Travel Advice

An Important Message for TripADeal Customers

The COVID-19 health crisis has resulted in significant challenges for travellers and the global travel industry as a whole. We appreciate that many of our customers are eager to hear how their new or existing bookings may be impacted. Please rest assured our team is working with suppliers around the globe to deliver the best possible outcomes for all of our customers.

We understand that many travellers would like a solution as soon as possible, however it's important we work through all trips systematically. This means we are progressing from month to month. Departures impacted by the current government travel ban are our immediate focus.

Please note: Although destinations visited may be the same for many of our customers, the specifics of how each individual trip (group flights, hotels etc.) were arranged can be very different. This is a complex situation and will take some time to work through all options.

Please note: All communications from our team are sent to the lead traveller in your booking - i.e. the person who made the initial purchase and provided their contact information (phone, email address etc). Please check with the lead traveller in your booking for all updates.

For the latest government travel updates, please see Smartraveller (AU) or Safe Travel (NZ).

What is TripADeal doing in response to COVID-19?

The TripADeal team is working closely with our local and international suppliers to provide solutions for customers whose travels have been impacted by COVID-19. Current offerings include credits for use on future travel, deferred departure dates, and also refunds where possible. It is a complex situation and there is no one-size-fits-all solution for all.

The global travel industry and its booking processes were designed to travel in one direction. Going through the booking process in reverse, when money has already been distributed to our suppliers, is a difficult task. However, we are doing our best to find appropriate solutions.

What options are you providing to customers?

In the early stages of the health crisis our team worked with suppliers to find solutions that were appropriate at the time. As the situation continues to evolve, so too have our offerings.

These now include deferring trips to a later date, an open credit that can be used on different trips, credits with restrictions to what trip or time of year you can travel (due to restrictions placed upon us by our suppliers), and refund requests, where our team works to recover funds from our suppliers where pre-payments have been made. You may also decline an offer and choose to seek a claim with your travel insurance provider, for which we can provide supporting documentation to assist your claim.

TripADeal will provide you with a credit offer once we have worked through the specifics of your individual trip. TripADeal will preserve the value of your credit offer while you consider alternate remedies available, noting that supplier conditions may in some circumstances require action to be taken within a set period of time. We will let you know if that situation applies to you.

More information on the range of options can be found below:

1. Defer to another date with no Supplier Fee
This option could be provided to a customer to offer them the opportunity to defer their existing travel booking to a later date. There is no fee associated with doing so. There may be some time restrictions on selecting new travel dates. This is largely due to time limits we have to change dates on airline tickets without voiding the original ticket or incurring additional fees.

2. Defer to another date with a Supplier Fee
This option could be provided to a customer to offer them the opportunity to defer their existing travel booking to a later date. There may be a supplier fee associated with doing so, this will be due to some non-refundable or non-recoverable portions of the original booking. There may be some time restrictions on selecting new travel dates. This is largely due to time limits we have to change dates on airline tickets without voiding the original ticket or incurring additional fees. Where any supplier fee is withheld in the offer, TripADeal will provide the details of the supplier including the amount.

3. Open credit with no Supplier Fee
This option could be provided to a customer to offer them an open credit to use on any itinerary available for purchase on the TripADeal website. There is no fee and offers the customer credit to the full value of their original purchase. There is no restriction on needing to travel on the same deal that was originally purchased. There are very limited restrictions on when this needs to be used by or travel by and is often dictated by our suppliers around the world on how long they are willing to hold the credit for and allow our customers to use it. We seek out the longest period of time possible to give the greatest flexibility.

4. Open credit with a Supplier Fee
This option could be provided to a customer to offer them an open credit to use on any itinerary available for purchase on the TripADeal website. There is a supplier fee associated with this option. The customer is offered a credit to the full value of their original purchase minus the supplier fee that TripADeal were unable to recoup. This fee is not payable but is deducted from the original purchase amount when the credit is offered back to the customer. We work on limiting this fee to the best of our ability.

There is no restriction on needing to travel on the same deal that was originally purchased. There are very limited restrictions on when this needs to be used by or travel by and is often dictated by our suppliers on how long they are willing to hold the credit for and allow our customers to use it. We seek out the longest period of time possible to give the greatest flexibility. Where any supplier fee is withheld in the offer, TripADeal will provide the details of the supplier including the amount.

5. Credit with restrictions and a Supplier Fee
This option could be provided to a customer to offer them a credit to use on a deal from the TripADeal website. This credit does come with restrictions and will be clearly outlined as to what these restrictions are. This will generally be restrictions to re-travel on a deal that is similar to the original purchase. Different to a defer option (same deal, new dates), this option allows you to pick a similar deal. Eg. If the restriction is Europe and the original purchase was an Italy deal, you could select a deal to Greece.

This option also incurs a supplier fee, this fee is not payable and is deducted from the original purchase amount when the credit is offered back to the customer. There may be some time restrictions on selecting new travel dates. This is largely due to time limits we have to change dates on airline tickets without voiding the original ticket or incurring additional fees. Where any supplier fee is withheld in the offer, TripADeal will provide the details of the supplier including the amount.

6. Credit with restrictions and no Supplier Fee
This option could be provided to a customer to offer them a credit to use on a deal from the TripADeal website. This credit does come with restrictions and will be clearly outlined as to what these restrictions are. This will generally be restrictions to re-travel on a deal that is similar to the original purchase. Different to a defer option (same deal, new dates), this option allows you to pick a similar deal. Eg. If the restriction is Europe and the original purchase was an Italy deal, you could select a deal to Greece.

This option does not incur a fee, you will receive a credit for the full value of the original purchase amount when the credit is offered back to you. There may be some time restrictions on selecting new travel dates. This is largely due to time limits we have to change dates on airline tickets without voiding the original ticket or incurring additional fees.

7. Decline an Offer - Seeking Insurance
You may choose to decline the options provided to you when our offer is presented regarding your upcoming trip. This would indicate to TripADeal that you are seeking compensation from your travel insurance provider. We will support your claim by providing any documentation you need. If you would like to choose this option please submit an enquiry on our Customer Support page by choosing "Update My Booking" and then "Enquire about a cancellation" to submit your request.

8. Refund Request (Best Endeavour Refund)
This option can be requested by any of our customers once you have received an official offer relating to your booking. TripADeal will act as your booking agent to recover funds from the suppliers involved with your deal where prepayments have been made. Credit offers are initially provided to give our customers the chance to re-book future travel with ease.

Where there are unrecoverable portions of your booking, TripADeal will provide our customers with the supplier details held in credit. TripADeal will preserve the value of your credit offer while you consider alternate remedies available, noting that supplier conditions may in some circumstances require action to be taken within a set period of time. We will let you know if that situation applies to you. Please note: an admin/processing fee of $300 per order will apply when processing your refund.

What is a Supplier Fee?

While we always try to avoid it, some trips incur additional costs due to a number of factors such as fare differences and exchange rates. These 'Supplier Fees' are determined by our third-party suppliers (airlines, hotels, tour operators etc.) and passed on to us. Please note: all funds are paid to our suppliers. There are no additional fees charged on top by TripADeal. Where any supplier fee is withheld in the offer, TripADeal will provide the details of the supplier including the amount and reason why.

Does TripADeal charge cancellation fees?

No. TripADeal does not and has never charged cancellation fees.

Why is it taking so long to get a response?

This situation has impacted every aspect of the global travel industry, not just travellers. Tour operators, airlines, cruise lines and hotels are some of the numerous suppliers we need to work with in order to find a solution for those who have booked trips with us. Global shutdowns, and us not being the only travel agent who these suppliers need to find resolutions for, means it can sometimes be slow to get a response. We are doing our best to speed up the process. Note: policies are changing regularly, and we are bound by the policies at the time of processing.

Is my tour still going ahead?

All tours are currently being assessed on a case-by-case basis in consultation with government travel restrictions and our associated suppliers eg. airlines, cruise lines and relevant on-ground operators. While your specific holiday may be unable to proceed right now due to the Covid-19, it could be able to go ahead with the same itinerary in future. Our team will reach out to the lead traveller of each booking when we have info.

Why is it so hard to reverse the booking process?

There are often multiple moving parts on our trips, including flights, hotel accommodation, and on-ground tour operations with local suppliers. Many aspects of a trip must be paid in advance, often up to 72 hours after your purchase, to lock in the best possible flight ticketing rate. Group ticketing is a standard practice within the aviation industry, allowing us to lock in a better price at a group rate. This is one of the reasons we have been able to provide such great prices.

Why can't I get a full refund today?

TripADeal acts as a booking agent, assembling all the moving parts which complete the overall package. This includes but is not limited to airline tickets, cruises, hotels and other services. After negotiating with our suppliers, some customers have been able to receive a refund, while others have been offered a credit for future travel. We are bound by what our suppliers are offering, however we're continuing to negotiate on behalf of customers for the best outcome. In some instances, the policies of the supplier have changed after we've already provided customers an offer and have been able to go back to them with a better outcome.

Why am I being asked to defer?

It's our aim to provide as much booking flexibility as possible for our customers. However, there are some instances where suppliers have imposed very specific limitations on how the credit of tickets can be used. For these instances, a deferral is the only option a supplier will provide. We will let you know if that situation applies to you.

Why are some credits locked into a destination?

We are bound by what our international suppliers are offering. For some trips, our suppliers are holding onto significant amounts of money that we have so far been unable to get refunded to us. Where suppliers are holding onto funds, we have to limit credits to that specific supplier.

I contacted the airline involved in my deal. Why don't they have a record of my booking?

Group bookings are commonplace within the airline industry. This means tickets are purchased in groups for ease of booking and to also access discounted rates. It may be the case that your ticket has been purchased, however the booking is not in your individual name. Our team is in regular communication with airlines to ensure customers achieve the best outcome possible.

I contacted the hotel involved in my deal. Why don't they have a record of my booking?

There are a few possible reasons for this. Firstly, your hotel may have been booked under a group booking, so it would not be in your individual name. Secondly, it is often a policy of hotels not to discuss bookings with anyone aside from the agent who booked them. Lastly, it could be that your hotel has not yet been booked, in which case our team will contact you to discuss next steps once they have assessed your trip. We are working through all trips systematically.

When will you be offering new trips for us to use credits on?

We're already rolling out new packages for 2021 and 2022. You can view our trips below. Our team is also hard at work creating new domestic Tour and Escape packages for those who would prefer to holiday closer to home. More trips will continue to be released soon. Credit holders can redeem their credit on one or multiple trips until the full value has been used.

2021 and 2022 Travel Deals Australian customers click here New Zealand customers click here

What happens to my credit if we can't travel this year?

When TripADeal provides credit offers, they are provided with the greatest amount of flexibility known at the time of providing the offer. We are aware of government restrictions and travel bans and, if it looks like you are unable to travel within the specified time frame, we will reassess your options and be in touch. We note that the majority of suppliers, including airlines, are also reacting to the government travel bans and offering extensions on when a credit must be re-booked or travelled by.

I'm experiencing financial hardship, what are my options?

For any hardship claims due to Covid-19, please refer to our Hardship Policy.

Will TripADeal still be here in future?

As an online travel agent we're in the fortunate position of having lower overheads than many businesses with storefronts. We have also made adjustments to our business to see us through to the other side of this situation and are confident we will be here long into the future. We have a great team, and when you're ready to travel, we'll be here to make it happen.