Look ahead to a time when this crisis is over and you can embark again on safe, secure and enjoyable travel!
Now travellers are free to dream!
Dear friends and clients,
Just a short while ago you had travel plans and we had secure bookings.
Now everyone is wondering what to do.
Here is our perspective.
We are fielding everyone's questions but don't have all the answers! Yesterday's answer may not be true today as cruise lines, airlines and tour operators are changing their policies and their offers as the Covid-19 situation develops.
All travel operators hold reserves of deposits and prepayments and in the case of airlines and cruise lines this runs into the millions.
Those businesses have high fixed costs which continue.
Arranging travel is complex and costly with forward payments to be made to transport and ground operators to secure the reservations confirmed.
In the past when business was coming in there were funds to meet refund requests. But refunding all forward bookings would send even the biggest companies to the wall.
The refund process is now agonisingly slow on all fronts - but we continue to apply where requested.
The entire tourism industry is in a fragile state - as are restaurants, clubs, pubs, guides, drivers, coach companies, B&Bs and hotels, entertainers, etc etc... it is a huge list!
The economic effects of these days have been compared to the Great Depression of the 1930's when thousands of banks failed under the pressure of cash demands from depositors.
So the credit offers we are relaying are generous precisely to entice travellers to make forward plans and to enable the travel industry to survive.
Dream of travel, remember the wonderful sights, the friendships formed and anticipate the new experiences of our beautiful world and move your plans a little further ahead.
Travel insurance may not cover all losses but we urge everyone not to rely on phone advice but to make a claim with their insurer - the industry has stated that all cases would be considered individually.
Similarly the public statements by travel companies that travellers will receive full refunds does not reflect the reality of what is happening where legitimate fees and prepayments have been made to intermediaries and will not be recovered.
Now, when the lives and livelihoods, hopes and plans of millions of Australians and people in every country on Earth are disrupted, we are looking ahead to the time when this crisis will end and we can continue working with you on safe, well-connected and enjoyable travel.
