[Misc] Cancelled Flights/Holiday Refunds

[Blue Valkyrie]

Trouble is if these companies pay out refunds to everyone the majority of them will not survive this crisis, I’m not happy about it I’m affected myself(waiting on cash from TUI) but I’ve come to understand it a bit more by realising airlines and holiday companies will almost certainly go out of business if everyone got cash refunds, which would lose millions and millions of jobs across Europe.

To me there’s no excuse for the way companies like TUI have communicated throughout, that’s the most despicable thing about most of this to me, is that in such uncertain time’s they have furthered people’s worries by not giving clarity for over a month about what they are actually doing with people’s money. That’s the kind of thing that will taint companies and make people not want to use them in future.

They can shag off - that is their problem, not mine.

Ryanair breaking the law by giving vouchers rather than cash is a disgrace.

I actually want Ryanair to go bust now - as I cannot get my money anyway it seems - and a new company with different ownership to fill the gap in the market whenever that is possible.

In fact, if they go bust I at least get a couple of pence in the pound of my refund. Currently I'm getting nothing.

 

[East Staffs Gull]

To me there’s no excuse for the way companies like TUI have communicated throughout, that’s the most despicable thing about most of this to me, is that in such uncertain time’s they have furthered people’s worries by not giving clarity for over a month about what they are actually doing with people’s money. That’s the kind of thing that will taint companies and make people not want to use them in future.

Spot on. It’s Ryanair’s communications that have particularly irked me. Initially confirming that my refund was being processed, then telling me that this might take some time, then sending me a voucher, then emailing me a link for me to accept the vouchers in lieu of a refund, before finally cutting off all avenues for people to contact them.

I have a fair amount of sympathy for the situation that airlines and tour operators find themselves in. If they had spelled this out and asked us for our understanding and assistance, I would probably have been happy to accept a voucher. Instead, they have delayed flight cancellations, failed to communicate our options, made obtaining refunds extremely difficult and generally treated their customers abysmally. For those reasons I’m now hell bent on receiving a refund.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

View attachment 122962

Disgrace.

 

[CheeseRolls]

Sounds more like Andrew Neil Shit stirring. The following coverage doesn't seem to have an obvious agenda.


https://www.forbes.com/sites/daveke...-eu-to-suspend-law-requiring-airline-refunds/

 

[Garage_Doors]

Thanks, had a feeling that would be the case.

I will following up via S75


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S75, what is that?

 

[TheJasperCo]

S75, what is that?

Credit card payments above a certain amount are protected by Section 75 of consumer credit law, as you're effectively using the lender's money to make the purchase. In theory this makes it easier to claim a refund as your lender is equally liable, so they take up the hard legwork in disputing the transaction.

 

[MisterE]

How have people got on with refunds against cancellations?

What would be useful here is a list of those who were quick to refund and simple to deal with

For me AirBnB were stars clear communication simple process and Gatwick Parking were also good.

Who is dragging their feet, making it difficult and showing no signs of budging
Norwegian, where I am due a refund for Easter and sadly also have summer flights booked with them, is looking tricky.

Any special tactics that have worked?


Any joy with travel insurance refunds or via credit card refunds

Please refrain from blow by blow accounts, but anything you can share that will help others get their money back would be most welcome.

I had my Tui holiday cancelled last week. Phoned them up and they refunded straight away. It's in my account already. Very prompt

 

[The Wizard]

I had my Tui holiday cancelled last week. Phoned them up and they refunded straight away. It's in my account already. Very prompt

Quite unbelievable when some people (including me) have been waiting since March 18th (and some even before that) that they aren’t doing it in time order. This makes me more annoyed than waiting 6 weeks for a refund.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Quite unbelievable when some people (including me) have been waiting since March 18th (and some even before that) that they aren’t doing it in time order. This makes me more annoyed than waiting 6 weeks for a refund.

Everyone is waiting to the laws to change, if it does -everyone’s getting a voucher.

 

[Balders]

Everyone is waiting to the laws to change, if it does -everyone’s getting a voucher.

The view from the Trade is that the Credit Note thing has been established by ABTA as a great idea to protect Tour Operators and they have been lobbying various incarnations of the same thing for the past 4+ weeks with the Government in an attempt for them to relax their Regulations temporarily. They have been getting nowhere fast and the stumbling block is the Government are baulking at anything that impacts on Consumers getting their right to refund. Therefore if the Government would have been comfortable with this, it would probably have already been agreed. Who knows where the Government is going on this one, because the irony is that if Tour Ops do indeed fail, currently Package Customers would get their refund guaranteed through the Government backed ATOL Scheme!

ABTA stands for the Association of British Travel Agents but they merged with the Association of British Tour Operators in 2007 and they appear to be supporting the latter, ignoring the Agents, of which I am personally one, as my prime focus is protecting my customer's interests, not preserving Tour Operator's liquidity by using Customers as unwilling Creditors/Investors in their businesses.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

The view from the Trade is that the Credit Note thing has been established by ABTA as a great idea to protect Tour Operators and they have been lobbying various incarnations of the same thing for the past 4+ weeks with the Government in an attempt for them to relax their Regulations temporarily. They have been getting nowhere fast and the stumbling block is the Government are baulking at anything that impacts on Consumers getting their right to refund. Therefore if the Government would have been comfortable with this, it would probably have already been agreed. Who knows where the Government is going on this one, because the irony is that if Tour Ops do indeed fail, currently Package Customers would get their refund guaranteed through the Government backed ATOL Scheme!

ABTA stands for the Association of British Travel Agents but they merged with the Association of British Tour Operators in 2007 and they appear to be supporting the latter, ignoring the Agents, of which I am personally one, as my prime focus is protecting my customer's interests, not preserving Tour Operator's liquidity by using Customers as unwilling Creditors/Investors in their businesses.

What works out cheaper for the Government?

Changing the law to allow the credit note and the airlines paying it back at some point in the future.

Or the airline going bust and then having to cover via ATOL?

 

[Balders]

What works out cheaper for the Government?

Changing the law to allow the credit note and the airlines paying it back at some point in the future.

Or the airline going bust and then having to cover via ATOL?

Package Travel Regs are quite convoluted - if the Airline or any other element Supplier (Hotel/Car Hire etc..) goes bust as part of a Package, then in theory the Tour Operator (Principal) either has to source an alternative flight/hotel etc.. to make the Package "good" or refund all monies paid themselves so that part doesn't go through ATOL. If the Tour Operator goes bust, then the refund is provided by ATOL.

Personal View is that there is more at play here as to just what's cheaper for the Government - I think they feel that bailing out anyone in the Travel Sector is just "kicking the can down the road" as I can't see any kind of volume back in the Industry this year as best case scenario, possibly much longer and propping up businesses with no short term means of generating revenue to cover expenses is not a calculated investment.

I hope I'm wrong but if there was anything worthwhile to prop up, I'm sure the Government would have jumped in already.....

 

[jessiejames]

Quite unbelievable when some people (including me) have been waiting since March 18th (and some even before that) that they aren’t doing it in time order. This makes me more annoyed than waiting 6 weeks for a refund.

TUI seem to be dragging their heels with refunds, A lot of complaints on the radio about them now, seems that [MENTION=14900]MisterE[/MENTION] and myself (post #53) were lucky.

 

[Barry Izbak]

We were supposed to be in Crete this week with Jetline holidays.

They are coming up with one excuse after another why they can't or won't refund in full.
It's just a massive pain in the backside having to ring them over and over and insist that the sooner they give us a full refund, to which we are entitled, the sooner we will leave them alone.

We will not accept vouchers or part refunds or promises or deferrments or any more bollocks from them.

Clearly the kid on the phone is on some bonus to get is to accept less than 100%
But the firm don't seem to realise that we will not give up and that the cost to them is we will never use them again and make sure the world of NSC and Twitter know how poor their customer service is

 

[Gluteus Maximus]

Just an update on an Easy Jet refund. I had been cut off on the phone for a month trying to get a refund for 2k's worth of flights to Lanzarote on April 2nd. Filled in the refund form hid away online, with no answer for 3 weeks. Then after reading this thread, emailed the CEO at Easy Jet yesterday johan.lundgren@easyjet.com and lo and behold got an email and refund confirmation today!
Anyone with an Easy Jet refund request, this is certainly the way forward at the moment.

 

[doogie004]

Supposed off to of got this discount code today from TUI and as thought nothing. Tried 6 different numbers nothing ,holiday was 1st April any numbers that actually work would be helpful thank you


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[Bry Nylon]

TUI

Crossing the t’s, dotting the i’s and **** u in the middle.

 

[RandyWanger]

EasyJet cancelled my flight today for next saturday. Offered a voucher (no thanks) or a refund (yes please) for the outbound, guess I wait a week and go through the return process.

 

[The Wizard]

Got my second refund confirmation from TUI through today, had the first email to ‘confirm’ my refund on the 18th March, judging by what I’ve read online my refund should arrive in a few days. Luckily enough I had already contacted TUI to confirm my refund before this whole credit note thing happened.

I can understand why everyone is so pissed off, it’s horrendous for people who really need the money right now but the situation is so unprecedented I do feel some sympathy for the travel companies, but as I said earlier in the thread where I don’t have sympathy is for certain companies lack of transparency, I myself possibly wouldn’t have requested a refund if a month ago they’d have just been honest and said they need as many people to rebook as possible, but they’ve been very deceptive.