Following a statement made last week in regard to the #RefundPassengers social media campaign, Steve Witt, co-founder of Not Just Travel has clarified his comments and added advice for customers who are struggling financially and cannot afford a credit note in lieu of a refund.
Last week Mr Witt said that if everyone took a refund rather than a credit note, it would cause many operators and airlines to go under very quickly. Following the debate that arose, he has added to his earlier statement.
He commented: "Obviously, this is a really tough time for people and we are really sympathetic to that. The Covid-19 crisis is entirely unprecedented and unsettling. At the end of the day, looking after loved ones and their health and personal finances are priorities. To clarify, we would say if people can, and they are financially able to, then they could consider a credit voucher or rebooking with their travel company for next year. We saw around 54% of customers rebooking last week and that figure has only gone up as more have done so. But if this isn?t something they can do and they are really struggling with finances, then of course we would say to ask for a refund. It's a tough time for everyone, but we are working round the clock to try and help both our customers and the wider travel community to get the best advice and support."
In conclusion, Mr Witt added: ?For anyone who is not in a position to rebook or accept a credit note we as a company are doing everything possible to help customers obtain a refund and would encourage them to do so. We appreciate that in the current climate that this is not necessarily an easy process or as quick as it should be, which is why we have a team dedicated to helping customers do just that. We try and provide clients with an unbiased and transparent view of their options which in some cases means obtaining credit notes can be more financially appealing with certain operators giving more than 100% back in credit notes.?