Is there a flood of compensation due?

Have a question? Ask our expert Simon Calder

Venice in October: the city experienced an extreme ‘acqua alta’ last year (Reuters)

Q I am writing on behalf of a friend who was due to go to Venice in November 2018. The advice at the time was not to travel because of the severe flooding.

My friend has been in contact with the travel agent to ask for either a refund or a holiday in the future as replacement. It appears that the travel agent is stating that they will not do either as people were still travelling, and the flight my friend was to catch was not cancelled. Could you please advise what can be done?

Pete L

A Late in 2018, Venice endured a more extreme acqua alta – high water – than it has for years, with water levels up to 5ft higher than normal.

Anyone who books a package holiday – comprising flights and accommodation – and then finds the trip cannot go ahead as planned is entitled to a full refund.

The holiday might be impractical because, for example, the airport or hotel is closed due to flooding and no suitable alternative is available. Or, the holiday may be intended for a specific purpose: seeing an exhibition which is temporarily closed, or attending a performance that is cancelled. A third possibility: the Foreign Office warns against travel.

Unfortunately for your friend’s situation, I fear that none of these pertains.

While the water sloshing through Venice in late October and early November 2018 was troublesome, the Foreign Office did not warn against travel. Venice’s Marco Polo airport continued to operate as normal, and most hotels, museums and galleries were unaffected.

So it appears that your friend expressed what is termed “disinclination to travel”. That unfortunately means there is no automatic right to recompense. The only hope I can hold out: the hotelier may possibly be prepared to offer an alternative stay. Although there is no obligation to do so, in difficult circumstances some kind souls may oblige.

Every day our travel correspondent Simon Calder tackles a reader’s question. Just email yours to s@hols.tv or tweet @simoncalder