Thomsons, Swine flu & holiday from hell!

butler_helen

Ok so I have been trying unsucessfully to resolve this myself and I'd appreciate your thoughts and advice. I will keep it quick...

I booked a holiday to Mexico for £1400 (ish) for myself and my boyfriend from April 26th-May 10th. We chose them because of price and seat pitch (33" instead of 31").

However, on our second day, the issues began...

1. Swine flu broke... suddenly people were talking about it, so we were given 2 hours to choose to stay or leave, with an attitude from the rep of 'dont bother', so we didn't as only 98 people in the world had it and most were in Mexico City- 2 hours flight from us.

2. we received no welcome meeting.

(All fine so far, we knew Thomson had stopped flying people out as a precaution but they were fine with us being there still and we were NEVER TOLD TO GO HOME.)

3. day 5 we were told we had to move hotel as ours was closing. We were told the hotel was expecting us and we would not lose a days holiday in moving. I'm sure you can guess where this is going... they were not expecting us, it was around 35 degrees in the new hotel reception and the entire hotel was waiting for keys! It took from 12-8 to get into our room.

4. the hotel was massive and full of children. We had booked an adult friendly hotel (nothing dodgy! but no services for children) and we had booked out of season to get a quiet hotel.

5. not all services in this 'hotel upgrade' were open (only 2/3 restaurants), they were painting around us and basically preparing to close.

6. we were told our flight had been brought forward! from sunday nightand landing sunday about 12pm to sunday morning landing sunday night (3am we had to leave the hotel). it was an 8.3/4 hour change.

7. foolish and annoying rep in the airport kept saying it was a 'rescue mission' - it catagorically wasn't. it was my flight I had paid for with my pakage holiday! They moved it, not me. She also said that less than 8 hours was a minor change and we hadn't changed by more than 8 hours, which we had!

8. the plane was a short haul plane. no personal entertainment. not enough goods on board. no veggie meals. no extra seat depth (im 5ft10 and my boyfriend is 6ft3). I couldnt see a screeen so I had nothing to do for the 11 hour flight

9. the crew kept refering to it as a 'rescue mission' - which it wasnt. they also kept saying they didnt want to be on board any more than us.

10. thomson reps were in the landing hall giving out their complaints no. We rang this, to be told to ring another number, to be told to write in.

11. I wrote in...no reply
12. I wrote in recorded delivery...no reply...
13. I wrote in recorded delivery, sent a copy to Trading standards, abta... 3 line letter saying they are looking into it.

(TS werent very helpfull and passed me onto a website which recommends contacting them!)

14. no reply since june 3rd...

any ideas on where I stand? I want a refund for the incorrect flight and 2 days of my holiday... do I stand a chance- anyone had any experience with thomson?

thank you for reading... I hope I covered all info!

XH

butler_helen

does knowone know...or have any experience of any Thomsons complaints?

pinkshoes

I have an experience of a Thomson complaint - a 9 hour flight delay where we were given 2 bottles of water and a slice of manky pizza, and the vouchers only being available check in side, yet the flight was delayed after everyone had checked in... (and the security wouldn't let us back through unless we ditched our duty free!!!)

I wrote them a snotty letter, to which I got a written apology and nothing else. I was too busy at the time to take it any further, and felt more sorry for the couple with the 2 month old baby, stuck in the airport for so long with no nappies and milk!!

At least they were much better at apologising that Easyjet, who are just the worst airline in the world when it comes to dealing with problems.

There's no holiday ombudsman as such. Did you send it recorded delivery? Did you ask for a reply in 7 days? I would send another letter, saying that you want £300 compensation, and if you do not receive a satisfactory response from them, you will be pursuing them through the small claims court.

butler_helen

hmmm ok... are there any laws/rules etc that I can state? their own t's & c's say they should use the formal complain procedure but thats all I can find...

Halloway

Apologies for displaying the sort of crass stupidity for which I have become known in these parts but precisely what you are you complaining about?

pinkshoes

Halloway wrote: »

Apologies for displaying the sort of crass stupidity for which I have become known in these parts but precisely what you are you complaining about?

Try reading post 1!! It's quite clearly explained!

LinasPilibaitisisbatman

pinkshoes wrote: »

Try reading post 1!! It's quite clearly explained!

I actually agree with Halloway

I don't think Thomson's have done anything wrong. An unexpected freak of circumstances meant some changes were required. I think these were dealt with reasonably well and with minimal inconvenience and no doubt covered by the terms and set compensation.

A lot of the complaints are unjust and more based on the OP assuming things. As far as I am aware it isnt a prerequisite of a flight for you to get extra seat room, a clear view of the TV or catering to your own requirements - well at least not without paying a premium which the OP doesnt mention

The hotel move was unfortunate but necessary as was the flight coming forward.

The OP is fair to complain but I dont really see what they expect to achieve. A major health pandemic is occuring and of course it was going to cause problems.

The op also turned down the chance to return home.

smcaul

If it were me I would work out a "realistic" cost that I would be expecting as a refund for the spoilt holiday, i.e. 10 days, then write to them one final time giving them 14 days to pay and warning them that court action will start on day 15. Then on day 15 start a claim with moneyclaim online.

Don't keep messing about writing letter after letter. Tell them what you want and what you will do if you don't get it, then actually do it.

The small claims court is there to be used, it is relatively straight forward and easy, just write the claim in the 3rd person and keep it factual.

Halloway

pinkshoes wrote: »

Try reading post 1!! It's quite clearly explained!

No. I can see a list of points but about half of them are petty and pointless. No welcome meeting indeed. It seems like the main complaints are that (a) the aeroplane was rubbish and (b) the second hotel wasn't terribly good. Do people go to Mexico on holiday merely to enjoy to plane and the hotel room? Might as well have gone to Benidorm.

I think, bearing in mind (as LPib rightly points out) that there was an influenza outbreak the seriousness of which could not be ascertained at that time but was killing a lot of people, Thomson did not do so badly. It clearly wasn't ideal and was probably unpleasant at the time but that's international travel for you.

LinasPilibaitisisbatman

smcaul wrote: »

If it were me I would work out a "realistic" cost that I would be expecting as a refund for the spoilt holiday, i.e. 10 days, then write to them one final time giving them 14 days to pay and warning them that court action will start on day 15. Then on day 15 start a claim with moneyclaim online.

Don't keep messing about writing letter after letter. Tell them what you want and what you will do if you don't get it, then actually do it.

The small claims court is there to be used, it is relatively straight forward and easy, just write the claim in the 3rd person and keep it factual.

Are you genuinely suggesting the OP should get 10 days refunded !!

I reckon 150-200 would be perfectly reasonable an offer.

butler_helen

Halloway wrote: »

No. I can see a list of points but about half of them are petty and pointless. No welcome meeting indeed. It seems like the main complaints are that (a) the aeroplane was rubbish and (b) the second hotel wasn't terribly good. Do people go to Mexico on holiday merely to enjoy to plane and the hotel room? Might as well have gone to Benidorm.

I think, bearing in mind (as LPib rightly points out) that there was an influenza outbreak the seriousness of which could not be ascertained at that time but was killing a lot of people, Thomson did not do so badly. It clearly wasn't ideal and was probably unpleasant at the time but that's international travel for you.

knowone was dying at the time we had been offered the chance to go home.

we were given 2 hours to make a decision, 2 days into our hard earned holiday- of course we didnt go home! they never offered another chance to leave the country.


Their website states we should get veggie/normal meals, 33" seat pitch and personal entertainment- it's what we paid for. Therefore what I expected.

i don't think I would ask for 10 days back, although 2 days plus the return flight would be what I'd like. It really was a nightmare and not relaxing at all.