COVID-19 Existing Reservation FAQs

Below are answers to our most frequently asked questions about bookings during COVID-19. If you have questions that are not answered here, contact our Adventure Concierge team at 800-453-8917 or email concierge@nathab.com.

Will my trip run? When will you decide? Given the incredible success of the vaccination program in the United States, and with more and more borders opening around the world, most recently the European Union, we feel optimistic that we will be able to operate most of our trips beginning this summer and beyond. However, until we are close to the departure date of a trip, it is impossible to know for sure what restrictions might be in place at that time. Our current strategy is to examine trips at 140 days prior to departure, with a goal of making a decision around 90 days prior to departure. How can my trip be considered a “go” if the border is closed? Just because a border is closed now, that does not mean it will be closed by the time your trip is set to run. We have seen remarkable changes in relatively short periods throughout this pandemic – both positive and negative. We don’t know exactly what the conditions will be in any destination six or eight months from now. We do know how important income from tourism is in the places we visit, so even if a destination is in a difficult stage in the pandemic or has a closed border right now, we don’t want to pull our support unnecessarily. We watch all our destinations closely and continuously, and hope you trust us to make responsible decisions about which trips to run. For most destinations, we begin to assess the feasibility around 140 days prior to departure and have been making final decisions approximately 90 days prior to departure. Of course, we will contact you as soon as we are confident that your trip is a “go.” Caseloads in the U.S, worry me, and some destinations are surely well behind the U.S. How can you be considering travel at this time? We are very conservative and cautious not only with our guests’ safety, but with the safety of local communities we might come into contact with—hence our requirement that all travelers be vaccinated starting July 1, 2021. If we feel a travel experience will be as rewarding as ever, and if we are confident that our presence will not pose an undue risk to our travelers or to local communities, we will do our best to make your trip come to fruition. Will we get a refund if the trip doesn’t run? What will be our options? In the unlikely event that we are forced to cancel your adventure, you will have the option to transfer your booking to a future available trip date, move any funds you have paid and any insurance to a different destination, or you may opt for a refund. Custom trips have different policies and generally only permit a postponement. If you choose to cancel while your trip is still set to operate, our normal cancellation policies will apply. When should we work on flight reservations? We encourage you to wait until you receive a final trip confirmation from us before booking flights. Flight schedules have been changing as frequently as COVID regulations have, and we have found for all of our destinations that it is easier to wait until closer to departure to book air travel. More specifically, we recommend that you wait until your trip has been announced as operational. What should I do if I am feeling sick before or during my trip? Important travel insurance advice: If you need to file a travel insurance claim as a result of an illness, please note the following tips regarding necessary documentation to support your claim.

Prior to your trip:
If you feel unable to travel due to an illness and may need to file a travel insurance claim, it’s important to have your diagnosis documented by a physician as soon as possible. This will likely require an in-person visit to a doctor prior to the date of your trip to certify that you are unfit to travel. In the event that you have to cancel your trip, you will need to submit medical documentation with your insurance claim to be eligible for reimbursement of your non-refundable trip costs.

During your trip:
If you arrive at your travel destination and are unwell, or fall ill during your itinerary, please let your Expedition Leader know immediately so they can either contact our Virtual Heath Service provider and/or assist you with an appointment to see a doctor. Remember, in the event that you need to leave your trip early, you will need to submit medical documentation from the attending medical provider to support your claim.