We’re here to help. If you have future travel arrangements booked with us and it's likely those arrangements will need to be amended or cancelled, we're here to assist in discussing your options.
Before you contact us, please read our FAQs below. These may help you understand current policies and options provided by various travel operators.
If you are due to travel within the next two months, please contact us now. If you are due to travel after this time, we advise you to hold off until nearer your travel date. That way, when you do get in touch, we’ll have the very latest information and advice for you.
We would also ask you to email us first, as this will allow us to assess the best course of action on your behalf and prioritise your request.
You can view specific policy information for many travel suppliers from our travel supplier list below. If there is no policy yet, check again nearer to your date of travel.
Our cruise line partners have introduced a number of new policies that allow flexibility should you wish to cancel or postpone your cruise holiday. Some policies protect previously booked sailings and also provide comfort and flexibility for those who are considering when to book their next cruise. See a summary of these policies here.
As Australia reopens, it’s no surprise Aussies are eager to explore their own backyard. Thanks to the tourism industry’s focus on safety, you can make travel plans with confidence. See the Tourism Australia COVID Safe Travel Guide to find out how you can enjoy your holiday safely.
Thank you for your patience and support during this time.
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A message from the
MANAGING DIRECTOR
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As you know the travel industry worldwide is facing an unprecedented set of circumstances resulting in mass disruption and cancellation of services.
I would like to personally assure you we as a company and your travel advisor individually are committed to providing you with the highest level of service we possibly can during this time.
We appreciate your patience as we work on a case by case basis to assist our many clients, with our priority to help those who were booked to travel in the near future, and working back from there.
If you are expecting a refund we will process these as normal and as quickly as possible. However, due to the backlog of transactions travel suppliers and operators are taking longer than normal to issue refunds to our office and in some cases it may take 3 months or more. We acknowledge the inconvenience and concern this causes but unfortunately there are tens of thousands of bookings effected and the task of processing amendments and cancellations is a laborious one.
We truly appreciate your patience during this time as our industry faces the biggest challenge in its history and assure you once again we are here to help and will continue to do so into the future.
Yours sincerely,
Les Farrar
Managing Director
Your Travel & Cruise Pty Ltd
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FAQs
1
I have an upcoming trip booked and I don’t want to travel. Should I cancel now?
The short answer is No. If you instigate a cancellation then in most cases you will be liable for cancellation fees as per the terms and conditions of the individual travel suppliers concerned.
If however the supplier is forced to cancel their operations you will be in a better position to receive a refund, credit voucher or offer to amend your travel date.
If you are due to travel within the next two months, please contact us now. If you are due to travel after this time, we advise you to hold off until nearer your travel date.
2
What happens if I have a booking that has been cancelled by the travel operator?
Each operator has their own terms and conditions in relation to cancelled services. Most are providing future travel vouchers in lieu of cash refunds, and this is allowable under Australian consumer law. Some cruise lines are providing cash refunds if preferred. You may also rebook to alternative dates if available. We urge you to contact us as soon as possible so we can explain and discuss the options available to you.
3
If a travel supplier is only offering a future travel credit, do I have to accept that or can I get my money back?
If your travel arrangements are cancelled, under ACCC guidelines in response to COVID-19, you are entitled to “receive a refund or other remedy, such as a credit note or voucher” from the travel supplier or travel agent.
For more information visit the ACCC website »
4
How long will it take to receive my voucher or refund?
Due to the current circumstances, processing times have been extended and most suppliers have advised refunds may now take a minimum of 12 weeks to be processed and paid to us, and possibly longer.
Please note, we can only issue refunds to you once we have received them from any supplier/s. We will notify you as soon as your refund has been received.
Vouchers are generally being issued within a few weeks, but this may be longer and in most cases are purely electronic. The credit amount will be held directly with the end supplier against your original booking number. Your travel advisor will advise details including any expiry date.
If you would like more information about refund delays, please refer to the Australian Federation of Travel Agents (AFTA) refund fact sheet »
5
Do you charge cancellation/administration fees?
We will generally charge an administration fee to process a refund for cancelled arrangements, typically a minimum of $100 per person subject to our standard terms and conditions. This fee is charged to cover the costs associated with making the original booking, following up with the travel operators and arranging a cash refund to you, less any operator fees if applicable.
If you accept a future travel voucher then there may be no fees involved, subject to the terms and conditions of the individual supplier.
Under consumer law, travel agents are entitled to charge a reasonable fee for these services and our fees are some of the lowest in the industry.
If you would like to view our full list of terms and conditions, you can do so on our website at Terms & Conditions »
If you would like to read more about cancellation and administration fees applied by travel agents and operators, please refer to the consumer advocate site CHOICE » and the Australian Federation of Travel Agents (AFTA) refund fact sheet »
6
Can I make a claim through my Travel Insurance for any fees or charges I have incurred?
Any fees you are charged, or any other loss you may have experienced, should be pursued under your travel insurance. Even if you have been denied a claim, you can escalate the matter as a complaint to the insurer. If this fails, a complaint can also be lodged with the Australian Financial Complaint Authority (AFCA). As the Insurance Council of Australia has declared the pandemic a ‘catastrophe’ a special team has been set up by AFCA to review insurance policies with a lens of ‘fairness’. To find out more, please visit the AFCA website »
7
I have heard that some travel agents and suppliers are in financial trouble. Is that true?
We understand your concern at this time, but to date there has been no significant collapse of any travel industry business. Virgin Australia did enter voluntary administration but has now been sold and remains in operation.
Our parent company Your Travel & Cruise Pty Ltd is in a strong financial position and together we will continue to service your current and future travel needs. We are processing refunds in a timely manner and will continue to do so. None of our head office staff have been stood down and whilst they are working from home at the moment, remain contactable at any time.
We only partner with established, reputable and profitable companies, and we have no reason to believe they will not emerge from this period ready and willing to restart operations as soon as possible.
For more information, please see our summary of the financial muscle of airlines & cruise lines below.
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THE FINANCIAL MUSCLE OF AIRLINES AND CRUISE LINES
Airlines & Cruise Lines strengthen their balance sheets
Given the uncertainty around when worldwide travel will be able to resume in earnest, it’s natural many will be tempted to question the ongoing viability of some of the biggest companies in the industry.
With this in mind we thought we’d provide a brief summary of their past performance, current actions and the support they’re receiving to ensure confidence in what is a vital sector of the overall health of the world economy.
Banks will want a piece of the pie
While the cruise industry may struggle mightily for the next few months, it's hard to imagine the coronavirus pandemic will lead to people never wanting to cruise again. These are very profitable companies that will eventually go back to making money. It seems likely therefore, that if needed, lenders will be more than willing to make the bet on the industry getting back to sea and once again generating the cash flows they have been for the better part of 50 years.
YOU CAN COUNT ON US
Bev Wills at Cruise Holidays is an Australian owned business providing a boutique travel service to our clients including flights, tours, cruises and hotels throughout the world. Bev Wills at Cruise Holidays operates under license to Your Travel & Cruise Pty Ltd, Members of Magellan, AFTA, ATAS & CLIA. The Magellan Travel group is a wholly owned subsidiary of Helloworld Travel Limited.
Your Travel and Cruise Pty Ltd has been in operation since 2003 and is a member of the AFTA Travel Accreditation Scheme (ATAS), an industry accreditation scheme that sets the benchmark of quality for the travel industry. ATAS accredited agents operate trusted, professional and ethical businesses and an ATAS accredited agent is a symbol of quality. Participants have committed to the ATAS Charter and code of conduct and been formally vetted against a selection criteria including business compliance, commercial safeguards, workforce development, dispute resolution and complaints handling processes. ATAS Accreditation # A10496.
