Dilemma: Holiday with friends - my place been given away for Free!!

supergirlgem

Hey,

I'm actually writing this on behalf of my friend as when she sent me the message today I was v.annoyed and want to see what advice I can give her and if there is anything she can do.

The scenario:

My friend had arranged and paid to go on holiday with one of her friends. The friend is also going with some other friends. However unfortunately my friend has become very ill and been in A&E a couple of times this week and signed off work so she could no longer go. I told her she'd be able to claim on her insurance for the holiday as she'd have a sick note from the doctor. She has just told me today though that this friend has given her place away for free. Meaning she can't claim on the insurance as there is no cancellation. What should she do?

It seems incredibly unfair to me that some other girl has taken her place for nothing and her friend hasn't even seemed to have had a second though for my friend. It's not as if she would have been alone.:mad:

Mrs_Arcanum

At the very least you would think the new person should pay your friend something for the trip as she now cannot claim on the insurance. However should no offer of payment appear perhaps she should still try claiming. After all most travel insurances are for named individuals.

[Deleted User]

It seems to me that there's two possible and sensible options:

1) The person taking her place pays her the cash

2) No one takes the place and she claims on the insurance

How was the name on the ticket changed without her consent/approval? She must have given the okay, no?

It seems the friend who gave the place away was not thinking of her friend.

spiro

Domino9 wrote: »

How was the name on the ticket changed without her consent/approval? She must have given the okay, no?

If she was not the lead passenger, then the lead passenger can do what they like to a booking, the only recourse any other passengers have is through the small claims court, sad but true.

If she claims off her insurnace then maybe they will try adn recoup the money from the person who was given the place but the problem she will have is proving she never travelled. Suggest her best bet is to phone her insuance company and explain what has happened. I would also contact the so called 'friend' and advise her that she will be looking to recover her losses from her.

marywooyeah

thats out of order I'd be majorly annoyed if it was me! whoever is taking her place should pay your friend whatever your friend's share was. if she refuses to, is there any way your friend can dispute it? assuming she is a named passenger the person taking the place would have to pay to have a name change, so could your friend phone the airline or travel company and state that she does not consent to a name change?

supergirlgem

spiro wrote: »

If she was not the lead passenger, then the lead passenger can do what they like to a booking, the only recourse any other passengers have is through the small claims court, sad but true..

Yes, her friend is the lead passenger

spiro wrote: »

If she claims off her insurnace then maybe they will try adn recoup the money from the person who was given the place but the problem she will have is proving she never travelled. Suggest her best bet is to phone her insuance company and explain what has happened. I would also contact the so called 'friend' and advise her that she will be looking to recover her losses from her.

I'll get her to ring her insurance, they are currently on holiday at the mo so she can prove she isn't there and she'll have a medical note from the doctors.

spiro

marywooyeah wrote: »

assuming she is a named passenger the person taking the place would have to pay to have a name change, so could your friend phone the airline or travel company and state that she does not consent to a name change?

As I have already posted, if you are not the lead passenger on a pckage holiday then you are solely at the mercy of them in terms of them being able to change booking without requiring any consent/approval from the other passengers.

spiro

supergirlgem wrote: »

I'll get her to ring her insurance, they are currently on holiday at the mo so she can prove she isn't there and she'll have a medical note from the doctors.

When I had to claim, neither of these things mattered in terms of booking. I had to get confirmation from airline and hotel that the seat/room were not used. This will be difficult in her case when some else took her place because for all her insuance knows the other person paid her to take the spare place.

Zoetoes

So have they already gone on the holiday? If not your friend needs to ring the lead booker and say the place needs to stay empty as she will be claiming on the insurance. If the lead booker then says she wants someone else to go, fine, just drop the money round.

getmore4less

The lead pax has changed names on the deal they owe the money back.

I don't think Insurance will not cover a holiday you are not even booked on.

thegirlintheattic

Your friend needs to get in touch with lead passenger and get the money back from her. The lead passenger can then get the money from the person who took the place.

Insurance will not pay out.