Dear Nicole, dear Klaus, unfortunately we could not meet in person this year. And unfortunately our Madagascar trip had to be cancelled at very short notice. But one thing at a time: I booked a car together with a driver through Klaus for the Easter vacations 2017, nothing more. The further course of the trip should be decided - as we actually always do - day by day at breakfast. We, that is my wife and I and our two 5- and 8-year-old children. The suitcases were already packed, the cab to the Munich airport already ordered, the boarding passes already printed out, but when the alarm clock rang on the day of arrival, the fever thermometer already showed almost 40 degrees for me. As much as we had been looking forward to Madagascar, there was not much to weigh. The trip had to be cancelled. A little later, a doctor diagnosed me with influenza, the "real" flu. So the decision to cancel was the right one. Influenza is not something to joke about and traveling is not even a possibility. The disappointment was now large and also the financial damage very annoying. I have never taken out travel cancellation insurance (in the long term, you pay on average, or what else do they earn their money with?) So also the flight costs for four people plus the prepaid rent for the car and the salary for the driver were gone. I thought. But then Klaus offered to refund the money completely. There were no concrete agreements for this case, no written contract, no general terms and conditions or anything like that. In any case, I had already chalked the money up to "bad luck" for me and would never have asked Klaus about it. But he offered me the refund without being asked. To the last cent. Very, very fair. I wanted to get rid of that here in the guestbook. If anyone is still interested in how the story (probably) will continue: We want to make up the trip Easter 2018, and I have now agreed with Klaus that he keeps the money as a Be- or deposit for the next attempt. Runs with him everything very unbureaucratic, very fair! By the way, a considerable part of the flight costs should also be returned. What many travelers do not know: Many surcharges such as airport fees and certain taxes must refund the airline even without travel cancellation insurance if the passenger does not take the flight, because in this case the airline itself is also not burdened with these costs. We are already looking forward to making up for the unfortunate missed trip next year! Sandra and Christian with Helena and Alexander... Collapse