ENTITLEMENTS FOR HOLIDAY CANCELLATIONS

Since the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFA) has advised against all nonessential
travel overseas until further notice, you will probably have to cancel your trip if it is coming up in the next few weeks. At present, it is unclear how long the DFA travel advisories will last. Depending on the type of travel you have booked, you may be entitled to reschedule or cancel without administration fees.
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If you have booked a package holiday (defined as a booking advertised and sold as a whole, lasting more than 24hours, including an overnight stay and including two or more of transport, accommodation, car rental and other tourist activities) you have the right to cancel your holiday before it begins, under exceptional and unavoidable circumstances. You should discuss your cancellation options with your travel agent and see all government updates on www.dfa.ie

In the case of flight bookings, a number of airlines including Aer Lingus and Ryanair have cancelled most flights until further notice. Where your flight is cancelled, you are entitled to a choice of:

• Refund of the cost of your ticket within 7 days or
  
• Rerouting to your final destination at the earliest opportunity or
  
• Rerouting at a later date at your convenience, subject to availability of seats

In general, if the airline has not cancelled the flight but you no longer want to fly, you are not entitled to rerouting or a refund. However, some airlines may offer you alternatives such as a voucher or allow you to rebook your flight for later in the year.
Under EU law transport companies that run ferries and cruise ships (travel operators) must resolve issues caused by cancellations. If your ferry or cruise ship departure is cancelled, you are entitled to the choice of a refund or an alternative journey. Not all ferry services have been cancelled. This means you might be charged a cancellation fee if you decide not to travel. If your departure is in the coming weeks, your tour operator may offer additional flexibility to cancel bookings without incurring a cancellation fee. This option applies to ferry crossings due to depart up to end May or mid June 2020. Dates vary, so check with your travel operator directly. If you want to cancel a booking that is for a date later in the year, normal cancellation terms and conditions apply. You should contact your tour operator directly.
In terms of accommodation bookings, this very much depends on the lockdown status at the time of the intended stay. If the location of the accommodation is still in lockdown, you are entitled to a refund. If they are open but you need to cancel, you may be subject to cancellation fees and will need to check your cancellation policy.