At Upper Hutt College, about 50 students were bound to depart next week on a three-week trip in Europe but these plans have had to be abruptly terminated due to the war which has recently broken out in the Middle East, as all flight paths went through the area. 15 other school groups in New Zealand have also been affected. For Upper Hutt College re-routing flights was not possible.Each student paid about $13,000 – and it now seems many families will face only getting partial refunds. The travel company involved, Defining Moments, says it’s working with the 15 affected school groups.

Below is from Consumer New Zealand.

What rights do families have to refunds?

Consumer NZ chief executive Jon Duffy said reimbursement depends heavily on the reason for cancellation.
“If it’s the airline cancelling the flight, in some instances you can recover costs like accommodation,” he said. “But if it’s due to something like an act of war, that’s outside the airline’s control and those extra costs typically won’t be refundable.”

Travel Agents’ Association NZ president Victoria Courtney said such events are difficult for insurers to cover.
“The risk is enormous, and if it was covered, it would significantly increase premiums for everyone,” she said.

Source: 1news

20/03/26