Advice re travel agent changing flight/airline to Egypt

Getaweigh

Would appreciate some advice. I booked a holiday to Egypt (Sharm el Sheikh) with an independent travel agent, due to travel in early May. The agent booked our flights with EasyJet, I have confirmation of this. This airline have cancelled flights to Sharm until the end of May. The travel agent won't allow us to cancel the holiday, instead they have told us they will move our flights to another airline that is flying there. Are they within their rights to do this or can we insist on a refund. I have checked the T's&C's and there isn't anything shown about change of flights.

leylandsunaddict

What does your Atol certificate say? Package sale or flight plus? If it's a flight plus, which I suspect it is, then you are not entitled to a refund other than for your flights. Your accommodation is still there and usable. Your flight and accommodation would be two separate contracts.

Getaweigh

it says package sale.

Getaweigh

HI, it says package sale on the certificate.

leylandsunaddict

Ok. Sorry didn't have my brain switched on for my last post. All they're doing is changing the airline for your holiday. That is within their right, although they won't have much choice of airlines. Thomas Cook and Thomson often change airlines for their packages.

DTDfanBoy

Just because it's a package holiday doesn't necessarily mean the the OP is entitled to a full refund, a change of airline from Easyjet to Thomson for example wouldn't be classed as a major change IMHO.

However unless the FCO change their current travel advice " we advise against all but essential travel by air to or from Sharm el Sheikh " you will be entitled to a full refund closer to the time of departure.

Caz3121

Getaweigh wrote: »

instead they have told us they will move our flights to another airline that is flying there.

are there alternative flights for your dates and from the same airport?

Alan_Bowen

I think it is very unlikely Sharm will come back at all for this summer. Airlines have to fix their airport slots at the end of this month and they will reassign the planes to alternative destinations. BA has already acknowledged that the summer is gone by cancelling until September. The problem is everyone now wants to go to Spain and fares are now much higher, easyjet is £650 plus for the first weekend of the school holidays for Gatwick to Palma and accommodation is rapidly diminishing.

You need to get your agent to agree to replace the holiday with one of a similar standard and not simply offer a refund 4 weeks before departure as there will be nothing left or be outrageously expensive

mick_vandick

It will be back on for the summer if FCO advice changes.
Who did your travel agent book the package through? Sounds to me like they are trying to pull a fast one and hold onto your booking.

leylandsunaddict

mick_vandick wrote: »

It will be back on for the summer if FCO advice changes.
Who did your travel agent book the package through? Sounds to me like they are trying to pull a fast one and hold onto your booking.

I would think the agent has packaged it themselves.