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Michigan Alumni Travel Safety and Cancellation Policies

Travel

Michigan Alumni Travel Safety and Cancellation Policies

Michigan Alumni Travel and its tour operators have been developing guidelines to ensure travelers’ health and safety throughout their entire trip. Here are some measures being put in place:

  • Extensive training: Tour directors and site guides are being trained extensively in hygiene and social distancing.
  • Group size: Tours will be smaller in size.
  • Face masks: Face masks will be provided, if needed.
  • Cleaning: In addition to normal cleaning procedures, improved and enhanced measures are being developed. This includes hotels, motorcoaches, and more.
  • Cruise experience: Cleaning protocols have been expanded and state-of-the-art air filtration systems installed.
  • 24/7 support: Along with your tour director, you will have 24/7 access to the tour’s operations and guest services teams to assist with any needs. In addition, travel insurance can provide an extra layer of protection.

These are just some of the measures. Each operator is establishing its own guidelines.

Cancellation Policies

In addition to safety protocols, our tour partners have implemented relaxed reservation and cancellation policies to enable travelers to book with confidence. In some cases, policies include no deposit cancellation fees or final payment date extensions. Information about each operator’s policy can be found in the trip brochure or on the respective tour operator’s website.

At Michigan Alumni Travel, the health and safety of our travelers is our top priority. We will continue to work with our tour operators to communicate updates. Rest assured, you will have a team of individuals traveling with you who will work hard to keep you safe and find you care, if needed.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Alumni Association is not the tour operator. The Association serves only as the sponsor of the travel program for its alumni and their family and friends. We have long-standing relationships with our tour operators, and they value our input. However, it is ultimately the tour operator’s decision whether to cancel a trip.

The tour operators use several sources to help guide their decisions:

Concerns about travel to any destination are understandable. Based on these concerns, we asked our tour operators to consider implementing policies that would help protect travelers’ investments. Each operator has developed its own policies and should be contacted for specifics related to your trip.

If you have paid for your trip in full, you will now incur fees if you cancel. Should your trip still operate, options can be limited. Depending on the destination, some of our tour operators are offering travelers an opportunity to delay travel or choose another destination. Please contact the tour operator directly for any available options. This is consistent with alternatives being offered across the travel industry.

Should a tour operator cancel a trip, you can expect a full refund. If a trip runs, normal cancellation policies and fees will apply, and the options noted above may be offered.

In short, standard travel insurance does not cover cancellations due to concerns about COVID-19 before the trip takes place. Benefits apply only if you fall ill on a trip or are quarantined while on a trip. However, you can purchase a “cancel for any reason” (CFAR) waiver from our travel insurance partner, Alumni Travel Protection, as an addendum to the premium plan within 30 days of your deposit. Should you feel uncomfortable traveling, this waiver would help you recover up to 70% of your trip cost.

You are able to transfer your policy, but the new departure date must be within 18 months of the original trip departure date. In the cases of transfer dates, the original effective date will be kept. If you had Cancel For Any Reason or a pre-existing condition waiver in the past, that eligibility would move forward.

For rebooked trips that did not previously have travel protection, the new initial trip deposit date will be the date they book the new arrangements using the voucher. Any time-sensitive coverage (Cancel For Any Reason or pre-existing condition waiver) will track off that new initial trip deposit date.

The tour operator will contact you directly with any updates regarding your trip. However, should you have questions related to your tour, contact the tour operator directly. (See their phone numbers below.)

There is no specific timeline. However, communications have been taking place approximately 6-8 weeks before the trip departs. Should a change in travel advisory status occur, the tour operator will contact you as soon as the change is known.

You should contact the tour operator at one of the following numbers:

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