Travel Provider Issuing Incorrect Flight Details

Louise1987

Hi there,

I'm just looking for some advice regarding some issues I had returning home from my package holiday recently this month. I booked a holiday to Las Vegas with an online travel agent. The flights that I had chosen on my return date was 8.50am from Las Vegas to Philadelphia, and then a connecting flight from Philadelphia to Glasgow. A week after booking this holiday in September 2016, I received an email from the travel provider advising me that there were minor changes to my flight details and my flight was now 10:50am from Las Vegas to Philadelphia, with the same connecting flight to Glasgow.

When attending the airport on my return home from holiday, I could not find a 10:50am flight to Philadelphia on the departure board, only a 8.15am flight and an 11:40am flight. The flight number in the update email advising me of changes corresponded with flight number as the 11:40am flight. I went to the self service check-in where I found that I could not check in as it showed I was booked to be on the 8:15am flight to Philadelphia which was currently boarding and due to leave the runway at any minute. When attending the airport desk, I was advised that I had missed my flight and no such flight of 10:50am existed.

After a stressful amount of time at the airport check-in desk, I asked if I could be accommodated on the 11:40am flight, but was then advised that I would then miss my connecting flight to Glasgow. As a resolution, the very helpful lady at the check in desk managed to find me an alternative route from Las Vegas to Philadelphia, then Philadelphia to London, when in London I would have a 5 hour wait and could then get a flight back to Glasgow, which I accepted. My flight from London to Glasgow was further delayed by approximately 55 minutes.

Due to this error, it resulted in me having to take 3 flights instead of 2, having to travel for over 24 hours; arriving at my destination 9 hours behind schedule and missing an event. I should have arrived in Glasgow at 7am on 22nd June however, I did not arrive until 4pm later that day.

I realise that this isn't a delayed or cancelled flight, however, am I entitled to claim some form of compensation due to the delay in which I arrived at my destination? I have read through the very helpful information on this website, but I am still a little confused and need clarification.

I have contacted my travel provider, who I thought would be at fault regarding this. My travel provider is blaming the airliner. When contacting the airliner, they are bouncing me back to the travel provider, so I can't seem to get anywhere with this.

Any help would be much appreciated!

Thank you,

Louise

Vauban

Well you can't sue a travel agency under Regulation 261/04, which is effectively the law that creates statutory compensation for flight delays, cancellations and denied boarding. And the airline would only be liable if it was genuinely at fault - such as changing the flight times without ensuring you're notified.

You could sue the travel agency (or interestingly your credit card company, if you used a cc to buy the tickets) for breach of contract maybe, and consequential damages. But that wouldn't be a normal flight delay claim, so you'd need to make sure you know what you're doing.

Caz3121

did you ever check your booking on the airline's website?

Louise1987

Hiya, thanks very much for your advice Vauban! I didn't think it would qualify however, I do feel that it is the travel agencies error. I will await their response and see how it goes, thank you!

Louise1987

Caz3121 wrote: »

did you ever check your booking on the airline's website?

Hiya Caz3121, thanks for your reply! No, I didn't which in hindsight, I will be doing in future! I've booked with this company on a few occasions and have never had any issues. I just assumed that as I was being notified of changes via email that everything was above board. The email even stated that I did not have to reply or confirm anything further after receiving that particular email advising me of changes.

Caz3121

Even when booking direct with the airline it is worth keeping an eye on the booking (a not more so when agent in the loop too). Schedule change notifications can disappear into spam folders etc
I tend to keep an eye on bookings about once a week.

Louise1987

Caz3121 wrote: »

Even when booking direct with the airline it is worth keeping an eye on the booking (a not more so when agent in the loop too). Schedule change notifications can disappear into spam folders etc
I tend to keep an eye on bookings about once a week.

Thank you Caz, I'll definitely be doing that now!

Geoff1963

Trust no-one.:)

bagand96

As others have said, always check your bookings on the airline's own website. At the very least a week before you travel, but it certainly doesn't harm to do it more often.

Having an agent in the loop always increases the risk of you not getting a notification as it has to go Airline-Agent-Passenger rather than Airline-Passenger.

On the plus side it seems the airline were very helpful. They could well have just said you've missed your flight and charged you for the replacements.