Coronavirus (COVID-19) Travel Policy Updates
March 19, 2020 – Global Health Advisory: Level 4 – Do Not Travel
The U.S. Department of State advises U.S. citizens to avoid all international travel due to the global impact of COVID-19. In countries where commercial departure options remain available, U.S. citizens who live in the United States should arrange for immediate return to the United States, unless they are prepared to remain abroad for an indefinite period. Many countries are experiencing COVID-19 outbreaks and implementing travel restrictions and mandatory quarantines, closing borders and prohibiting non-citizens from entry with little advance notice. Airlines have canceled many international flights and several cruise operators have suspended operations or canceled trips. If you choose to travel internationally, your travel plans may be severely disrupted and you may be forced to remain outside of the United States for an indefinite timeframe.
Helpful Links
Center for Disease Control (CDC)
World Health Organization (WHO)
U.S. Department of State
Contacting Tenon Tours
Due to the large call and email volume we are experiencing, please be patient as our immediate priority is to assist those customers in destination. Tenon Tours will then prioritize bookings set to travel within the next 30 days and so on.
As a reminder, this situation is fluid and changing daily so we greatly appreciate your patience and understanding.
Flight Monitoring
Notice to clients: Please check your flight status directly with your airline and inform Tenon Tours via email of any changes or updates.
Due to the volume of reservations and ever-changing flight updates, Tenon Tours is not responsible for monitoring or notifying clients of any flight changes, re-routings or cancellations.
Travel Documents
Important: Travel Documents will not be issued for travelers departing within 30 days until Tenon Tours has been officially notified of your plans to travel, reschedule or cancel. Please contact your Travel Specialist and/or By-Your-Side Service℠ TEAM Member with any trip updates and/or questions about your travel documents.
Options for Booked Travelers
At this time we will continue to plan, book and operate trips to our destinations pending any official restrictions or bans put in place. Please note, any policy change or updates are subject to change at any time due to the ongoing updates regarding COVID-19.
Tenon Tours is currently offering the adjusted cancellation and change policies from our standard terms and conditions as follows:
DEPARTING WITHIN 30 DAYS
Do Not Travel / Official Restrictions In Place – Currently applies to all international travel
We will require cancellations or re-booking of all trips departing within 30 days of any Level 4 warning to avoid affected areas. Tenon Tours is waiving all change fees and offering price protection up to 5 percent of the original trip cost if you choose to reschedule your trip to a future date in 2020 or 2021. Please note, you will be responsible for any non-refundable costs imposed by our suppliers (airfare, hotels, transportation) for your current travel dates.
Price protection only applies to land value of your original vacation package, and can only be used if all funds are used towards the rescheduled trip (no refund of monies paid). Tenon Tours will credit all funds to your new trip when rescheduled. Any increase above 5 percent will be added to the cost of the new trip.
If your trip is affected, Tenon Tours will contact you directly.
Do Not Travel / Official Restrictions In Place
Applicable to: Italy
We will require cancellations or re-routing of itineraries to avoid affected areas. If your trip is affected, Tenon Tours will contact you directly.
Option #1: Reschedule For A Future Date
Tenon Tours is waiving all change fees and offering price protection up to 5 percent of the original trip cost if you choose to reschedule your trip to a future date in 2020 or 2021. Please note, you will be responsible for any non-refundable costs imposed by our suppliers (airfare, hotels, transportation) for your current travel dates.
Price protection only applies to land value of your original vacation package, and can only be used if all funds are used towards the rescheduled trip (no refund of monies paid). Tenon Tours will credit all funds to your new trip when rescheduled. Any increase above 5 percent will be added to the cost of the new trip.
Option #2: Cancel
Based on your departure date, your cancellation penalty plus any non-refundable air, tour components or insurance premiums is as follows:
31-60 days- 75%
61-90 days: 50%
91+ days: 35%
Option #3: Cancel For Any Reason Waiver* (CFAR) with purchase of TripMate Travel Protection
If you have purchased our Travel Protection Plan through Tenon Tours (provided by TripMate) within 7 days of your trip deposit, you may be eligible to cancel and receive a future travel credit under our “Cancel for Any Reason” benefit (see details at the bottom of the page).
Travel Protection Plan – Benefits and Terms specific to the Coronavirus
| Benefits | Maximum Benefit | Requirements |
| Cancel For Any Reason Waiver | Travel Certificates | Payment for the plan is received within 7 days of the initial deposit for trip. Trip is cancelled no later than 7 business days prior to scheduled departure for any reason. |
| Trip Cancellation | Trip Cost | Sickness, death, quarantine of the traveler, shutdown of an airport preventing departure on the trip. Sickness requires treatment and disability from travel by a physician. |
| Trip Interruption | 150% of Trip Cost | Sickness, death, quarantine as specified | Government mandated-shutdown of an airport (other than terrorism / war). Trip Interruption due to fear/change of plans is not covered. |
| Missed Connection | $750 | Quarantine, flight delay or cancellation. |
| Travel Delay | $750 ($250 per day) | Quarantine, flight delay or cancellation. |
- A travel advisory in itself is not a covered event under the plan; therefore, Trip Cancellation or Trip Interruption benefits cannot be paid on the sole basis that a government-issued a Do-Not-Travel warning.
- The advisory, however, can result in coverage under Missed Connection, Trip Interruption or Travel Delay if the travelers are already on the trip, and their flights are canceled, and benefits can be paid under Cancel For Any Reason Waiver if the airports are shut down (please see the chart below).
- If Tenon Tours (not the traveler) cancels the trip solely due to a travel advisory, there will be no Trip Cancellation benefits under the plan; we will refer the traveler to Tenon Tours for the options that Tenon Tours may be offering. If Tenon Tours refunds 100% of the trip cost, Tenon Tours will then need to refund the TPP as there is no longer a trip to insure. Tenon Tours would then take a credit from Trip Mate on their next report for any TPP refunded to the traveler.
- If Tenon Tours (not the traveler) cancels the trip due to a shutdown of an airport on the trip itinerary, cash benefits are available under Cancel For Any Reason Waiver.
- If the client/traveler (not Tenon Tours) cancels solely due to the travel advisory, there will be no cash benefits under the contract; however, a travel voucher will be issued, provided that the traveler canceled the trip before the scheduled departure date.
- An itinerary change, before the scheduled departure, resulting in an increase of the trip cost is not covered. Why? Trip Interruption coverage begins when the insured has departed on the trip. Events that occur before the trip are not covered.
*Policies are subject to change at any time based on the ongoing changes related to the Coronavirus (COVID-19). Please note, any requests to change or cancel must be made no later than 7 business days prior to your departure.
If you have any further questions about your upcoming travel plans with Tenon Tours, we are here to help. Please reach out to us at travel@tenontours.com.