Wildfires on the Greek islands of Rhodes and Corfu are causing chaos for thousands of British holidaymakers.
The Greek government said it has evacuated 19,000 people in the “largest ever” wildfire evacuation in the country’s history.
EasyJet repatriated 421 people back to the UK on two flights from Rhodes on Monday, with a third scheduled for Tuesday.
Jet2 has three repatriation flights leaving the island on Monday evening, flying 598 additional customers to Manchester, Leeds, Bradford and Birmingham.
But what should holidaymakers do if they have booked to travel to either of the islands – or they’re already there?
Largest ever evacuation from Greece – latest on Rhodes wildfires
Are airlines still flying to Rhodes?
Jet2 cancelled all flights and holidays to Rhodes until next Monday (31 July), saying “we will be contacting affected customers with regards to their refund and rebooking options”.
TUI also cancelled all flights to the island until Tuesday, with customers looking to fly out on Wednesday given the opportunity to rebook or cancel free of charge.
They advised that individuals set to stay at the TUI Blue Atlantica Nissaki Beach, Pantokrator, Golden Mare, La Riviera or Nautilusue hotels do not travel to the airport on 24 or 25 July.
EasyJet cancelled package holidays until Tuesday, and though it said it is currently “operating flights as normal” it was offering those who had booked to travel to or from Rhodes the chance to transfer to another date or request a flight voucher up to next Saturday.
Meanwhile, British Airways said it is offering customers on the island who need to return home early the opportunity to change flights free of charge and Ryanair said flights were “currently operating as normal and unaffected by the forest fires”.
Thomas Cook has cancelled all holidays to areas of Rhodes most affected by the wildfire – such as Kiotari and Lardos – until 31 July. The travel agency announced it had been in touch will all customers due to travel on 24 July to those areas to arrange “swift refunds”. It has also offered full refunds to customers due to depart for other parts of the island on Sunday and Monday who wish to cancel.
Thomas Cook will be in touch with people booked to travel on Tuesday to discuss their options, the firm added.
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Tourists flee hotels as Greek wildfires rage
How is Corfu being affected?
After fires broke out in the northeast of Corfu on Sunday, people due to go on a TUI holiday to affected hotels on the island on 24 and 25 July will not be able to stay there.
But those already evacuated from TUI hotels are “returning”, a spokesperson said, to “continue their holiday as planned”.
People already in Corfu and due to fly home with British Airways can “change their flight to come back earlier if they wish free of charge”. Anyone flying with BA “in the next week” (until Sunday 30 July) can change to a later date for free.
Jet2 flights to Corfu are flying as normal from 26 July and beyond. Ryanair and easyJet are also flying as normal.
What if I’m travelling in August?
Holidaymakers booked to go to the Greek islands in August are not being advised to change their plans for now.
Simon Calder, travel editor at the Independent, told Sky News: “At the moment the presumption is you will be able to go.”
He added that with no official advice in place, cancelling means you will lose “all or some of your money”, so travellers should wait until the fires have calmed and there is more clarity in the “coming days”.
If I’m with another operator, can I get a refund or a cancellation?
If it’s a package, the Package Travel Regulations say holidaymakers can cancel and receive a full refund “if unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances occur at the place of destination or its immediate vicinity which significantly affect the performance of the package or the carriage of passengers to the destination”.
“If you have been notified that your holiday which is due to depart in the next few days has been cancelled, then your travel company will be able to discuss your options with you – that could be offering a full refund or they might be able to discuss an alternative holiday,” said Emma Brennan, a spokesperson for the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA).
Evacuees wait to board buses in Rhodes. Pic: AP
Those seeking refunds for independent travel could have less luck.
“If you booked everything independently, if you booked a flight and that flight has now been cancelled, then they will need to provide a refund for that, then you would need to go through and speak to every element of your travel provider to understand what the terms and conditions are – what’s the arrangement with the hotel or accommodation that you have booked, what’s the refund policy, the same for any transfer or car hire,” she said.
The fine print of holiday conditions will differ with each operator.
What is the foreign office saying?
The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) has urged British travellers affected by the wildfires to follow guidance from Greek emergency services. A crisis management unit and phone hotline has been set up by them to help people in Rhodes.
It advises holidaymakers on any affected Greek island to contact their airline or holiday company who will be able to help them get back to the UK.
“If you are planning to travel to Rhodes, please check with your travel operator or hotel prior to travel that the area you plan to visit is not impacted by the current wildfires,” it said.
It has stopped short of advising against travelling to Rhodes or Corfu – a move that would significantly help anyone seeking compensation.
A burnt hotel during a wildfire on Rhodes
Am I covered by my travel insurance?
Whether holidaymakers are guaranteed compensation under their travel insurance policies hinges on if the UK government advises against travel to the area.
“The primary purpose of travel insurance is to cover the costs of emergency medical treatments or repatriation should the worst happen, which can run into the tens or even hundreds of thousands of pounds,” a spokesperson for the Association of British Insurers (ABI) said.
“It can cover you if you need to cancel or cut short your holiday, but it’s likely this will only be under limited circumstances, for example if you or a close family member fall ill, not because of a disinclination to travel.
“Insurance can cover you if advice from the government changes since you’ve booked your trip, and it’s no longer considered safe to travel to the destination.”
A beach covered in smoke during the wildfires
Instead, anyone concerned about travelling to the area should check with their travel provider and air carrier, the spokesperson added.
Some travel insurance policies may cover affected holidays under certain circumstances, so people are advised to check the scope of cover provided by their travel insurance.
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