Lyn McNaught Travel owner Lyn McNaught said tour companies and airlines were only dealing with holidays affected by the pandemic up to June, and refunds were taking longer than usual due to staff shortages.
“A lot of these companies and airlines are on skeleton staff, and a lot are working from home,” she said.
“Refunds normally take eight weeks, but now they are taking up to three months.”
“I understand that everyone wants to deal with their own problems, but people just have to be patient.”
She said while she was trying to get refunds for clients where possible, most companies were only offering credit, which she encouraged people to embrace.
“If everyone decided they wanted their money, there won't be anymore tour companies, bus lines, airlines or cruise lines — everyone would go bust,” she said.
“People aren't going to miss out on their holidays — they'll just have them next year.”
While she has not been personally attacked by her customers, she said "sensationalist" media reports blaming travel agencies for not passing on refunds were inaccurate.
“People think we're the ones holding the money — that's not the case,” she said.
The Australian Federation of Travel Agents has reiterated this point in a statement, affirming travel agents were unable to offer money back to customers if the tour company or airline hadn't.
“If a refund is applicable, the agent has to wait for that money to be paid back to the agent before the agent is in a position to pass the money back to the consumer,” the statement said.
“If the end supplier is offering a credit, the agent is only in a position to offer a credit.”
The federation also called on customers to pay a "small, reasonable fee" to travel agents, as many were not being compensated for their additional work.
Ms McNaught said she had been working unpaid full-time hours since the pandemic began, but would not charge extra fees for rebooking trips due to COVID-19.
“We do heaps of work, and still do heaps of work, and are not getting paid at all,” she said.
“And when people put their holidays off to next year, we’re going to be doing all the work then to rebook that holiday.
“But we're trying to help our clients whenever it's possible.”
However, she said her clients had been "just fantastic", and was looking forward to when people were able to travel domestically and internationally again.
“Hopefully the Australian market will open soon, and people will be able to get out a bit more,” she said.
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