Anyone altering travel plans in USA due to Corona?

[salt cured]

Anyone have luck getting refunds for summer travel? I book a trip with a Chase Business Ink for August. I can cancel my Airbnb accommodations up until July 30th for a full refund minus booking fees. I'd pay about $160 to get about $1200 back. I could wait to see if Airbnb extends the booking fee refunds out to the end of August, but I think I'm going to pay the fee rather than risk them running out of cash before then (even though I have no idea what their financial situation is). United has offered a free flight change or travel credit good for 24 months, but I have to do that by the end of month. I'd rather a refund, even if I have to pay a fee, but I'm guessing neither the airline nor Chase is going to provide a refund. Guessing I'll have to opt for the travel credit...but will United be around for another 2 years?

[GreenSheep]

Anyone have luck getting refunds for summer travel? I book a trip with a Chase Business Ink for August. I can cancel my Airbnb accommodations up until July 30th for a full refund minus booking fees. I'd pay about $160 to get about $1200 back. I could wait to see if Airbnb extends the booking fee refunds out to the end of August, but I think I'm going to pay the fee rather than risk them running out of cash before then (even though I have no idea what their financial situation is). United has offered a free flight change or travel credit good for 24 months, but I have to do that by the end of month. I'd rather a refund, even if I have to pay a fee, but I'm guessing neither the airline nor Chase is going to provide a refund. Guessing I'll have to opt for the travel credit...but will United be around for another 2 years?

According to the travel hacking sites I follow (thepointsguy.com and millionmilesecrets.com), for airlines, it's worth waiting until the last minute (<48h) to cancel. If the airline cancels the flight or changes the time significantly, they owe you a refund, NOT just a voucher for future travel. I don't know about the specifics for United, but I had a flight on American in May that was changed by a few hours, and according to their conditions of carriage, if they cancel a flight or change the time by more than 61 minutes, the passenger can claim a refund. So I called American, read their own rules to them, and they confirmed that this is the case, so my credit card will be refunded. The way things are going right now, there's a very good chance United will cancel your flight or change it enough that you should be able to get your money back. The airlines are just not making this clear to people because they'd rather keep your money.

[BECABECA]

Anyone have luck getting refunds for summer travel? I book a trip with a Chase Business Ink for August. I can cancel my Airbnb accommodations up until July 30th for a full refund minus booking fees. I'd pay about $160 to get about $1200 back. I could wait to see if Airbnb extends the booking fee refunds out to the end of August, but I think I'm going to pay the fee rather than risk them running out of cash before then (even though I have no idea what their financial situation is). United has offered a free flight change or travel credit good for 24 months, but I have to do that by the end of month. I'd rather a refund, even if I have to pay a fee, but I'm guessing neither the airline nor Chase is going to provide a refund. Guessing I'll have to opt for the travel credit...but will United be around for another 2 years?

For AirBnB, my sister canceled her June booking which was only 50% refundable by the host. They told her to call AirBnB to get them to cover the other half. When she called, not only did they refund her the other half, but they also gave her a $300 credit on top of that (I was quite surprised by this). So I recommend canceling your AirBnB and then calling them and they’ll almost certainly refund your booking fees.

[norajean]

Wonder when it will be safe to move around the country either by car or plane. Seems too risky for now.

[Kris]

We’ve canceled all of our trips for this year except a book signing I am supposed to go to in November. I honestly think that will be canceled as well (about 50 authors and hundreds of attendees are scheduled), but I’m waiting to decide whether to back out myself. I haven’t booked my flight yet, but have booked the hotel and paid the registration.

[Villanelle]

We bought ridiculously expensive tickets, via tickemaster and a huge mark up, for a sporting event in Ireland in August.  Obviously that's a ways out, but I am wondering what the refund situation will be and hoping we'd get all of it back from Ticketmaster.  Of course it's a sunk cost at this point, but I suspect that even if it happens, DH may not be allowed to travel, and I'm not sure we will want to be sitting in a huge crowd at that juncture. 

The airbnb is refundable, and we hadn't purchased airfare yet.

We will wait and see!

[Hula Hoop]

I was planning to visit my elderly relatives in NYC this August but hadn't yet bought the airline tickets.  Obviously, that's on hold until things calm down both here in Italy and in NYC.  I'm contemplating postponing the trip to Christmas instead. The kids would probably really enjoy the Christmas lights in NYC and are very excited at the possibility of seeing snow.

[Monkey Uncle]

Anyone have luck getting refunds for summer travel? I book a trip with a Chase Business Ink for August. I can cancel my Airbnb accommodations up until July 30th for a full refund minus booking fees. I'd pay about $160 to get about $1200 back. I could wait to see if Airbnb extends the booking fee refunds out to the end of August, but I think I'm going to pay the fee rather than risk them running out of cash before then (even though I have no idea what their financial situation is). United has offered a free flight change or travel credit good for 24 months, but I have to do that by the end of month. I'd rather a refund, even if I have to pay a fee, but I'm guessing neither the airline nor Chase is going to provide a refund. Guessing I'll have to opt for the travel credit...but will United be around for another 2 years?

I canceled a couple of Airbnb reservations last week, while I was still within the property owners' free cancellation period.  Got all of my deposit refunded to my credit card within a few days.  But who knows if they'll have enough cash to keep doing that through July?  I also cancelled a couple of other pre-paid lodging reservations at other non-Airbnb hotels.  I've been promised a refunds for those, minus a small cancellation fee.  Those refunds haven't arrived yet, but they said it might take up to 10 business days.

I'm waiting until the last minute to cancel my flight.  American is only offering credits that have to be used by December 31, which doesn't work for me.  Best case scenario is they cancel and have to give me a full refund.  Worst case is I have to eat 900 bucks.

[Rural]

I'm anxiously watching a conference my college president wants to send me to in late July. The conference has not opened registration and says they will make a decision about that in mid-April. If they decide to go ahead I guess I'll have to decide if I'm willing to go or not. No reservations made yet, and I think I will not be spending my money on this. If I agree to go, the least the college can do is front the money.

[mm1970]

Anyone have luck getting refunds for summer travel? I book a trip with a Chase Business Ink for August. I can cancel my Airbnb accommodations up until July 30th for a full refund minus booking fees. I'd pay about $160 to get about $1200 back. I could wait to see if Airbnb extends the booking fee refunds out to the end of August, but I think I'm going to pay the fee rather than risk them running out of cash before then (even though I have no idea what their financial situation is). United has offered a free flight change or travel credit good for 24 months, but I have to do that by the end of month. I'd rather a refund, even if I have to pay a fee, but I'm guessing neither the airline nor Chase is going to provide a refund. Guessing I'll have to opt for the travel credit...but will United be around for another 2 years?

For AirBnB, my sister canceled her June booking which was only 50% refundable by the host. They told her to call AirBnB to get them to cover the other half. When she called, not only did they refund her the other half, but they also gave her a $300 credit on top of that (I was quite surprised by this). So I recommend canceling your AirBnB and then calling them and they’ll almost certainly refund your booking fees.

This is a good tip. We've canceled our June trip to Hawaii. Got credit on United (have to book within a year for flights within two years).  We literally get nothing if we cancel the AirBNB because the cancellation policy is they only refund half.  We pre-paid half.  So we lose that money completely.  I didn't think to call airBNB.

However, AirBNB is offering refunds up through the end of May.  I am waiting to see if they change that to June.  I have until June 1 to make that decision.

[BECABECA]

Anyone have luck getting refunds for summer travel? I book a trip with a Chase Business Ink for August. I can cancel my Airbnb accommodations up until July 30th for a full refund minus booking fees. I'd pay about $160 to get about $1200 back. I could wait to see if Airbnb extends the booking fee refunds out to the end of August, but I think I'm going to pay the fee rather than risk them running out of cash before then (even though I have no idea what their financial situation is). United has offered a free flight change or travel credit good for 24 months, but I have to do that by the end of month. I'd rather a refund, even if I have to pay a fee, but I'm guessing neither the airline nor Chase is going to provide a refund. Guessing I'll have to opt for the travel credit...but will United be around for another 2 years?

For AirBnB, my sister canceled her June booking which was only 50% refundable by the host. They told her to call AirBnB to get them to cover the other half. When she called, not only did they refund her the other half, but they also gave her a $300 credit on top of that (I was quite surprised by this). So I recommend canceling your AirBnB and then calling them and they’ll almost certainly refund your booking fees.

This is a good tip. We've canceled our June trip to Hawaii. Got credit on United (have to book within a year for flights within two years).  We literally get nothing if we cancel the AirBNB because the cancellation policy is they only refund half.  We pre-paid half.  So we lose that money completely.  I didn't think to call airBNB.

However, AirBNB is offering refunds up through the end of May.  I am waiting to see if they change that to June.  I have until June 1 to make that decision.

Ah, it looks like my sister’s AirBnB reservation was for the last week of May and the first week of June. So I guess since it started in May, that’s why they refunded her? I’d expect they’ll extend this to June soon.

[Prairie Gal]

Anyone have luck getting refunds for summer travel? I book a trip with a Chase Business Ink for August. I can cancel my Airbnb accommodations up until July 30th for a full refund minus booking fees. I'd pay about $160 to get about $1200 back. I could wait to see if Airbnb extends the booking fee refunds out to the end of August, but I think I'm going to pay the fee rather than risk them running out of cash before then (even though I have no idea what their financial situation is). United has offered a free flight change or travel credit good for 24 months, but I have to do that by the end of month. I'd rather a refund, even if I have to pay a fee, but I'm guessing neither the airline nor Chase is going to provide a refund. Guessing I'll have to opt for the travel credit...but will United be around for another 2 years?

For AirBnB, my sister canceled her June booking which was only 50% refundable by the host. They told her to call AirBnB to get them to cover the other half. When she called, not only did they refund her the other half, but they also gave her a $300 credit on top of that (I was quite surprised by this). So I recommend canceling your AirBnB and then calling them and they’ll almost certainly refund your booking fees.

This is a good tip. We've canceled our June trip to Hawaii. Got credit on United (have to book within a year for flights within two years).  We literally get nothing if we cancel the AirBNB because the cancellation policy is they only refund half.  We pre-paid half.  So we lose that money completely.  I didn't think to call airBNB.

However, AirBNB is offering refunds up through the end of May.  I am waiting to see if they change that to June.  I have until June 1 to make that decision.

Ah, it looks like my sister’s AirBnB reservation was for the last week of May and the first week of June. So I guess since it started in May, that’s why they refunded her? I’d expect they’ll extend this to June soon.

I cancelled an Air BnB reservation for mid-May. I had paid half so far, with the rest due at the end of April. The host refused to refund me, so I lost a little over $500. I think I will try calling Air BnB tomorrow, based on what you guys have said. Can't hurt.

[SwordGuy]

We're not likely to travel around the country or world until there is a vaccine.  We're not low-risk.

[expatartist]

My job gives me a free ticket from Hong Kong to my country of origin (the US) every two years during our summer holidays. Not taking them up on it this year. In fact, probably not going anywhere this summer. Plenty of kayaking and beach time will be had here though, we've got systems in place to keep things pretty well under control at this time.

[salt cured]

Anyone have luck getting refunds for summer travel? I book a trip with a Chase Business Ink for August. I can cancel my Airbnb accommodations up until July 30th for a full refund minus booking fees. I'd pay about $160 to get about $1200 back. I could wait to see if Airbnb extends the booking fee refunds out to the end of August, but I think I'm going to pay the fee rather than risk them running out of cash before then (even though I have no idea what their financial situation is). United has offered a free flight change or travel credit good for 24 months, but I have to do that by the end of month. I'd rather a refund, even if I have to pay a fee, but I'm guessing neither the airline nor Chase is going to provide a refund. Guessing I'll have to opt for the travel credit...but will United be around for another 2 years?

According to the travel hacking sites I follow (thepointsguy.com and millionmilesecrets.com), for airlines, it's worth waiting until the last minute (<48h) to cancel. If the airline cancels the flight or changes the time significantly, they owe you a refund, NOT just a voucher for future travel. I don't know about the specifics for United, but I had a flight on American in May that was changed by a few hours, and according to their conditions of carriage, if they cancel a flight or change the time by more than 61 minutes, the passenger can claim a refund. So I called American, read their own rules to them, and they confirmed that this is the case, so my credit card will be refunded. The way things are going right now, there's a very good chance United will cancel your flight or change it enough that you should be able to get your money back. The airlines are just not making this clear to people because they'd rather keep your money.

I'll have to look at the fine print associated withy my ticket. I guess the worst case scenario is that flights are running and the border is open and so I just go on my trip. Anyway, I'd much rather a refund than a credit, so maybe I'll risk it. I think I will cancel the Airbnbs and eat the loss though. It's not that big a deal. And maybe if I do end up going, I can find cheaper accommodations.

Edit: Some info here but looks like the airlines are, unsurprisingly, doing whatever they can to avoid refunds. https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/airlines-are-playing-games-with-consumers-coronavirus-pandemic-is-making-it-tougher-for-passengers-to-get-refunds/ar-BB12oDBp

[sui generis]

On this episode of the Weeds podcast, the hosts discuss some plans that have been published recently about how America opening back up might be accomplished, and discuss how each of those plans would look to us.  Spoiler alert: nothing like returning to normalcy for like 18 months at least.  https://cms.megaphone.fm/channel/theweeds

I feel like I'm been overly optimistic about this whole thing, so I'm trying not to automatically doubt things that sound totally incomprehensible, like having to show certain health documentation before boarding an airplane and all airplanes operating at 50% capacity max.  That leisure travel would not be happening so much, but that "visiting family" travel might be possible. I don't have any plans to fly (hoping my flight to the Caucasus in a few weeks gets cancelled), but we were tentatively still thinking of visiting family on both coasts over the winter holidays.  I never thought that might be threatened, but I wonder if we will end up going.

[Jack0Life]

Anyone have luck getting refunds for summer travel? I book a trip with a Chase Business Ink for August. I can cancel my Airbnb accommodations up until July 30th for a full refund minus booking fees. I'd pay about $160 to get about $1200 back. I could wait to see if Airbnb extends the booking fee refunds out to the end of August, but I think I'm going to pay the fee rather than risk them running out of cash before then (even though I have no idea what their financial situation is). United has offered a free flight change or travel credit good for 24 months, but I have to do that by the end of month. I'd rather a refund, even if I have to pay a fee, but I'm guessing neither the airline nor Chase is going to provide a refund. Guessing I'll have to opt for the travel credit...but will United be around for another 2 years?

According to the travel hacking sites I follow (thepointsguy.com and millionmilesecrets.com), for airlines, it's worth waiting until the last minute (<48h) to cancel. If the airline cancels the flight or changes the time significantly, they owe you a refund, NOT just a voucher for future travel. I don't know about the specifics for United, but I had a flight on American in May that was changed by a few hours, and according to their conditions of carriage, if they cancel a flight or change the time by more than 61 minutes, the passenger can claim a refund. So I called American, read their own rules to them, and they confirmed that this is the case, so my credit card will be refunded. The way things are going right now, there's a very good chance United will cancel your flight or change it enough that you should be able to get your money back. The airlines are just not making this clear to people because they'd rather keep your money.

I'll have to look at the fine print associated withy my ticket. I guess the worst case scenario is that flights are running and the border is open and so I just go on my trip. Anyway, I'd much rather a refund than a credit, so maybe I'll risk it. I think I will cancel the Airbnbs and eat the loss though. It's not that big a deal. And maybe if I do end up going, I can find cheaper accommodations.

Edit: Some info here but looks like the airlines are, unsurprisingly, doing whatever they can to avoid refunds. https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/airlines-are-playing-games-with-consumers-coronavirus-pandemic-is-making-it-tougher-for-passengers-to-get-refunds/ar-BB12oDBp

I was searching the internet and the is correct.
My flight for Spirit got canceled both ways(I booked them seperately) and they gave me a credit.
Oh NO not so fast. The DOT released a statement on April 3rd that they need to refund you the money.

[mm1970]

I cancelled an Air BnB reservation for mid-May. I had paid half so far, with the rest due at the end of April. The host refused to refund me, so I lost a little over $500. I think I will try calling Air BnB tomorrow, based on what you guys have said. Can't hurt.

Definitely can't.

I figure, best case - this thing fades more quickly than anyone thinks and I re-book my tix to go in June!
Medium case - this doesn't happen and AirBNB extends the cancellation refund to end June.
Worst case - I'm out $1000.

I could, possibly, change the AirBNB to next year.  That's another option. I really want to go back to Kauai!!

[Travis]

We had a flight from Korea to CA for this month. Booked in January, cancelled (by them) in early March, and after 3 weeks of haggling with Expedia we got the refund a few days ago.

[Miss Prim]

Actually, my husband and I were planning go to go Europe again in the fall, but thank goodness we hadn't booked yet.  I think we will take our camper and travel the USA in the fall instead as long as campgrounds open back up.  We could also boondock in remote areas as we have a generator. 

[salt cured]

Anyone have luck getting refunds for summer travel? I book a trip with a Chase Business Ink for August. I can cancel my Airbnb accommodations up until July 30th for a full refund minus booking fees. I'd pay about $160 to get about $1200 back. I could wait to see if Airbnb extends the booking fee refunds out to the end of August, but I think I'm going to pay the fee rather than risk them running out of cash before then (even though I have no idea what their financial situation is). United has offered a free flight change or travel credit good for 24 months, but I have to do that by the end of month. I'd rather a refund, even if I have to pay a fee, but I'm guessing neither the airline nor Chase is going to provide a refund. Guessing I'll have to opt for the travel credit...but will United be around for another 2 years?

According to the travel hacking sites I follow (thepointsguy.com and millionmilesecrets.com), for airlines, it's worth waiting until the last minute (<48h) to cancel. If the airline cancels the flight or changes the time significantly, they owe you a refund, NOT just a voucher for future travel. I don't know about the specifics for United, but I had a flight on American in May that was changed by a few hours, and according to their conditions of carriage, if they cancel a flight or change the time by more than 61 minutes, the passenger can claim a refund. So I called American, read their own rules to them, and they confirmed that this is the case, so my credit card will be refunded. The way things are going right now, there's a very good chance United will cancel your flight or change it enough that you should be able to get your money back. The airlines are just not making this clear to people because they'd rather keep your money.

I'll have to look at the fine print associated withy my ticket. I guess the worst case scenario is that flights are running and the border is open and so I just go on my trip. Anyway, I'd much rather a refund than a credit, so maybe I'll risk it. I think I will cancel the Airbnbs and eat the loss though. It's not that big a deal. And maybe if I do end up going, I can find cheaper accommodations.

Edit: Some info here but looks like the airlines are, unsurprisingly, doing whatever they can to avoid refunds. https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/airlines-are-playing-games-with-consumers-coronavirus-pandemic-is-making-it-tougher-for-passengers-to-get-refunds/ar-BB12oDBp

Quick update: Airbnb let hosts know last week that they could cancel any 2020 booking made before 3/15 penalty-free, so I reached out to the 3 places I had booked and explained that I wasn’t coming and asked them to cancel and 2 of 3 have. Time is almost up (hosts have to cancel by 4/30) but it might be worth a try for anyone else trying to cancel.

[Prairie Gal]

Quick update: Airbnb let hosts know last week that they could cancel any 2020 booking made before 3/15 penalty-free, so I reached out to the 3 places I had booked and explained that I wasn’t coming and asked them to cancel and 2 of 3 have. Time is almost up (hosts have to cancel by 4/30) but it might be worth a try for anyone else trying to cancel.

Thanks @salt cured. I just emailed my remaining two reservations for October for a trip to France. We'll see what they say, but I am not overly optimistic.

I have had no luck with my Air Bnb in Toronto for May. The owner refused to refund my deposit (over $500), and Air Bnb is not helping. They said I would need documentation, as in a state (provincial order). Well, the only order I can find is for international travel, not domestic travel, even though they are constantly saying to avoid non-essential travel.

This has turned into a very expensive lesson for me as I love to travel and had several trips booked. First, avoid Air Bnb as their customer service sucks. Second, make sure to only book places with a generous cancellation policy as even in circumstances such as a pandemic, which are totally out of my control, owners are allowed to keep your money.

[salt cured]

Quick update: Airbnb let hosts know last week that they could cancel any 2020 booking made before 3/15 penalty-free, so I reached out to the 3 places I had booked and explained that I wasn’t coming and asked them to cancel and 2 of 3 have. Time is almost up (hosts have to cancel by 4/30) but it might be worth a try for anyone else trying to cancel.

Thanks @salt cured. I just emailed my remaining two reservations for October for a trip to France. We'll see what they say, but I am not overly optimistic.

My reservations were fully refundable (minus the service fee) up to a week or so before check-in. I basically said (politely): "Look, I'm going to cancel eventually, but it's in my best interest to wait to see if Airbnb will change their policy for guests and give me a full refund. If you want to free up your dates before then, I suggest you cancel since there is no penalty. Otherwise I'll be squatting here, potentially right up to the week before check-in." If your reservations aren't fully refundable, you might get some resistance. Good luck!

[Fomerly known as something]

Quick update: Airbnb let hosts know last week that they could cancel any 2020 booking made before 3/15 penalty-free, so I reached out to the 3 places I had booked and explained that I wasn’t coming and asked them to cancel and 2 of 3 have. Time is almost up (hosts have to cancel by 4/30) but it might be worth a try for anyone else trying to cancel.

Thanks @salt cured. I just emailed my remaining two reservations for October for a trip to France. We'll see what they say, but I am not overly optimistic.

I have had no luck with my Air Bnb in Toronto for May. The owner refused to refund my deposit (over $500), and Air Bnb is not helping. They said I would need documentation, as in a state (provincial order). Well, the only order I can find is for international travel, not domestic travel, even though they are constantly saying to avoid non-essential travel.

This has turned into a very expensive lesson for me as I love to travel and had several trips booked. First, avoid Air Bnb as their customer service sucks. Second, make sure to only book places with a generous cancellation policy as even in circumstances such as a pandemic, which are totally out of my control, owners are allowed to keep your money.

I unfortunately learned that lesson from the canceled NYC marathon due to hurricane Sandy.  I listened to Bloomberg and didn’t cancel my trip only to find out that the race was cancelled an hour after I picked up my race packet.  I had booked my hotel through Expedia and the hotel refused to refund the rest of my stay because I had checked in.  So they got $1000 for an empty room for several nights.  I now am willing to pay a premium for refundable rooms.  (I’m generally ok on non refundable flights because I have found they will allow you to change or get credit due to “acts of god” even if you can’t normally.)

[Fomerly known as something]

Future plans.  I booked flights to Vegas for next March yesterday and booked a room at the Grand Canyon with the idea of more parks to follow.

[chicagomeg]

We have tentative plans to go to Colorado in September for a show at Red Rocks. I sort of think that things will ease for a few months as the warm weather & outdoor activities slow the spread a bit, then we will hit a new wave in late fall or early winter. So, this seems like the only possible window to me. However, I am pretty skeptical the show will end up happening and we may scrap the trip all together. We got $70 return tickets from Denver since they're fully changeable for a year, bought the concert tickets (which I am regretting...) and are watching for a good deal to Colorado Springs or Denver.

I'd like to go to Ohio to visit my mom, but she's turning 60 this year and could be in better health. So right now, my plan is that once I have a return to work date from my company, I will plan a visit to see my mom for the weekend before that, total quarantine for the 2 weeks before, and drive home (8 hours) instead of flying. Haven't figured out what I'm going to do for bathrooms along the way just yet. :/ Luckily, my company is relatively flexible about working from home normally, so I think I can get away with doing this again later in the year if I want to go home another time, but it's sort of a ridiculous exercise to undertake.

[mm1970]

Now that it has been 2 month since this thread started is anyone making current plans to travel within their own country? I'm in USA so big area and many places are starting to open up (not here in Calif yet). I don't have any plans to take a plane or any crowded mode of transportation myself, but I'd really like to do a camping road trip this month. Campgrounds are still closed as are most hiking biking kinds of places like Nat and State Parks, but I've started to look for a vacation rental house in one place but still seems dicey.

We were talking about this yesterday.  I guess no summer vacation for us. I cannot imagine CA opening up soon enough.  If it weren't for the virus, it would be a perfect time to drive to the East coast and visit the lake and work from there with the kids.  But too risky with the elderly relatives we would be visiting.

[Mr. Green]

Now that it has been 2 month since this thread started is anyone making current plans to travel within their own country? I'm in USA so big area and many places are starting to open up (not here in Calif yet). I don't have any plans to take a plane or any crowded mode of transportation myself, but I'd really like to do a camping road trip this month. Campgrounds are still closed as are most hiking biking kinds of places like Nat and State Parks, but I've started to look for a vacation rental house in one place but still seems dicey.

We're reading that most parks are beginning to work on plans for reopening, figuring out what pieces need to stay closed or be modified to allow people to return. Likewise, we are beginning to plan for our multi-month US car camping trip departure. We're buying a different vehicle with more space in anticipation of relying less on developed campgrounds and more on dispersed camping areas. The extra space will also allow for a battery system that will mean a small refrigerated space and more food storage, so less trips to town/the grocery store. States now have tools and processes in place for better case tracking so it's much easier to see where hotspots are and avoid those. We're hoping to be able to leave June 1, but that will all depend on how intelligently states go about reopening. It seems like the states that have made pacts about how that will go have pretty good plans in place and the others that open up more recklessly will probably just serve as an "I told you so" for everyone else.

[Kris]

I'm canceling all travel plans until they have successfully put testing *and tracking* in place, or until they have a vaccine widely available. Whichever comes first.

[24andfrugal]

Now that it has been 2 month since this thread started is anyone making current plans to travel within their own country? I'm in USA so big area and many places are starting to open up (not here in Calif yet). I don't have any plans to take a plane or any crowded mode of transportation myself, but I'd really like to do a camping road trip this month. Campgrounds are still closed as are most hiking biking kinds of places like Nat and State Parks, but I've started to look for a vacation rental house in one place but still seems dicey.

It's funny you mention that, my fiance and I were talking about this last night...

We live in CT, which is technically a hotspot, but nowhere near as bad as NYC. Things are stable here. We would like to go camping, maybe in VT or NH - not immediately, but maybe in mid/late May. Both states have "imposed" voluntary quarantines for out of state visitors, but many people are supposedly flouting those restrictions. We are considering becoming two of those people.

My reasoning is this: we will bring all our own food, camp at a national forest, and spend all of our time on the trails or at camp (and will make sure to select lightly trafficked trails, as we do anyway). We could theoretically go an entire weekend without interacting with anyone else or touching anything anyone would touch, except in a bathroom (would need to figure that out, hopefully the camp bathroom would be open). I don't want to endanger anyone and I hope I don't come across as selfish. It just seems like there is a way to do this without exposing anyone else to undue risk and that's what we'd be aiming for.

[OtherJen]

Now that it has been 2 month since this thread started is anyone making current plans to travel within their own country? I'm in USA so big area and many places are starting to open up (not here in Calif yet). I don't have any plans to take a plane or any crowded mode of transportation myself, but I'd really like to do a camping road trip this month. Campgrounds are still closed as are most hiking biking kinds of places like Nat and State Parks, but I've started to look for a vacation rental house in one place but still seems dicey.

It's funny you mention that, my fiance and I were talking about this last night...

We live in CT, which is technically a hotspot, but nowhere near as bad as NYC. Things are stable here. We would like to go camping, maybe in VT or NH - not immediately, but maybe in mid/late May. Both states have "imposed" voluntary quarantines for out of state visitors, but many people are supposedly flouting those restrictions. We are considering becoming two of those people.

My reasoning is this: we will bring all our own food, camp at a national forest, and spend all of our time on the trails or at camp (and will make sure to select lightly trafficked trails, as we do anyway). We could theoretically go an entire weekend without interacting with anyone else or touching anything anyone would touch, except in a bathroom (would need to figure that out, hopefully the camp bathroom would be open). I don't want to endanger anyone and I hope I don't come across as selfish. It just seems like there is a way to do this without exposing anyone else to undue risk and that's what we'd be aiming for.

I think you have your answer. Why would you break another state's requested policy for your own short-term gain? Wait until the voluntary quarantine measure is lifted or camp in your own state.

[24andfrugal]

I think you have your answer. Why would you break another state's requested policy for your own short-term gain? Wait until the voluntary quarantine measure is lifted or camp in your own state.

Well, because of the reasoning I proceeded to lay out. The borders are not closed, they simply ask people to quarantine/isolate, for the purpose of preventing out of staters from coming into contact with people who may not have been exposed. If I purposefully avoid contact with other people for the <2 days I am there, then I have done just that, have I not?

[OtherJen]

I think you have your answer. Why would you break another state's requested policy for your own short-term gain? Wait until the voluntary quarantine measure is lifted or camp in your own state.

Well, because of the reasoning I proceeded to lay out. The borders are not closed, they simply ask people to quarantine/isolate, for the purpose of preventing out of staters from coming into contact with people who may not have been exposed. If I purposefully avoid contact with other people for the <2 days I am there, then I have done just that, have I not?

Assuming that emergency services aren't needed at any point (I once ended up in a rural ER after suffering a puncture wound during a remote camping/hiking trip). Rather than leaving your own state for non-essential reasons during a global pandemic, it seems like the prudent, respectful, and mature thing to do would be to 1) camp in your own state or 2) wait until the other states lift the voluntary control measures.

[24andfrugal]

Assuming that emergency services aren't needed at any point (I once ended up in a rural ER after suffering a puncture wound during a remote camping/hiking trip). Rather than leaving your own state for non-essential reasons during a global pandemic, it seems like the prudent, respectful, and mature thing to do would be to 1) camp in your own state or 2) wait until the other states lift the voluntary control measures.

Though I don't necessarily agree, I understand the point you're making. We wouldn't be going in the next few weeks anyway so will reevaluate if/when we get to a point where we're considering it.

[Cranky]

We're wondering about renting a cabin somewhere in July or August, but I just don't know...

[Arbitrage]

We're wondering about renting a cabin somewhere in July or August, but I just don't know...

We still have an AirBnB reservation in early-mid August (no cancellation fee), but haven't booked anything else yet for that trip.  I'm hopeful that we'll be able to do it, but it would require taking the family on planes.  The destination is our planned early retirement area, so I'd really like to spend more time there (even if early retirement received a COVID-crash delay). 

Definitely not willing to spring for plane tickets yet.

[Cassie]

I don’t use Airbnb anymore because of losing money if you need to cancel. We had nonstop tickets on southwest for August to get us to San Fran to go to Europe. We got our money back on no refundable tickets because they changed the flight by a couple of hours and it stopped in between. It took my son 90 minutes on the phone quoting DOT regulations. Now we are hoping Lot airlines does something similar or cancels so we can get a refund versus credit. No travel plans for at least a year.

[Cranky]

Our May flights to Italy have finally been cancelled, so we’re hoping to get our money back on that.

I’m not asking for refunds for several small tours we’d booked as I figure they’ve been hurt more than we have.

Maybe next year.

[geekette]

My mom's 85th birthday is in a couple weeks.  She lives in the same town as I do, and one of my sisters is staying with her now.  The other lives a few hours away was diagnosed w/Covid in March and seems recovered. 

We were supposed to be on a European river cruise/tour for this birthday, but that was cancelled long ago.  The "stay at home" orders in our area look to be lifted by then, so I'd like to do something for this birthday.  The beach a few hours one way, the mountains a few the other way, but is it worth taking that chance. 

[BTDretire]

My son had a wedding planned for June 17th. His fiancee is Canadian living in Canada, He graduates May 7th and planned on going to Canada. He can't travel to Canada, she can't travel to the US.
  We bought Delta tickets on Mar 12 to Canada. My understanding from Delta is, we can cancel the tickets, and get a credit, on tickets to anywhere and must use them by the end of 2021.
 His life is a bit on hold, He expected to find work in Canada after graduation. So, his marriage is delayed, his job prospect is delayed (chemistry degree). My wife is pushing him to get a job here in the US, he says, he wouldn't feel comfortable lying about his future, getting a chemistry job and then a few months later, leaving the job for Canada. I'm with him, he has ethics from me, mom would do what's in her best interest.

[salt cured]

I don’t use Airbnb anymore because of losing money if you need to cancel. We had nonstop tickets on southwest for August to get us to San Fran to go to Europe. We got our money back on no refundable tickets because they changed the flight by a couple of hours and it stopped in between. It took my son 90 minutes on the phone quoting DOT regulations. Now we are hoping Lot airlines does something similar or cancels so we can get a refund versus credit. No travel plans for at least a year.

That is annoying but the best argument against Airbnb is that it's mostly these awful condos with bargain basement amenities that are given next to zero upkeep. If the company sticks around, I'm hoping these professional hosts with a portfolio of shitty properties are driven into bankruptcy and that the platform skews back toward people who rent their homes with pride.

[ixtap]

I don’t use Airbnb anymore because of losing money if you need to cancel. We had nonstop tickets on southwest for August to get us to San Fran to go to Europe. We got our money back on no refundable tickets because they changed the flight by a couple of hours and it stopped in between. It took my son 90 minutes on the phone quoting DOT regulations. Now we are hoping Lot airlines does something similar or cancels so we can get a refund versus credit. No travel plans for at least a year.

That is annoying but the best argument against Airbnb is that it's mostly these awful condos with bargain basement amenities that are given next to zero upkeep. If the company sticks around, I'm hoping these professional hosts with a portfolio of shitty properties are driven into bankruptcy and that the platform skews back toward people who rent their homes with pride.

I wish it would turn into actually BnB - where people rent a room in their home, rather than turning it over. Makes a big difference in the neighborhood, and in some places, a big difference to local housing prices.

[sui generis]

I have certainly learned through all of this NOT to use third party vendors.  I booked a ticket through Flyus.com because I found a great price through them for a flight, but apparently USDOT regulations somehow do not apply to ticket/travel agencies if a flight is cancelled. They are apparently welcome to comply, but are not obligated.  So like, if you buy through the airline directly and they cancel (not you) they are required to give you a refund if you request it, but the travel agency is not....which leads me to question whether the travel agency gets to keep the money (if they choose) the airline is obligated to refund?  I guess that wouldn't happen, the customer would choose a voucher in an attempt/hope that they may use that voucher, but if they never did, the airline would just keep the profit ultimately.

The situation is super disadvantageous, though, and I regret having saved a dozen or two dollars by booking through Flyus rather than directly with the airline.  In situations like this, they are just a detriment, serving as an extra middle man trying to prevent you from getting the relief you are requesting, when it's already hard enough to get any consumer protection directly from an airline!  No reason to add extra obstacles!

[Monkey Uncle]

I have certainly learned through all of this NOT to use third party vendors.  I booked a ticket through Flyus.com because I found a great price through them for a flight, but apparently USDOT regulations somehow do not apply to ticket/travel agencies if a flight is cancelled. They are apparently welcome to comply, but are not obligated.  So like, if you buy through the airline directly and they cancel (not you) they are required to give you a refund if you request it, but the travel agency is not....which leads me to question whether the travel agency gets to keep the money (if they choose) the airline is obligated to refund?  I guess that wouldn't happen, the customer would choose a voucher in an attempt/hope that they may use that voucher, but if they never did, the airline would just keep the profit ultimately.

The situation is super disadvantageous, though, and I regret having saved a dozen or two dollars by booking through Flyus rather than directly with the airline.  In situations like this, they are just a detriment, serving as an extra middle man trying to prevent you from getting the relief you are requesting, when it's already hard enough to get any consumer protection directly from an airline!  No reason to add extra obstacles!

My experience with Orbitz was pretty much the opposite.  I called asking for help with cancellation, and they actually alerted me to the fact that the airline had changed my outbound flight by more than an hour, and thus I was eligible for a full refund for that leg of my trip.  Of course I don't get the Orbitz fee refunded, but that was only about 7 bucks per ticket.

[MudPuppy]

We had a free-ish Disney trip planned for September that we will not be taking unless by miracle (of deity or of science, I'm not picky) so we aren't really out much money, luckily.

[Cranky]

We had some stuff booked through AirBnB in Italy next month, and I just got a notice saying that *they* were  canceling and refunding our money. We’ll see.

[Caroline PF]

We are tentatively planning a road trip to see my mom for her birthday in a month. We will only go if both states are opened up, and as long as neither area develops into a hotspot (both our respective counties have few cases).

We will also strictly isolate for 2 weeks before going.

[startingsmall]

We have a beach trip with family planned for late July. Rentals and beaches are currently open at our destination (Hilton Head).

Of the four couples attending, two of us always drive, one normally flies but could drive, and the other couple realistically has to fly. Once there, we typically spend most of our time hanging out at the house and on the beach, so it's easy to avoid crowds except at the grocery store. We typically go out for a restaurant meal or two, but we could easily skip that with minimal impact to the overall experience.

I'm just waiting to see what happens with cases (at our destination and nationally) and reopening statuses between now and then. I suspect things will blow up as states start re-opening, making it a more obvious decision, but hopefully I'm wrong.

[Neustache]

We have cancelled all three of our trips this year.  It's a bummer, but I also think we'll still have an amazing summer at home.  Willing to spend some decent money on gear to have fun at home.  Especially since our big ticket vacations are cancelled!

[mm1970]

Now that it has been 2 month since this thread started is anyone making current plans to travel within their own country? I'm in USA so big area and many places are starting to open up (not here in Calif yet). I don't have any plans to take a plane or any crowded mode of transportation myself, but I'd really like to do a camping road trip this month. Campgrounds are still closed as are most hiking biking kinds of places like Nat and State Parks, but I've started to look for a vacation rental house in one place but still seems dicey.

We were talking about this yesterday.  I guess no summer vacation for us. I cannot imagine CA opening up soon enough.  If it weren't for the virus, it would be a perfect time to drive to the East coast and visit the lake and work from there with the kids.  But too risky with the elderly relatives we would be visiting.

Yeah it looks like Calif will be shut down a bit more starting today according to Gov. Newsom. Don't blame him as it was CRAZY here in Surf City and elsewhere over the hot weekend. I stayed far far away. Well a couple of miles at least ;-). My plan was to leave this weekend and just stay in state but head north. Now I'm not sure. I'm going alone or with one other person and looking at a rental cabin or whole house vacation rental. Most only do it monthly now as short term tentals, other than some motels, haven't been allowed. Would also love to head to New England via car but I think that's off the table for now.

Yeah, it wasn't as bad here in Santa Barbara as it was down south in OC, but for sure there will still a lot of people up here from Los Angeles.  That kind of pisses me off because we ALMOST had our beaches closed because of it.

Generally, it seems like *most* of the locals are distancing (except for some younger people), but the tourists, not so much.

I haven't been to the beach at all, and I would like to go.  But my thoughts are...
1.  I'm slightly introverted, my family moreso.
2.  We have a house with AC and a small backyard.  Thus...
3.  We are (mostly) fine staying at home, having water fights in the back, hanging in the hammock.  I go for runs and walks in the neighborhood.

4.  My friends who are extroverted are STRUGGLING.  They REALLY want to go to the beach, on hikes, or to travel.  Some of them are out of work and under a great deal of stress from that.
5.  My friends who are stuck in small apartments with no AC really need to go to the beach/ take their kids out.

I just don't see that this is going to lighten up enough for us to do anything this summer.  Or even this winter.