Question: I have booked my own flight and hotel online. If I have to cancel what will happen to my money?

Answer: If you have planned a holiday where you booked the flights and hotel individually, you do not have the same level of protection as with a package holiday.

Your rights to cancel your flight and accommodation will be set out in the terms and conditions of the contract.

Cancelling your flight

If you have to cancel your flight or decide not to fly, you may lose the money you paid if the flight has not been cancelled by the airline or if you have not booked it as part of a package holiday.

If you booked the flight yourself you have no automatic right to rerouting or a refund. However, if you have to cancel because of COVID-19, you should contact the airline. Some airlines may be willing to offer you other alternatives like a voucher or credit note, or allow you to rebook your flight for a later date.

Cancelling your accommodation

Check the terms and conditions carefully to see what your rights are about cancellation and refund options. You should contact the booking site if you need to cancel. In general, if you booked with a booking website, your contract is with the hotel and not the booking website. You may need to go to the hotel directly to ask for a refund. If you have a non-refundable hotel booking, it may be difficult to get your money back if you have to cancel.

Travel insurance

If you have taken out travel insurance to cover your holiday, check to see if flight and accommodation cancellations are covered. If you are not sure, contact your travel insurance provider directly to see if you can claim on your policy.

You can read more about travel during COVID-19 and your consumer rights on citizensinformation.ie.
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During COVID-19, you can find comprehensive integrated information online at citizensinformation.ie/covid19/ and you can get daily updates on what’s changed on Twitter at @citizensinfo. You can also get information and advice from:

Tralee on Tel: Call 0761 07 7860, Monday – Friday (10am-4pm)
The Citizens Information Phone Service: Call 0761 07 4000, Monday to Friday, 9am – 8pm
Our national call back service: Visit citizensinformation.ie/callback to request a phone call from an information officer