THE travel bug has been hit by the flu bug and it is proving to be a pain for tour-loving Singaporeans.
Several had to pay monetary penalties when they cancelled their trips because of the current Influenza A (H1N1) pandemic.
Events manager Ivy Yeo, 32, said that when her sister cancelled a family trip, her family ended up paying 65 per cent of the land tour cost, or $4,170 - a sum they are disputing.
They aren't the only ones in the same predicament.
Consumers Association Of Singapore (Case) executive director Seah Seng Choon said that since April, it has received 115 cases of customers seeking help or information to postpone or cancel trips overseas , or seeking a refund for cancellation.
Of these cases, 25 related to the forfeiting of deposits and tour fees, and tour agencies or airlines charging for cancellations or imposing penalties on consumers.
Said Madam Yeo: 'We have been responsible citizens who do our part in keeping ourselves as well as the general public safe from H1N1. Yet we were penalised.'
Madam Yeo said her sister's family group of eight included their parents who are in their late 60s and young nieces aged 8 and 7.
Her sister, a 37-year-old accounts manager who wanted to be known only as Miss Yeo, cancelled the trip on 16 May, 13 days before their 29 May departure.
The penalty they were required to pay for the late cancellation was 75 per cent of the cost of the trip. (It would have been 50 per cent if they had cancelled 14 to 20 days ahead.)
It was lowered to 65 percent after they went to Case. But she felt it was still too much.
Miss Yeo said she would be fine with 25 or 35 per cent. After all, they had successfully cancelled their air tickets with Singapore Airlines (SIA) around the same time, paying a penalty of only $50 per ticket.
And 13 days should have been enough to change any bookings in Japan, she argued.
Complicated
But the general manager of her travel agency, ADTravel, who wanted only to be known as MrLim, 41, said it wasn't so simple.
It was a group tour of 12, including Miss Yeo's family of eight, he said.
When they cancelled, the agency had to cancel the trip for a family of four as well, who were given a full refund.
As for the flu, he said: 'We fully understand, but we still have other passengers going to Japan. In Japan, they didn't issue any (advisories), we have to base (it) on that.'
The manager who dealt with the family, Miss Lai Fei Ring, 34, said the total cost the firm had to bear for cancellations was more than $3,000.
This was mostly because it had to pay penalties and cancellation charges for the other family's tickets, while giving them a full refund.
She said: 'You pay money, then you cannot go. You think it's a loss for you. But what about the agent doing so many things for you?'
Other travel agencies have also seen a number of cancellations. They, too, said they do not normally waive their usual penalties because of H1N1.
The reason is that they are subject to the terms and conditions stipulated by land tour operators, hotels and airlines.
Said Chan Brothers' senior manager for marketing communications, Ms Annie Yeo: 'Unless the respective suppliers, including... airlines and hoteliers extend concessions in light of the current flu situation, we are not able to make exemptions.'
Tour agencies here have seen a large number of cancellations.
Chan Brothers reported 10 per cent cancellations and postponements, mainly to the US during the early stages of the flu pandemic, and Melbourne.
But things are improving. It has even seen some reinstatements of cancelled US trips.
CTC Holidays saw 20 per cent cancellations for Japan, while America and Europe saw around 60per cent cancellations. The number of tours shrank from more than 20groups to just nine for the June holidays.
Sino-America Tours Corporation also saw cancellations, mostly for the USA, and a fall in bookings as well, without specifying numbers.
Said Case's Mr Seah: 'Any goodwill gestures extended to passengers are left to the discretion of members. As a matter of good business practice, we would encourage travel agencies to extend such goodwill in view of the H1N1 situation.'
