Italy quarantine refunds: Will Tui, Lastminute, LoveHolidays and OnTheBeach refund me?

ITALY has been added to the UK’s quarantine list leaving thousands of holidaymakers’ trips up in the air.

Brits travelling to the country must now quarantine for 14 days after they return to the UK from 4am this Sunday, October 18.

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The quarantine measures were announced today by Transport Secretary Grant Shapps because of the rising number of coronavirus cases in the country.

Italy has introduced among the toughest laws in the world to try to tackle the virus by making wearing masks mandatory outdoors.

Brits can still travel to Italy but they will have to self-isolate for two weeks when they return and many of those with travel plans may not be in a position to do so.

The new measures also affect travellers visiting Vatican City state and San Marino.

And it could be costly for anyone who fails to self-isolate – they can now be fined £1,000 if they don’t quarantine.

There are now just a handful of countries where Brits can travel without having to spend two weeks quarantining themselves when they come back.

And holidaymakers who can’t quarantine may have to cancel their planned getaways.

Here we explain what your rights are if you do cancel your trip with Tui, Lastminute, LoveHolidays and OnTheBeach.

Tui and FirstChoice

Tui has previously cancelled holidays to destinations that have been added to the UK’s quarantine list.

In these cases, customers have been entitled to a cash refund.

They have also been given the option to amend their booking for free.

When the price of a rebooked trip is more expensive, customers have to cover the price difference.

We’ve asked Tui if the same will apply this time and will update this story when we hear back.

You can call Tui on 0203 451 2688 to discuss your booking, but keep in mind its customer service centres are likely to be extremely busy.

Customers can find alternative ways of contacting Tui on its website.

It’s best not to cancel trips yourself if possible as then you might struggle to get a refund. We’ve asked if TUI will charge fees or withhold refunds in this scenario.

Lastminute.com

Lastminute.com has not previously cancelled holidays to destinations added to the quarantine list.

If you cancel your trip because you won’t be able to self-isolate, you won’t be able to claim a refund, according to its website.

The cancellation is also subject to the normal terms and conditions, so you may have to pay a fee to do this – how much depends on your individual policy as bookings are subject to cancellations fees charged by Lastminute.com, the hotel and airline.

In the past, customers have been able to rearrange trips but may have been charged a fee and told to pay the difference if the holiday is more expensive on the rearranged dates.

We’ve asked Lastminute if it’s the same for Italy and will update this story when we hear back.

You can manage your booking online, or contact Lastminute via its website.

If Lastminute.com cancels your trip, you will be entitled to a full refund or credit voucher that will be valid for a year.

LoveHolidays

LoveHolidays did not cancel bookings when Turkey was added to the quarantine list.

But it it did offer free amendments for customers wishing to rearrange their travels to alternative dates, according to its website.

It’s unclear if holidaymakers have to pay any difference in price.

We’ve asked LoveHolidays if it’s the same for Italy and will update this story.

Up until recently, LoveHolidays was an ABTA member, which offers customers an extra level of protection when booking their trip.

Customers who book through an ABTA protected firm are entitled to a full refund for their package holiday even if only one element, such as the flights, is cancelled.

But LoveHolidays quit its membership to avoid paying out.

If you have a trip booked to Italy and you no longer want to travel, contact Love Holidays for more information.

To change the dates of your stay or cancel a hotel reservation, go to “manage my booking” on the LoveHolidays website and check your options.

OnTheBeach

OnTheBeach also did not cancel trips when new quarantine rules were introduced for Turkey.

If you had to to cancel your trip because you couldn’t self-isolate on your return, you had to pay any fees outlined in your booking.

Cancellation fees may be charged by the hotel, airline and OnTheBeach.

You can find out how much you will be charged for cancelling your trip under the My Bookings section on the website.

We’ve asked OnTheBeach if it’s the same case for Italy and we will update this story.

The travel agent is also refusing to process requests to change the dates of any upcoming trips.

On its website, it said: “Over the past few weeks and prior to the new advice about travel to Spain, we have quoted several thousand date change requests.

“Because summer 2021 is currently on limited release, these quotations were often double the price paid for the 2020 holiday and as a result well in excess of the cost to cancel the holiday.

“As a result of this only a very small proportion of the customers quoted proceeded with a change of dates.”

OnTheBeach recently came under fire for quitting an industry body to avoid paying out refunds to customers.

Teletext

Teletext has previously waived cancellation fees for people who want to cancel trips up to seven days before departure.

And it has also waived fees for making amendments for those who want to rearrange dates.

Teletext has given customers the option of a full refund for cancellations it’s made, or rebooking the trip for later this year or 2021.

The travel film says refunds should take less than 14 days to process.

We’ve asked Teletext if this is the same for Italy and will update the story.

The firm has not said what happens if you want to cancel or make a change less than seven days before travelling and we’ll update this article once we hear back.

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Passengers still waiting for cancelled holiday and flight refunds from Virgin Atlantic have been promised their cash by the end of October.

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This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk