Looking for some advice re name change!

cabsy83

Hi,

I've just had a very tearful phone call with my 18 year old cousin;

Back in August a friend of hers booked a holiday for 4 of them to go to Florida this coming June. They booked through Ramsay travel over the phone and were sold a 5 leg flight from Edinburgh to Sanford and 14 nights accommodation for £700 odd per person. They all paid their £50 deposit and all was well. Then my cousin lost her job!

So she found another friend who was happy to take her place on the holiday and they rang Ramsay travel to do what I said should be a relatively easy name change... Ramsay travel then said that the holiday was booked with expedia by them but it should be ok to change. Then they called back saying because its air France who the flights are with they won't change it! They also said that the person who booked the holiday was told at the time of booking that there were no cancellations or changes allowed.

I have said I will try ringing tomorrow on her behalf as her mother is in bits but I just wondered if anyone could give me any advice on what to try and if this is even at all possible to sort out?

I have told her she is never allowed to book another holiday without me! Thanks in advance!

olivepalm

Is it only £50 deposit she's paid or full amount?

balletshoes

This might not be a package holiday - the 5-leg flights may suggest at least some of the flights may be with budget airlines, which may have a no-refund no-changes policy, without paying hefty fees.

When you phone the travel agent tomorrow, ask them what part of the holiday there is a problem with, and what the exact cancellation/amendment policies are with the various airline carriers/Expedia/hotel.

cabsy83

Hi, thanks for replying. I've dug deeper and found the flights which were booked and the terms and conditions state

Important Flight Information

We want you to know the airline you're traveling with has the following restrictions regarding your flight.
Tickets are non-refundable and non transferable. Name changes are not allowed.

So either the guy who booked it ignored this or the travel agent didn't tell him. One way or another I think the flights will need to be paid for. I think the next thing would be to find out how much the hotel was and try and change the name on that and get the person who wants to take her place to pay that.

cabsy83

The person who booked the holiday swears they didn't tell him the booking conditions, can we pursue that?

tamiami

If they did hear the booking conditions they would have still probably booked, as no-one expects to cancel a holiday do they.

All calls are usually redorded anyway.

Voyager2002

Can't she claim on her travel insurance? Redundancy is usually allowed as a reason for cancellation.

malkie76

Yes, Voyager is correct - this will be covered on her insurance so problem solved. However, I think ultimately that means the others go without her rather than enabling a name change and someone else going.

I have told her she is never allowed to book another holiday without me! Thanks in advance!

I don't understand. Inability to do a name change is pretty standard on these sorts of things.

The person who booked the holiday swears they didn't tell him the booking conditions, can we pursue that?

No. There's a cooling off period if you book over the phone or in person giving you time to fully read the T&C you are agreeing to. Even if they'd read them I imagine they'd have continued the booking as she was employed at the time.

Her insurance is definitely the way forward to fix this one!

Meadows

Voyager2002 wrote: »

Can't she claim on her travel insurance? Redundancy is usually allowed as a reason for cancellation.

Does she have travel insurance or cancellation insurance?
A basic travel insurance will not cover cancellations by the traveler.

stephb34

Im surprised if the flights are non changeable non refundable the deposit was only £50 normally you would have to pay a deposit of enough to cover the flight costs incase anyone did decide to cancel. Are the travel agent now demanding the rest of the money?, did they just pay a low deposit? They do have insurance do they or were they getting that at a later date?