It said: “We have heard from hundreds of passengers who often cannot access the money that they are owed through refunds for cancelled trips, leaving them significantly out of pocket.
“Many people have no guarantee of when they will next be able to travel or whether they will be covered by their travel insurance policy, making rebooking incredibly difficult.
“There is immense pressure on the travel industry as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, and it is vital that the government considers all options to support and help the industry navigate this challenging period.
“The government must urgently work with regulators and the industry to address this unprecedented challenge head on, and ensure that passengers who are now unable to travel are not left out of pocket, and that their consumer rights are upheld.
“While finding quick solutions should be the immediate focus, it is clear that any government and industry measures introduced in response to the pandemic will have a long-term impact on consumer trust and confidence.
“From being offered an alternative flight home and being clear about how and when to rebook a flight or holiday, to honouring refunds and guaranteeing insurance cover, people need to know that they can trust the travel industry to treat them fairly.”
In response to a request for a statement on the campaign, a spokesperson for Abta, which has been calling on the government to allow more time for refunds to be processed through its #savefuturetravel campaign, said: “Customers whose package holidays have been cancelled because of the pandemic absolutely have the right to a refund, and where cash refunds are requested they should be given as soon as possible.
“However, the worldwide travel shutdown has led to a huge volume of holidays being affected. Many travel agents and tour operators are unable to provide immediate cash refunds because they have not yet received money back from airlines and hotels, so they need more than 14 days to process refund requests.
“Abta’s expectation is that its members will provide a refund as soon as possible. Abta has introduced guidance for its members on refund credit notes to ensure that customers’ money is protected until the cash refund is paid, or a new booking is made. We will use this guidance as a way to hold our members to account.
“Abta has been calling on the government to provide assistance and support from the outset to protect both businesses and consumers. If companies are forced into bankruptcy, it will not only destroy livelihoods, but the Atol scheme would be overwhelmed, leading to even longer delays in customers recovering their money.”
