Help, lying travel agent never booked our flights

HLT298

Hello,
If anyone can offer advice I'll be really greatful. We booked our flights from London to Auckland with a travel agent in May 2013, for 18th Feb 2014. We hadn't received our tickets two weeks before travel and so I prompted the agent to do this. Two days later the travel agent called me to say our original flight was overbooked and that we should take the alternative flight being offered. The flight we were offered does not suit our circumstances so well, we are travelling with a 2 year old and so I had specifically chosen to go via Hong Kong, to give us even flight times and a short break in the middle. We are now being sent via Dubai, with an additional stop at Sydney. The new flights are the same day. Two hours later on way out and four hours later on the way back. I was pressured into taking the new flights as the travel agent told me if we stuck with our original flights, which were apparently overbooked, we may not be allowed to board on the day.
I have since found out that the travel agent lied to me. Our flights weren't overbooked and we could have travelled as planned. We now have tickets with the new airline, so we do have flights.
Does anyone know what course of action I can take with the travel agent who has been lying to me? The flights we've got are ATOL protected, but I'm not sure that helps.
Any assistance would be most appreciated. However, I'm reluctant to complain to the travel agent prior to our holiday as I suspect he will cancel our flights.
Many thanks.

richardw

When you've paid in full for your flights your itinerary should be ticketed. When did you pay in full?

duchy

Did the agent not ever send you written confirmation ?
Have you actually accepted the new flights and are they yet ticketed ?
Is this a high street agent ...if not is it a "known" on-line agent ?

HLT298

We paid in full in May 2013 and received a booking confirmation, I expected to receive the e-tickets then, but when I queried with the travel agent they said they wouldn't be issued unitl 2 weeks before.
We have accepted the new flights and they have been ticketed. I was put under a great deal of pressure to accpet these new flights, called at 2pm, told original flight was overbooked and given until 4pm to accept new flights or risk not getting on our original flight.
The agent is an on-line agent and has very good reviews on trust pilot.

richardw

Have a thorough read of the TA's and the airlines' terms and conditions regarding ticketing.

Alan_Bowen

If they confirmed a booking, you should have been given a 6 digit PNR number which can be checked with the airline. It is very doubtful that the airline would have advised any agent of an overbooking situation, most airlines overbook if they can but they have sophisticated computer programmes that calculate how many people are not likely to turn up on the day. They would also have to pay 600 Euros compensation for overbooking each passenger denied boarding, and it is only on the day as passengers arrive at the airport that the airline knows whether they need to offload passengers or not. The story is therefore fiction.


If you feel you have lost out as a result of this lie, then calculate your loss, time, trouble, inconvenience and claim a breach of contract. People choose flights for particular reasons, going to NZ, normally for the shortest journey time.

jpsartre

Sorry for your situation. As Alan Bowen says, the story you got is entirely unbelievable. Next time book flights directly from the airline to avoid this kind of nonsense.

blindman

HLT298 wrote: »

Hello,
If anyone can offer advice I'll be really greatful. We booked our flights from London to Auckland with a travel agent in May 2013, for 18th Feb 2014.

Why? Go to airline direct next time :cool:


We hadn't received our tickets two weeks before travel and so I prompted the agent to do this. Two days later the travel agent called me to say our original flight was overbooked and that we should take the alternative flight being offered. The flight we were offered does not suit our circumstances so well, we are travelling with a 2 year old and so I had specifically chosen to go via Hong Kong, to give us even flight times and a short break in the middle. We are now being sent via Dubai, with an additional stop at Sydney. The new flights are the same day. Two hours later on way out and four hours later on the way back. I was pressured into taking the new flights as the travel agent told me if we stuck with our original flights, which were apparently overbooked, we may not be allowed to board on the day.


I have since found out that the travel agent lied to me.

Really-No shock there TBHO:eek:



Our flights weren't overbooked and we could have travelled as planned.
We now have tickets with the new airline, so we do have flights.

At least you have flights


Does anyone know what course of action I can take with the travel agent who has been lying to me?

The flights we've got are ATOL protected, but I'm not sure that helps.

ATOL protection is not worth the electronic paper it's written on :cool:

Any assistance would be most appreciated. However,

I'm reluctant to complain to the travel agent prior to our holiday as I suspect he will cancel our flights.
Many thanks.

The [STRIKE]scumbag[/STRIKE] TA cannot cancel your flights.

Get back to them and ask to see the original PNR for the "overbooked" flights.

Next time DIY:cool:

AND with the New Airline-join their FF club to get some miles so you may get a "free" European flight next time (DIY of course :cool:)

HLT298

Thank you everyone for your help. We'll definitely book direct with the airline next time even if it costs a bit more.
I will also look into breach of contract, for the stress and worry if nothing else. But after our holiday :-)