Global Courant
image source, Reuters
The Greek island of Rhodes has been ravaged by wildfires, leading some holidaymakers to abandon their belongings and move into makeshift shelters.
Airlines and holiday companies are doing everything they can to bring some of those affected home, while some flights to the island from the UK have been cancelled.
Up to 10,000 British tourists are there, with many more booked in the coming weeks. So what are their rights?
Can I still travel to Rhodes?
A number of airlines are continuing flights as usual, but some have canceled flights or package holidays scheduled for the next few days.
Crucially, official advice from the British Foreign Office no longer advises against traveling to Rhodes. Instead, it advises people to follow the guidelines of the Greek emergency services. Anyone planning to travel should check with their operator, airline or hotel first.
That accompaniment can change, so people need to keep checking wherever they want to travel.
What about Corfu?
About 2,400 visitors and local residents have been evacuated from Corfu and there are also bushfires on Evia.
Greek officials say the fires in Corfu are under control and are urging travelers to continue with their holiday plans.
Travelers should still check that their flights and accommodation are not affected.
Does travel insurance cover wildfires?
It is unlikely that there will be a specific clause – which is why advice from the State Department is so crucial.
If there were official advice not to travel, claims would usually become valid. At the moment that is not the case.
James Daley, founder of consumer group Fairer Finance, says better quality travel insurance covers the cost of flying people home or moving people to another accommodation if a holiday is hit by wildfires – although this is often only possible if customers buy an add-on to cover natural disasters.
Many of these also cover the cost of cancellation, if airlines or accommodation providers don’t pay.
So for now it depends on your specific policy. For some people who have given up certain medical conditions, or who have become ill as a result of the wildfires, there may be limited opportunities to file a claim.
Which airlines specifically canceled flights?
Different companies currently have different policies and varying degrees of rebooking flexibility:
Jet2 has canceled all flights and holidays departing for Rhodes for the next seven days, but planes with no customers on board will be flown there to bring people back Tui has canceled all its flights to the island through Friday, July 28. It has also canceled all outbound flights to affected hotels through Sunday, July 30. All customers get their money back. Customers currently in Rhodes can return on their scheduled flights or repatriation flights. Passengers traveling to areas not affected by fires on Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 July will be able to change their travel dates or get a refund. Easyjet has canceled packages until Saturday 29 July and is contacting customers traveling to the affected resorts through 10 August “to discuss their options”. It operates flights as normal, but allows customers to change their travel dates, and sends repatriation flights. It added that some customers who had booked to travel to other parts on Monday and Tuesday were contacted with the option to cancel and be refunded if they wished. British Airways said flights to Rhodes and Corfu are operating as normal, but customers who need to return early can change their flight for free, and those who don’t want to travel there from the UK within the next week can postpone their flight
Why do companies organize flights but cancel holidays?
There is no advice from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to travel to Rhodes or Corfu, so there is nothing stopping airlines from selling single flights, nor needing to cancel flights already scheduled.
However, package holidays are more complex. Accommodations may be affected by fire and the duty of care takes longer, so that operators may decide to cancel.
Will I get my money back if I come home early?
Someone who has traveled on a package holiday and is forced to return home earlier can receive a partial refund.
media caption,
Vacationers describe “terrifying” wildfires
However, if you were booked for two weeks and came back after a week, that doesn’t mean you get half your money back, because you would still have traveled on a return flight, for example.
It is best to keep close contact with your holiday party whenever possible.
If you traveled independently, the cost of accommodation depends on the individual hotel.
I just want to go home, what are my rights?
Anyone who shortens his holiday because it is not a pleasant experience or is afraid of being stuck, according to travel expert Simon Calder, is probably not entitled to a refund.
That’s because it’s their choice, rather than necessity. Not the entire island is at risk from the fires.
Can I cancel my upcoming vacation?
Not all of the island has been affected by the fires, so it’s a mixed picture. Some holidays are cancelled, while individual flights may still be departing.
If you have a package, there is a chance that your entire holiday will not take place. If so, there would be a full refund or the chance to rebook elsewhere.
If you just don’t want to go then it depends more on your specific travel company – there is no automatic right to a refund, according to the Association of British Travel Agents.
Anyone who has booked flights and accommodation separately will be refunded the flight portion if they are cancelled, but will need to contact their hotel for other components.
Again, refunds if you choose not to travel is a decision for specific airlines and hotels.
What are the wider implications of heat waves for holidays?
If people don’t want to travel because of the heat, many of the same cancellation rules apply.
We have an explanation of those issues here.
