National Express will fully suspend its national network of scheduled coach services with effect from 23:59 on Sunday 10 January 2021.
Chris Hardy, managing director of National Express UK Coach: “We have been providing an important service for essential travel needs. However, with tighter restrictions and passenger numbers falling, it is no longer appropriate to do this.”
All journeys before Monday 11 January will be completed to ensure any passengers making essential journeys are not stranded. All customers whose travel has been cancelled will be contacted and offered a free amendment or full refund.
Chris Hardy adds: “As the vaccination programme is rolled out and Government guidance changes, we will regularly review when we can restart services. We plan to be back on the road as soon as the time is right and have put a provisional restart date of Monday 1 March in place (subject to change).
“The whole team at National Express worked incredibly hard throughout 2020 and I want to thank them for their efforts as we pause our services. We will now make sure we are ready to get back behind the wheel as soon as the nation needs us again.”
Regular updates will be provided through the National Express website, social media channels and customer emails.
National Express will be running extra coach services on its UK-wide network in the run up to Christmas to ensure people can get home safely during the festive season (18 December 2020 – 4 January 2021).
The UK’s largest coach operator will be increasing the frequency of over 35 routes, introducing 13 new direct services and adding more locations to its timetable – starting from 18 December and running every day, including Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
Supported by the Department for Transport, they will initially be doubling the mileage of the network, making nearly 250,000 seats available over the festive period*; and will further increase the number in response to demand – all with covid-secure measures in place.
Tickets are on sale now with more availability being released as soon as possible. Customers are being advised to plan their journey and book in advance as demand has been strong.
Chris Hardy, managing director of National Express Coach: “Trains won’t be running on Christmas Day and there are limited services on others, plus the planned engineering works on the railways.
“We’re happy to step up to help the UK public get home safely this Christmas, when it’s more important than ever.
“This is also good news for the network of local coach companies who operate services on our behalf, at the end of what has been a challenging year.”
Increased frequency routes:
Bristol<>London
South Coast<>Heathrow
Manchester <>London
Birmingham<>Manchester
East Mids<>Heathrow
Sheffield <>London
Cardiff<>London
Bath<>London
Halifax <>London
Birmingham<>London
Aberystwyth<>London
Leeds <>London
London<>Dover
North-West<>London
Thanet<>London
Brighton<>London
Leicester<>London
Birmingham<>Heathrow
Southampton<>London
Gloucester<>London
Birmingham<>Bradford
Bournemouth<>London
Nottingham<>London
South Wales<>Heathrow
Bristol<>Birmingham
Yorkshire<>London
Liverpool<>London
Coventry<>London
Norwich <>London
Birmingham<>Nottingham
Nottingham<>Bradford
Plymouth <>London
Swansea <>London
Birmingham<>Leicester
Portsmouth<>London
North Devon<>London
Haverford West<>London
New direct services:
Tyneside<>London
Teeside<>London
Hull<>London
Edinburgh<>London
Glasgow<>London
London<>York (via Leeds)
South Wales<>Birmingham
Cambridge<>London
Birmingham<>Hull
Cornwall<>London
Leeds<>Manchester
Leed<>Manchester<>Liverpool
East Mids<>West Yorkshire
New locations on festive timetable:
Hull
Peterborough
Cambridge
Chester
Sunderland
Newquay
Penzance
Falmouth
Lincoln
Swindon
Weston-super-Mare
Truro
All National Express coaches have significant covid-secure measures in place including enhanced cleaning, reduced capacity, wearing of face coverings, temperature screening and additional air conditioning filters.
Anyone who has tested positive for Covid-19 so is unable to travel, can request a full refund or amend their ticket. Passengers who no longer wish to or are unable to travel as planned will also be eligible for a free ticket amendment*.
Residents in north Edinburgh are being invited to help shape a key project to improve connections and public spaces in their local community.
The city council is asking people from across Muirhouse, Pilton, Granton and Drylaw to contribute to the future of Pennywell Road and its links to existing paths at Crewe Toll, Gypsy Brae, Silverknowes and West Granton Access Road.
Through the North Edinburgh Active Travel (NEAT) Connections scheme we’re proposing changes to Pennywell Road and the surrounding area. These include increasing space available for walking, cycling and wheeling, making it easier to access local shops and community spaces without the use of a car and working with members of the community to improve public areas and green spaces.
This will help to identify existing problem areas and opportunities for new crossings, green spaces or where other improvements could be made.
Transport and Environment Convener Councillor Lesley Macinnes said: This project will create a much more welcoming, relaxed environment for those travelling on foot, bike or wheelchair.
“We’ve already seen how temporary Spaces for People initiatives across the city have encouraged people to walk, wheel or cycle and we want to see this happen long-term, with the associated benefits to health and the environment.
“Of course, we want any changes to work for all the people who live and spend time in this area, which is why we want to hear what they think and where improvements can be made. By sharing their thoughts and ideas they can help shape the final design, which will make travel to nearby schools, shops and local areas much easier and safer for pedestrians and cyclists.
Interim Head of Infrastructure Delivery for Sustrans Scotland, Chiquita Elvin, said: “Despite being close to existing walking, cycling and wheeling routes, such as the North Edinburgh Path Network, it can be challenging to access them for Muirhouse and Pilton due to the volume of traffic and the focus on roads in the original design of the area.
“We want the local community to tell us how we can make walking, cycling and wheeling easier for them, be that with new path connections, wider pavements, dedicated space for cycling or new crossings. These changes have the potential to transform how people get around North Edinburgh and every opinion matters.”
As well as benefiting local residents, changes could make it easier for travel to Craigroyston Community High School, Craigroyston Primary, Oaklands Primary, Forthview Primary and the new civic centre being developed at the former Muirhouse Shopping Centre.
In addition to the Commonplace website locals can leave their feedback on maps displayed in the North Edinburgh Arts centre café.
Separate temporary measures to make cycling safer and easier on Pennywell Road, Muirhouse Parkway and Ferry Road are currently in place and have been implemented through the Spaces for People programme.
5,600 additional coach seats available from 23 to 27 December
Support provided by the Department for Transport to provide significant extra capacity over the festive period
23 and 27 December busiest days for travel, with Sheffield, Newcastle and Leeds most popular destinations
Additional destinations now back on the map following government agreement
Customers advised to book ahead as services are expected to be busy, to wear a face covering unless exempt, sanitise their hands regularly and maintain space when travelling
Tickets can be booked at megabus.com with free alterations up to 24 hours before travel
Stagecoach, Britain’s biggest bus and coach operator, has announced that 5,600 extra socially-distanced seats are being made available on its megabus coaches over the Christmas period, and urges families and friends planning to be reunited to book ahead.
With support from the Department for Transport, Stagecoach can offer extra megabus seats from all the major cities and many regions across the country including the North East, Leeds, Sheffield, Manchester, Birmingham, Nottingham, Bristol, Cardiff and London.
Additional seats will also be offered on services to and from Glasgow and Edinburgh.
The agreement with government will also allow megabus to provide services from additional places across the South West including Falmouth, Plymouth, Exeter, Cheltenham, Gloucester and Swindon. There will now also be services running to and from the north including Doncaster, Bradford and Scunthorpe with extra stops at Cambridge and new services to Great Yarmouth.
Around 50% of the previously available seats throughout December have now sold out, with cities such as Sheffield, Newcastle and Leeds showing big spikes in demand. Wednesday 23 and Sunday 27 December are the most popular days for travel and now thousands of extra seats are on sale, megabus is urging people to book ahead, especially as rail services are expected to be busy.
Students have also been successfully using megabus coaches to get home for Christmas, with figures showing a 90% increase during the student travel week, compared with the previous week. Extra coaches were provided on many routes.
Mark Venables, Managing Director for megabus, said: “Direct and high frequency intercity coaches are an increasingly popular travel choice and this year in particular, they will play a vital role in helping families and friends to be reunited for Christmas.
“On the busiest days in December, we have already sold around 50% of the capacity we had available, so it’s great news that we’re working with the UK Department for Transport to increase the number of seats on our services in the run up to the festive break. This agreement also means we’re able to add many more towns and cities across the South West and Northern England onto our network.
“We know that coach and train seats are booking up quickly, and with the increase in advance ticket sales that we have seen, we’re urging people to plan ahead and book travel as soon as possible.
“Our megabus services offer safe, easy and hassle-free travel and provide a great alternative to cars and train travel, which are typically a much more expensive way to travel. All of our tickets offer free amendments up to 24 hours in advance, so we’re offering flexibility this year, as well as great value travel.”
Extensive additional safety measures have been introduced across all services to ensure that people can travel with confidence. This includes regular touch-point cleaning, social distancing and anti-bac stations on board all coaches. All customers travelling are asked to wear face coverings in line with the government’s rules.
Customers travelling in the run up to Chrsitmas are advised to:
Plan and book ahead to try and avoid busy times and routes
Reserve a seat in advance
Try to avoid making unnecessary stops during your journey
Come with a face covering to wear throughout your journey
If you feel unwell or have any Coronavirus symptoms, please do not use public transport
megabus will be operating throughout the festive period including on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, providing a safe and convenient way for people to get together with family and loved ones in line with the government’s Christmas rules.
All megabus tickets can be altered up to 24 hours in advance free of charge. Those wishing to reserve a seat benefit from double the usual luggage allowance, and the coaches can be tracked while they’re on the road at https://coachtracker.uk.megabus.com/.
New research by the UK’s largest independent road safety charity, IAM RoadSmart, has discovered that many motorists will rush to make last minute car travel plans for the Christmas period this year, while others will make fewer stops when driving long journeys.
The charity’s survey of 1,000 drivers in the UK investigated the impact COVID-19 will have on people’s travel plans over this year’s festive season, with some worrying safety issues emerging.
Among the most alarming findings are that almost seven-in-ten drivers (69%) are still waiting to make firm travel plans until they have clearer guidelines from the Government on travel restrictions that may affect them, giving them less time to prepare for potentially long journeys and make critical vehicle safety checks.
At the same time, four-in-ten (40%) long-distance drivers who travel more than 150 miles over Christmas and who would routinely stop during their journey at services or other types of outlet, such as cafes or pubs for lunch and refreshments, have decided that they will not do so this year due to concerns over the Coronavirus and social distancing.
The decision not to break long journeys is most prevalent among men, with more than half (56%) of male drivers surveyed saying they will not stop this year when they would have normally done so, compared to around a quarter (27%) of women.
Regionally, it is drivers from Scotland and London who are most likely to forego stops for breaks during long journeys during Christmas this year, with 67% and 64% respectively saying they will not break their journeys due to Coronavirus safety concerns.
With more than a quarter (27%) of all drivers still intending to travel more than 100 miles over the Christmas period this year, a lack of planning and not stopping for breaks could have serious road safety implications.
Neil Greig, Policy and Research Director at the charity, said: “Our research shows that unsurprisingly COVID-19 will have a significant impact on travel plans over Christmas this year.
“While it’s understandable that ongoing uncertainty and safety concerns over exposing relatives to the virus has caused many people to postpone their planning, it is important that critical safety steps, such as making vehicle maintenance checks and stopping regularly during long journeys are not overlooked.”
Neil added: “Taking a break on a long car journey is essential for the driver, and passengers, to recharge their batteries. Spending too long behind-the-wheel in one stint can lead to drowsiness and a loss of concentration with potentially catastrophic consequences for all road users. Our advice is to take at least a 15-minute break every two hours.
“The festive season is a busy period for many of us, and this year it will likely be even more challenging as Coronavirus continues to impact our everyday lives. But road safety and – taking sensible precautions – is everyone’s responsibility when driving, no matter what other pressures are at play.
“So, we urge everyone to make sure they leave time for important safety measures as they make their travel plans this Christmas.”
Love Home Swap creates a new compilation album featuring the greatest airport and airplane sounds we miss while grounded in lockdown
Love Home Swap has created Sounds of Travel: a nostalgic album made up of ambient airport and airplane travel sounds.
The album is full of sounds that travellers miss, including boarding announcements, planes taking off, the seatbelt sign being switched on and the rolling wheels of a suitcase.
The free Sounds of Travel album is designed to give people a little bit of that pre-holiday feeling at a time when international travel is challenging.
From boarding announcements to luggage carousels, passport stamps to clicking seatbelts: airport and airplane sounds are familiar the world over. But for many this year, they have become a distant memory.
For those that are missing the familiar soundtrack of travelling, Love Home Swap has released the free compilation album you didn’t know you needed – an album of well-known ambient airport and airplane sounds and chimes that can be recognised by anyone that has ever jetted away.
Although an album of airport sounds is no comparison to actually being there, it is hoped the album will bring a little nostalgic optimism to those yearning to get away.
So conjure up the best vacation memories with airport announcements and noises, the chatter of other travellers in airports, the whirr of plane engines, the rolling wheels of suitcases, planes taking off and landing, boarding passes being printed and the ‘fasten your seatbelt’ sound.
Célia Pronto, Managing Director at Love Home Swap says: “For many people, the sounds of airports are the sounds of going on holiday, and they are recognised all over the world.
“Unfortunately, not many people have been able to hear these familiar chimes, announcements and ambient noises this year. So, we thought we’d give people an easy way to evoke a little bit of that holiday feeling, and inspire feelings of optimism about the day in the not-so-distant future when we can all safely hear the sounds of airports and airplanes for real!”
When you sign up to Love Home Swap’s Standard or Platinum packages, members are entitled to four free airport lounge passes a year when their trip is co-ordinated with a swap, meaning the holiday excitement really can start at the airport!
UK’s Invisible Cities and Australia lead the way in regenerative travel
Global travel authority Lonely Planet has today unveiled a radical reimagining of its much-awaited Best in Travel picks for 2021, reflecting how the world and attitudes to travel have changed.
For 2021, Lonely Planet is looking ahead to the future of travel, recognising not only places, but also people and communities who are transforming the travel industry. Celebrating commitment to community, diversity and sustainability across the world with projects in the UK and Australia amongst some of the most inspiring innovators.
“Travel in 2021 and beyond will be a much more considerate exercise than it has been ever before,” said Lonely Planet CEO Luis Cabrera.
“With travellers cautiously re-engaging with the world and focusing on ensuring their impact is safe and positive for host communities, we have decided to highlight destinations and individuals that truly enable visitors to make genuine contributions through regenerative travel.”
Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2021 list has selected 30 inspirational people, destinations and tourism projects that shine a light on pioneering sustainable practices, regenerating local communities and promoting representation in all aspects of travel.
Highlights from Best in Travel 2021 include:
Invisible Cities, UK – An exciting social enterprise that offers people affected by homelessness the opportunity to become a tour guide in their own city. Providing engaging and alternative walks bringing city stories to life with unique local perspectives for both tourists and locals in Edinburgh, Glasgow, York and Manchester.
Zakia Moulaoui Guery, Founder & CEO of Invisible Cities CIC comments: “Our social enterprise doesn’t believe in labels or stereotypes and we want to help as many people as possible to realise their true potential.
“Through supporting those who have experienced homelessness and training them to become tour guides in their own city, we can help them to change the direction of their lives whilst also offering these one-of-a-kind tours to both locals and tourists alike.
“It means the world to us that we have been awarded the Best in Travel 2021 award by Lonely Planet and it’s given use a well needed boost in what has otherwise been a somewhat challenging year.”
Australia – A year on from the devastating bush fires, the country has been recognised for the amazing community restoration work, including the coordinated effort from The Nature Conservancy Australia, to help the rainforests, sapphire coasts and endemic wildlife rise from the ashes.
Tourism Australia Managing Director Phillipa Harrison said: “There is no doubt that this has been the most challenging year our industry has faced, having to first deal with the impacts of last summer’s bushfires followed directly by a shutdown of travel due to COVID-19.
“But in response to these challenges, we really have seen the best examples of the Australian spirit shining through particularly as people across the country rallied behind those communities both directly and indirectly impacted by the bushfires, with so many extending offers of support.
“That spirit of resilience has really endured as recovery efforts have continued, despite the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, and it is heartening that this has been recognised as part of these awards.”
Travel is always changing. Best in Travel 2021 champions people who make travel a force for good, all the more essential in a year when COVID-19 has disrupted and deprioritized travel, having a devastating impact on local communities.
Rather than delivering a destination bucket list, Lonely Planet has focused on how people travel now: outdoors; in family groups; purposefully; with careful attention to the communities they will explore.
“We are taking the chance to re-emphasise what we are here for and why: our mission remains to be a trusted travel companion. One that inspires, informs, and guides, while being in sync with travel wants and needs,” said Cabrera.
Lonely Planet celebrates projects ranging from restoration of the Australian bush, to conservation in Rwanda, revitalization of Medellín in Columbia and the introduction of progressive solutions in Gothenburg.
From community projects in Ireland, to cultural diversity in San Diego and storytellers providing fresh perspectives, Best in Travel 2021 highlights how tourism can regenerate more responsibly once we emerge from the pandemic.
The full Lonely Planet Best in Travel 2021 List is:
Best in Sustainability
Best City Stay – Gothenburg, Sweden. Topping the Global Destinations Sustainability Index, the city has introduced a range of progressive and measurable solutions to achieve fossil-independence by 2030.
Best islands – Palau, Pacific Ocean. Progressive policies and protective measures have put the pristine archipelago at the vanguard of environmental sustainability.
Best Accommodation – Grootberg Lodge in Etendeka Plateau, Namibia. A luxurious low-impact lodge helping to preserve lion and black rhino populations through community empowerment.
Best Cycling – Virginia Mountain Bike Trail. A nearly 500-mile trail across the Blue Ridge Mountains and Appalachian Trail gives bike-packers a low-impact way of interacting with the environment.
Best Food Destination – Greece. Organic produce markets and island seafood makes it an unintentional leader of the world’s most sustainable food.
Best Train Journey – Rocky Mountaineer. This slow-travel option has reduced its Co2 emissions by 18 tonnes per year, increased onboard recycling and introduced initiatives to protect of local wildlife.
Best Emerging Destination– Antigua & Barbuda. On the front line of climate change impact, the islands have made sustainability a priority, banning single-use plastics and styrofoam and established a ‘Green Corridor’ of environmentally friendly businesses.
Best Conservation Programme – Rwanda. The International Gorilla Conservation Programme has brought back the wild mountain Gorilla population back from the brink of extinction.
Best Walks – Le Vie di Dante, Italy (Roads of Dante). An epic 245-mile network of trails completable only by foot or bike.
Best Storyteller – Soraya Abdel-Hadi. The Soraya.earth blog and social media channels combine a love of travel with a desire to protect the Earth.
Best In Community
Best Tour – Invisible Cities A UK city walking tour company and social enterprise providing people affected by homelessness the opportunity to become tour guides in their own city, while also generating funds for homeless projects.
Best Restoration – Australia. Following the worst bushfire seasons in history, the rainforests, sapphire coasts and endemic wildlife are slowly rising from the ashes thanks to a number of community restoration efforts.
Best Tourism Project – The Burren Eco Tourism Network, Co Clare. Bringing over 60 local enterprises together to become a global leader for sustainable tourism.
Best Accommodation – Kazakhstan. Rural villagers are trained in hospitality to provide homestays while acquiring fresh economic opportunities for the local community.
Best Immersion – Faroe Islands. The close-knit community provides personable, home-hospitality tourism and invites voluntourists to help preserve the natural landscape.
Best Revitalisation – Medellín, Colombia. Transforming from the world’s most dangerous city to its most innovative through community-driven revitalization.
Best Trekking – Tesfa Tours, Ethiopia. Locals lead perspective-altering treks through the extraordinary landscapes and homestays.
Best Storyteller – Hesham Moadamani. Berlin based tour guide for Refugee Voices Tours uses his personal experience of fleeing the Syrian civil war, drawing parallels between the current Syrian conflict and the history of migration in Germany.
Best Small Business – Footprint Café, Siem Reap Cambodia. A social enterprise blending wholesome Khmer cuisine and a unique approach to coworking and community empowerment.
Best Expat Storyteller – Georgette Jupe, Girl in Florence. Through the lens of local artists and artisans her blog offers travellers a deeper connection to Italy’s most culturally significant city.
Best In Diversity
Best Under-Explored History – Gullah Islands, USA. The isolation of the islands allowed the Gullah and Geechee people to foster the most comprehensive African cultural heritage in the USA.
Best Cultural Diversity – San Diego, California. A diverse artist haven, cultural hot spot beach city shaped by the Indigenous, Spanish, Mexican and American communities.
Best Welcoming Destination – Amman, Jordan. Its origins stemming from Levantine and Bedouin traditions, the famed Jordanian hospitality is what gives the capital city its soul.
Best Emerging Voice – Gabby Beckford. Founder of the Young Travellers Network and cofounder of the Black Travel Alliance seeking to empower travellers and increase Black representation in the travel industry.
Best Accessible Destination – Costa Rica. Strict accessibility laws ensure Costa Rica is a wheelchair user’s paradise.
Best Multi-generational destination El Hierro, Canary Islands. This far-flung, go-slow jewel of Spain is an environmentally minded escape that enamours travellers of all ages.
Best Indigenous food – Hiakai restaurant, Wellington, New Zealand. Māori-Samoan chef Monique Fiso brings native ingredients and Indigenous cooking techniques to the fine dining stage.
Best Inclusive Storyteller – Jeff Jenkins The Chubby Diaries blog provides practical information for plus-sized travellers.
Best Inclusive Tours – Wheel the World, California. A travel company that empowers people with disabilities to enjoy travel experiences in over 30 destinations, in 15 countries.
Best LGBTQ+ Storytellers – Amsterdam-based bloggers A Couple of Men share insight on LGBTIQ-friendly travel destinations with the aim to inspire and motivate travellers.
Lonely Planet started the process for the 2021 Best in Travel list by seeking nominations from Lonely Planet’s vast community of staff, writers, photographers, videographers, bloggers, publishing partners and more. Then, the COVID-19 pandemic struck, and, like the rest of the travel world, Lonely Planet hit the pause button. But other things changed too. The conversation surrounding diversity took a decisive shift. The future of travel moved towards small-group engagement and decades-old issues like over-tourism came back to the forefront. As a result, Lonely Planet’s picks fit this new approach and are tailored for travel in 2021.
In addition, Lonely Planet is inviting readers to add nominations for their favourite people and places that are shaping the future of travel this year and beyond. Voting is open from today on the Best in Travel website and Lonely Planet will announce the Reader’s Choice Awards winners in January 2021.
Plans announced to support students to return safely
Thousands of students in Scotland will be tested for coronavirus (COVID-19) under plans to allow those wishing to return home at the end of term, to do so safely.
In a statement to Parliament, Further and Higher Education Minister Richard Lochhead outlined the measures being taken by colleges and universities to support the safe return of up to 80,000 students ahead of the winter break.
The plans include a widespread COVID-19 testing scheme, which is expected to be rolled out by the start of December.
Enabling easy access to testing for students with COVID-19 symptoms has already proved to be effective in controlling outbreaks. Now Scottish students will be included in a UK-wide initiative to test some asymptomatic students prior to the end of term.
The Government is working in partnership with institutions and the UK Government’s testing programme on the logistics of offering both lateral flow testing – a new rapid test currently being used in Liverpool, which can deliver a COVID result in about 15-20 minutes – and if needed a more sensitive PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test, which may take up to a day or longer to produce a result.
The other measures outlined by Mr Lochhead include:
All students will receive early, clear advice on staying safe. Those who chose to stay in student accommodation over the holiday period will also be well supported
There will be staggered and early departure from campuses, with universities being asked to make any necessary adjustments to scheduling, to ensure in-person teaching and assessment ends early enough to allow students time to get home at the end of term
Any student who wants to return home for the end of term, is being asked to voluntarily reduce their social mixing for two weeks before going home. This means going out only for essential reasons and exercise
All college and university students travelling home will be given advice on how to do so safely, which includes following public health advice on the use of public transport
Mr Lochhead said: “Covid 19 is a challenge for all of us, our students included.We have all worked hard to support students in gaining an education this term, and like everyone else we have learnt and adapted as we have progressed.
“Our challenge is to look after the wellbeing of our students by enabling them to return home, while at the same time keeping them, their loves ones, and communities safe.
“Testing will play a role – but only a limited role. My message to students is, ‘thank you for all your efforts, and please keep doing all you can to keep yourself and others safe’.
“I have no doubt the majority of students will want to act responsibly, and will follow the measures that will be set out.”
British Airways and EasyJet are going against EU guidance and refusing to refund unused vouchers for flights cancelled during the pandemic, Which? can reveal.
Some passengers willingly accepted vouchers in place of cash refunds when their flights were cancelled because of coronavirus, believing they were helping the airlines. But others claim they weren’t told they were entitled to cash refunds, or that they were misled into accepting vouchers they didn’t want.
The European Commission issued guidance in May recommending that airlines automatically refund any unused vouchers 14 days after they expire. However, this is only guidance, not a legal requirement.
While Ryanair says its vouchers can be refunded at any time, BA and Easyjet insist that once issued, their vouchers can not be exchanged for cash. That means passengers could be left hundreds of pounds out of pocket if they do not use them by the time they expire.
When flights are cancelled by an EU airline or by an airline flying from an EU airport, passengers are entitled to a cash refund under EU Regulation 261 within seven days of the cancellation. But after the pandemic grounded most flights leaving the UK earlier this year, all of the UK’s biggest airlines failed to meet this legal requirement, and many passengers were given vouchers instead.
At the height of the pandemic earlier in the year, many customers with cancelled flights struggled to contact airlines to ask for their money back. BA customers in particular complained after the airline removed its online refund form from its website and directed people to its overwhelmed customer service line, which played an automated message before hanging up on the passenger.
Some BA passengers have also complained to Which? that they automatically received vouchers for cancelled flights when they thought they’d applied for refunds through the website’s ‘Manage my booking’ page.
Jackie Harbridge says when she called BA to request a refund a recorded message directed her to Manage My Booking on BA’s website, but when she clicked on the refund button, she says she received a voucher for £2,118 for the flights to San Francisco.
She tried to call BA immediately, but struggled to get through. When she eventually got to speak to an agent she was told that since she had requested vouchers the decision could not be reversed.
“I was completely misguided by the instruction in BA’s Manage My Booking, which specifically quoted ‘Refund’ but turned out to be for a voucher, which is completely useless to us,” said Jackie. She and her 83-year-old husband no longer plan to travel so they can’t make use of the vouchers.
BA denies its claims process is misleading, saying that it has issued more than 2.1 million cash refunds. It said it is clear that customers must call to request cash refunds, and insists that they only get a voucher if they fill out a form that clearly states they are requesting a voucher.
While Easyjet passengers can request a refund online when their flight is cancelled, some willingly accepted vouchers to help support the airline.
But some passengers now may not be able to use their vouchers because the airline has cut back on some routes in recent months, and Easyjet has said it will only refund vouchers in “exceptional circumstances as a gesture of goodwill”.
An Easyjet spokesperson said: “For passengers who have chosen a voucher as compensation for their cancelled flight, we would only reverse this and offer a refund in exceptional circumstances as a gesture of goodwill if the customer’s circumstances justify it (eg. A school group no longer able to re-travel).”
A number of Easyjet’s flight routes have yet to restart, and a number of routes passengers were initially booked on have been dropped since vouchers were issued, after the airline pulled out of Southend Airport and dropped a number of routes from Newcastle and Stansted airports. Easyjet’s vouchers are only valid for a year, meaning many passengers may be left with vouchers they cannot use.
BA has dropped 60 per cent of its flights up to the end of this year and also pulled out of the Isle of Man. However, it has extended the validity of its vouchers so they can be used any time up to April 2022.
Additionally, BA and Easyjet both say vouchers are transferable, so passengers can pass them on to family and friends if they are unable to use them.
On top of ignoring guidance on refunds for unused vouchers, BA and EasyJet have also said that they will not be offering refunds for flights that operate as scheduled, meaning many passengers will only have the option of rebooking their flight to a later date if they cannot fly due to England’s latest lockdown. Ryanair has also said it will not offer refunds for flights that are not cancelled while passengers are in lockdown.
Which? believes the Civil Aviation Authority should be doing a better job of making it clear to airlines that they should be following legal guidance on vouchers and refunds, but without powers to issue fines or take swift action, it has struggled to get a grip as airlines have played fast and loose with the rules during the pandemic.
To help restore trust in the travel industry, the government must urgently review the CAA’s powers as part of its aviation recovery plan, to ensure passengers have an aviation regulator with the powers it needs to stand up for their rights.
Rory Boland, Editor of Which? Travel, said:“As we head into a winter that is bound to bring more flight cancellations, it’s extremely concerning to see the UK’s biggest airlines disregarding European guidance and letting their passengers down when it comes to their refund rights.
“BA and Easyjet must immediately make it clear that passengers will not face losing their money if they are unable to use a voucher, while all airlines should be offering cash refunds to passengers prevented from travelling by lockdown laws.
“Major airlines have acted shamefully and without fear of consequences during this pandemic – the government must urgently review the CAA’s powers as part of its aviation recovery plan to ensure passengers have a regulator that can effectively stand up for them.”
Some passengers have successfully secured refunds for vouchers they claim they didn’t ask for by going through their airline’s ADR scheme.
The CAA recommends anyone who had a voucher forced upon them, or whose airline is refusing to refund them should do the same – BA uses CEDR, while EasyJet uses CDRL.
Passengers whose airline isn’t a member of an ADR scheme should seek redress through the CAA’s Passenger Advice and Complaints team.
Kim Norris received a cash refund of £1,099 after taking her case of an unwanted voucher to BA’s alternative dispute resolution service, CEDR. It said that, on the balance of probabilities, she had not agreed to accept a voucher.
BA said that Kim applied for a voucher via its website, but it only provided CEDR a screenshot of the type of form it says she filled out, not her specific form. BA acknowledged that Kim had asked twice for a refund, by phone and by email. CEDR found that when BA issued the voucher, it was unlikely that Kim had voluntarily consented to accept it.
In its ruling, CEDR also pointed to a recommendation from the European Commission that if vouchers haven’t been redeemed by the end of their validity period they should be automatically reimbursed within 14 days.
A British Airways spokesperson said: “We do not auto-issue vouchers, they can only be issued when a customer has requested them by filling out the form. Our website is clear that when filling out the form it is to apply for vouchers.
“Customers are always entitled to a cash refund if their flight has been cancelled, and must call us to do this, which is clearly displayed on our website. Customers have up to a year after their flight was due to operate to get in touch with us for a cash refund – and we have processed over 2.1 million cash refunds to date.
“If a customer uses a voucher to make a new booking which is then subsequently cancelled by us, they would be entitled to choose either a cash refund (if the original booking was paid for in cash), or a voucher in a similar way as before.”
More than £8 billion worth of package holidays are estimated to have been cancelled since the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak, with just over £1 billion still estimated to be outstanding in refunds, according to new research from Which?.
Millions of people have had a package holiday cancelled by their provider since the UK went into lockdown in March, with refunds for one in five (21%) holidays where a cash refund was requested still outstanding at the beginning of October.
Which? surveyed more than 7,500 people who have had a package holiday cancelled as a result of the pandemic to understand how the situation around refunds has developed since the UK first entered lockdown.
An estimated total of just over £1 billion is being illegally withheld in partial or full refunds from customers who requested their money back, with the survey suggesting the average cancelled holiday cost £1,784.
Under the Package Travel Regulations 2018, if a package holiday is cancelled by the provider, the customer is legally entitled to a full refund within 14 days. A package holiday is a booking comprising at least two types of travel or travel-related services made through the same source, most commonly flights and accommodation.
Around 9.4 million people are estimated to have had a package holiday cancelled by their operator since the pandemic hit the UK. The backlog of refunds for cancellations caused by the coronavirus pandemic meant that the majority of operators struggled to refund within the legal time limit, with customer service lines overwhelmed by travellers trying to contact them to ask about their refunds.
Some package providers reported delays in receiving refunds back from airlines, many of which – despite making commitments to the aviation regulator – continue to break the law on refunds. This has meant package holiday operators have often only been able to process partial refunds for customers.
But while some companies have managed to get on top of the backlog caused by these delays, several other major providers have continued to leave passengers out of pocket, with Which? still receiving huge numbers of complaints from customers waiting for refunds.
The average amount of time spent contacting package holiday companies about cancelled trips was around 15.5 hours. For more than four in 10 (43%) of the cancelled holidays reported to Which?, customers said they waited longer than a month to get their money back.
During the summer, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) launched an investigation into package travel companies’ handling of cancellations and refunds. Following pressure from Which? and the CMA, Tui agreed to refund all customers by the 30th of September. The regulator also recently confirmed that Virgin Holidays has also committed to processing refunds for all holidays cancelled up to the end of October by 20 November.
Nearly four in ten (37%) people who have had a package holiday cancelled by their provider since the beginning of the outbreak said the experience has had a negative impact on their confidence in the travel industry.
Which? is calling on the government to outline how it will support the travel industry through the rest of the pandemic, and is urging it to introduce a travel guarantee fund to support package holiday providers that are struggling to fulfil their legal obligations to refund customers. It should also conduct a review of passenger protections following the coronavirus outbreak.
While the CMA has already secured commitments to process refunds from some companies, it is clear that some firms are not improving their practices of their own volition. The competition regulator must continue to closely monitor operators and secure further undertakings from those that flout the law, to prevent trust in travel being damaged any further.
Which?’s advice to anyone looking to book a future holiday is to book with a provider that can be trusted to refund their money promptly if they can’t travel, and to consider booking a package over a flight-only booking, to ensure they have greater legal protections if they cannot travel because of coronavirus.
Rory Boland, Editor of Which? Travel, said:“Since Which? first highlighted the issue of holiday companies delaying or denying refunds for holidays cancelled due to coronavirus, some operators have continued to flout the law and the sums of money being illegally withheld from holidaymakers are staggering.
“It’s simply unacceptable that some of the UK’s largest operators are still getting away with breaking the law, but without meaningful intervention from the government and the regulators in this space, many people will struggle to get their money back.
“The CMA must take firm action against any operators that are continuing to drag their feet on refunding holidaymakers, and the government must urgently set out how it will support travel companies in fulfilling their legal obligations to passengers.”
2021 holidays – the tour operators and travel agents Which? recommends:
HOLIDAYMAKERS IN EDINBURGH OWED NEARLY £8 MILLION IN WITHELD REFUNDS
LOCAL MSP SAYS REGULATOR MUST DO MORE TO SUPPORT CUSTOMERS
SNP MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands has demanded action after the latest estimations from Which? suggested people in Edinburgh could be owed £7,858,609 in withheld refunds for cancelled trips.
Customers across the UK are waiting on more than £1 billion in refunds according to the results of the survey of more than 7,500 people who had a package holiday cancelled as a result of the pandemic.
Expressed a proportion of population, the findings of the survey suggest that holidaymakers in Edinburgh could be owed nearly £8 million.
Holiday companies are required to refund money within 14 days but the huge number of cancellations has left many of firms overwhelmed. 21% of those surveyed who requested a refund in March were still waiting at the beginning of October.
The research also found that the average cost of a cancelled holiday was £1,784.
During the summer, the Competition and Markets Authority launched an investigation into package travel companies’ handling of cancellations and refunds.
Commenting on the figures, local SNP MSP Gordon MacDonald said: “For many people, this saga has rumbled on for far too long – it’s time for the UK government and the market regulator to get a hold of this situation.
“Times are tough financially for many local families, and while I appreciate holiday companies were inundated with refund requests earlier in the year, we are now in November.
“We aren’t talking about spare change here – the average cost of a cancelled holiday was £1,784 according to this survey.
“While we all recognise the travel industry’s acute financial difficulties, there can be no excuse for them hoarding the hard-earned cash of their hard-pressed customers.
“As a matter of urgency, the UK government needs to set out how travel companies will be supported financially to fulfil their legal obligations to passengers – and take firm action against those who continue to drag their feet.
“I would urge anyone in Edinburgh Pentlands who is still waiting on a refund from March to get in touch with my office – I will offer any support I can to make sure you get your money back.”
