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Holidaying in France: your consumer rights to a refund under new quarantine rules

The Louvre -  CHARLES PLATIAU/REUTERS
The Louvre - CHARLES PLATIAU/REUTERS

Holiday plans have been left in tatters for Britons hoping to travel to France this summer as they face having to quarantine for at least seven days on arrival.

French ministers are preparing to add Britain on the country's equivalent of the amber list, which would require a week-long self-isolation and a PCR test at least 48 hours before arrival. Police are to be given powers to levy fines of between €1,000 (£846) and €1,500 for anyone breaching quarantine.

These tougher restrictions match the British Government's travel advice, as France is on the "amber list" of countries. This means that anyone travelling to France would need to take three PCR tests and quarantine for 17 days in total by abiding by both countries' restrictions.

Internationally travel is legally permitted but the Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office still advises against all non-essential travel to France.

Britons planning to start their trip in the coming days must now start the process of requesting refunds and claiming on their insurance, unless they are prepared to self-isolate upon arrival and return.

So what are your consumer rights and what refunds are you entitled to?

If you booked directly with your airline and it cancels your flight then you are entitled to a full refund.

If your flight is still running and you no longer want to go on your trip then you should hold off cancelling your booking yourself and hope that the airline does. If you voluntarily cancel, you are unlikely to get any money back.

Martyn James, of consumer rights group Resolver, said: “Consumers are being asked to take all the risks when booking travel. If flights are still running and the Government advice is not to travel, you are not technically entitled to a refund.”

Most major airlines have waived their flight change fee, allowing customers to postpone their travel date if needed. It is worth checking the terms of the airline you booked with.

A spokesman at credit card company Visa said passengers were not required to accept any changes to the service they originally purchased. If flights are rescheduled, there are ways you can try to get your money back instead of re-booking or accepting a voucher.

If you purchased your tickets on a debit or credit card and the seller is withholding a refund, you can contact your bank to make a “chargeback” claim. You can ask your credit card provider for a refund under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act.

The section is a legal act that protects you when you spend on your credit card but the value of the ticket or item must be between £100 and £30,000 to make a claim.

If you are unable to get a refund from the airline, you should turn to your travel insurance provider.

Unfortunately, the vast majority of travel insurance will be invalid if it has not already been purchased, according to Tommy Lloyd of Medical Travel Compared, a travel insurance comparison firm. Travel restrictions typically void policies if a country is added to the FCO’s “blacklist”.

He said: “I have always said how important it is to buy travel insurance at the time of booking and this horrendous situation is a good example of why this is an absolute necessity.”

Only 4pc of providers cover the cost of having to quarantine while abroad and there is currently no insurer that will pay out on cancellations due to lockdown, according to ratings agency Defaqto.

If you bought travel insurance right now for an imminent holiday to France, as the FCO advisory is now a "known event" it is likely you would not be able to claim for a cancellation, he said.

Those who still plan to travel and accept the quarantine penalty on return should contact their travel insurer to explore their options and ascertain their level of cover.

Patrick Ikhena of Compare the Market, a price comparison website, said many insurance providers had started to offer “enhanced Covid cover” to give passengers more peace of mind. However, these are unlikely to include cover if you travel to a region against FCO advice. There are many different degrees of protection currently so it is important to check what you are covered for.

If you do not already have travel insurance and still want to travel despite the Government warning, there are insurers that will cover you. CoverForYou, Cedar Tree and Outbacker all provide full protection if the FCO advises against all but essential travel and your travel is deemed essential. The providers will not cover you for any issues related to Covid-19, however usual cover would still apply.