• Xaphanos@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    My neighbors are going for 2 weeks in a week. They’ve been planning for more than a year. This will be their last chance to go as a family of 4. I can’t see them canceling.

    • MostlyBirds@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Visiting a burning, inhospitable hellscape where people are actively dying and the rest are having their entire lives destroyed, and doing it for fun because “well, we’ve been planning it for a while, and want to go somewhere as a family and can’t come up with anything else exotic enough for our standards on short notice” is incredibly trashy and selfish.

      They sound like shitty people, honestly, and I hope they have an awful time.

        • Kungolicious@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          We were planning to go in a month and we’re trying to cancel. Virtually none of the companies were willing to offer a refund (including a luau in Lahaina)

          Once the fire started threatening kaanapali our hotel & such has started to offer refunds with an understandably long wait time.

          We just switched islands, but we’re pretty privileged to afford to buy a whole different vacation while waiting on refunds.

          • NormandyEssex@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            Damn. I am on the same boat and planning to try and get refunds this week. The resort already offered a credit for up to 2 years but I don’t want a credit, just a refund. How is it going for you?

            • Kungolicious@lemmy.world
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              1 year ago

              That’s what we were told too. We made a post on Facebook tagging them and what their protocol was, and they reached out and changed their mind.

              Who knows when I’ll get the money back though.

              We booked Kauai and we’re really excited. Definitely cost a couple grand extra for the trip, and we’re owed about 4K in refunds. My heart goes out to those that can’t simply fork out that kinda cash.

              Also if you paid for the hotel with a credit card, most cards offer free travel insurance. You can file a claim there and get a refund.

        • MostlyBirds@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          I genuinely don’t care. Using the location of ongoing mass human sufferring as a tourist destination is disgusting and entirely indefensible. “I couldn’t get a refund” is not a valid excuse.

          • kmkz_ninja@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            Says the rich dude. “Sure, just give up 3k and a week of non-refundable vacation time because internet people will virtue signal”.

            • MostlyBirds@lemmy.world
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              1 year ago

              I’m not rich at all. I’ll never be able to afford to retire, much less drop everything to go to fucking Hawaii on vacation. I’m just not a shitty person with no empathy.

      • HeartyBeast@kbin.social
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        1 year ago

        Talking of ‘having their whole lives destroyed’ - presumably the people actually working in and running the hotels want them there - or else they would be closed

        • meco03211@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          presumably the people actually working in and running the hotels want them there - or else they would be closed

          It might not be up to them. I imagine some places are run by shitty corporate overlords that don’t give two shits about the devastation.

      • Ataraxia@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Oh yeah I bet their economy can handle no tourism when it needs money the most. This is really bad for them. They need to encourage tourism but what is there left?

        • MostlyBirds@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          This is happening in the wealthiest nation in human history. The government has an unquestionable obligation to provide relief for these people. Suggesting that keeping the victims of this disaster in the area and going to work while their homes are still burning is an acceptable answer is revolting. Fuck this disgusting “but what about the economy” attitude.

    • iamdisillusioned@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      We went to the big island during an eruption in 2018. I didn’t want to go but my family wouldn’t cancel. The air was full of vog. It was gross and everyone in our group was cranky. I’m sure your neighbor will not get the trip they planned for.

    • Neato@kbin.social
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      1 year ago

      If we forced airlines to honor rescheduling for not a huge cost then this wouldn’t be as much of an issue. But I imagine those thousands in ticket prices can’t really be burned without canceling the trip for the foreseeable future.

    • Very_Bad_Janet@kbin.social
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      1 year ago

      Nows the time for them to use that travel insurance and get a full refund. They may be putting themselves in danger and, regardless, they will be vacationing where people are actively suffering.