A man holds a child in his arms, both wearing masks to protect themselves from the coronavirus epidemic - Burhan Ozbilici / AP / SIPA

“If one has purchased a stay (transport and hotel), article L211-14 of the Tourism Code allows the consumer to cancel before departure without any cost when exceptional circumstances, at the place of destination or nearby , have important consequences for the performance of the contract, ”explains Raphaël Bartlomé, head of the legal department at UFC-Que Choisir. However, this provision, which came into force in July 2018, "does not provide instructions on how to understand the risky nature or not of a destination", decrypts the general secretary of Tourism and Travel Mediation, Khalid El Wardi .

In the event of an epidemic, like the new coronavirus, "it is extremely difficult to judge, in a changing situation, what is the area of" immediate proximity "" allowing you to cancel or postpone your trip at no cost, explains he. You will have to look on a case-by-case basis and see if the request is reasonable on the date requested. Likewise for the destination: "If I go in the heel of the boot of Italy, there is no risk, but if I go in the area (affected by Lombardy and Veneto), I can raise this hypothesis and be reimbursed at no cost, ”says Raphaël Bartlomé.

Purchase of a flight or accommodation

The traveler who has taken a train or plane ticket, or even booked a hotel will be dependent on the commercial policy of each professional. If the contract cannot be modified, canceled or reimbursed "without heavy penalties, as is unfortunately more and more the case", underlines the head of the legal service at UFC-Que Choisir, "let me go in China or in an area where there is a spread of the virus does not make it possible to obtain cancellation free of charge ”.

The traveler can try to negotiate with the hotelier, who can agree to postpone their nights or "refuse and invoice all or part of what has been paid, as penalties". As for the cancellation insurance and the credit cards which include it, "you have to check the contracts, but most of the time we will find exclusions of cover in the event of natural phenomena, civil war, demonstrations and pandemics", indicates- there. "Most will not cover these assumptions. "

In case of air suspension

The traveler must contact his airline, with a situation that changes from day to day. Air France has suspended its flights to Beijing, Shanghai and Wuhan since January 30, and expects a gradual resumption from March 29, with a return to normal from April 13. Its passengers were therefore able to cancel or postpone their flights at no cost.

Regarding Italy, the company indicates that passengers with a ticket issued until February 25, 2020 for an Air France flight departing from or going to northern Italy, Milan-Malpensa and Milan-Linate, Venice, Bologna and Turin between February 25 and March 15, 2020 can postpone this trip without charge until April 3, 2020 inclusive. They can also change destination or departure city, or cancel the trip, against a non-refundable credit, valid for one year.

After a stay in an affected region

"If you have not contracted the disease, you will not be supported or repatriated," says Olivier Moustacakis, co-founder of the online comparator Assurland.com . "However, if you are sick, repatriation insurance can obviously cover repatriation".

Take repatriation travel insurance, which is "not expensive", perhaps "frankly essential if you go to countries where medical costs are prohibitive, such as the United States, Japan," he said.

Society

Coronavirus: A sick doctor from Oise hospitalized in Nantes at the request of the authorities

Society

Coronavirus in Auvergne Rhône-Alpes: One patient in intensive care, three new cases in Haute-Savoie

  • Refund
  • coronavirus
  • Society
  • Trip