The holidays were sometimes organized late, due to the uncertainties linked to the coronavirus crisis, but they are or will be, for a large part of the French. If you are going this weekend, you may still be wondering what precautions are still required, or what will happen if one of your reservations is canceled due to the health situation. The lawyer Roland Perez takes stock of your rights and your obligations.
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What are the health rules in force?
By train and by plane, wearing a mask is essential whether in traffic areas or when you are sitting in your seat. It cannot be removed for any reason. Also note that French or foreign aviation companies will be able, via thermal cameras or by direct temperature measurement, to verify that each traveler does not have more than 38 degrees of temperature. Some may even require a health declaration.
Can we get a refund for a canceled ticket?
If it is the company that is the cause of the cancellation, a change of flight or reimbursement is necessary, unless the traveler accepts a voucher, valid for 12 months. If it is the traveler who wishes to cancel, the question is whether this decision is related to a pandemic - otherwise, costs are to be expected. A word of advice: subscribe to the Ariane platform, set up by the foreign affairs site and which provides real-time information on the evolution of the pandemic in the world. This makes it possible to check whether the health situation justifies the cancellation of an air flight, and that the proposed cancellation insurance does not exclude pandemics.
CORONAVIRUS ESSENTIALS
> Coronavirus: what we know about transmission by micro-droplets in the air
> Coronavirus: three reasons to continue to respect barrier gestures
> Holidays: should grandparents worry about looking after their grandchildren?
> Can we catch coronavirus on a plane?
> Coronavirus: 5 mistakes not to make with your mask
Can reserved accommodation still be canceled?
For reservations made after deconfinement, whether it is a vacation rental, a hotel, a campsite or a vacation home with services, the traveler is guaranteed to be reimbursed without no restraint in the event that the evolution of the epidemic would make it impossible to go on vacation.
Some travel agencies go even further, as explained by tour operators in a press release, specifying that "in the event that the place of stay, in mainland France, is no longer accessible due to health constraints", they will put " every effort to find a new vacation spot in line with travelers' expectations. " And for those who find themselves in this situation without any alternative offer being suitable, the tour operators undertake "to proceed to the full reimbursement of all the deposits paid from May 15 for this stay".