Airline refunds with package holiday

Anet367

I had booked to go snowboarding in Canada over Christmas, but with the issues at Heathrow our flight to Montreal on Saturday was cancelled with no hope of being booked onto another flight until end of the week (if lucky).

After speaking with Air Canada they detailed that they would be refunding the flights but as I booked the holiday as a package through Inghams the refund will go to them.

Inghams cancellation policy details that you don't get any money back, but in these circumstances, as the airline are refunding I would have thought I should receive this refund.

I am covered by insurance, but my insurance company are asking if the airline will be refunding the flight - I just told them it was a package holiday therefore Inghams are dealing with this.

Thanks

richardw

Have AC cancelled your reservation?

Anet367

Yep, when we were offered the 24th Dec flight and turned it down, they cancelled it and said they would refund to Inghams.

richardw

What do Inghams' Terms and conditions say about the alternative not being acceptable to you?

apt

Inghams are invoking force majeure, but as I read it, this still means you can cancel and get a full refund if the delay is greater than 12 hrs. You would not get additional compensation for the cancelation at short notice.

Significant Changes by Inghams

Where a significant change to an essential term of the contract becomes necessary, we will inform you or your Travel Agent as soon as is reasonably possible if there is time before your departure. A significant change is one that we make to your holiday arrangements before departure that involves changing your UK departure airport (except as between Gatwick/ Heathrow / London City/ Luton / Stansted), your departure date or time by more than 12 hours, your resort or your hotel/ apartment/chalet to that of a lower official rating, key symbol, star or chalet rating **** (except in the case of curtailment as dealt with in the section on Force Majeure).These are only illustrations of significant changes and there may be other changes which constitute significant changes. To enable us to determine whether other changes may constitute a significant change, you must advise us in writing at the time of booking of any particular facilities which are fundamental to your holiday. You will have the choice of either

a) accepting the changed arrangements as notified to you (and receiving a refund in respect of a lesser price) or

b) purchasing another holiday from us and paying or receiving a refund in respect of any price difference or

c) cancelling your holiday and receiving a full refund of all monies paid. In the event of a significant change, we will in addition pay you compensation as follows (except where the change is a result of those circumstances listed under Force Majeure):

bagand96

I agree with apt, you should still be due a full refund, just that you are not due any compensation due to "force majeure". Why are Inghams saying you are not due refund?

Alan_Bowen

There is no question that you are entitled to a full refund and very few operators are even arguing about it. If they refuse to refund, come back here and warn others as this won't be the last closures of airports this winter