Flights to Sharm el-Sheikh delayed/cancelled

Ikamva

Deleted_User wrote: »

But the reality is holidays are no different from anything else and you get what you pay for. If you want to buy a low-cost holiday in a high-risk area thems the chances you take.

I take it you have no sense of adventure!

[Deleted User]

Ikamva wrote: »

I take it you have no sense of adventure!

You call lying on a sun-lounger in a fortified holiday resort surrounded by armed guards adventure ?

I call it stupid.

peachyprice

Ikamva wrote: »

I take it you have no sense of adventure!

With all due respect, Sharm is a purpose built holiday resort, there is very little 'adventure' to be had there other than sitting by the pool, eating and drinking, the same could be had in any holiday resort the world over. It's the kind of plastic resort people with a sense of adventure avoid like the plague.

ibizafan_2

We went to Sharm for four years running for a bit of winter sun, as it was the nearest place with the most reliable weather. We could only manage a week at a time, as we would have gone stir crazy if we'd been there any longer, mainly because there was nowhere to walk to (we don't do shopping). The hotel was fine, quite impressive on the surface with an army of staff, but somehow there was always a slight lack of professional behaviour which you'd expect from a "5 star" (allegedly) hotel. I know that there will be people with stories about members of staff becoming their best friends, but I always got the impression that the friendly outward face ( especially if you tipped them well) masked something else. Not sure what, but I always thought that they probably didn't really like us, although they preferred us to the Russians. I did cringe at the sight of women sunbathing topless, which must have been quite offensive to their culture, and which showed a lack of any kind of common sense or care. As for the airport, well, it has to rate as the worst one I have ever had the misfortune to travel through. Chaotic, full of random people hanging about, and as others have said, totally incompetent as regards to security. After four years we decided enough was enough, and have gone back to the Canaries at that time of year. The weather isn't so perfect but some things matter more.

worldtraveller

Planes have begun bringing British tourists stranded in Sharm el-Sheikh back to the UK - but only eight out of 29 planned flights will fly.

Two Easyjet planes took off from the Egyptian resort, but it is unclear which others will be able to operate.

Egypt said this was because there was too much luggage at the airport. British passengers are allowed to take only hand baggage on board.

BBC News

tomosul

We were due to go on the 12th, Thompson have cancelled it, we've re booked to go to canaries but now 3 star in an apartment rather than 5 star in a hotel, and its all a bit rubbish. The price was practically the same, but the holiday won't be anything like the same - Thomsons wont do anything to help goodwill wise and insurance (Aviva via HSBC) won't do anything because we booked an alternative. A real shame as I feel let down by two 'quality' brands - I expected the insurance to pay based on what Thompsons had told us and what the policy wording said, and so thought we would have effectively got a 'free' holiday even if its not particularly what we wanted to do - which might sound greedy, but I'd have happily gone to Sharm and still would.

I'm not posting this to whine, just to highlight that some folk have been badly exposed because they've not booked a package or maybe haven't got insurance, it turns out you could have booked a package and had insurance and not some particularly well out of it either!

I could have had a full refund BTW, but obviously wouldn't have had any holiday...

rustyboy21

tomosul wrote: »

We were due to go on the 12th, Thompson have cancelled it, we've re booked to go to canaries but now 3 star in an apartment rather than 5 star in a hotel, and its all a bit rubbish. The price was practically the same, but the holiday won't be anything like the same - Thomsons wont do anything to help goodwill wise and insurance (Aviva via HSBC) won't do anything because we booked an alternative. A real shame as I feel let down by two 'quality' brands - I expected the insurance to pay based on what Thompsons had told us and what the policy wording said, and so thought we would have effectively got a 'free' holiday even if its not particularly what we wanted to do - which might sound greedy, but I'd have happily gone to Sharm and still would.

I'm not posting this to whine, just to highlight that some folk have been badly exposed because they've not booked a package or maybe haven't got insurance, it turns out you could have booked a package and had insurance and not some particularly well out of it either!

I could have had a full refund BTW, but obviously wouldn't have had any holiday...

To be fair, The tour operators have had this dumped on them from a very great height.

They have had flights suspended -no fault of their own

They are having to send extra planes out empty to collect passengers with no income from the outbound flight - No fault of their own.

They will most likely be hit with the transport bill for hold luggage shipment back to UK through - No fault of their own.

They have the additional cost of accomodation for stranded passengers through no fault of their own.

If they have planes at Sharm parked up, they will be paying fees for parking there, again no fault of theirs.

You cannot compare the price of a 5* AI in Sharm, to a 3* SC in the canaries. There is a reason they are selling holidays cheap in Egypt, People have been scared off going. 50% less this year than last year. Hoteliers and tourist authorities would have been offering bargains to get people back in resort. Why do you think you have been able to buy a weeks AI for £300 to a place with perfect weather this time of year.

As other posters have said, you pays your money and takes your chance. At least in the Canaries, you wont be restricted to staying in resort on threat of kidnap/death !

And the posters complaining about the haphazard way they are being dealt with by their tour operators, what do you expect? They have had this dropped on them at one of the quieter times of the year. They cannot magically conjure up trained staff to expand their Phone operations. They will be fielding urgent calls re people wanting to get home, they will be getting calls off people who are supposed to be travelling in a day or 2. They will also be getting a good % of people who are going like at Christmas, who are mithering about swapping holidays now, instead of just waiting say 7 days until the overall picture emerges. This will all be sorted out in the next 2 weeks, everyone will know how the land lies about whether they can go to Sharm again, but i do think it will be off the resort guides for quite a while.

IMO, good will from the tour operators is asking a bit much, they could after all just refund you to the state you were in before booking, which they are doing. They shouldn't have to match a 5* in Sharm with a 5* anywhere else, they will be paying at least double for the room in comparison anyway.

richardw

I would take the refund and sort something out myself.

richardw

Tour operators are bound by the package travel regulations and sell tours at higher prices.

If they don't want to 'suffer' as rustyboy alleges, then adjust your business model, it really is that simple.

gfplux

We should also be aware that the British Tax payer is footing the bill for the security people who have been flown out and probably some troops being put on standby if the situation gets worse.
Everyone is a loser in this.