Empty cities. Empty beaches.

SHOULD I CANCEL MY MEXICO TRIP?

Originally Published the Week of April 9, 2020 in Western Outdoor Publications

So, this virus-thing got you a bit worried about the Mexico trip you have planned?

LOTS of folks are in the same boat with you.  Hopefully, not a cruise liner.

Bad publicity over-the-years to the contrary,  Mexico is still the #1 destination for American travel.   Statistics show that more than 32 million Americans visited Mexico last year.  Approximately half-of-those ended up in Baja.

The other big areas areas are Cozumel and Cancun.  Mexico expected a 5-7% increase for 2020.

Until it all hit the wall.

My caveat for anything I write these days is simply, “Whatever you read here, things may have changed by the time you read them.”  The world is changing rapidly.

As of this date (Week of April 12, 2020), there is a national closure of all hotels, ports, marinas, beaches, public spaces, park, event centers, charter fishing, booze cruises and the like, as well as restaurants and bars.  Yes…and bars.

And beer.

Breweries are shutting down and some cities are instituting zero tolerance on alcohol sales.  Or minimizing the hours of sale.

So, aside from the fishing, if you can even get out, many of the fun reasons for going to Mexico are off-the-board at the moment. The Mexican government says these prohibitions will be in place until April 30^th.

Or not.

Since the virus really hasn’t slammed full-force into Mexico, the country reserves the right to extend the lockdown.  Maybe right through YOUR vacation.

And, by the way, Mexico would really prefer you to NOT come into the country and infect it’s people.  They love tourism…They need tourism…They love YOU!  Just not right now.  Please stay home!

(Thank you very much to the Texas students who chartered a plane and flew 70 of them down in spring break and more than half of them are now infected.        And now Cabo trails only Mexico City as the leading growth area for the virus.)

So, should you pull the plug?  If so, there’s good ways and not-so-good ways to do it.

There’s some things to think about.

If your trip is within the next month, I would say the chances are probably slim.  Optimistically, even if your hotel opens or your charter operator gives the thumbs-up don’t celebrate just yet.  You need to check if your airline will still be flying.

Airports are still open, but with no one flying anyway, airlines have cut service and flights.  Open airports are empty airports.

If your vacation is not for awhile, it’s my recommendation to wait.  I admit this is a totally self-serving suggestion since we own a fishing fleet in La Paz.

But, it won’t hurt to wait as long as you can.

God-willing, things MAY change and you surely don’t want to lose your spots .  When we get to the other side of this pandemic, there will be a rush to get out of isolation.  People will want to fish.

If you do have to change, consider postponing it.  And, if you can come up with new dates all the better.

Every operator is different so check.  But, most payments, including deposits are not refundable.

Having been on both sides of the counter in dealing with Mexico vacations, it’s pretty difficult to get a refund.  Lots of wasted time and energy.

If you don’t show up too bad.  Or, many operators treat this pandemic as a “force majeure” (act of God).  Like a hurricane or other unforeseen event.  It’s harsh, but it’s just bad luck.  No one can control the weather…or foreseen a pandemic.

It’s like booking a fishing trip and the weather happens to be bad and fishing hits the dumper.   No one’s fault . Just bad luck. No refunds.

But, that is also why so many of us recommend and have recommended economic trip insurance.  We personally never travel without it.

Even in the best of times, the insurance can cover things like canceled airlines; bad weather; too sick to go out; a medical emergency or accident, etc.  It’s well worth it.

Some travel insurance will not cover this pandemic and if your trip is coming up soon, it might be too late. But, consider it if your trip is still somewhere down the calendar year.  Just Google it up and there are plenty of options and policies to choose from and, they aren’t that expensive!

Although refunds may be difficult, most operators I’ve spoken to seem more than willing to give you credit towards re-booking a trip.  This is especially true given the current situation where normally, they would not be so lenient .

But, again you should check.  Some charge a fee for canceling or re-booking.  A little research can help you get your full credits.

Truth be told, most operators I know from Mexico to Alaska and Canada to South Africa and Oregon to New Zealand, ultimately are mom-and-pop operations.  Realistically, they can’t afford to refund everyone.  So, it’s win-win if you propose new dates for the future and they can credit you for that trip.

As for airlines, things seem to be loosening.

Early on, the airlines got bashed for their cancelation policies.  Some were giving zero refunds; eating up your points; and charging exorbitant fees to change tickets.

This was happening even when it was the airline that canceled the flights.

That has come more into line.

We have found that if YOU cancel the flight, you might not get a refund, but the airlines will credit you for a new flights in the future.  Lately, however, we are finding that if THEY cancel the flight, refunds are being given.

So, just a heads-up that if you wait until the airlines actually cancels, you have a better chance of getting some money back.

Bottom line is do a little research before yanking the plug on your Mexico vacation.

Hopefully, we’ll get to the other side of this sooner rather than later.

That’s my story!  Stay safe.  Stay healthy.  We can do this!

Jonathan