Ontario couple loses nearly $4,000 after booking Jamaican anniversary trip — how to avoid a similar mistake
Married couple
It’s been scientifically proven that being in love affects the way you think, meaning the term “rose-colored glasses” has at least some basis in fact. For an Ontario couple hoping to celebrate their first wedding anniversary in Jamaica, apparently being lovestruck might affect your trip booking abilities too.
In March, Lizanne Hamstali of London, ON, attempted to book a resort stay with flights included for her and her husband on Expedia, but it turns out she missed a crucial detail: the package only included the hotel stay. She cancelled 10 minutes later, but unfortunately the trip was non-refundable and she was on the hook for the $4,183 spent on the trip, she told CTV News.
“We spent the whole year saving for (this trip) and for something such as a simple as a mistake, you just lose it all,” Hasmatali said.
To clarify why Hamstali found herself in this predicament, an Expedia spokesperson explained how the “…decision whether or not to allow additional flexibility [regarding refunds] is up to the hotel, and Expedia follows our hotel partners’ policies for cancellations and refunds.”
Thankfully, after CTV and Ontario’s travel regulator reached out to Expedia, the company gave the couple a full refund. But the stress of potentially losing thousdands on a vacation does prompt the question: How can you avoid making the same mistake?
No matter how excited you might be about booking a future vacation, you need to be fully alert when browsing through the bountiful options at your disposal. Here are some tips to help you avoid the booking accident this Ontario couple faced:
Read the fine print: Get out a magnifying glass if you have to and pay attention to the terms and conditions of your stay. This is where you’ll notice if the booking is refundable or not.
Get a travel agent involved: If you’re too busy to do the homework required to book a trip the right way, get someone to help do it for you. A travel agent can handle all the fine details while you daydream until the flight.
Check the brand you’re booking with: If anything does go wrong, it’s important to know the reputation of the company you’re booking with. Look into their recent reviews to see how they treat customers who run into issues.
Research from the Travel Industry Council of Ontario (TICO) found that 71% of Ontarians feel that travel has become increasingly more complex post-pandemic. Additionally, 65% of survey respondents indicated they were concerned about protecting the money they spent.
One way to alleviate this concern is booking trip cancellation insurance. That said, not all insurance is created equal. Some plans have a “cancel for any reason provision” that allows you to back out of a pre-paid vacation for any reason at all. But, you’re likely looking at higher costs for that type of coverage.
Standard cancellation insurance is included on a number of the best travel credit cardsin Canada. To compare credit cards with the best options, check out the free and fast Money.ca credit card comparison tool. You can also purchase travel insurance, separately, through a number of insurance companies. Just be sure to read the fine print, especially the “description of coverage” section. That lays out in which situations you can get reimbursed for cancelling a trip. If a certain event you’re in isn’t listed, it isn’t covered.
Deciding whether to pay for cancellation insurance isn’t a simple process. For the couple that had a cancellation scare, they mentioned how it took them a year to save up for the trip. Consider how long it took you to save up for a trip you’re booking — would you be willing to double that timeframe to save the cost of insurance if something did go wrong?
Knowing how to book without making a mistake is the first part of learning to book trips correctly. Here are some stratetegic tips to help you become a travel-booking genius:
Always confirm before paying: Never give out your credit card number before you know your trip plans, costs and policies inside and out.
Review terms and conditions: Even if you have comprehensive travel insurance, you need to know when it will and won’t kick in. Always review the t&c’s of your hotel stays, flights, cruises and other trip bookings.
Don’t go with the first option: There are hundreds of options when it comes to booking a vacation. Take the time to review multiple companies offering the same booking. There’s a good chance you’ll find a similar trip at a lower price.
1. CTV News: Ontario couple booking anniversary trip to Jamaica out over $4,000 after mistake, by Pat Foran (Jul 15, 2025)
2. Travel Industry Council of Ontario: Ontario’s travel regulator finds strong consumer intention to travel this spring and summer, despite concerns about travel complexity (Mar 29, 2023)
This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
