First Choice Flight Cancelled

razcalin

Hi guys, Just looking for some advice really.

We booked our wedding abroad for may/june 2012 when the prices came out at the start of May this year. Since then we have had numerous problems which have eventually been sorted but another problem has arisen.

We have been informed that the flight we were originally booked on from bristol has now been cancelled and we have now been transferred to Cardiff. We are in Devon so obviously this is further for us but understand this is a situation we can do nothing about.

The problems we do have are as follows:

1) Our airport parking for bristol was booked through a separate company so even if we cancel we will not get this refunded.

2) The new flights from cardiff mean we would be leaving the hotel at a very late hour (around midnight) and the room is up until mid-day. This obviously means a 12 hour wait. Now if it was just me and my partner this wouldn't be a massive problem, however, we do have a young son (will be nearly 2.5 years old at this point) and obviously he needs somewhere to sleep.

We phoned the first choice shop a few weeks before (as our flights had gone off sale) and asked if the flight had been cancelled to which we were told no and that it was probably fully booked! :mad:

My partner has spoken to the first choice shop and they have explained that they would not normally do anything and would be up to us to arrange parking etc and to pay in full.

Upon speaking to a manager FC have offered to pay 50% of the parking and have also offered a late check-out (until 6pm) which they will also pay 50% (allthough this does not eliminate the problem of our young son having to sleep).

I would like to know what my rights are in relation to the above and whether anyone else has had similar experiences?

I personally don't think it is fair that we should suffer financially due to FC changing their flight schedule although I know they are well within their rights to do.

Any help is really appreciated. Thanks

T_Fan

Hi Razcalin,

You may have already googled this yourself but in case you haven't come across this webpage I thought I'd suggest the Citizens Advice Bureau's Advice Guide. Unfortunately I can't paste the link but if you Google 'cab change of flight complaints' it will be the first suggested page.


Maybe the most relevant part to you might be 'The holiday trader cancels' under which it states that:

'Once your booking has been confirmed, there is a binding contract between you and the holiday trader. The holiday trader cannot then cancel the arrangements without breaking the contract. If the contract is broken, you will be entitled to claim compensation, for example to cover any financial loss you have suffered, or disappointment and inconvenience.
If the booking has not been confirmed, there is no contract and the holiday firm can cancel the arrangements if it wishes. '

So you're right, you shouldn't be at any financial loss as a result of the other party breaking they're side of the contract. I would definitely chase this up, you shouldn't settle for anything less that the parking and hotel paid for in full, and with the number of problems you've had, and the fact that this ties in with your wedding probably quite a bit more. With the extra distance you have to travel, which is going to cost more in money and time perhaps you might like to request they pay for another nights stay at your hotel in Cardiff (rather than just up until 6pm), return airport transfers from your hotel to the airport and complimentary drinks on board the flight. Really it's up to you to decide how they can make up for this problem, you could even try your luck at asking for an upgrade, presuming you're not already flying first class. After all this is supposed to be a once in a lifetime special family holiday, and if you point out that you fly regularly and would like future family holidays to be with FC then you never know how far they'll go. My best advice for you is to be certain and persistent about how they can make up for the inconvenience and stress this has caused, and in my experience you'll be generously compensated providing you're reasonable. Customer service is a massive deal, and very often companies will do what they can for people who have genuinely been put out.

The website also has some great template letters to cover most scenarios so you can just enter in you're own personal information and you're good to go.

Lots of luck getting this sorted out!

X

razcalin

thanks t fan, this really has helped. I will let you know how we get on. :T