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Should I cancel my UA trip to Italy July 2020? Now, trying to get a refund.

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Should I cancel my UA trip to Italy July 2020? Now, trying to get a refund.

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Old Mar 8, 2020, 5:35 am
  #16  
 
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My wife and I have NAP booked for May and are sitting tight for now. Italy is level 3 with CDC so I am a bit annoyed that current waivers are only for the North and not into May but there is plenty of time still yet for things to change markedly.
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Old Mar 8, 2020, 10:51 am
  #17  
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Also, most of the tag on travel insurance airlines offer (in partnership with insurance carriers) do not cover for extradionary situations such as what's happening now.
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Old Mar 8, 2020, 2:16 pm
  #18  
 
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Originally Posted by Repooc17
Also, most of the tag on travel insurance airlines offer (in partnership with insurance carriers) do not cover for extradionary situations such as what's happening now.
Only "cancel for any reason" insurance covers epidemics and pandemics, regardless of whether it was purchased from the airline or not. Finding that out the hard way, but not leaving until October, and don't have to commit the final tour payment until July.

Would hate to be saddled with UA travel credit if this trip doesn't happen. Don't use UA domestically (inconvenient, expensive), and wouldn't have for this international trip except for the $1500pp price difference.
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Old Mar 9, 2020, 3:53 am
  #19  
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Originally Posted by iplaybass
Only "cancel for any reason" insurance covers epidemics and pandemics, regardless of whether it was purchased from the airline or not. Finding that out the hard way, but not leaving until October, and don't have to commit the final tour payment until July.

Would hate to be saddled with UA travel credit if this trip doesn't happen. Don't use UA domestically (inconvenient, expensive), and wouldn't have for this international trip except for the $1500pp price difference.
It is unlikely that you'll be able to buy 'cancel for any reason' insurance at this stage for a trip that was purchased some time ago.
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Old Mar 9, 2020, 6:48 am
  #20  
 
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Originally Posted by mander
My wife and I have NAP booked for May and are sitting tight for now. Italy is level 3 with CDC so I am a bit annoyed that current waivers are only for the North and not into May but there is plenty of time still yet for things to change markedly.
I'm in a similar boat and also annoyed with the Northern Italy waiver only. I have a ticket for a business trip to Rome/Florence leaving on 3/22 that was booked in Feb. We, like many other companies, have temporarily shut down all travel and China/S.Korea/Italy were immediate no go's a couple of weeks ago. At this point, I still can't cancel the ticket without a penalty which seems fairly crazy since Italy is obviously an issue at the moment.

Its a game of chicken with UA as I get closer to the date to see if they change the waivers, particularly after Italy locked down much of the Northern half of the country over the weekend.....
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Old Mar 9, 2020, 7:18 am
  #21  
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Originally Posted by bostonpilot
I'm in a similar boat and also annoyed with the Northern Italy waiver only. I have a ticket for a business trip to Rome/Florence leaving on 3/22 that was booked in Feb. We, like many other companies, have temporarily shut down all travel and China/S.Korea/Italy were immediate no go's a couple of weeks ago. At this point, I still can't cancel the ticket without a penalty which seems fairly crazy since Italy is obviously an issue at the moment.

Its a game of chicken with UA as I get closer to the date to see if they change the waivers, particularly after Italy locked down much of the Northern half of the country over the weekend.....
It's actually not a game of chicken. Work trip, cancel, your company would be on the hook for any additional fee.
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Old Mar 9, 2020, 7:35 am
  #22  
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Originally Posted by bostonpilot
I'm in a similar boat and also annoyed with the Northern Italy waiver only. I have a ticket for a business trip to Rome/Florence leaving on 3/22 that was booked in Feb. We, like many other companies, have temporarily shut down all travel and China/S.Korea/Italy were immediate no go's a couple of weeks ago. At this point, I still can't cancel the ticket without a penalty which seems fairly crazy since Italy is obviously an issue at the moment.

Its a game of chicken with UA as I get closer to the date to see if they change the waivers, particularly after Italy locked down much of the Northern half of the country over the weekend.....
A different perspective:

A business colleague of mine was in Italy (Florence) at the end of last week. He said he's never had such a lovely time. The Uffizi was completely empty, his favourite restaurant uncrowded, no annoying tourists clogging up everything...
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Old Mar 9, 2020, 2:18 pm
  #23  
 
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Originally Posted by LondonElite
A business colleague of mine was in Italy (Florence) at the end of last week. He said he's never had such a lovely time. The Uffizi was completely empty, his favourite restaurant uncrowded, no annoying tourists clogging up everything...
This is just what we were contemplating as well, substituting VCE for FLR—but then my workplace instituted a mandatory 14-day quarantine for anyone who has been to Italy. And my spouse, who is a minister, learned that the first COVID-19 case in DC was a colleague, the rector of a large Episcopal church there. The entire parish has now been forced to quarantine by the DC Department of Health.

In many cases this is no longer about personal tolerance for risk.
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Old Mar 9, 2020, 2:22 pm
  #24  
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Originally Posted by RandomBaritone
This is just what we were contemplating as well, substituting VCE for FLR—but then my workplace instituted a mandatory 14-day quarantine for anyone who has been to Italy. And my spouse, who is a minister, learned that the first COVID-19 case in DC was a colleague, the rector of a large Episcopal church there. The entire parish has now been forced to quarantine by the DC Department of Health.

In many cases this is no longer about personal tolerance for risk.
I agree. Unfortunately too much hysteria.
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Old Mar 9, 2020, 6:01 pm
  #25  
 
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Originally Posted by RandomBaritone
This is just what we were contemplating as well, substituting VCE for FLR—but then my workplace instituted a mandatory 14-day quarantine for anyone who has been to Italy. And my spouse, who is a minister, learned that the first COVID-19 case in DC was a colleague, the rector of a large Episcopal church there. The entire parish has now been forced to quarantine by the DC Department of Health.

In many cases this is no longer about personal tolerance for risk.
Exactly. I would have to self-isolate if I went to Italy but United isn't waiving change fees. Why would I ever book in advance again if they aren't willing to work with me.
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Old Mar 9, 2020, 6:47 pm
  #26  
 
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Originally Posted by mander
Exactly. I would have to self-isolate if I went to Italy but United isn't waiving change fees. Why would I ever book in advance again if they aren't willing to work with me.
When did you last call UA and ask?
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Old Mar 10, 2020, 4:57 am
  #27  
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Originally Posted by mander
Exactly. I would have to self-isolate if I went to Italy but United isn't waiving change fees. Why would I ever book in advance again if they aren't willing to work with me.
I think that might change quite soon.
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Old Mar 10, 2020, 3:23 pm
  #28  
 
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Originally Posted by LondonElite
I think that might change quite soon.
Indeed it has. Time to call in. Thx.
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Old Mar 10, 2020, 5:13 pm
  #29  
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I canceled my work trip to FCO today (oops, still have to e-mail the hotel!) after United finally extended the waiver to all of Italy.

On the one hand, I'm itching to get back, and being there while things are relatively quiet sounds nice. And my TATL upgrades cleared much earlier than normal!

On the other hand, I don't think I'd be able to visit my favorite spot for dinner/wine in the evenings now. And then there would be the hassle of going back and forth and dealing with the stigma of having traveled to a "coronavirus hotbed". So I think I've gotten past the anger and denial stages of this paradigm shift and am grudgingly moving on towards 'acceptance'.
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Old Mar 10, 2020, 9:43 pm
  #30  
 
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Originally Posted by iapetus
On the other hand, I don't think I'd be able to visit my favorite spot for dinner/wine in the evenings now. '.
There are even reports of restaurants being closed at 6 PM so I don't think you'd be missing all too much
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