CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) GUIDANCE

The UK government and/or FCDO restrictions on flying and holidaying abroad remain changeable at short notice.

Following the UK government’s most recent announcement regarding additional restrictions in England, we continue to devote resource to contacting affected customers in departure date order, using our expertise to help customers rearrange holidays. Where possible, and subject to airlines, terms and conditions, this will be done without fee, only any difference in air fares and/or villa prices will be payable. 

If you are due to holiday in the Canary Islands ( Lanzarote, Fuerteventura and Tenerife ), please see below for destination specific travel advice.  

Our office remains open 8am – 6pm, Monday – Friday, however only a limited number of phone lines will be open between 10 am and 2 pm daily. This is so we can assist all customers whilst prioritising those that need help most urgently, calling customers affected by disruption in departure date order. We will only use our social media pages to post occasional news updates.  

Please continue to check this page for the latest travel news and our FAQ's: https://www.villaplus.com/faq for guidance.

 Subject to further destination changes made by the government and/or FCDO, we reserve the right to amend our published information at short notice.

We remain grateful to our customers for their continued understanding of these changing events.

Important News Update For Customers Awaiting A Cash Refund

So far, in 2020 Villa Plus has refunded over 40,000 holidaymakers with cash refunds.

Customers still due a refund are in the cash refund queue.

We apologise for the delay caused by the Covid-19 crisis, the ongoing delays in receiving refunds from airlines for flight cancellations and the sheer volume of customer refunds to be processed means things are taking longer than we would hope.

We continue to process refunds as quickly as we can, in departure date order, however there are many factors affecting timings and we’re unable to advise when you’ll receive your refund.

You’ll receive notification from us once your refund has been processed.

We thank you for your continued patience.

Our teams are currently handling booking arrangements for customers travelling on the 6th December as a priority.

Due to operational disruption caused by COVID-19, travel documents are being sent to customers due to depart up to and including 6th December

Subject to further destination changes made by the FCDO, we reserve the right to amend our published information at short notice.

Please read our Coronavirus FAQ's below for information on Passenger Locator forms, which you will need to complete in the destinations shown, prior to your departure date, along with other entry requirements. UK residents will also need to complete a Passenger Locator form before your return to the UK.

From the 22nd October, the FCDO has lifted travel restrictions for the Canaries. Subject to further destination changes made by the FCDO, we reserve the right to amend our published information at short notice.

Departures up to the 4th October

- For Flight Inclusive Package holiday customers and Non-flight Inclusive Package holiday customers, we will refund you. Refunds will be processed as close to scheduled departure dates as we can, but workload remains high and occasionally this can take longer.

- Villa only customers will receive a voucher to be redeemed against a future villa only holiday, valid for 3 years..

Departures from 5th October to the 4th November

- We have been contacting customers individually to discuss their bookings.

Departures from the 5th November

- Our team will be contacting customers in departure date order, to confirm the details of their holiday. Customers will need to pay any remaining balances as a matter of urgency, so they are ready to travel.

Please read our Coronavirus FAQ's below for information on Passenger Locator forms, which you will need to complete prior to your departure date, along with other entry requirements, specific to your destination. UK residents will also need to complete a Passenger Locator form before your return to the UK.

We continue to work long hours to help our customers get away on holiday, working very much in departure date order. We will mostly be liaising with customers online, so that we can work as efficiently as possible and we will only use our social media pages to post occasional news updates.

Please note that from the 5th October 2020, a limited number of phone lines will be open from 10 am to 2 pm Monday to Friday, until further notice.

1 ) What are my options if I have a Package booking and there are no restrictions on British nationals for overseas travel, but travel to, or access to the location of my villa is currently restricted or prohibited by local or national authorities to that country or region?

If you've booked a flight inclusive package holiday with us, then you're protected under the current Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018. This means we can offer a refund, an alternative destination, or a deferred 2020 travel date. If we are unable to source an alternative destination or defer your travel date, you will be entitled to a full refund of the monies you have paid to us.

2 ) What are my options if I’m due to pay my holiday balance?

Customers due to pay the final balance of their holiday can reply to us on via the link on their balance reminder email, to discuss options with our travel team should they have any queries. In order to do so, please use the dedicated email address provided upon receipt of your balance reminder, to request a call.

3 ) What if I've booked other elements to my holiday?

If you have made your own arrangements, such as flights, car hire, airport parking, transfers or hotel stop-overs, direct with a company other than Villa Plus, then you will need to speak to the service provider / airlines that you made the booking with. They will have their own policy in regard to how they manage these claims. You should also contact your Travel Insurance.

4 ) What if I decide I don't want to travel?

Please review our information above for the latest update. If holidays continue to operate, your holiday will be subject to normal booking conditions and cancellation charges will apply. If your party is 'disinclined to travel' or has medical considerations, you should contact your Travel Insurers for their guidance on your policy cover.

5 ) I have a trip booked but no insurance. Can I buy it now?

Please note that most major Insurers, including ANY new policy that you purchase through Villa Plus, have suspended new policies offering travel disruption cover due to Coronavirus (COVID-19/SARS) & related viral illnesses with immediate effect, from 14th March 2020.

6 ) If I am unable to travel, am I entitled to compensation?

You won't be entitled to any compensation, as the reason for the holiday not continuing, is outside the control of Villa Plus.

7 ) What are the rules on Passenger Locator Forms ( PLF ) we have to complete for some countries and will travellers be required to be tested on arrival?

From the 1st July 2020, some EU countries have introduced a mandatory Passenger Locator Form ( PLF ) which must be completed either 48 or 72 hours prior to your arrival in the country, so if you are a UK resident, please check the FCDO advice for your specific country of travel which will provide full guidance instructions. Currently, the following applies:

GREECE - all UK travellers over the age of 18 must complete the PLF form - children may be added ( at the top of the form, before submitting ) to a parent’s form. Forms must be submitted 24 hours prior to departure. Failure to do so in advance may result in your carrier not allowing you to travel, or a 500 Euro fine on arrival and the Greek authorities not allowing you to enter the country.: https://travel.gov.gr/#/

ALL SPAIN - all UK travellers including children must complete the passenger travel form at least 72 hours before travel, failure to do so in advance may result in your carrier not allowing you to travel. The form must be completed for all members of the party travelling, otherwise you may be denied entry to the country: https://spth.gob.es/ . All travellers including children, must have a Covid-19 PCR test carried out 72 hours prior to their departure. The results must be in the form of a certificate, online results, or on paper and must show the date and time of completion, the identity of the person subject to it, their passport number, the issuing laboratory and the negative result in COVID-19. You'll be issued with a QR code whch must be shown at border control. Only Negative PCR, dated test results will be accepted.

SPAIN - CANARY ISLANDS - all UK travellers including children must complete the passenger travel form at least 72 hours before travel, failure to do so in advance may result in your carrier not allowing you to travel. The form must be completed for all members of the party travelling, otherwise you may be denied entry to the country: https://spth.gob.es/ From the 13th November 2020, all UK travellers 6 years and over, must have a Covid-19 PCR test, carried out 72 hours prior to their departure. The results must be in the form of a certificate, online results, or on paper and must show the date and time of completion, the identity of the person subject to it, their passport number, the issuing laboratory and the negative result in COVID-19. You'll be issued with a QR code whch must be shown at border control. Only Negative PCR, dated test results will be accepted and must be produced for inspection within 72 hours of arrival in the Canary Islands. Any traveller not complying with this directive, will be asked to attend a local testing station to have this test carried out by the local authorities at the travellers' expense and they will be required to comply with the local authorities instructions, should this test prove positive. In addition, all travellers must upload and keep active during your stay and for 15 days after your return, the mobile app Radar Covid contagion alert: https://www.gobiernodecanarias.org/principal/coronavirus/radarcovid/

CYPRUS - all UK travellers from the age of 12 years upwards are required to complete the required forms before travel - Children under 12 years old do not require to be tested in order to travel to Cyprus.. Failure to do so in advance may result in your carrier not allowing you to travel. AS per the FCDO travel advice: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/cyprus/entry-requirements. all travellers are required to take a coronavirus Covid-19 test before travel to Cyprus and will need to have received negative PCR test results back within 72 hours of their travel departure date. These test results must be presented to the local authorities / border staff, on entry to the country and can be in the form of an email or SMS, but must show the date and time the test was carried out and the type of test ( PCR. ) From the 1st August 2020, the UK moves into Category B for Cyprus visitors and prior to travel, all UK travellers must must complete the country entry form on the following link and provie any Covid-19 results requested: https://cyprusflightpass.gov.cy/

Please be aware that from October 24th 2020, new rules have been introduced in Paphos and Limassol: masks must be worn at all times, unless eating or drinking. Prior to 09:00 hours, only people with mobility considerations or the over 60's are permitted to shop in sypermarkets/ pharmacies and banks. A curfew has been introduced between 23:00 hours to 05:00 hours and restaurants and bars will close at 22:30 hours. The Cypriot authorities have announced additional measures for the districts of Limassol and Pafos from 8pm on 12 November until at least 30 November. This includes a ban on travelling to/from and between the two districts, except for permitted, exceptional reasons. A night-time curfew is in place in the districts of Limassol and Pafos, between 8pm to 5am. Failure to comply with these restrictions may result in a €300 fine.

PORTUGAL - All UK travellers ( adults and children ) must complete a Passenger Locator form prior to travel and print this, to show to your airline and to the border officials once you arrive in your destination.

ITALY - All UK travellers ( adults and children ) must complete a Travelller Declaration Form prior to your travel, to be given to the border officials once you arrive in your destination. Please refer to the FCDO advice for the latest guidance on testing and documents: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/italy

UK - All travellers returning to the UK after a stay overseas also have to complete a PLF form - advisory details can be found on UK Government wesbite on the following link: https://www.gov.uk/provide-journey-contact-details-before-travel-uk. The UK Passenger Locator Form (PLF) will need to be completed 48 hours before re-entering the UK for all passengers: https://visas-immigration.service.gov.uk/next

Travellers from non-UK countries must check the destinaton entry instructions applicable for their specific country of origin and for the destination they are travelling to.  

Please remember to carry a copy of your booking travel documentation with you, as you may be asked to produce this by local authorities.

Please ensure that your party wears masks where local regulations require this - Greece and Italy requires masks to be worn at all times in public places, unless dining. Remember to check our FAQ's for essential safety measures in place in our destinations, before you travel. All travellers may be subject to medical tests on arrival in their destination country and will be subject to the safety precautions in place.

8 ) How will I know if I can go on holiday?

If your original holiday plans remain unchanged then we will either email your travel documents to you, or give you access to these via our online portal. * IMPORTANT NOTICE Due to the current circumstances and logistical considerations around Conronavirus Covid-19, throughout July 2020, we are manually issuing ticketing information to customers and therefore our stated timescale has decreased. We will now send your ticketing documents approximately 3 - 7 days prior to your scheduled departure date.

9 ) Why did you refund villa only bookings on some dates, but have now changed your policy ?

We monitor the announcements and advice from the FCDO constantly and that advice changes almost daily.  Clearly this impacts upon us as a business and we must balance managing our business, whilst giving as much flexibility as possible to customers.  By offering a voucher valid for 3 years, we are doing all we can to help those customers that have been affected, unexpectedly in some cases, to get away this summer to destinations that are open, or if they prefer, can choose to holiday at another time over the next few years instead.

10 ) What happens If I have booked villa accommodation only and cannot travel ?

If Villa Plus can still provide the villa in your booked destination, then we would not issue any refund as your legal contract with us can be fulfilled. You should contact your travel insurer to check if your policy cover. To check what rules apply in devolved regions, please refer to the FCDO advice: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice

11 ) Complaints and Refund Timings for Tour Operators and travel businesses - ABTA Code of Conduct Advice

Due to the impact of Covid-19 on travel businesses, ABTA has temprarily relxed some of its Code of Conduct rules and provided guidance for the public on its website: https://www.abta.com/about-us/code-of-conduct

IMPORTANT NOTE: All customers are recommended to have appropriate travel insurance in place, from the time of booking their holiday and you are required to either take out our travel insurance or to arrange a policy that provides similar or greater cover..

Villa Plus are ABTA members and are ATOL protected. ABTA also provides assistance and we abide by their Codes of Conduct. Flight inclusive package holidays booked with Villa Plus are protected under our ATOL licence.

ABTA additionally provides general information and advice to consumers regarding Coronavirus, which can be found on their website: https://www.abta.com/news/coronavirus-outbreak

General queries about your travel arrangements with us can be found in our website FAQ section.