Want to cancel your Gulf Coast vacation? You might get your money back

Tanny Weisgram wanted to cancel her United Airlines tickets to Pensacola, Fla., in the wake of the tragic oil spill. “My husband has respiratory problems that can be triggered by the oil smell,” she says. She wanted to know if she could get her money back on nonrefundable tickets.

As far as I knew, the answer would be “no” — but it didn’t hurt to ask. She contacted the carrier, forwarded a letter from her husband’s doctor, and United refunded the fare, to my great surprise.

And that made me wonder: Is your Gulf Coast vacation refundable?

The AP waded into these waters back in May, when the full extent of the oil spill was still unknown. Back then, most hotels were offering credits for guests with second thoughts. Now, with oil still flowing, so are the cancellations.

In an effort to lure customers back to the beach, AAA has introduced a Beach Guarantee that is aimed at reversing the trend.

Upon request, you’ll get a full refund if a beach within 20 miles of your hotel is closed or declared unsafe by an official government agency.
You can check out early – without penalty – if a beach within 20 miles of your hotel is closed or declared unsafe by an official government agency.

InterContinental Hotels also has a No-Risk Beach Guarantee.

Orbitz offers a similar Open Beach guarantee:

Customers who make a standalone hotel booking at a participating property on Orbitz.com for travel between June 14 and July 31, 2010, will be eligible for a full refund on their hotel stay if a government agency closes a beach within 20 miles of the property or declares it dangerous.

For what it’s worth, I haven’t had many complaints or questions about canceling a Gulf Coast vacation. But to get a good idea of how the tourism industry is thinking about its own rules, you might want to check out this advisory from the vacation rental site HomeAway. It’s meant for homeowners — not customers.

“Reconsider your cancellation policy,” it suggests. “We’ve always been big proponents of the strict cancellation guidelines, but in light of this situation, you might consider being more flexible with your refund policy.”

It adds,

When prospective renters are nervous about the oil spill, a stringent cancellation policy will only help to convince them not to book. While we don’t advise that you impose no penalties for cancellations, you can strike a balance that’s fair to both you and your renters.

For example: If the beaches close and your guests decide not to come at all, you might issue a full refund minus an administrative fee.

And that is perhaps the biggest takeaway for visitors: It’s all negotiable, no matter what they say. When more than half of all vacations to the Gulf Coast beaches are being canceled, everything is negotiable.

I’ve said it before; there’s no better time to head to the Gulf Coast. After all, there’s more to do in a place like the Florida Panhandle than go to the beach.

I’m hoping to get a firsthand look later this month.

  • http://sanibel-rentals.net Sylvia Guarino

    Although oil has not hit Sanibel Island and the projections are that it won’t (oh, please!), all vacation rentals to my knowledge are offering an oil free guarantee. Our own vacation rental properties are assuring travelers that if oil hits the beaches and they are closed that all monies minus the booking fee will be refunded. I think this makes sense and hopefully will keep rental guests from being afraid to make plans and book their holidays.

  • Chicky

    Chris, thanks for still telling readers to come to the Gulf Coast. From Louisiana to the Florida panhandle, so many people and businesses have been affected by this disaster, to say nothing of the effects on the ecosystem.
    However, you’re right: there is a lot more to do than just go to the beach. I’m most familiar with the Alabama/Penscaola, Florida region, and I can tell you there are so many things to do. The restaurants are still open and there is some great seafood to be had. In Gulf Shores, you can visit Fort Morgan, take your car on the ferry across the bay to Dauphin Island and prowl there for a while, then drive into Mobile, where they have a great art museum, as well as many other things to do, like seeing the USS Alabama battleship. Drive to Malbis, just off I-10, and see the Greek Orthodox Church. It is open to the public and really is quite spectacular.
    You can do the outlet mall thing in Foley, AL, if that’s your cup of tea, then drive to Pensacola, which is filled with attractions. One of my favorite stops is the National Naval Aviation Museum on the Naval Air Base. This museum is HUGE, features an IMAX theater and best of all, is FREE! It’s an incredibly well done museum, with exhibits, motion-simulator rides and real airplanes you can touch. They’ve recreated part of the flight deck of the carrier USS Cabot in part of the museum, if that tells you anything. Check out their website: http://www.navalaviationmuseum.org. It’s a great place.
    The people and businesses on the Gulf Coast need tourists now, more than ever. Please help these folks keep their livelihoods. Thanks.

  • Thalassa

    Chris, THANK YOU for continuing to promote the Gulf! The people of the Gulf area need income more than ever, and there are so many great things to do in every city around the Gulf of Mexico!

    I love going to beach cities, even though I rarely get in the ocean water. There are museums, amusement parks, ships, and fantastic resort hotels.

    Go South!

  • Mike

    No offensse to anyone in the southern states, but when you plan a trip down south, it is usually for one of a few reasons. To go to Disneyworld, visit or move aging parents, or to go to the beach.

    I’m not going to risk spending thousands of dollars heading to a location where I can’t enjoy the one great thing about being there. So the fact that hotels and other locations are offering money back guarantees makes me feel better. just wondering what the “administrative cost” equals in dollars. Is this like a $25 a night Vegas thing?

  • Chris in NC

    At the risk of being bashed, here are my opinions (from someone in NC who visits the panhandle on an annual basis with family)

    1) I think the “beach guarantee” is a sham. The kicker is that a beach has to be closed within 20 miles of the property. So far, even with moderate to heavy oil landfall in Pensacola and points west, no beach has been “closed” by the government in my knowledge. My suspicion is that there will be significant pressure not to close the beaches to avoid having all the resorts invoke their refund policy.

    2) The purpose of our family + my in-laws family driving 800+ miles to go to Panama City Beach each year is to enjoy the beach. We can easily drive 150 miles to the NC coast. We CHOOSE to go to the Gulf (partly because of tradition), but because of its white sandy beaches. I realize there is still a ton to do there (ie Florida Caverns, canoeing on the Blackwater River, enjoying the numerous state parks).

    3) My objection is paying PREMIUM prices (essentially $2800 a week in October) for oceanfront accommodations, to not be able to enjoy the beach or swim in the water. Its not that we don’t want to support the gulf and/or the Florida panhandle, but if I wanted to go down and enjoy the other stuff, we can easily get a place that is INLAND and pay a fraction of the prices.

    4) I agree that the properties that are being rigid and inflexible (and sometimes arrogant) are hurting themselves. If we choose not to come to the panhandle this year (and that is still being debated among our family), our desire to come back will be based on how flexible or rigid our property is regarding deposits, etc.

    5) I REALIZE that Panama City has NOT been affected by the oil spill (except for a few tar balls), so please hold the criticism that we are being reactionary. But the cold hard truth is that a) the oil is still flowing, b) October is 3 months away, c) ocean currents are funny things, d) we still have the meat of hurricane season to go through. As any of you would, we like to have a contingency plan!

  • Carver

    @Mike

    …but when you plan a trip down south, it is usually for one of a few reasons. To go to Disneyworld, visit or move aging parents, or to go to the beach.
    ====================
    That’s a very limited and uninformed view of southern states. And I’m a Californian.

  • Mike

    @Carver
    It may be a limited view, but when people I know from the Midwest say they are traveling south to a southern coastal state, it is usually to Florida, Texas beaches, or the city of New Orleans. Everything else is pretty much for business. The reasons they give for heading to Florida are the beach, relatives, or Disney. New Orleans is self explanatory. I’ve never heard one person tell me they were headed to Florida for vacation and at some point didn’t mention the beach or Disney. Even those who were going to visit others had those type answers. And to be honest, if you took away the beaches from Florida, what you have left wouldn’t be nearly the tourist destination that it is now.

  • Meredith Putvin

    One thing about the hotel chains I’ve noticed, is when a disaster hits, they do respond, sometimes proactively.

    With 9/11, as soon as things came to light, corporate put out a notice to waive cancellation penalties. Same with Katrina… Hells, my department was coordinating with all the call centers to handle the volume and spreading the words. We would have 2x daily conference calls with the center managers and corporate VPs. When Katrina was looming, the chain started acting prior to the strike.

    OF course, this is the chains themselves, and not the third party sites or airlines.

  • Carver

    @Mike

    And that’s why your post is limited and uninformed.

    Why not pick up a guidebook to the South and learn of its riches. For example, each year, millions of American visit the various civil rights museums, the church where Dr. King preached, and other historical landmarks relating to slavery and segregation.

    Or if you are religiously minded, the south is easily the most religious part of America routinely hosting national religous gatherings.

    And while I wouldn’t be caught dead there, there is always Graceland, which plays host to over half a million folks each year or Dollywood which hosts over 2 million guests annually.

    And incidentally, I’ve never been to a beach in the South not have I been to Disnyworld.