Holidays Why all is not lost if you have to cancel a trip

A refund will depend on how soon the departure date is and the type of booking, so people are now selling it trips, writes Shane Hickey

- Shane Hickey

Even the best-laid holiday plans can go awry. Illness, bereavements, break-ups, money problems, redundancy, pregnancy, jury duty, floods - all of these can throw a getaway into disarray.

But while you may miss out on a break in the sun or relaxing city break, you do not necessarily have to lose all of your money as a result of problems at home that force you to cancel your trip. You can now sell on your holiday in much the same way you sell on a concert ticket, although that is not the only way to get some money back.

Cancellations and refunds This will depend on how close you are to going away and what sort of booking you made. It is unlikely that you will get all of your money back when you cancel a package holiday as most are sold as not fully refundable.

The closer you cancel to the departure date, the more it is likely to cost you. Tui, one of the biggest tour operators in the UK, will keep the deposit paid on a holiday if it is cancelled 70 days or more before departure and then a growing percentage of the overall price as you get closer to take-off.

For example, if you cancel 65 days before, you will have to pay 30% of the booking price, while if there are two weeks or less to go you will pay the whole cost. Jet2Holidays has similar charges.

If you put the holiday together yourself, then often the flight part will not be refundable if you decide not to travel. Ryanair's terms and conditions say if you do not travel, you are not entitled to money back.

EasyJet allows cancellations within 24 hours of booking but charges a £49 fee online (£55 if you do it through customer services). Some other airlines offer refundable tickets. These typically cost more than standard tickets when you buy them - so check which type you have.