GAdventures Not honouring booking - age discrimination

ChicJo

I booked a GAdventures holiday via STA Travel. Brochure states recommended 18-39s. We are older but travelled last year to India with them no problem. STA Travel took full payment for tour and flights (seats booked etc). I received confirmation and receipt from STA Travel. No documents from GAdventures arrived after over a month, so I queried this with STA Travel, who tell me GAdventures won't accept our booking because of our ages and they have now changed their policy since the brochures was printed. STA admit it's not my fault but are pushing me to take another tour (more active!) and GAdventures are telling me to take it up with STA. Is there any legal battle here - false advertising etc, plus my money has been taken and confirmation received from STA Travel. Any legal advice would be much appreciated, thank you.

Hintza

I would say you have the right to a full refund from STA but it doesn't sound as if you have any contract with GAdventures yet. They gave a recommended age and you didn't check the conditions before booking. You might get a small voucher as a goodwill gesture.

It sounds as if they are not happy with your ages and have declined your trip for that reason. This could be because of Health and Safety concerns or Insurance conditions etc.

Why not just book another holiday? Life is too short.

tomtontom

The website says there is no upper age limit, but there may be restrictions if you have certain medical conditions. Could this apply? Which tour did you book?

ChicJo

Thank you. We booked China on a Shoestring. We were asked about any medical conditions - we are lucky to say, we don't have any and we confirmed this with STA Travel whilst booking.

Hintza

I am very probably missing something, I never found any T&Cs for this holiday and no mention of age.

What do/did they actually quote?

What are GAdventures actually saying?

ChicJo

Thank you. STA Travel say GAdventures have changed their policy since the brochure was published and that now they are only accepting people aged 18-39. They say that GAdventures have told them that they have redesigned the tour for that age range. I am still awaiting confirmation of this information from GADventures - a manager is supposed to be calling me back today. Thank you.

lucy03

Generally you can't discriminate on age, but there are some exceptions, and holidays are potentially one of them.

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/85007/holiday-discrimination-age.pdf

ChicJo

Thank you lucy03 for the Equality Act 2010.

UPDATE: It appears that a meeting is to be held tomorrow morning between STA Travel and a GAdventures rep to discuss my case.