Tips for booking a holiday in 2021

13 Jan

Author: Brad Frankel: travel addict, food lover and conservationist
Read time: 5 minutes

Flooglebinder curate educational adventures to create change for people and planet, which includes audits, workshops and residentials. As a BCorp organisation we use business as a force for good, meet the highest standards of verified performance, accountability and transparency, whilst tracking and monitoring our social and environmental impact.

Brad & Ian in Malaysia.jpg — **What does booking travel look like for 2021? Is now a good time to book a holiday? Here are some tips for booking a holiday in 2021 and travel advice to ensure you’re safe and covered financially.**

This time last year we were getting ready for our trip to Malaysia to help a tribe build a chocolate factory to rejuvenate their cacao economy, which was severely impacted by the rise of tin, rubber and palm oil over the last 50 years. We were also building animal hides to monitor and protect a very important tiger migration corridor.

COVID was just kicking off and our families were a little concerned as there were 25 cases in Malaysia and only 20 in the UK - crazy what can happen in the space of 12 months. So here are some tips for booking a holiday in 2021 and ensuring that you have something to look forward to in the next 12 months.

Whilst we enter lockdown 3.0 there is hope as we have a vaccine in circulation and new year ahead. So, as always we’re hopeful, positive and optimistic that good things are on the horizon and travel will resume soon enough.

Therefore, now could be a great time to start planning and we want to give you some advice and tips for booking a holiday in 2021.

“We all travel differently, some like to plan everything out (me) and others like to do it all at the last minute (Ian et al.). Either way maybe now might be the time to consider a guided tour? We can ensure that your booking is safe and secure with the highest levels of COVID regulations implemented. We won’t take away the adventure or edge off travelling freely, we’ll just ensure you can enjoy the trip as we’ll take care of the rest.”

If you don’t have the time right now to read the full article below, here’s a little summary and a few key points.

Travel looks a lot more certain now than it did in 2020 as travel operators and insurance companies are prepared, if they weren’t before...and we weren’t. But we chose to go outside of our T&Cs to help our consumers, not all companies did the same. Check out our new T&C’s and FAQ’s, which includes what happens if your travel is impacted by COVID-19.

SPOILER ALERT: With us you’re completely covered!

“So yes, it can be safe to book a holiday right now, if you choose the right destination, the right company, the right airline and have the right travel insurance in place.”

Because of this we decided to launch our first bespoke family trips and adult solo adventures. They’re similar to our current student trips to Sri Lanka and South Africa but less conservation work, better accommodation and more free time to chill and relax at the end.

Here are our top tips on booking a holiday in 2021 during COVID:

Use a credit card as extra travel insurance is usually provided. Some banks also have similar cover

Ensure the tour operator is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority or have the correct licences and bonds in place to cover your package holiday. Ie. Travel Vault or ATOL

Don’t book with a budget airline, they are less flexible and have poor customer service

Ensure you have the right travel insurance in place

Don’t travel if the FCO advises against all but essential travel
Ensure the country you’re travelling to isn;t on the red list
Check the COVID travel certificate policy and ensure (if needed) that you can get a test before you return to the UK within 72 hours

Read their T&Cs.

Speak to them - if you don’t know who you’re spending your money with how can you trust them. Have a conversation with a human being and ensure that all of your questions and queries are answered so that you can relax, get excited and enjoy it...as you should.

FULL ARTICLE CONT...

At the moment travel has practically stopped as the FCO (Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office) advises against all but essential travel and restrictions and quarantine make it almost impossible for us to venture to the places we love, dream of and plan to get lost in.

As travel experts, who have worked in the education space for many years, which requires more signatures than launching a nuclear missile (true story - I’ll let Ian explain another time), we wanted to help you plan your travel for 2021, so you can feel safe, secure and hopeful.

Am I covered against postponement and/or cancellation?

This has become a very grey area and airlines have usually been the tricky part of the puzzle. There are many variances to consider, as to how you booked your trip: direct with an airline, through a booking agent, a flight and hotel deal, or a full package holiday.

“If booked separately you may find yourself covered for only parts of your holiday. So best to book a package.”

What is a package holiday?

This is a combination of at least two of the following and sold at a single price:

transport (not including airport transfers),
accommodation,
car rental, and,
tourist services, i.e. a guide, you can find out more here on the ABTA website.

Don’t forget… this is new territory!

Very few, if anyone, was prepared for this. Tour operators weren’t covered and travel insurance policies were exposed. Many passengers saw the true colours of how some companies operate and an insight into their values and ethics. They held off as long as possible to communicate, let alone offer credits or refunds. In some cases, accommodations gave refunds but airlines were still operating and if you chose not to board your flight that was your decision. Despite the country not letting you in - crazy I know.

“I personally had this situation and the customer service agent from EasyJet informed me that I should still get on the flight, even though the country I was flying to wouldn’t let me in. Worrying advice from one of the biggest airlines in Europe and one of the many reasons why we recommend not to book with a budget airline.”

Check Terms and Conditions

An obvious one I know but check thoroughly and also contact them to confirm as they do their best to confuse you with legal jargon. We went outside of our T&Cs in all circumstances to favour our consumers but (without blowing our own trumpet) that’s due to who we are as people and a business and why we’re a BCorp.

Have the right insurance

Again, there are many factors to consider but firstly note that you will not be covered by your travel insurance if the FCO warns against all travel or all but essential travel to your holiday destination before you get there.

When purchasing your travel insurance