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You've spent months fine-tuning the details of your vacation only to have a last-minute situation -- a work crisis, a dog or house sitter who bails or, gulp, the dreaded family emergency -- change your plans entirely.
Brace yourself for the worst (read: no refunds at all for those flights, cruises, hotel rooms and tours), but hope for the best. With the right approach, there's reason hotels in guadalajara mexico for a measure of optimism when it comes to getting at least some of your travel hotels in guadalajara mexico expenses refunded.
"There's no guarantee, but call the airline to see if they'll hotels in guadalajara mexico accommodate you," says Mark Drusch, chief supplier relations officer of CheapOair , about canceling hotels in guadalajara mexico airline tickets. Depending on the agent you get, sometimes you'll get by rescheduling without a charge." In the end, he says, hope for the best but be prepared to lose the remaining value of your ticket if you have to cancel.
"It's mostly 'give it a shot and try -- but don't expect a whole lot,'"says Carol Koenig, president of Group Trek Travel . She agrees that getting a supervisor on the line is priority number one. And if find yourself talking to someone who doesn't seem eager to help, hang up, call back and hope for a more empathetic agent with the next connection.
"Kill them with kindness," Koenig advises. "It doesn't help your case at all to be demonstrative and demanding. Say 'I'm sorry to bother you, but I really have a problem.' Sound as sorry as you can be and ask if there's any way to help."
If you're a member of a loyalty club, it can help your cause. "Hotels will give [your needs] priority over anyone else who doesn't hotels in guadalajara mexico have their [points]," says Koenig. The same goes for airlines and cruise ship loyalty clubs. Mention your status, then explain your dilemma. The more you've proven hotels in guadalajara mexico your loyalty to a particular company throughout years of traveling, the more likely that company is to be there for you in a last-minute-cancellation crunch.
Hotels are usually hotels in guadalajara mexico far more forgiving with cancellations than airlines are, but there are times when they won't budge on refunds. Even if you've reserved a room through an online booking site, your best bet is to call the hotel directly to explain why you need to cancel. If you're told a refund isn't an option, don't give up. "Even if it's a nonrefundable rate, you can sometimes convince a manager it's a circumstance warranting hotels in guadalajara mexico the cancellation," says Koenig, explaining that requesting a credit at the hotel good for a future stay sometimes works when it comes to salvaging hotels in guadalajara mexico what you've spent. It's certainly worth a try, right?
If you booked your airline ticket, hotel or tour through a travel agent, says Koenig, you can employ their efforts for your cause. "We have travel agent hotlines [with airlines and other suppliers, including cruise lines]; these are numbers the general hotels in guadalajara mexico public doesn't hotels in guadalajara mexico have," she explains , adding that, depending hotels in guadalajara mexico on the pull a travel agent has with a supplier [how much business he or she gives them on a regular basis, in other words], exceptions to change fees can sometimes be made.
As soon as you know you have to cancel, proceed immediately -- when it comes to getting a sympathetic response to a cancellation request, even hours can make a difference. "Escorted tours are like the cruise industry. They're going to be very strict with cancellations," says Koenig. "When you book something, you typically have a deposit that, within a period of time, becomes nonrefundable." hotels in guadalajara mexico Penalties become stiffer the closer you get to your departure date, she says. And delaying canceling your reservation hotels in guadalajara mexico only makes things worse.
On the topic of travel insurance, don't make the assumption that 'everything' is covered. Like all insurance policies, there are limits. With travel insurance, pay close attention to the list of 'covered reasons for cancellation', which spell out specifically what is covered for your plan, Travel insurance is great for protecting hotels in guadalajara mexico against a sick family member, death in the family, lost job, home fire, hurricane, jury duty, etc. Since travel insurance is a 'named peril' policy, hotels in guadalajara mexico is states the exact circumstances in which you can be covered for cancellation.
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