The quickly spreading Zika virus has everyone a little worried- and rightfully so. With that being said, 80% of people living in The Americas may contract the virus and never know they had it, only 20% show symptoms such as a rash or fever. The problem with the virus is that it is suspected to be directly correlated with a birth defect in newborn babies called microcephaly. The CDC has issued a warning for all pregnant women to cancel their vacation plans to the affected areas to prevent their exposure to harmful mosquitos that may be carrying the virus.
However, cancelling travel plans last minute may result in a loss of your travel costs, even with travel warnings in place many airlines and hotels are not offering refunds. Here are our top tips on how to get back up to 75% of your travel budget if you have decided to cancel your travel plans due to the Zika virus.
Since your travel Agent has special relationships with the hotels and their management, it is likely they will be able to get you the best possible refund on a reservation cancellation. However, many hotels only offer refunds on a case-by-case basis. If you’re not pregnant or trying to get pregnant and you’re canceling your trip, it will be much more difficult to get a refund. The Travel Industry does realize the panic associated with this quickly spreading virus and often will do their best to help you rearrange your stay.
Most Domestic Airline carriers are offering provisional refunds on flights to Zika-affected areas. American Airlines is offering free cancellations to certain places on the CDC watch-list and Delta has a cutoff of February 29 for fee-free itinerary changes. However these are just limited options to the many people around the world traveling, which is why it is best to call the airline directly to solve the problem. More likely you will be able to appeal to their humanity and reservations agents will pull special strings.
Did you purchase travel insurance before your trip but are unsure if your claim will cover the cancellation costs? If you have a “cancellation for any reason” clause, you are in serious luck. If you do not have this luxury, call your travel insurance company (talk to someone directly) and ask if a change of heart is a reasonable excuse for cancellation. If there’s a direct government warning against traveling to that country that also counts as a viable excuse.
