Published on The Times digital on 13th December 2021
The constantly changing travel restrictions mean that booking a holiday these days is fraught with uncertainty. Choosing a package holiday, paying with a credit card and having the right travel insurance can all reduce the chances of you being left out of pocket by last-minute changes. But now, more and more holiday companies are introducing flexible booking as standard, which can go a long way towards relieving the stress of travelling during a pandemic.
With a flexible booking you can change or cancel your holiday free of charge relatively close to your travel date. This means that if travel restrictions change and you no longer want to travel, you can move the trip to another date without worrying about losing your deposit or being charged a hefty penalty. Any change or cancellation must be made within a certain time frame before travel and if prices are higher on your new travel dates you usually have to pay the difference.
Before the pandemic, some holiday firms offered flexible booking as a premium option for which you had to pay extra; now many companies are offering it as part of the default terms and conditions. It makes a welcome change, as instead of waiting for the travel firm to cancel before you get a refund, flexible booking policies mean you can move the travel dates or cancel the trip according to your needs. Always check the small print when you book though, as every holiday company has different rules and some travel firms will only offer flexible booking on selected trips.