TAMPA, Fla. —
7th grader Nevaeh Moore was looking forward to a trip of a lifetime. She and 20 other Farnell Middle School students were headed to Paris after getting good grades.
“I was excited, nervous, and scared because I didn't know who was going to go with me,” Nevaeh Moore said.
The Moore family started saving money and making payments as soon as they found out last year.
“I was like alright well I'm going to do whatever, cut whatever bills I need to cut to make sure you get on this trip,” Nevaeh’s Mother Cynetra Moore said.
Nevaeh got her passport and was ready to fly until everything had to stop a few weeks ago. International travel came to halt because of COVID-19.
“I was a little sad, but I knew with all this going on I feel comfortable staying home with my mom and not out because I don't want to get sick,” Nevaeh Moore said.
Now the family is out more than $4,000 after EF Tours is refusing to give a full refund. Cynetra says the company told her they need to withhold money to pay their employees.
“We are going through a whirlwind of complaints and just trying to get anyone to listen.”
The Moore’s aren’t the only ones who are stuck.
“COVID-19 has been an absolute disaster for the travel industry as a whole,” Clint Hendersen said.
Henderson is the Senior News Editor at The Points Guy. The travel blog continues to get questions from travelers who are stuck in similar situations.
“It seems like the company EF Tours is responsible for the amount that she's paid. I mean it's not her fault that her daughter can't go on this trip,” Hendersen said.
We reached out to EF Tours and are still waiting to hear back. Meanwhile, Henderson says most airlines and hotels have been understanding and are offering refunds
“Some airlines and hotels are just instantly refunding you if they end up canceling the reservation. So wait for them to cancel rather than you canceling proactively," Henderson said. "If you have a trip coming up and you don't need the cash, you can wait for a voucher. Sometimes the airline or hotel will give you extra money in the form of a voucher instead of taking a cash refund."
The Points Guy has some tips for travelers that may have questions during the coronavirus pandemic. You can find more here.
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