Dear customers,
The Coronavirus has major short term consequences for the travel industry and we understand that you may have questions about your upcoming travel. Below you will find answers to the most frequently asked general questions and as we strive to keep you informed we will update these as we get new information.
Are you looking for a specific subject? Then go directly to:
- Travel advice and entry restrictions
- Check flight status
- My flight is cancelled
- Refunds
- I want to change or cancel
- Refund on the ancillary products
- Contact and service
TRAVEL ADVICE AND ENTRY RESTRICTIONS
Q: What is the current travel advice and are there any entry restrictions?
A: Travel advice is country and region dependent and subject to change. For the latest updates we would like to refer you to the website of the government.
Q: What kind of measures are being taken by the national authorities?
A: Many countries have imposed entry restrictions. Additionally, some countries perform medical checks on arrival. These checks can be in the form of filling out a health certificate, a temperature measurement or quarantine measures. To read the latest entry requirements for the destination you are travelling to please visit the IATA website.
Q: What if my flight is still operating but I am no longer allowed to enter my destination?
A: Whether you may enter a country depends on individual circumstances (e.g. country of departure) and depends on where you've been prior to that destination Access to a destination is independent of whether or not a flight is being operated. The responsibility to find out whether a country allows you to enter lies with you as a traveler. Please ensure you check this beforehand using the official government website of the country for which you hold a passport. In certain circumstances you may also need to check the official website of the government of your destination as entry restrictions may also be placed on you based on your previous travel history and not just your nationality. To read the latest entry requirements for the destination you are travelling to please visit the IATA website.
CHECK FLIGHT STATUS
Q: How can I check the status of my flight?
A: The status of flights is currently changing very rapidly, so your flight status may not always be accurate and up to date in MyAccount on our website. You might receive a notification of your flight cancellation with a long delay. The most accurate and recent information about your flight can be found on the airline's website, where you can see your flight status and information if your flight has been cancelled due to the impact of COVID-19.
Q: My flight status is still OK, can I still travel?
A: Always check the latest travel advice and entry restrictions before traveling. Access to a destination is independent of whether a flight is being operated.
MY FLIGHT IS CANCELLED
Q: Has my flight been cancelled?
A: The status of flights is currently changing very rapidly, so your flight status may not always be accurate and up to date in MyAccount on our website. Please check the airline's website to see the most accurate and recent information about your flight and information if your flight has been cancelled.
Has your flight been cancelled? Then the process will be initiated by us. You do not need to take any action for this.
How does the process work?
- We receive a cancellation notice from the airline
- We check with the airline to see if you are eligible for a refund
- If applicable, we will request the refund amount for you
- You will receive an email from us regarding the status
- The airline pays the refund amount to us
- We will pay the refund amount to you
A different procedure applies to low-cost flights (such as EasyJet, Ryanair, Wizz Air or Transavia). When your flight is canceled, you will receive an email with the next steps.
REFUNDS
In the event of flight cancellation we always prefer a refund for our customers. As a travel agent, our role in the event of a canceled flight is to firstly request the money back from the airline for our customers. Customers can rest assured that we are committed to a prompt refund. Unfortunately, due to the impact of COVID-19, many airlines refund the canceled flight ticket with a delay. We hope for your patience in this situation.
Q: Why can it take a long time to get my refund?
There are two reasons for this; first, many airlines closed the automated repayment process shortly after the outbreak of the corona crisis. The repayment process many airlines are currently using now requires a lot of manual work. Secondly, it takes several weeks for the money to reach our account once the refund is processed by the airline, due to the complex payment and settlement system that is used within the travel world.
When we receive the refund from the airline, we do everything we can to get it to the customer as soon as possible. That is our priority. But the many refunds from the airlines involve a lot of work. These are large numbers that all have to be processed manually in our systems. We have employed extra staff to process the payments as quickly as possible.
Q: Why am I not seeing the refund in my account?
A: We always pay back to the same account you used to make your booking with us, using the same payment method. Did you pay for the booking in question with a credit card? Then the refund will also be refunded to your credit card. Therefore, you should also check the debits and credits of your credit card period.
I WANT TO CHANGE OR CANCEL
Q: My flight status is still OK, but what if I no longer want to travel? How can I CHANGE my trip?
A: Changing your trip may involve additional costs. Whether extra costs are required, depends on the conditions of your airline, your flight ticket conditions (check your flight ticket conditions in My Account on our website) and the new ticket price. We are obligated to follow the terms and conditions of the airlines.
- Please go to the website of your airline to see if you can change your flight online. If possible, please change your flight there.
- If there are no options to change on the airline's website, we kindly ask you to submit your change request to us. View our most recent contact options.
- This is different for Low-cost flights e.g. Ryanair, easyJet, Transavia, Vueling or Eurowings, please always go to the website of your airline to change your flight.
Q: My flight status is still OK, but what if I no longer want to travel? How can I CANCEL my trip?
A: It is always possible to cancel your trip, but whether you are entitled to a refund depends on your flight ticket conditions and/or on the cancellation policy of your airline. We are obligated to follow the terms and conditions of the airlines. We kindly request you to visit the website of your airline to check the cancellation policy, and check your flight ticket conditions in My Account on our website.
If you want to proceed with the cancellation, we kindly ask you to submit your cancellation request to us. View our most recent contact options. For Low-cost flights e.g. easyJet, Transavia, Vueling or Eurowings, please always go to the website of your airline to cancel your flight.
How does the process work?
- If applicable, we will request the refund amount for you
- You will receive an email from us regarding the status
- The airline pays the refund amount to us
- We will pay the refund amount to you
REFUND ON ANCILLARY PRODUCTS
Q: When can I expect the refund on the ancillary products?
A: Ancillary products (e.g. purchased luggage, seat selection, insurance, rental car or hotel night) may not be part of the refund amount you receive. Not all additional products are eligible for a refund. See below for more information.
In case you are eligible for a refund of an ancillary product, we will proceed with the refund request on your behalf. The handling of additional products, however, runs through a different system than that of airline tickets. Due to these different processes, we receive the amounts separately. If an ancillary product is refunded by the supplier after the refund of your flight ticket was processed, you will receive this amount at a later time than your flight ticket(s) refund.
Q: When can I expect the refund on purchased seats or luggage?
A: Unfortunately, not all seats and baggage purchased from all airlines are eligible for a refund. We are obliged to adhere to these conditions. If you are eligible for a refund in the case of an involuntary cancellation (when your flight was cancelled by the airline), we will request the refund amount with the airline. However, the handling is done via a different system than that of airline tickets. Unfortunately, we have no influence on this. Due to these different processes, we receive amounts separately and have to process them separately.
If purchased seats and luggage are refunded to us by the supplier after the refund of your flight ticket is processed, you will receive this amount after your flight ticket(s) refund. We kindly ask you to wait while we process all refunds as soon as possible. We hope for your continued patience with this.
Q: Can I get a refund of the insurance premium now that my flight is cancelled by the airline?
A: When you purchase your insurance, you have a 14-day cancellation period starting from the day after you enter into the contract. If no claims have been made and you cancel within 14 days of receiving your policy documents, you will be entitled to a refund, with a deduction of the time you were covered for. If you want to cancel outside the 14-day ‘cooling off period’, most of the insurances are non-refundable. In the exceptional case of involuntary cancellations (flight cancelled by the airline) you may still be entitled to a refund of your premium, given that no claim was made. If you wish to cancel your insurance due to involuntary cancellation of your flight, please inform us by email (info@budgetair.lv) and we will claim the refund on your behalf with the respective insurer.
Q: Can I get a refund of the purchased ‘Refund Protect’ or ‘Ticket Guarantee’?
A: You have a 14-day cancellation period starting from the day after you purchased the ‘Refund Protect’ or ‘Ticket Guarantee’ service. If no claims have been made and you cancel within 14 days of receiving your documents, you will be entitled to a refund. Unfortunately, ‘Refund Protect’ or ‘Ticket Guarantee’ is no longer refundable after this date as the risk period has started, where ‘Refund Protect’ or ‘Ticket Guarantee’ would provide you with full cover under the terms and conditions.
Q: What is the cancellation policy for my rental car via Cartrawler?
A: If you cancel up to 24 hours or in some cases 48 hours (please check the terms and conditions of your booking to be sure) prior to your pick-up, in almost all circumstances you will receive a full refund. If you cancel less than 24 hours (in some cases 48 hours) in advance, in almost all circumstances you'll receive a full refund minus the administration charge outlined in your terms and conditions. All cancellations should be made on the website of Cartrawler and not with the car hire company directly. If you wish to cancel, please find the "Manage Booking" section on the Cartrawler website.
Q: Can I get a refund of the hotel now that my flight is cancelled by the airline?
A: When you booked your hotel night(s) via Booking.com, the terms and conditions vary per hotel. If you booked a full flexible rate, you will get a refund. Please contact Booking.com directly to check if you are eligible for a refund. All hotel night(s) booked as part of a package with Travix are eligible for a full refund in case of an involuntary cancellation (cancellation by airline). In that case the refund process will be initiated by us. You do not need to take any action for this. Please note that due to the COVID-19 situation it may take longer than usual to receive your refund.
Contact & Service
Since the start of the COVID-19 crisis, we moved from 50-100 received complex questions a day, to more than 5000 per day. To cope with this, we immediately scaled up our customer service department with 100 agents, and nearly every Travix employee has shifted their focus to directly help our customers. The last few months have been a huge challenge for us, and this is a situation we have never been in before.
The extreme situation means that it is not feasible to provide the level of service you could normally expect from us. View our most recent contact options. We are doing everything possible to support all our customers.