Airlines are hoping that most consumers will not pursue refunds, McGee says. But anecdotal evidence—based on several thousand consumer experiences reported to CR—suggests that some airlines will give you a cash refund if you persist in asking for one.

The second: Be prepared. “You'd be surprised how many people wait on hold to request a refund but don't know the flight number or the date,” says McGee. You’ll need dates, times, flight numbers, airports, reservation or record locator numbers (if possible), and the names of any personnel you have contacted. Otherwise, there’s a risk airlines will dismiss the claim out of hand.

Depending on which of the following scenarios you fall into, the following tactics may also help:

Your flight has been canceled. If your flight does not take off, you are clearly entitled to a cash refund—as the Department of Transportation (DOT) made clear in two recent statements clarifying the law, the first on April 3 and the second on May 12 .

When you call, airline agents might try to convince you to accept a credit or voucher instead. Some airlines have extended the voucher expiration to two years, up from the more typical one year. Some are also offering a 20 or 30 percent “bonus” beyond the value of your ticket for accepting a voucher. If that works for you, fine.

But if you need or want the money right away, insist on it. The law is clearly on your side.

If you still don’t get your refund, check out the final piece of advice below.

You already accepted a voucher for a canceled flight. Some consumers might have received refunds had they insisted—but didn’t know they were legally entitled to them and accepted vouchers for future travel when the airlines offered that option instead.

Not a problem: The law says you can still get your money back. In fact, the DOT’s April 3 notice threatened airlines with enforcement action unless they actively notify passengers who received vouchers that a refund is still an option.

Unfortunately, says Breyault, the notice required such action only “in a timely manner.” So if you still want a refund for a canceled flight, don’t wait for the airline to reach out. Call and insist on it.

Your flight wasn’t canceled but you decided not to fly. Unless and until the new bill becomes law, airlines are not legally required to refund tickets for the minority of scheduled flights that eventually took off.

According to an April analysis by four Democratic senators, a couple of airlines, Allegiant and Spirit, have been offering cash refunds to passengers who cancel their own flights—though reports to CR from consumers suggest they aren't doing so consistently.

For other airlines, McGee recommends calling the airline repeatedly and making sure to point out that government authorities and experts have recommended that you not fly.

“It does require work,” he says. “But we’re hearing scattered reports of happy endings.”

Your flight is coming up but hasn’t yet been canceled. Perhaps the largest category of consumers is stuck in a kind of refund limbo: Their upcoming flights have not yet been officially canceled, so they don’t yet know whether the airline will offer a cash refund or not.

The strategy here is to play along with the game of chicken, as Breyault calls it.

If you have a pending flight, McGee recommends walking the line between being patient and proactive. Hold off canceling your flight and see whether the airline does it for you. If it gets canceled, you shouldn’t have trouble getting a cash refund if you insist on it.

If it doesn't get canceled, McGee suggests you start calling 14 days before your flight is scheduled, and make sure you advise the airline that government authorities and experts have recommended that you not fly.

You’ve done everything suggested and still didn’t get your money back. If all else fails, you do have a couple of fall-back options.

One is to dispute the charges with your credit card company. Credit card charges for services that have not been delivered can be disputed via the Fair Credit Billing Act. The Federal Trade Commission offers advice on how to do it .

The other is to report your concern to the authorities, who may get involved based on your complaint—and who, in many cases, take action only after a certain number of consumers have filed grievances.

For U.S. flights, send a copy of your complaint to the Department of Transportation, using this online form . For flights to, from, or within Europe, the European Commission advises that you fill out this complaint form and send it to the appropriate national enforcement bodies in the countries you are traveling, using this list of addresses .

Scott Medintz

Scott Medintz is a writer and editor at Consumer Reports, focusing on the organization’s public policy work on behalf of consumers. Before coming to CR in 2017, he was an editor at Time and Money magazines.

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A short guide to cancelled trips: refunds, rebooking and your rights

Travel operators and airlines have come under fire for offering credit — or nothing at all — rather than refund consumers for bookings rendered unviable due to covid-19. yet some argue mass refunds would bankrupt many businesses. is it better to rebook.

Is it better to refund or rebook, and what are your rights as a consumer?

A long time ago in a reality far, far away — or in other words, early March this year — travel-related hashtags started making the rounds on social media. ‘Postpone don’t cancel’, ‘rebook don’t refund’, ‘defer don’t drop’ were variations on the clarion call from champions of industry, as country by country the world started shutting down, and people began assessing the likelihood of imminent trips being able to go ahead. 

It was a sentiment that, at the time, had some traction with consumers keen to support businesses and communities at their chosen destinations (and even keener to keep the faith that a holiday was still within their grasp). But as borders closed and airlines began bulk-cancelling flights, it became apparent that coronavirus’s impact would be more severe and long-lasting than originally thought, and so people started seeking refunds in earnest. But it quickly became clear that those refunds were not being made available, with claims forms frequently difficult to source and customer service numbers often unobtainable. In fact, some passengers stuck abroad and urgently needing to return home soon found that even rebooking was an option that came at extortionate price.

Fast forward three months, and Flybe, Virgin Australia and Avianca have, variously, gone into administration or filed for bankruptcy, while many other carriers find themselves on the brink of collapse. The likes of British Airways, Norwegian, Ryanair and Virgin Atlantic are making thousands redundant and British Airways is threatening to withdraw services from Gatwick airport indefinitely. Tour operators are heading in the same direction, with the notable recent demise of Specialist Leisure Group, owner of travel companies including Shearings, Wallace Arnold Travel, Bay Hotels, Coast and Country, and Country Living.

“Since the UK entered lockdown in March, Which? has heard from thousands of passengers who’ve had their trips cancelled and been left without their money as airlines and holiday operators continue to delay or simply deny them their refunds on a massive scale,” says Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel . “We know the industry is under an immense amount of pressure as a result of the pandemic, and do not want to see it suffer further. But it cannot be on consumers to prop up airlines and travel firms through this period as companies openly break the law and effectively use customer money as an interest-free loan, especially when so many people waiting for their money will be in difficult financial situations of their own.”

“Consumers are entitled to a refund — it’s the law, which hasn’t changed during Covid-19,” says Kane Pirie, founder of VIVID Travel and managing director of the Right to Refund campaign . “2020 has been brutal [for VIVID Travel], with massive cash outflows, which were only possible with additional finance from me as the main shareholder. Many other owner-managed tour operators have also done the right thing: followed the law and refunded customers. Several larger tour operators could refund but are refusing to do so. Covid-19 will soon be history but nobody forgets being denied access to their own money.”

The companies who get this right will have invested well in their futures. “By taking a personalised approach, we’ve avoided mass cancellations as our well-travelled team has spoken to each client to talk through their options,” says Derek Jones, UK chief executive of DER Touristik, parent company of a number of big tour operators, including Kuoni. A vocal advocate of industry unity rather than refund campaigns, Jones says: “People want a holiday to look forward to and there’s still clearly an appetite for travel. With a compassionate approach, we’ve managed to persuade the majority of our customers to rebook to a future date in 2021; around 60% have moved their trip to next year rather than cancel.”

But are those new bookings safe? “Travel companies are pumping Refund Credit Notes into the market but are they protected by ATOL [Air Travel Organiser's Licence]?” asks Kane Pirie. Predictions of zombie travel companies staggering into 2021 taking bookings, then falling insolvent just as those new bookings or credit notes become redeemable are legion, and the precarious state of the airline industry leaves much on a knife edge. 

“Profits are only made when planes are in the air, so the global groundings have delivered a body blow to the airline sector,” says Paul Charles, CEO of The PC Agency travel consultancy and former Virgin Atlantic communications director. “Some 60% of the global passenger fleet is grounded, and against this backdrop, airlines are desperate to conserve their cash, if they had much cash at all. Customer services teams are overwhelmed due to the sheer volume of enquiries and the lack of resources due to team members being ill or furloughed. It leaves consumers facing a dilemma — demand a refund and risk contributing to the airline going bankrupt — potentially not getting the cash for many weeks, if at all — or take a voucher, sometimes with a bonus of 10% or more as an incentive, and hope the airline survives long enough to provide a flight at a future date. These are truly turbulent times for the industry. Sadly, only the financially fittest will survive.”

With the UK and French governments recently announcing quarantine measures for incoming passengers, rebooking looks like an even less attractive proposition. “Despite this,” says Rory Boland, “the government has yet to step in with any support for the industry.” Which? was among several consumer rights groups to lobby the government’s Competition and Markets Authority to investigate companies breaking law on holiday refunds, a campaign that has seen recent success.

“Which? wants to see the regulator come down strongly on any airlines found to be systemically denying or delaying refunds for cancelled flights and holidays,” says Boland. “And for the government to urgently set out how it will support the industry, allow airlines and holiday operators to refund passengers, and restore trust in the sector.”

Your rights 1. If an EU airline cancels your trip, you’re entitled to a refund or a rebooking. You don’t have to accept credit or vouchers. Outside the EU, it may depend on the terms and conditions of your carrier or travel agent. 2. Package holidaymakers whose trips are cancelled are currently entitled to a full refund within two weeks. 3. If you cancel your trip due to disclination to travel, it’s not a given that your travel company will refund you. Wait until it cancels the trip, then rebook, or ask for a refund. 4. If your company doesn’t cancel, and the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is still advising against all but essential travel, if you bought travel insurance before coronavirus became a 'known event' on 13 March 2020 your policy may cover you for cancellation. 5. You may be able to claim money back from purchases made on credit cards via section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act, and even some debit cards via the ‘chargeback’ scheme. Like insurance claims, this is usually only successful if you can prove that your travel provider is refusing to refund, or it’s gone out of business.

The reality 1. Many companies are pushing customers to accept credit notes. These may have an expiration date that make them impractical, or lack ATOL protection or equivalent, should the company go bust. 2. Package Holiday customers whose trips are cancelled are finding that securing refunds within the stipulated twoweek time frame — or indeed at all — is proving impossible. Potential changes to Package Travel Regulations may see that time further extended and see credit notes and vouchers taking the place of refunds. 3. Determined to travel? With the FCO still advising against all but essential travel at the time of writing, new travel insurance policies are currently hard to come by, and those that cover cancellation and disruption due to the coronavirus are virtually impossible to find.

More information  gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice caa.co.uk/atol-protection abta.com/tips-and-advice which.co.uk/l/travel

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Watch CBS News

The biggest traveler complaint during the pandemic was not getting a refund for a canceled flight. Here's what to do

By Peter Greenberg

July 29, 2022 / 6:00 AM EDT / CBS News

Consumer complaints against airlines are up 300% above pre-pandemic levels. But the No. 1 traveler complaint, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation , wasn't overbooking. It wasn't lost luggage — and it wasn't flight delays or cancellations.

It was not getting a refund.

The inability of airline passengers to get refunds on flights that were canceled was the top complaint received by the Department of Transportation, which received more than 169,000 complaints total from travelers in 2020, 2021 and 2022.

In the midst of the pandemic in 2020, many airlines either refused to issue refunds or tried to persuade passengers to accept flight credits or travel vouchers.

• Why is there a pilot shortage? It wasn't just the COVID-19 pandemic.

That resulted in even more passenger complaints , because in many cases, the travelers had booked flights for specific time-related reasons — weddings, business meetings, family reunions — and had no use for future trips. And in a majority of those cases, the trip credits or vouchers had an expiration date. A third problem: The issuing of those vouchers or credits essentially meant that passengers were giving the airlines interest-free loans.

What airlines didn't widely disclose or volunteer at the time was a longstanding U.S. Department of Transportation rule that states that any time an airline cancels a flight — for any reason — passengers are entitled to an immediate refund back to their original form of purchase, even if they had bought a so-called "nonrefundable" ticket.

This rule applied and still applies to any airline flying to or through the United States — both U.S. carriers and foreign airlines that land or take off in the U.S. A cancellation is more than just an airline canceling a flight. Even if the airline tells you they are moving you to another flight later the same day, that still constitutes a cancellation, and you're entitled to that refund.

Airlines didn't just fail to widely disclose this rule. In some cases, it was openly ignored by a number of airlines. In one instance, Air Canada made a public statement that it was not going to refund money to passengers for canceled flights because it claimed it was only governed by Canadian law. But shortly into the new Biden administration — and new leadership at the U.S. DOT — the agency decided to take enforcement action and proposed a $25 million fine against Air Canada, the largest fine of its kind in the history of the department, for refusing to issue those refunds. While the fine was later reduced to a little more than $2 million, the message was received, and Air Canada started writing refund checks.

In the meantime, a growing number of U.S. passengers, frustrated in their failure to get their money back, headed for small claims court, where the maximum claim limits average $7,500, and sued the airlines directly. In many cases, they obtained judgments against the carriers, and ultimately got their money returned.

As a result of the federal action against Air Canada and a growing number of small claims cases, most airlines changed their policies. United was first to eliminate the pre-pandemic era draconian ticket change fees — if a passenger canceled a flight or wanted to change to a later one, the fee for changing that flight in many cases wiped out the value of the original ticket. And other airlines followed suit. In doing so, the rule change meant that passengers would not lose their money if they canceled their flights — the money would be placed in a separate bank or credit account that the passenger could use for future flights. In most cases, they'd have a year to use those funds.

When COVID cases continued and new variants appeared, the airlines then extended the validity of those credits and funds through 2022, then many again extended the expiration date, through 2023.

But the airlines weren't alone in not giving refunds. Cruise lines, travel and tour operators, hotels and resorts, many of whom weren't capitalized strongly, meaning they didn't have a lot of money available to weather the financial crisis caused by massive requests for refunds, first refused to give refunds and insisted only on issuing vouchers good for future trips. Some companies later went out of business, making those vouchers and credits worthless. The consumer affairs division in the offices of many state attorneys general are still actively involved in pursuing those refunds. When one well-known cruise line — Crystal — failed and ceased doing business, $155 million in pending passenger refunds disappeared. 

How can travelers protect themselves ? One, always pay for travel with a credit card. Under the Federal Credit Act, if you don't receive what you contracted for within 60 days of making the purchase, you can dispute the charge on your credit card statement. The credit card company will issue an interim credit and investigate, and that would ultimately become a permanent credit. But there's an inherent problem with that 60-day window. Most travel providers —  especially cruise lines and tour operators — ask for sizable deposits as much as six months out. 

To protect your deposits and full payments when booking a big-ticket trip, ask the supplier to put your money in third-party escrow, so that the funds are not released until the trip commences (no different than the financial model for buying real estate). That prevents the seller from using your money to satisfy other debt before you take your trip. Some U.S. states have travel seller escrow provisions, so always check.

And in the meantime, for airline flights, remember that Department of Transportation rule. 

Peter Greenberg, CBS News' travel editor, reports regularly on a broad range of travel-related news for "CBS Mornings," "CBS Sunday Morning" and the "CBS Evening News."

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The Complete Guide To Your Holiday Consumer Rights

The Package Travel Regulations can tell you all you need to know, but they’re not always the easiest to understand. In the current state of COVID, being able to trust and have confidence in the people you are paying to supply your travel plans is more important than ever. Knowing your holiday consumer rights is vital in order to protect yourself from possible and unexpected problems, and to get the best certainty out of your time and money. Here you will find everything you need to know about your holiday consumer rights as detailed by the 2018 Regulations on Package Travel and Linked Package Arrangements.

Types of Travel That the Package Travel Regulations Do Not Cover

• Any travel arrangements that are under 24 hours in length may not follow these regulations, unless an overnight stay is included.
• Any travel arrangements made as business travel, will also not likely follow these regulations.
• Packages and arrangements sold or offered for sale outside of the UK, do not come under these regulations.
• Services booked individually will most likely not be covered by the Package Travel Regulations. Bookings made separately entails booking services (transport, accommodation, tourist events) from different travel companies and paying for them separately. For example, booking a journey with an airline directly, and then separately booking accommodation on the hotel’s own site. This sort of booking can be protected in other ways not covered by the package travel regulations, such as via good travel insurance, or by booking with debit or credit cards. We highly recommend that you check for this kind of protection before booking, which you can do by contacting your service provider directly. They will be able to tell you the legal and financial protection you are entitled to under their services, as levels may vary.

Your Consumer Rights When Booking a Package Holiday

Within the regulations, a “package” simply refers to all the travel services with more than one element and booked from one company at one price. The elements this includes are:

• Accommodation
• Tourist events

This could be a pre-made package that is offered at one price, or on some websites, a custom-made package where you select all the elements you want, and the travel company charges you one price for the whole package. Booking a holiday in this manner is the safest way for your financial and legal protection, as both are provided under these regulations. You will be fully protected in the case that:

• The travel company fails to perform all they agreed to in the arrangement
• The travel company provides a service worth less than what you paid for; or
• Unexpected, or unavoidable circumstances prevent you from attending your holiday (including pandemic, weather conditions, lack of disability measures etc)

Via the protection provided by the Package Travel Regulations, you are entitled to a full or partial refund, travel home from your destination, or a refund credit note (RCN) if a refund in the allocated time is not possible. A refund credit note contains a reference to your original booking and any financial protection that covered it. This allows you to either rebook a holiday with the same level of financial protection, or to receive a cash refund at a later date.

Your Consumer Rights When Booking a Linked Travel Arrangement

A linked travel arrangement is, in essence, the same as a package holiday in its contents. It is still an arrangement containing more than one element , and, as per the name, the elements are still contained as part of the same holiday contractually. Where this differs is in how it is sold to you and, as a consequence, the level of protection from the Package Travel Regulations. A linked travel arrangement consists of elements booked separately, whether you book them online, over the phone, or in person. An example of a linked travel arrangement would be as follows: –

• You book a plane ticket online
• You get a confirmation email for that order
• You receive another email marketing accommodation for the same date and destination as your flight
• Within 24 hours of booking the plane, you book the accommodation

You have bought two elements, thus creating an arrangement, but you have bought them from separate suppliers. The link here is the travel company you booked the plane through, and that advertised the accommodation to you. In this situation it is the legal duty of this travel business to inform you that you have been sold a linked travel arrangement. The second difference from a package holiday comes under the protection you receive from the Regulations. There is no legal protection from the Regulations for Linked Travel Arrangements, and the financial protection is limited. For clarity, the financial protection only applies if the leading travel company goes bust (this is the company you book through). There is no financial protection if a supplier or travel service provider goes bust, or if a supplier or travel service provider does not perform adequately. However, some protection can come from other elements, such as completing transactions with debit or credit card, having excellent travel insurance, or through providers that work through trust accounts, where your money is best protected.

The Travel Business’s Obligations To You

Please be aware that this section does not apply to any contracts completed outside of the EU. Whether you book your holiday online, over the phone, or in person, under the rules of the Package Travel Regulations, any travel companies making these arrangements are required to provide you with all the same information. This consists of:

• Holiday dates
• Hotel accommodation
• Flight times
• Transfer details
• The payment schedules
• General information about the booking status and visas
• Links to appropriate parts of the Package Travel Regulations
• What kind of arrangement your booking is
• An ATOL Certificate (this must be provided immediately after your payment, and if you have booked any flights, it is vital that you have this)

You can request to be given a copy of any of this information and the travel business must provide it. They are also required to give certain types of information by your request, if they did not have to give it outright. This includes information on service’s suitability to consumers with disabilities.

If Your Arrangement Is Changed Or Cancelled

If the travel company decides to make a change to your booking, they must inform you of this change and give you a reasonable period to decline or accept. If you do not accept the change then you are entitled to a full refund of your agreement within 14 days. In this vein, there are also differing obligations depending upon whether you cancel an arrangement before the contract start, versus if the travel company cancels. In the circumstance that you make a cancellation, there are a few things to consider.

• The travel company is within reason to provide a cancellation fee based on how close to the start of the package you cancel and expected complications with costs. You may request a reason for these costs and the travel company is obliged to provide them.
• If you must cancel due to unpredictable reasons that affect the destination or the ability to perform the agreed services, you are entitled to cancellation without a termination fee and with a full refund, but no further compensation.
• for a 6-day trip, 20 days in advance
• for a trip of 2-6 days, 7 days in advance, and
• for a trip of 2 days or less, within 48 hours preceding the start date.

In unavoidable circumstances, they must notify you without delay when the circumstances arise. As with the consumer cancellation, they must provide a full refund, but have no obligation to provide further compensation.

Remain Reasonable When Dealing with Your Travel Agent

Though the Package Travel Regulations are set in place, it is always good to remain reasonable through this process and to harbour a good relationship with the travel companies that are providing you with a service. To the best of their capability, these regulations will protect both your holiday consumer rights, and the travel company alike. However, there are circumstances that they cannot account for. Especially during COVID, travel companies may have reason to delay a refund past when it is supposed to be paid to you. The Package Travel Regulations declare that a refund is often due in 14 days, but they could contact you to inform you that it will take 28 days because of complications. This could be due to many things, including:

• Heavy traffic in their systems
• A flood of requests that are above what they can deal with as swiftly; or
• there could be issues they’re dealing with entirely separately but impact the rate of delivery.

Being reasonable in these situations is important, and when you are dealing with a good travel company, they will extend the same courtesy to you so that you can maintain a good relationship. There is also the offer of RCNs (refund credit notes) to consider. There are a few points that you should be aware of regarding RCNs:

• As the consumer, you have no legal obligation to accept an RCN
• If the travel company is struggling to get anything back to you, an RCN is a guarantee that they will
• RCNs will give you a finite date for when you will receive a full refund
• It will come with an ATOL certificate attached if you booked a flight
• An RCN should be for the exact amount you paid. It should not have a % increase even if offered to you as incentive. The value must match the amount paid.
• An RCN is not a voucher. If a travel company offers a voucher instead of a refund or RCN, you have no obligation to accept – especially since this will not be equivalent to the full value of the holiday you lost.

This allows for you to work together with the travel company and build a good relationship that will be a great strength when you do come across issues with your arrangement or details of the Regulations.

How PTS Protect Your Holiday Consumer Rights

All holiday bookings made through a member of PTS are protected by the agreement the member has with PTS, and by the secure trust account system. In case of issues, your financial protection is guaranteed, whether your issue comes from supplier, travel agent, or tour operator. Please rest assured that PTS will always respect your holiday consumer rights!

The protection you receive from booking with a PTS member is like no other in the industry. Both PTS Members and PTS will happily ensure you have complete peace of mind through trust. Take a look at our infographic below, and keep an eye out for this infographic and the PTS logo to make sure you book with a PTS travel company. Not all travel companies are members of PTS, so please ensure you check what associations the company you book through has, so that you can be confident in your rights and enjoy your holiday with peace of mind. The most important piece of advice we can give any UK consumer when booking your next holiday, is to book with an excellent travel agent or tour operator – a human being – someone you trust and can speak with. It is incredibly important, as so many have learnt throughout COVID, that you have an excellent relationship with your travel agent or tour organiser. Booking online may seem quick, but it is impersonal and will inevitably lead to difficult communications if you have any issues. For more information on how PTS guarantees you holiday consumer rights, please visit our consumer protection page. If you are looking for a local PTS member close to you, please email our friendly team at [email protected] and we shall happily recommend one of our wonderful members.

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Coronavirus has seen thousands of holidays cancelled. More refunds could be on the way

Ballarat couple Leanne and Tony Nesci weathered a tough year running their small business during the pandemic.

Key points:

• Many Australians are out of pocket thousands of dollars because of cancelled holidays not getting refunded
• Bipartisan support is building for legislation to improve consumer protections in the travel industry
• Travel agents say it's a complex issue, because money paid for holidays is usually held by overseas suppliers

They say the money they were unable to recoup from a cancelled tour of Japan and Singapore — $11,300 — would have helped them enormously when business slowed during the lockdown last year.

The company they booked the travel with has offered the couple a credit rather than a refund.

Mrs Nesci, 57, is deeply frustrated.

"We paid for a service that we haven't received and it should be in our bank account, not their bank account," she said.

"If you pay for something and you don't receive the service, then usually you get a refund.

"We'd been saving for a while … and, I mean, it's not easy to find $11,000."

The Nescis — along with 79 per cent of respondents to the Australia Talks National Survey 2021 — don't think Australia should be opening its borders until the pandemic is under control internationally.

Mrs Nesci lives with type 1 diabetes, and even when borders reopen, she'll feel reluctant to book a trip using their travel credit.

"We really don't know what situation we're going to be in next year, whether we're going to be able to travel," she said.

"We've got this credit to use by the end of next year, but we don't know what our business will be doing next year, whether we're going to be able to take the time off work."

Push for change 

The Nescis' situation underlines the broader issue of travellers having trips cancelled through no fault of their own or their travel company.

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed a gap in Australian consumer law that would normally protect a customer if they paid for something and didn't receive it.

Normal consumer guarantee provisions are unlikely to apply if a trip is cancelled due to government restrictions.

That means the only right consumers have to a refund is through their travel company's terms and conditions.

In the Nescis' case, their travel company's terms and conditions did not entitle them to a refund. 

Social media is awash with similar stories of frustrated travellers denied refunds from their travel providers for trips they couldn't take through no fault of their own. 

Melbourne resident Adam Glezer runs three Facebook groups for travellers with a total of 17,000 members, and has helped hundreds of people try to get refunds. 

"The reality is we don't have the laws to protect us in situations outside of human control, such as the pandemic that we're in now," Mr Glezer said.

"There's still a lot of people that are waiting on getting money back from travel companies.

"It has been months — or even in some situations, 15 to 16 months — and they still haven't got their money."

Tony and Leanne Nesci booked their holiday through Inspiring Vacations. The company has encouraged the couple to use their credit on domestic travel.

Inspiring Vacations told the ABC it had followed government advice at all times, as well as travel-specific advice from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).

"In particular, the ACCC demands that we act with fairness," Paul Ryan from Inspiring Vacations said.

"We feel this means, first, offering an outcome with no financial detriment, which has been provided [to customers] in the form of a credit, and, secondly, where circumstances of hardship exist, providing an option to that customer of a refund.

"The company has, as a result, issued significant refunds over the previous 15 months where notified of such hardship."

For months, Mr Glezer has been calling for legislative change so customers can get a refund in future, if travel is cancelled due to events outside of human control.

He began contacting members of parliament to raise the issue. 

He then mobilised people on social media, including the 3,500 members of one of his Facebook groups called "Travel Industry Issues — The Need for Change for Australians".

"A number of MPs were not aware of the extent of the situation," he said.

"I ended up calling out to my Facebook groups and asking asking for people that actually wanted to go and speak to their MPs as well so that they could actually give their own story and also explain to their MPs the importance of change."

Travel agents the 'meat in the sandwich'

Now, bipartisan support is building for legislation to improve consumer protections in the travel industry.

Liberal MP Kevin Andrews has put forward a parliamentary motion that will be debated in the federation chamber this evening.

"This is an area in which Australian consumer law, both at I believe a state-territory and Commonwealth level, is defective," Mr Andrews said.

The motion suggests legislating a right to a refund, if the service a customer has paid for hasn't been fulfilled due to "situations outside human control".

It also raises the idea of mandatory trust accounts for travel agents and a transparent fee for service.

Finally, it would also ensure the supplier terms and conditions are clear to customers.

"This is not a go at travel agents directly," Mr Andrews said.

"In many cases, they're the meat in the sandwich because they're dealing with overseas companies, they've on-paid fees to them and they can't get them back themselves.

"There needs to be something in Australia just as there is in some other countries overseas, to ensure the consumer and indirectly the travel agent is protected."

The motion has been seconded by Labor MP Michael Freelander, who has had constituents raise the issue with him in his Campbelltown office. 

"Often these are people who have really scrimped and saved for their overseas holiday," he said.

"They want their money back, but also, they want the security of knowing that if they do book a holiday in the future, that if something does happen beyond their control, then they will be able to recoup the money they've already paid.

"That may mean there's a travel agent trust fund or a travel agent ombudsman that has the ability to recoup money for people who quite reasonably want their money returned." 

He said he recognised the difficulties travel agents had faced during the pandemic. 

"I think also we feel very strongly about protecting travel agents as well and giving them a bit more support because from what I see, I think it's highly unlikely our travel industry will open up completely before the middle of next year, or even longer," Dr Freelander said. 

Travel agents say there's no need for regulation

The peak industry body representing travel agents, the Australian Federation for Travel Agents (AFTA), said re-regulating the travel industry was not the answer.

"I think what we have is adequate at the moment, it's a deregulated environment," AFTA's Tom Manwaring said.

"The big pressure is coming from the refund amounts that have to come from overseas to the travel agent to go back to the customer."

Mr Manwaring said travel agents were not holding on to consumers' money unnecessarily.

Instead, the money was often paid in advance to overseas suppliers, such as hotels or tour operators, to confirm the booking. 

"What's not being taken up by what I've seen of the [parliament] motion is that agents themselves are not the repositories of the cash, they're a selling point," he said.

Mr Manwaring said there had been industry discussions about holding money until an overseas service was delivered to the customer. 

"One [thing we could look at] could be payment systems and how we could ensure at the supplier end, the funds are protected for the customer until that trip is entertained," he said.

"That's an interesting area to explore I think: that the agent has passed all of the money on in good faith, and then how are those funds protected for the client."

AFTA said agents had so far successfully secured $7 billion worth of credits and refunds for their customers.

Travel agents urged to do 'utmost' to get money back

Mr Manwaring said the issue of possible changes to payment systems to overseas suppliers was a complex debate.

"We've had some discussions with Treasury and the ABA (Australian Banking Association) about the movement of funds, there's billions of dollars involved in this at any one time," he said.

"Where is that money sitting and what is it being used for? It's deep in the system, and then when there's such a flood of refunds required that the liquidity is just not there."

Mr Glezer said he understood that travel agents weren't all holding onto money that belonged to consumers.

But he thinks when these situations arise, travel agents should "do their utmost" to get consumers' money back from overseas suppliers.

"In situations we've found that either they haven't been doing their best to get the money back or alternatively, they haven't even put in for a refund [to suppliers]," he said.

"They should be advocating for the customers and doing the absolute best they can to get the money back, because that's what they're being paid for."

Inspiring Vacations said it supported any "balanced and considered measures that provide consistency around travel consumer protection".

"These measures would need to take into account the various ways consumers purchase their travel in Australia today, such as through travel agents, online retailers and now, more and more, directly from operators," Mr Ryan said.

"The upheaval caused by past and ongoing government-imposed travel restrictions continues to cause significant customer disruption and uncertainty as well as denying most businesses in the travel industry the ability to earn any revenue for most of the last 18 months.

"Despite this we have operated at all times with the best interests of our customers in mind and maintain market-leading customer service and response levels."

Legislation still a long way off

Any legislation would still be some way off, according to Dr Freelander.

"It's really up to the minister and the government as to whether they think it's an important enough issue to take some action on," he said.

"That's up to the government, we hope, sooner rather than later.

"I think it's an added layer of consumer confidence which would encourage more people to want to travel if they knew that the money was protected by some form of insurance."

Mrs Nesci "absolutely" supports legislation to protect travellers. 

"Especially when so much money is involved, we're not just talking about a couple of hundred dollars," she said. 

"During the COVID situation last year, we were actually doing it quite tough at times and we could have used that money, had we had it." 

The Australia Talks National Survey asked 60,000 Australians about their lives and what keeps them up at night. Use our interactive tool to see the results and how your answers compare.

Then, tune in at 8:00pm on Monday, June 21 to watch hosts Annabel Crabb and Nazeem Hussain take you through the key findings and explore the survey with some of Australia's best-loved celebrities.

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Trains Moscow to Elektrostal: Times, Prices and Tickets

• Train Times
• Seasonality
• Accommodations

Moscow to Elektrostal by train

The journey from Moscow to Elektrostal by train is 32.44 mi and takes 2 hr 7 min. There are 71 connections per day, with the first departure at 12:15 AM and the last at 11:46 PM. It is possible to travel from Moscow to Elektrostal by train for as little as or as much as . The best price for this journey is .

Get from Moscow to Elektrostal with Virail

Virail's search tool will provide you with the options you need when you want to go from Moscow to Elektrostal. All you need to do is enter the dates of your planned journey, and let us take care of everything else. Our engine does the hard work, searching through thousands of routes offered by our trusted travel partners to show you options for traveling by train, bus, plane, or carpool. You can filter the results to suit your needs. There are a number of filtering options, including price, one-way or round trip, departure or arrival time, duration of journey, or number of connections. Soon you'll find the best choice for your journey. When you're ready, Virail will transfer you to the provider's website to complete the booking. No matter where you're going, get there with Virail.

How can I find the cheapest train tickets to get from Moscow to Elektrostal?

Prices will vary when you travel from Moscow to Elektrostal. On average, though, you'll pay about for a train ticket. You can find train tickets for prices as low as , but it may require some flexibility with your travel plans. If you're looking for a low price, you may need to prepare to spend more time in transit. You can also often find cheaper train tickets at particular times of day, or on certain days of the week. Of course, ticket prices often change during the year, too; expect to pay more in peak season. For the lowest prices, it's usually best to make your reservation in advance. Be careful, though, as many providers do not offer refunds or exchanges on their cheapest train tickets. Unfortunately, no price was found for your trip from Moscow to Elektrostal. Selecting a new departure or arrival city, without dramatically changing your itinerary could help you find price results. Prices will vary when you travel from Moscow to Elektrostal. On average, though, you'll pay about for a train ticket. If you're looking for a low price, you may need to prepare to spend more time in transit. You can also often find cheaper train tickets at particular times of day, or on certain days of the week. Of course, ticket prices often change during the year, too; expect to pay more in peak season. For the lowest prices, it's usually best to make your reservation in advance. Be careful, though, as many providers do not offer refunds or exchanges on their cheapest train tickets.

How long does it take to get from Moscow to Elektrostal by train?

The journey between Moscow and Elektrostal by train is approximately 32.44 mi. It will take you more or less 2 hr 7 min to complete this journey. This average figure does not take into account any delays that might arise on your route in exceptional circumstances. If you are planning to make a connection or operating on a tight schedule, give yourself plenty of time. The distance between Moscow and Elektrostal is around 32.44 mi. Depending on the exact route and provider you travel with, your journey time can vary. On average, this journey will take approximately 2 hr 7 min. However, the fastest routes between Moscow and Elektrostal take 1 hr 3 min. If a fast journey is a priority for you when traveling, look out for express services that may get you there faster. Some flexibility may be necessary when booking. Often, these services only leave at particular times of day - or even on certain days of the week. You may also find a faster journey by taking an indirect route and connecting in another station along the way.

How many journeys from Moscow to Elektrostal are there every day?

On average, there are 71 daily departures from Moscow to Elektrostal. However, there may be more or less on different days. Providers' timetables can change on certain days of the week or public holidays, and many also vary at particular times of year. Some providers change their schedules during the summer season, for example. At very busy times, there may be up to departures each day. The providers that travel along this route include , and each operates according to their own specific schedules. As a traveler, you may prefer a direct journey, or you may not mind making changes and connections. If you have heavy suitcases, a direct journey could be best; otherwise, you might be able to save money and enjoy more flexibility by making a change along the way. Every day, there are an average of 18 departures from Moscow which travel directly to Elektrostal. There are 53 journeys with one change or more. Unfortunately, no connection was found for your trip from Moscow to Elektrostal. Selecting a new departure or arrival city, without dramatically changing your itinerary could help you find connections.

Book in advance and save

If you're looking for the best deal for your trip from Moscow to Elektrostal, booking train tickets in advance is a great way to save money, but keep in mind that advance tickets are usually not available until 3 months before your travel date.

Stay flexible with your travel time and explore off-peak journeys

Planning your trips around off-peak travel times not only means that you'll be able to avoid the crowds, but can also end up saving you money. Being flexible with your schedule and considering alternative routes or times will significantly impact the amount of money you spend on getting from Moscow to Elektrostal.

Always check special offers

Checking on the latest deals can help save a lot of money, making it worth taking the time to browse and compare prices. So make sure you get the best deal on your ticket and take advantage of special fares for children, youth and seniors as well as discounts for groups.

Unlock the potential of slower trains or connecting trains

If you're planning a trip with some flexible time, why not opt for the scenic route? Taking slower trains or connecting trains that make more stops may save you money on your ticket – definitely worth considering if it fits in your schedule.

Best time to book cheap train tickets from Moscow to Elektrostal

The cheapest Moscow - Elektrostal train tickets can be found for as low as $35.01 if you’re lucky, or $54.00 on average. The most expensive ticket can cost as much as $77.49.

Find the best day to travel to Elektrostal by train

When travelling to Elektrostal by train, if you want to avoid crowds you can check how frequently our customers are travelling in the next 30-days using the graph below. On average, the peak hours to travel are between 6:30am and 9am in the morning, or between 4pm and 7pm in the evening. Please keep this in mind when travelling to your point of departure as you may need some extra time to arrive, particularly in big cities!

Moscow to Elektrostal CO2 Emissions by Train

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Frequently Asked Questions

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• Electrostal History and Art Museum

You can spend time exploring the galleries in Electrostal History and Art Museum in Elektrostal. Take in the museums while you're in the area.

• Cities near Elektrostal

• Places of interest
• Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center
• Peter the Great Military Academy
• Central Museum of the Air Forces at Monino
• History of Russian Scarfs and Shawls Museum
• Balashikha Arena
• Balashikha Museum of History and Local Lore
• Pekhorka Park
• Bykovo Manor
• Drama Theatre BOOM
• Malenky Puppet Theater
• Ramenskii History and Art Museum
• Noginsk Museum and Exhibition Center
• Pavlovsky Posad Museum of Art and History
• Saturn Stadium
• Fairy Tale Children's Model Puppet Theater
• Fifth House Gallery
• Church of Vladimir
• Likino Dulevo Museum of Local Lore
• Malakhovka Museum of History and Culture
• Orekhovo Zuevsky City Exhibition Hall

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• Moscow Metro Tour

Activity Details

- moscow tour packages – russian fairy tale tour 6 night / 7 days, activity overview.

• Description
• The Moscow Metro is among the biggest and thickest metro networks in the world.
• This makes it easier for people to travel quickly in Moscow.
• The Moscow Metro is made up of 12 lines and 200 stations, and it is around 333 kilometers long.

Activity Important

• Important to know
• Certified English speaking local guide.
• Hotel/port pickup and drop.
• Tips and personal expenses.
• Instant package confirmation at the time of booking.
• This package does not qualify for any refund policy.
• You will need to present either a paper or an electronic voucher for this activity.

Other activities in Russia

Senate Square Tour

Red Square Tour

Moscow Tour

For tour package: moscow metro tour.

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