✉ I booked a trip to Milan with Alitalia on October 24 using Expedia. As the flight was only three days later, I went straight to the Alitalia website to check in online. The site was a total mess, so I just assumed that it was down for technical reasons. Eventually I remembered a conversation I’d heard about Alitalia being in financial trouble, so I checked and discovered that Alitalia ceased flying on October 14. How Expedia could sell me a £500 flight on a bankrupt, non-operating airline is a mystery. I immediately requested a full cash refund but was issued with an airline credit for a future trip on Alitalia. Then, when I complained, I was told that this was valid for travel on its replacement, ITA, in which I have no confidence. Expedia should have known better and I think it should refund me.
Victoria Hennessy, via email
You would have hoped that one of the world’s largest online travel agents would have been aware that a big airline had ceased operations. And when you pointed out it had sold you a worthless ticket, it should have refunded you immediately, rather than adding insult to injury with a voucher for the defunct airline.
It has now come to its senses. “We apologise that the customer has been waiting for a response on this incident. This falls short of our usual customer service and has been flagged. We can confirm that we are in the process of refunding the customer,” Expedia said.
✉ We booked to stay at Drift Thelu Veliga Retreat in the Maldives through Agoda and were planning to go for a week from January 18. However, Agoda got in touch a few days ago saying that the rate we’d booked applied to honeymooners only and we would have to present a wedding certificate with six months’ validity from the wedding date.
I replied that it wasn’t a honeymoon, but we do plan to get married next year — this was a kind of pre-honeymoon. The company then said the property was fully booked and offered us a full refund plus about £265 in pointless “Agoda cash” or the option to rebook somewhere else. Neither option appeals because we had our hearts set on Drift Thelu and we’re very disappointed. Is Agoda legally allowed to do this?
Dan Barker, via email
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There is little you can do in this situation, however frustrating and disappointing it is, but fortunately Agoda was quick to act when I sent details of your case. It contacted you to apologise, said that this was a rare situation and confirmed that your booking has been reinstated. So you can now look forward to escaping to a tiny tropical island for your pre-honeymoon.
✉ My husband and I would love to attend the athletics super-weekend at the Paris Olympic Games in 2024. Can you tell me where to buy tickets and suggest some mid-priced hotels or B&Bs?
Sam Parsonage, via email
You deserve a medal for being so quick off the starting blocks, but tickets for the Paris Olympics won’t be on sale until 2023. The official website, paris2024.org, only offers information on volunteering and selling branded merchandise. As for hotels, I found one enterprising property that has rooms on sale for August 2024 — with a hefty mark-up. Kube Paris, between Montmartre and Canal Saint-Martin, is selling doubles from £445; rooms there start from as little as £76 this month.
But I’d be wary of committing to an expensive room rate too early because there tends to be a drop-off in traditional tourism in host cities during the Games, leaving plenty of last-minute hotel capacity. When you do book, somewhere in the Marais on the Right Bank would make a great base; it’s a short stroll from Châtelet RER station, which is a few stops from the stadium, while attractions including the Centre Pompidou and the Louvre are within easy walking distance.
Try Caron de Beaumarchais, an affordable antique-filled boutique hotel that has bags of charm, themed around The Marriage of Figaro by Beaumarchais. Rooms are tiny but have timber-beamed ceilings and little balconies with great views of the rooftops (carondebeaumarchais.com). Or opt for the Jeanne d’Arc, a quirky 17th-century townhouse tucked away down a quiet lane near the wonderful arcades of the Place des Vosges (hoteljeannedarc.com).
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✉ We are due to go on a cruise to the Canary Islands and when we return will have to take day two PCR tests and isolate until we get the results. The problem is that my husband has just had Covid. I’ve read on gov.uk that if you have recently recovered you should use a lateral flow test because it is less sensitive than a PCR, so is less likely to return a positive result from a historic infection. Is it possible to get an exemption?
Jane Stanley, via email
Unfortunately not. The advice from the Department of Health and Social Care is that the travel rules are separate from the advice you read on the government website. Your husband will need to have a PCR test because this allows genome sequencing to identify Covid variants such as Omicron.
✉ Months ago my family and I booked flights to Barcelona for a break just before Christmas. Our children are 13 and 15. Now Spain has changed its rules and is allowing in only those who are fully vaccinated, how can we go?
James Parker, via email
Spain is one of many countries to have toughened its entry restrictions because of the threat of the Omicron variant, and this new rule will ruin the holiday plans of many families. Children aged 12 to 15 can now have a second jab, but because first doses were only dispensed from mid-September and there must be a three-month gap before a second, followed by a 14-day window for the vaccine to take effect, I’m afraid there’s no chance of churros and hot chocolate on Las Ramblas before Christmas.
There is also the long-running problem of this age group not being able to prove their vaccination status because they don’t qualify for the NHS Covid Pass for travel. Until this issue is resolved you won’t be able to fly to Spain as a family. The government is, apparently, still “exploring ways” to provide fully vaccinated children with a pass.
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Have you got a holiday dilemma? Email traveldoctor@thetimes.co.uk
