This is a summary of revised cancellation/rebooking policies,
based on available information. Please consult suppliers for
additional details.
• Aer Lingus will credit ticketed U.S.
passengers who cancel their immediate travel plans 100% of paid
airfare, to be redeemed for travel by year's end.
•Aeromexico Vacations will allow people to
change their itinerary in the event of war or Code Red if they call
to notify AeroMexico Vacations.
• Air France is waiving service fees for
itinerary changes on most non-refundable fares ticketed before
March 31 for departure on or before June 30. Rebooked trips must
begin before Dec. 31.
• Air Jamaica's Guaranteed Travel Program
permits travelers ticketed through Sept. 30 to reschedule at any
time within a year of the original date of travel. Passengers are
guaranteed the original ticketed fare, and passengers who have
already started their journey can return home early without
penalty.
• Air Jamaica Vacations' Vacation Pledge
permits clients to postpone travel up to 60 days after the outbreak
of war or a terrorist event and to travel within 12 months after
the original travel date.
• Avalon Resorts' six properties in Mexico and
Panama allow travelers to postpone and reschedule vacation plans
until Dec. 23.
• Avis and Budget, will adopt a travel
contingency policy for both Cendant brands if the U.S. government
suspends air travel.Avis and Budget would waive all drop-off fees
for already-rented vehicles that are dropped off at different
cities than their origination city. In addition, if the country is
put on "Red Alert" status, the car brands will consider
implementing a one-way rental policy.
• Bolongo Bay Beach Club in St. Thomas offers a
No Penalty Cancellation policy that gives guests up to one year to
reschedule their trips at the same rates as the original date of
travel.
• BWIA passengers can rebook without penalty by
May 31 for travel through Dec. 31.
• Captain Don's Habitat, Bonaire will issue a
credit and permit guests to rebook up to one year without
penalty.
• Carlson Hospitality will waive all charges
for cancellations or changes for individual hotel reservations for
arrivals scheduled between March 20 and May 1. Cancellation fees
for groups or meetings for the same period are also suspended if
the business is re-booked for later in 2003. The policy applies to
Radisson Hotels & Resorts, Park Plaza hotels, Country Inns
& Suites By Carlson, and Park Inn hotels in North and South
America, India, Asia and the Pacific. Carlson said that its Regent
International hotels will handle cancellations on a case-by-case
basis.
• Classic Custom Vacations waived its
cancellation penalties for bookings made before the onset of war
and its policy also covered the possibility a code-red alert. If
customers purchased the Classic Change & Cancellation Waiver,
they receive a full refund, minus a waiver fee. Agents have 14 days
after the beginning of war or code red to cancel or make changes to
any trip that departs within 60 days of the beginning of war or
code red.
• Club Med's Book with Confidence program
allows no-fee changes to bookings made by March 31 for travel by
April 30. All changes must be made more than seven days prior to
departure and must be rebooked before Oct. 31.
• Costa Cruises waived cancellation penalties
on all spring transatlantic and 2003 Europe cruises. Guests can
receive a full refund on their cruise-only fares, as long as they
decide to cancel by April 30.
• Crystal Cruises revived its travel insurance
program for last-minute cancellations. With the program, travelers
on voyages between May 15 and Dec. 31 can cancel their cruise for
any reason up to three days before departure and receive 90% of the
fare as a future cruise credit. The program costs $200 per person
for cruises costing under $8,000 or 3% of the cruise fare for
voyages more than $8,000.
• Divi Resorts' guests can rebook travel within
one year from the original date without additional fees.
• Dollar Rent A Car will institute a one-way
rental policy, where vehicles can be returned to any of its U.S.
locations without additional intercity fees or drop-off charges, if
the U.S. government suspends air travel. Rates in effect when the
rental began will continue through any extended rental period, the
company said.
• Elite Islands Resorts' eight Caribbean
properties permit penalty-free rebookings by May 31 for travel
through Dec. 31.
• Expedia will waive cancellation penalties and
change fees for hotel, rental car and destination-attraction
purchases, if travel is scheduled within 60 days of either the
start of war or a code-red status. Customers can get full refunds
on these purchases if they call within 14 days. For cruise and
airline purchases, Expedia said it will adhere to suppliers'
cancellation policies.
• First European Cruises said passengers can
cancel for any reason up to 72 hours prior to departure and receive
a cruise credit valid for up to one year. To qualify for the new
cancellation policy, which is offered without extra charge, cruises
must be booked by April 30.
• Gogo Worldwide Vacations will waive all
change and cancellation fees on bookings scheduled for travel
within 90 days of military action or a code-red alert. Travel must
be completed by Dec. 31.
• Grace Bay Club, Turks and Caicos will apply
guests' deposits toward a future stay if taken within 18 months. If
a guest does not wish to take the credit, a cancellation fee will
be imposed.
• Intrav, which comprises tour operator INTRAV
and Clipper Cruise Line, added a cancel-for-any-reason protection
waiver that can be purchased in conjunction with the company's
existing travel insurance. The policy covers travel through either
brand between April 1 and Dec. 31. The purchase price varies
depending on length and type of trip.
• Islands Destinations' Peace of Mind
cancellation and trip protection plan guarantees agent commissions
even when clients cancel. Travelers can cancel or change travel
plans at any time prior to scheduled flight departure without
penalty.
• The Jamaica Inn in Ocho Rios said clients
holding prepaid or deposited reservations can rebook up to a year
from the date of the outbreak of war. If air travel between the
U.S. and Jamaica is suspended, as was the case after 9/11, the
resort will offer up to three nights' accommodations to stranded
guests.
• Jolly Beach Resort, Antigua, will not
penalize customers who postpone or cancel and rebook within one
year.
• LaSource, Grenada and sister property The
Body Holiday at LeSport, St. Lucia offer penalty-free changes for
bookings through April 15 for travel through the following
year.
• MLT Vacations, operator of Northwest Airlines
WorldVacations and Worry-Free Vacations, will allow a one-time
change for customers who have booked a vacation scheduled during
the first 60 days after war begins. Three re-booking options are
offered. Customers can rebook for a later date with no fee. They
can receive a credit voucher redeemable in future travel. Or they
can cancel for a fee under MLT's normal cancellation policy with a
fee. Canceled bookings must be rebooked by Dec. 15 to qualify for
credit.
• Mexicana Airlines will waive change penalties
for travel during the Iraqi conflict for international travel from
the U.S. and Canada to Mexico, Central and South America and for
domestic travel within Mexico. Travel will be permitted to Dec.
14.
• Ocean Club Resorts, Turks and Caicos, will
credit any advance payment and deposit to a future booking within
24 months.
• Oceania Cruises rolled out Sea of Assurance,
which allows guests on cruises through Oct. 31 to cancel up to 24
hours before departure and receive a cruise credit good for any
sailing within 36 months. The program is available as an upgrade to
its standard protection program and costs an additional $149 per
guest.
• Orbitz gives customers 14 days from the start
of military conflict or a code-red security alert to change or
cancel bookings for travel beginning within 60 days.
• The Pink Beach Club & Cottages in
Tucker's Town, Bermuda, said guests can cancel their trip at any
time before traveling and receive a full refund, or postpone their
trip for up to one year. The hotel also said that guests who must
stay at the resort in the event of flight cancellations due to war
will be offered a 50% discount on additional nights.
• Pleasant Holidays will allow customers to
cancel in the event of war up to four days before departure for a
full travel credit minus air carrier fees or penalties or
non-recoverable vendor costs. The credit must be used by Dec. 15.
Those who buy the Pleasant Protection Plan can cancel at any time
for a full refund.
• Princess Cruises' Princess Travel Care
insurance, which enables passengers to cancel for any reason and
receive 75% of the booked fare as a future cruise credit, will be
offered without charge on the Golden Princess' Mediterranean
sailings.
• Qantas passengers ticketed between March 7
and March 31 in North America can make a one-time change to their
travel plans without paying the standard change fee. Tickets must
be changed by May 31 and used by Dec. 31.
• Radisson Aruba Resort & Casino allows
guests to reschedule their stay for up to one year without
penalty.
• Radisson Seven Seas Cruises said the line
will refund the penalty portion of any canceled Europe cruise as a
cruise credit, which will be valid for one year, less a $200
administrative fee.
• ResidenSea will give customers on voyages of
the World through July 2004 the option to cancel and receive a
cruise credit for the balance of their current penalty period.
Voyages must be cancelled before Jan. 1, 2004.
• Rocky Mountaineer Railtours is allowing
customers to change departure dates at no charge if they make the
change at least seven days before departure and rebook at the time
they cancel the previous reservations. Tours can be re-booked until
April 30, 2004. If the cost of the later departure is higher, the
customer must pay the difference.
• Round Hill, Montego Bay, Jamaica, will offer
a postponement option to guests or full refunds of deposits.
• Royal Caribbean International and
Celebrity Cruises amended their cancellation
policies for Mediterranean sailings: Guests who cancel their cruise
prior to May 1 will receive a cruise credit equal to 90% of the
cancellation fee.
• Royal Olympia Cruises said passengers on 2003
cruises between March and November can cancel their reservation up
to 24 hours prior to sailing and receive a full credit toward
another ROC cruise taken within one year.
• Sand Dollar Condominium Resort, Bonaire
offers a full refund without penalty for reservations canceled more
than 30 days in advance of arrival date. Less than 30 days, guests
can rebook within 60 days of cancellation for an arrival date
within one year of original date.
• Sandals Resorts International Assurance
Program gives customers the option of rescheduling their vacations
to travel within a year of the original booking date.
• Singapore Airlines passengers ticketed in
North America for departures through May 31 can make a one-time
change to postpone travel without penalty. Travel must be completed
by Nov. 30
• Six Continents Hotels will waive all
cancellation and change penalties across all of its brands in the
U.S., Canada and Mexico for customers who cancel or change a hotel
stay before midnight on March 26. The policy covers reservations
for stays with an arrival date no later than April 3. Guests must
call the hotel to cancel or change their dates. Still in place is a
previous waiver of cancellation and attrition fees for meetings
booked between Feb. 1 and April 30 and scheduled through Dec.
31.
• Star Clippers introduced a "Sail Assured
Program" cancellation policy: Passengers who book -- or have booked
-- a Mediterranean cruise on one of the line's three ships sailing
between May 17 and September 27 can cancel up to 72 hours prior to
departure and receive a cruise credit. Passengers do not need to
purchase the cancellation policy, but a $100 per person
administration fee will be applied to the credit if it is issued,
Star Clippers said.
• St. Lucia Tourist Board is developing a
national postponement policy in conjunction with island hoteliers
that will guarantee visitors penalty-free future travel when travel
plans change due to war.
• SuperClubs' cancellation policy allows
travelers to postpone their vacation plans up to 12 months without
penalty.
• Travel Bound, a tour operator division of
Gulliver Travel Associates North America, said effective
immediately travelers who provide 48 hours' notice will receive no
penalties for FIT hotel date changes and full refunds for FIT hotel
cancellations.
• Tourcrafters is offering a new "expanded
reasons" insurance policy that allows customers to cancel and
reschedule within one year for war, terrorism anywhere in the
world, government imposed travel limits, loss of employment,
military deployment or natural disaster.
• The Turks and Caicos Hotel and Tourism
Association is working with its members on a postponement
policy.
• US Airways Vacations' Peace of Mind plan
permits no-fee changes for travel originating through June 17;
changes must be made by April 2. Travel within the U.S. or between
the U.S. and Canada must be rescheduled to start by June 17. Travel
to Europe, the Caribbean and Mexico must be rescheduled to begin on
or before Dec. 15.
• Many U.S. Virgin Islands' hotels offer
no-penalty cancellation policies, including Chenay Bay Beach
Resort, Club Caravelle, Club Comanche, Cormorant Beach Club and
Hotel, innparadise, Sugar Beach Condo Resort, St. Croix; Gallows
Pint Resort, Inn at Tamarind Court, St. John Properties, Vacation
Vistas, St. John; Galleon House Hotel, Danish Chalet Inn, Sapphire
Beach Resort & Marina, Secret Harbor Beach Resort, St.
Thomas.
• Virgin Atlantic waives cancellation and
change fees for transatlantic and U.K.-Asia passengers ticketed by
March 25, if they rebook by May 31. All travel on the revised
itinerary must be completed by Dec. 31.
• Viva Resorts will issue a full refund for
reservations cancelled less than seven days prior to the original
travel date or issue a credit valid for one year. If clients are
stranded at a Viva property because of disruptions in air service,
a 50% discount off rack rates is available.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
• The American Lodging Association's Homeland Security
Information: www.ahla.com/terror_statement.asp
• ARTA Online's Know the War Rules: http://www.artaonline.com/theissueis.cfm?ai=71
• ASTA's Travel Insurance: War, Terrorism and Itinerary Changes: www.astanet.com/members/center/sales_insurance2.asp
• Caribbean Tourism Organization's Postponement Assurance Program
www.onecaribbean.org/information/categorybrowse.php?categoryid=368
• Cruise Lines International Association's Travel Agent Center: www.cruising.org/TravelAgents/index.cfm
• National Business Travel Association's Homeland Security Resource
Page www.nbta.org/hsr/homeland_security.htm
• The National Tour Association's Crisis Planning INformation: www.ntaonline.com/0,5978,1_0_12532,00.html
• The Travel Industry Association's information clearinghouse: www.tia.org/Press/iraqResource03.asp