Fears over serious breakdown in travel protection

Which? is warning the Government not to use the coronavirus crisis as an ‘excuse to undermine consumer protections’. The consumer group said it has been inundated with messages and requests for help from people who face losing large sums, with some airlines and package travel providers refusing to meet their legal obligations to issue refunds for cancelled flights and holidays.

It says many customers are unhappy that they’ve been offers vouchers instead of refunds, while others have ‘fallen foul of little-known exclusions in insurance policies – meaning they were not covered for cancelling an upcoming trip, even after the FCO advised against travel to their destination’.

Rory Boland, Which? Travel Editor, said: “It’s vital that the government, insurers and the travel sector work together to tackle the huge challenge posed by coronavirus, as the travel industry depends on people having confidence that they will be protected in times of crisis.”

MMP