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Khaleej Times
a day ago
- Business
- Khaleej Times
UAE: Travel plans disrupted? Guide to refunds, rescheduling amid regional tensions
With rising regional tensions and airspace closures across the Middle East, many UAE residents are cancelling their summer holidays to the Caucasus and the Middle East, including popular destinations like Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Jordan, and Lebanon. The uncertainty caused by the ongoing Iran-Israel conflict has disrupted travel plans for many. With airspace closed, flights have either been delayed or cancelled, leaving travellers anxious about getting stranded or facing last-minute changes. 'People are either postponing their plans or cancelling altogether,' said Subair Thekepurathvalappil, senior manager at Wisefox Tourism. 'Travellers are opting for refunds instead of waiting. They are unsure how long the situation will last.' Avinash Adnani, managing director of Neo Travel and Tourism, observed a similar situation. 'Right now, most travellers are cancelling and waiting for more clarity,' he said. Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels. According to travel agents, airlines are offering full refunds in some cases. They said that if an airline cancels your flight, you are generally entitled to a full refund or can change your travel dates for free. 'Some airlines are also giving travel vouchers to use at a later date,' said Subair. However, if you cancel the trip yourself while the flight is still operating, regular cancellation rules apply, which may result in losing a portion of the amount. 'Refunds or date changes are offered only when the flight is cancelled by the airline,' said Adnani. 'If it's a voluntary cancellation, then the standard policies kick in.' Hotels and tours: 'Mostly flexible' The good news is that most hotels and tour operators are being supportive during this time, said travel aggregators. 'Hotels are mostly allowing date changes or refunds, depending on their policy,' said Subair. 'Local tours are usually refundable too.' Avinash added that in many cases, local agents in the destination countries are also doing their best to either offer full refunds or minimise losses. 'They are trying to help as much as possible,' he said. Online bookings: 'Could be tricky' For those who booked through online platforms, obtaining a refund may not be as straightforward. While possible, the process often takes time. Advice for upcoming travellers Travel experts suggest that when planning a holiday, consider destinations that are stable and currently open to tourism. 'There are plenty of beautiful and safe places to visit right now,' said Subair. 'And talk to your travel agent; they will help you book flexibly in case plans need to change again.'
Khaleej Times
4 days ago
- Business
- Khaleej Times
Iran-Israel conflict: UAE residents cancel travel plans to Georgia, Armenia
UAE residents are cancelling their travel plans to Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan, fearing they may be stranded if the Iran-Israel conflict expands into a war. Travel agents in the UAE said people are also not taking non-essential and leisure travel to these destinations. Some countries including Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Israel and Syria have closed their airspace in the ongoing Iran-Israel military conflict. Hundreds of people – most Iranians – have died in the war. Avinash Adnani, partner at Neo Travel and Tourism, said a lot of people who were planning to travel to Georgia, Kazakhstan, Armenia and Azerbaijan are cancelling travel plans, fearing they may get stranded there due to the war. Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels. 'Leisure and non-essential travellers are postponing their plans to destinations that are closer to the war zones as they're facing cancellations and travel restrictions. We're seeing package cancellations,' Adnani told Khaleej Times. Free date change Reena Philip, general manager of Air Travel Enterprises, Dubai, said there are a lot of cancellations and date changes due to the war as people are not travelling to nearby countries also for a few days. 'Trips are being postponed by people, hoping that the war will be over soon. Airlines told us that we can make free date changes,' she said. Subair Thekepurathvalappil, senior manager at Wisefox Tourism, said most of the flights were cancelled to these destinations due to airspace closure, therefore, a lot of people are trapped in those countries and efforts are being made to bring them back. 20% increase in airfares Thekepurathvalappil expects airfares to go up when travel fully resumes to these destinations after the conflict as people are trapped there. 'Since the summer travel season has set up, airfares have already gone much higher to many destinations. As soon as this war is over, a lot of people will travel to these destinations also which are closed now. And most of the airlines are full so this will result in an increase in airfares to countries affected by airspace closure due to war,' he said. Avinash Adnani added that airfares could jump 20 per cent once airlines fully resume their flights to war-affected Middle East countries that have closed airspace in the ongoing Iran-Israel war due to pent-up demand. 'There are a lot of cancellations to countries that have closed airspace which will reduce the availability of flights to these destinations. This will result in an increase in airfares due to the pent-up demand. The UAE travellers are not taking business and non-essential trips to these countries, but emergency travels only.' Reena Philip added that there will be a shortage of seats when the war ends and travel resumes, resulting in an increase in airfares on those routes. 'People are postponing because airlines are cancelling flights.'
