[Misc] Cancelled Flights/Holiday Refunds

[trueblue]

TUI - had a hotel booked for around a grand that they cancelled about a week ago. Offered a credit note but want a refund as it's impossible to know when I would be able to go within the time limit they impose. Have to phone but so far haven't managed to get beyond an automated excuse which then cuts off the call after 2 rings.

Likewise, domestic flight with British Airways cancelled. No option for a refund other than through phoning them, and they are cutting off calls without even putting them in a queue.

Zest Car Hire - superb. Offered an immediate refund of our pre-paid voucher and paid up within days .

Different subject, but ATG Tickets owed us £200+ for a West End show. Process seemed poor at first as the only way of obtaining a refund was to fill in an online form which then disappeared into the void with no acknowledgement. They had warned about this though, saying they were handling in date order. Sure enough, a couple of weeks later got a response saying the refund was being processed.

The airlines/travel companies are taking the p*** by offering only one way of obtaining a refund, and then not allowing people to access it. I fully accept it might take a long time to get the money back and wouldn't mind that so much if they took the internet form route. You shouldn't have to spend hours and hours ringing in the hope they'll answer one day...

 

[dazzer6666]

TUI - had a hotel booked for around a grand that they cancelled about a week ago. Offered a credit note but want a refund as it's impossible to know when I would be able to go within the time limit they impose. Have to phone but so far haven't managed to get beyond an automated excuse which then cuts off the call after 2 rings.

Likewise, domestic flight with British Airways cancelled. No option for a refund other than through phoning them, and they are cutting off calls without even putting them in a queue.

Zest Car Hire - superb. Offered an immediate refund of our pre-paid voucher and paid up within days .

Different subject, but ATG Tickets owed us £200+ for a West End show. Process seemed poor at first as the only way of obtaining a refund was to fill in an online form which then disappeared into the void with no acknowledgement. They had warned about this though, saying they were handling in date order. Sure enough, a couple of weeks later got a response saying the refund was being processed.

The airlines/travel companies are taking the p*** by offering only one way of obtaining a refund, and then not allowing people to access it. I fully accept it might take a long time to get the money back and wouldn't mind that so much if they took the internet form route. You shouldn't have to spend hours and hours ringing in the hope they'll answer one day...

Friend of mine is quite senior in a Tui company......I understand they are deliberately holding off paying refunds due to cashflow for now, but know they have to pay up eventually and are planning on doing so in July apparently.

 

[Recidivist]

Tell that to Emirates (me) and Etihad (my niece).

Both Airlines have refused refunds for our Australia trip that never happened, so both are about to be sued and will be 'told' that way!

Best of luck with that. Emirates are a real problem getting money back. Took them forever to refund us last year well before the current pandemic. Not a company I like dealing with.

Problem with the legal route is the likely issues with the justice system creaking under the pressures of operating at all at present and the knock-on effect for months, possibly years, to come....

Let us know how it goes. There's likely to be a lot of people thinking of pursuing the legal route as companies delay and/or go bust.

On a related issue, who can be surprised by Ryanair's attitude!? They're notorious for poor customer service at the best of times and O'Leary is a grade A s**t!

Personally, I've always refused to use them even if it costs a bit more......


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[trueblue]

Friend of mine is quite senior in a Tui company......I understand they are deliberately holding off paying refunds due to cashflow for now, but know they have to pay up eventually and are planning on doing so in July apparently.

Well, that's some good news but maybe TUI should be saying this, not leaving it to you via your friend! I can understand why companies are doing this to stay afloat but I don't think it excuses the approach of deliberately making it nigh on impossible to contact them. Allowing people to lodge their claim for a refund online with an automated recognition of receipt should be easy to set up. Would also ease the pressure on the phone lines.

 

[The Lemming Stomper]

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.

Read your post and emailed old Johan....

10 odd week wait for a refund sorted in 48 hours...

Heartfelt thank you for your post...teek a boo sun

 

[RandyWanger]

EasyJet finally cancelled my return flight too. Again offered a voucher which was declined. Up to 90 days for a refund.

 

[AIT76]

TUI - had a hotel booked for around a grand that they cancelled about a week ago. Offered a credit note but want a refund as it's impossible to know when I would be able to go within the time limit they impose. Have to phone but so far haven't managed to get beyond an automated excuse which then cuts off the call after 2 rings.

Speaking from experience, the only tactic with TUI is to keep trying. Keep re-dialling and eventually you will get lucky and bypass the two rings message and get put in a queue to speak to someone.

However, you are then still dependant on who you talk to. The first two times we were faced with corporate robots reading answers off a card, assuring us that our refund was being processed despite never once taking a name or booking reference. Luckily this morning my wife was able to talk to a reasonable operator who processed the refund there and then.

Every time though, it was an hour plus of hitting redial followed by an hour plus of their lovely on-hold music.

 

[LadySeagull]

I recall you’ve got the legal skills, are you pursuing these cases yourself?

Yep. Two steps:

(1) sending a Letter before Claim citing the facts and law and how much the loss stands at, plus maybe a sum for distress.

Then

(2) file a claim using MCOL, which will cost me £105 in fees, that I can add to the claim (about two grand).

I am keeping my hand in and I had a telephone hearing about yet another scam private parking case only today. Adjourned for a face to face bunfight later in the year.

 

[227 BHA]

Can’t fault BA for their service - had a cancellation email for our flights to Malaga in June on Wednesday. Rang them yesterday, 2 options on the phone and then 15 minutes waiting in a queue - then very helpful chap had refund sorted in under 5 minutes. Money to be back in my account within 14 days.
Shame all the others aren’t as honourable as BA

 

[Springal]

Yeah agreed BA been the easiest to deal with. Knowledgeable, helped with a fairly complex booking and gave good advice. Got through in 5mins

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

Isle of Wright holiday WC 25/05 finally cancelled after last nights update

Website states Credit only.

Dropped them an email this morning explaining my rights and undertones of S75 and they have agreed to a full cash refund within half an hour.

They actually went as far to say that they had processed my refund yesterday before I had requested it and contrary to their official line on their own website. I did consider pulling the thread to query their foresight however will let them have their morale victory


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[Weststander]

The icing on the cake to the Albion win, I just found out that Norwegian have repaid me in full for cancelled (by them) NYC flights.

Fair play to them, I only made the claim a week ago.

Not from from the Michael O’Leary business management school.

 

[Grizz]

Can’t fault BA for their service - had a cancellation email for our flights to Malaga in June on Wednesday. Rang them yesterday, 2 options on the phone and then 15 minutes waiting in a queue - then very helpful chap had refund sorted in under 5 minutes. Money to be back in my account within 14 days.
Shame all the others aren’t as honourable as BA

Yeah, there's no hard sell for the voucher, but the refund will never appear in 14 days. They cancelled our Venice flights at the end of April and like yourselves, 5 minute wait on the phone, was told a refund was no problem and would be processed in 21 days. Still waiting 35 days later and when you phone up to query they just say its taking longer than usual and terminate the call.

 

[Springal]

Yeah, there's no hard sell for the voucher, but the refund will never appear in 14 days. They cancelled our Venice flights at the end of April and like yourselves, 5 minute wait on the phone, was told a refund was no problem and would be processed in 21 days. Still waiting 35 days later and when you phone up to query they just say its taking longer than usual and terminate the call.

That’s not right. I’d check it. I had a refund request in early May and got it back in 12 days.

Have you tried filling out a customer relations complaint too?

 

[Grizz]

That’s not right. I’d check it. I had a refund request in early May and got it back in 12 days.

Have you tried filling out a customer relations complaint too?

Cheers Springal, I'll go have a look.

 

[sparkie]

Amazingly, Ryanair put my refund money back into my account yesterday.

I'm stunned they actually did it in the end.

 

[Deleted member 37369]

I'm now at the 6 week point for an easyJet refund. Thought I'd try a cheeky chase up via twitter. Got a very quick response from their social media team ... but confirmed the 'we ain't gonna look into anyfink until at least 90 days as gone by mate'!!

Had better experiences elsewhere including last week when I got notified that Paul Weller gig at Brighton Centre on 31 October was cancelled. It's been rescheduled for next June - but it clashes with a holiday I've got booked. Sent a brief message via BC contact us page that evening and just gone 9am the next morning I got a call from someone who sorted a refund there and then and the money was in my account in 48 hours!

 

[Springal]

What’s everyone’s thoughts on this - have a BA holiday booked in August for a country expected in the ‘green zone’ - checked the price yesterday and it’s now 1/3rd of the price - about £400 saving. I should take a voucher for the holiday right - and rebook again at the new lower price ?

 

[The Wizard]

What’s everyone’s thoughts on this - have a BA holiday booked in August for a country expected in the ‘green zone’ - checked the price yesterday and it’s now 1/3rd of the price - about £400 saving. I should take a voucher for the holiday right - and rebook again at the new lower price ?

How bizzare, I literally did this yesterday It’s probably frowned upon I’m sure, but I booked a holiday Friday with BA holidays, paid the £300 deposit looked yesterday evening and the same holiday was £250 cheaper so I rebooked and applied for a voucher for the other holiday, I’m hoping I’ve pulled a master stroke

It did say something about the voucher having to be used by a person with the same name as the original booking so just make sure details are the same, not that I think they check anyway. Will update how it goes, apparently getting through to them to use the voucher can also be a nightmare, as you have to phone them to redeem it against your booking.

 

[Balders]

How bizzare, I literally did this yesterday It’s probably frowned upon I’m sure, but I booked a holiday Friday with BA holidays, paid the £300 deposit looked yesterday evening and the same holiday was £250 cheaper so I rebooked and applied for a voucher for the other holiday, I’m hoping I’ve pulled a master stroke

It did say something about the voucher having to be used by a person with the same name as the original booking so just make sure details are the same, not that I think they check anyway. Will update how it goes, apparently getting through to them to use the voucher can also be a nightmare, as you have to phone them to redeem it against your booking.

Not sure how BA's internal systems will handle this, but Global Flight Systems like Galileo, Amadeus and Sabre, which BA use, would highlight that there is a duplicate booking(s) on the flight and it would be flagged to cancel down. We get this a lot in the Trade where we can hold flights (effectively holding is a booking) if another Agent has held them and then another Agent books them, it's squeaky bum time to get the right one cancelled down, because the airline will cancel them both down.....

I'd get on to BA pronto.....