Coronavirus – How to cancel your holiday to the USA and get a refund now travel from the UK has been banned
BRITISH travellers who've booked holidays in the United States are likely to have to change their plans, thanks to a new ban.
Donald Trump is broadening the coronavirus travel restrictions to include visitors from the UK and Ireland.
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This means if you have a holiday booked, you are unlikely to be able to go ahead with your trip.
The president had already banned travel between the "Schengen Area" of Europe, but has now extended this declaring a "national emergency";.
The new changes will come into force starting from tomorrow (March 16).
If you're booked on a flight and it's cancelled, the airlines should offer you alternative options or a full refund.
The UK's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) says it would expect airlines to offer an alternative flight in future, airline credit or a full refund.
The general rule of thumb for insurers is that customers can be reimbursed for non-refundable flights, hotels and other travel costs if you are travelling to a country that is deemed 'at risk' by the FCO.
As of today, the FCO has advised against all but essential travel to the USA.
The first thing to do is try getting a refund from your travel company, airline or accommodation provider.
If that doesn't work, you can speak to your insurer to sort out a refund.
But you'll only be covered if the insurance was purchased before the FCO advice was changed.
Plenty of insurance providers stopped offering coronavirus cover after the World Health Organisation declared the crisis a pandemic on March 11.
This means you might not be covered if you booked last minute after then.
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If you paid by credit card, you should be able to get the money back through Section 75 laws as long as you paid between £100 and £30,000.
Section 75 credit card rules protect customers, for instance in the event of a cancellation.
To make a claim, contact your credit card provider - your first port of call should be its customer services phone number - and tell them you want to make a claim under Section 75.
It should then send you a claim form which you can fill in.
Rory Boland, Editor of Which? Travel, said: “This is a difficult time for travel operators and airlines, but too many people are being given no information at all or poor advice that could risk them being left hundreds of pounds out of pocket.
"Airlines and operators must ensure they are informing customers of how they will get people home, and where appropriate, how they can claim for additional costs they’ve incurred, such as overnight accommodation.”
Mr Boland adds that those stuck abroad in the US should opt for an alternative flight over a refund as they may struggle to get back home otherwise.
He said: "Don’t accept a refund and try to shop around for new flights. If you accept a refund the airline's responsibility to you ends.
"Go for re-booking and it must get you home."
Plenty of insurance providers stopped offering coronavirus cover after the World Health Organisation declared the crisis a pandemic on March 11.
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