What To Expect During Uncertain Times
COVID-19 has certainly turned our world upside down there is no way around it. I have been secretly (well maybe not so secretly) waiting for Ben Affleck (my Batman crush) or Gal Gadot (my girl crush Superwoman) to spring up and save the day.
Travel has been temporarily placed on hold. And the word temporarily is very important because like everything in life nothing lasts forever so this too will change. I know that to be true.
In the meantime, I know travelers have many questions and concerns. Rest assured we are here to address them at least as best as we can based on the knowledge that is available today.
While I cannot cover in one newsletter every question which we have answered in the past few weeks, I will try to touch upon a few of the more urgent and common questions our clients have asked.
Can we take the trip we planned?
This all depends on when your trip is scheduled to depart. Seems like every day we are getting updates on hotels and cruise lines postponing their re-opening and sail dates so this situation is still very fluid and changing on a daily basis.
For certain, travel through May has been disrupted and we have been in communication with those of you that have been impacted to make all the necessary changes. In general, we are finding most travelers are postponing their trips rather than cancelling.
Are the airlines cancelling flights? Are they offering refunds or future travel credits?
This does vary from one airline to the next and in general many flights through May have been cancelled though not all. In the past, the general rule of thumb was that when an airline cancelled a flight they refunded the traveler. But during this situation we have come across some airlines changing the rules along the way so that sometimes they are extending future travel credits rather than full refunds.
Our valued clients, you can rest assured that we are acting as your advocate and securing for you the best options available by keeping an eye on airline flight cancellations in order for you to take full advantage of refunds or travel credits which you may be eligible for.
Whenever the airline has extended refunds we have processed them and in some instances our industry relationships have been able to secure better terms than the general consumer has available to them.
Is my hotel or cruise booking refundable or changeable?
For our cruising clients booked to travel in the next couple of months, most cruise lines have been extending generous options to rebook for a later date or to refund cancelled cruises.
As far as hotel and travel supplier terms, this will vary. But we are here to advise you of your options and we are handling all necessary changes swiftly and seamlessly for you.
And always, we are acting with your best interests in mind. So again, we are here to be your advocate and take the stress out of this unprecedented situation.
What will be the financial future of airlines, hotels and cruise lines? Should we be worried that they will go bankrupt because of COVID-19?
Now more than ever I wish I had a crystal ball to pull out of my desk drawer. The honest answer is that no one can predict the future. But during this process I have been in communication with many of our travel partners ranging from hoteliers to travel suppliers. They have been taking the necessary steps to conservatively scale back where necessary in order to assure a strong future.
In NO situation has this resulted in sacrificing the excellent service we always strive to provide our clients. Suntastic is proud to say that our trusted travel partners have been here for YOU and ME every step of the way. And that is one of the many benefits of working with an agency such as Suntastic Honeymoons and Vacations.
During good times and bad, you are not alone when you book travel with us. We have been in business for over 15 years and will be here after this passes. And this will pass.
When can we travel? What are the airlines, hotels and cruise lines going to do to make us feel safe traveling again?
Tourism is the largest industry in the world so you can bet that everyone is working on a plan for this. I am starting to hear different ideas including how airlines may provide some passenger distancing during flights and hotels will be implementing extra precautions to assure proper hygiene. Protocols will be set in place throughout the industry once a plan is set and the largest industry in the world will thrive.
So for now, take time to be kind to yourselves and each other and continue to dream of those faraway places we will take you to after the skies clear.
For inspiration we encourage you to visit our TRAVEL BLOG to see where you may go to next or learn a little more about the destination you are already booked to travel to in the near future.
Lastly but certainly not least, I want to thank ALL of the essential workers whether you are re-stocking our groceries shelves or working in a hospital, YOU are my real life SUPERHEROES. YOU are the ones that will save the day.
God Bless, stay well, stay safe and keeping dreaming of travel.
As always, we are happy to serve your travel needs!
