are people booking for 2021 (FCO advice)

[Leelsisy]

Sorry, no doubt this has been asked before, but are people paying deposits for 2021, in spite of current FCO guidance?
I'm 60 next year (July) and am desperate to celebrate it in the US, but don't know if I should hand over any money just yet! Your views very welcome, thanks

[Stokieuk]

We have moved this years Virgin to next year but yes we have also since covid booked BA hol for Feb too. The BA one is £350 deposit which luckily I am OK to lose if it came to it.

Far from convinced it will go ahead especially as they haven't even yet opened the border with Canada.

[Shooby doo]

Booked & paid in full for May, personally I think you will be "surprised" how quickly things open up after the US election, both sides currently in it for themselves at the minute- If DT was to say that the Earth was round the Dems would try to convince you that it's Flat- I kid you not!
SD

[Guest]

I hope to book flights with BA for August 2021, but they will be fully refundable other than an admin fee. Beyond that I don't think I'll make any other financial commitment, perhaps with the exception of a villa deposit to ensure we book a place which meets our needs. At the most that will be a couple of hundred quid which is at risk, and I'm happy to live with that.

We should have been in Orlando now, so we have 14-day Universal and Disney tickets which have had their expiry extended to 2021, but I might try to get a refund of these just in case next summer's travel options are still as disrupted as this summer's. If we did decide to go ahead with our holiday next year we will re-purchase those 14-day tickets, and the slight increase in price from what we paid for this year's tickets will be neither here nor there.

So, plan to go, but minimise financial commitment until it is much clearer what the situation might be next summer.

[Guest]

We have booked May - June 2021

BA book with confidence meant a £400 deposit (we got back from a cancelled DLP holiday this October) and nothing to pay until 3 weeks out.

The book with confidence scheme means you can change the holiday dates without incurring a charge but likely to have to pay the difference if your new chosen dates are more expensive.

Booked all tickets through Attraction Tickets with flex+ meaning we could cancel the day before and get our full money back (except for the flex+ cost which was approx. £10.00 per ticket)

Heathrow Parking is full refund if cancelled 2 hours before departure time

Holiday Inn at T5 is booked with no obligation to pay until checking in and free cancellation.

The big question people need to ask is can they afford the deposits and are they willing to gamble it if it goes completely wrong.

I am excited about going, but imagining it more as a dream come true scenario, I don't actually expect to be going as sad as it feels.

[macadoo]

For those who’ve already booked, what are you doing about insurance?

[teachx]

I am booked with Disney for Sept 2021 and although my paid for DDP has been cancelled, have kept the booking. If it is I decide to move it Disney have indicated that I could do that for no admin charge so nothing lost, as deposit would be transferred to the new booking

[Leelsisy]

Thanks to all who have replied. It's a difficult balancing act and I fully take on board to only risk money that I can afford to lose if the worst comes to the worst. Sad days!

[Guest]

I am insured with Philip Williams annually as I get a really good deal through work.

I will be fully covered if FCO advice to not travel to USA is removed

We will not be covered for on going COVID complications but for emergency medical expenses if we contracted COVID while away.

I don't expect them to cover changes of dates but that is why I've chosen BA book with confidence. I spent an hour waiting to get through to them on the phone to edit something but the operator was so helpful he instilled enough confidence in me to continue with the booking.

I'm also using credit cards to book as much as I can including the holiday and park tickets.

I posted recently that some insurers stipulate to not go against FCRO AND WHO travel advice, please, please, please, make sure you read what is covering you. the WHO don't publish 'travel advice' so it's a really easy cop out if you need to claim.

Even some offering 'COVID cover' are definitely not insuring it going against FCO advice, unfortunately people see the flashing lights and attractive title of 'COVID COVER' and are blindly buying policies that are averaging £200+

[sha9]

We have a Disney hotel booked with the deposit we moved from this year so I consider it money already spent and it won’t be the end of the world if we lose it. I also have the Dolphin booked just in case of no Disney offers on a low deposit/free cancellation basis. That’s about as much as I’m willing to do just now until things are clearer. Our flights will be available to book in November so hopefully we’ll have a better idea then but either way they’re miles flights so I can still cancel if necessary.