Flight no longer needed, advice required

sloth_frattelli

Hi all,

Bit of a pickle going on and I'm not sure which option is best.

I booked return flights for May 2018 to America from UK back in September using my credit card and circumstances since have meant I now cannot go on the trip.

The company with which I booked the flights are TravelUp.com and the airline is Virgin Atlantic. Just flights, no other packages or extras, (however they did give a complimentary upgrade to Business Class on the return leg) . Total sum came to £1139 plus the credit card's interest since.

The travel agent don't allow for cancelling, and having already spoken with them on the phone, I didn't find them very flexible nor accommodating. They will allow for name changes, with a fee of £70 per person.

I have kept up the payments on my credit card obviously, but am really struggling financially. The personal circumstances surrounding this ultimate scenario are that the debt should really have been shared, rather than left to me, but that's another long and painful story. All in all the results are that I am now in arrears with everyone, including mortgage and overdraft, leading to absence from work and recently arranging some counselling.

Options already explored include selling the flights through a third party exchange website, maybe offering them on the likes of gumtree, or accepting my fate and tending my credit card bill with no intentions of taking or transferring the flight.

I've taken advice from friends and been all over Google this past while trying to find a solution, some way of being able to claw something back. But before I jump the gun I thought I'd check with the folk at MSE. I've been a long time fan of the email and regular forum browser.

Thanks for reading...
!!!128580;

z1a

Is it not an Insurance claimable reason that you can't go?

glentoran99

sloth_frattelli wrote: »

Hi all,

Bit of a pickle going on and I'm not sure which option is best.

I booked return flights for May 2018 to America from UK back in September using my credit card and circumstances since have meant I now cannot go on the trip.

The company with which I booked the flights are TravelUp.com and the airline is Virgin Atlantic. Just flights, no other packages or extras, (however they did give a complimentary upgrade to Business Class on the return leg) . Total sum came to £1139 plus the credit card's interest since.

The travel agent don't allow for cancelling, and having already spoken with them on the phone, I didn't find them very flexible nor accommodating. They will allow for name changes, with a fee of £70 per person.

I have kept up the payments on my credit card obviously, but am really struggling financially. The personal circumstances surrounding this ultimate scenario are that the debt should really have been shared, rather than left to me, but that's another long and painful story. All in all the results are that I am now in arrears with everyone, including mortgage and overdraft, leading to absence from work and recently arranging some counselling.

Options already explored include selling the flights through a third party exchange website, maybe offering them on the likes of gumtree, or accepting my fate and tending my credit card bill with no intentions of taking or transferring the flight.

I've taken advice from friends and been all over Google this past while trying to find a solution, some way of being able to claw something back. But before I jump the gun I thought I'd check with the folk at MSE. I've been a long time fan of the email and regular forum browser.

Thanks for reading...
!!!128580;

Aside from the flights the mortgage is the priority stuff the credit card

dawyldthing

I doubt it as its a can't go rather than someone Ill. I'd ask round on Facebook groups as someone might take it off your hands if you reduce the amount as if that's each you've paid a lot, for 2 it seems fair. They will be non refundable tickets so £70 to change name is fair to be honest. Or see if a mate will go, share it (so you'd have to pay half) and still go. I wouldn't not pay your credit card mind but try and cut back elsewhere tbh or make minimum repayments at least do you don't get it on your credit file

katejo

You might be able to claim the flight tax back. Contact the airline to check this. I managed to do this for a flight to Italy.
For future trips, don't book them until you have saved the money for the initial deposit/flights so you will at least avoid credit card interest.

glentoran99

dawyldthing wrote: »

I doubt it as its a can't go rather than someone Ill. I'd ask round on Facebook groups as someone might take it off your hands if you reduce the amount as if that's each you've paid a lot, for 2 it seems fair. They will be non refundable tickets so £70 to change name is fair to be honest. Or see if a mate will go, share it (so you'd have to pay half) and still go. I wouldn't not pay your credit card mind but try and cut back elsewhere tbh or make minimum repayments at least do you don't get it on your credit file

He's not paying his mortgage, his credit file is the least of his worries

bagand96

I would double check and get confirmation that name changes are permitted. The £70 quoted sounds like TravelUp's own admin charge (their website states £75). However, you'll also be bound by Virgin Atlantic's own conditions - and most of their flights are "Name changes are not permitted".

Voyager2002

The flights are the least of your problems: if you are unable to pay the mortgage then you are in serious trouble, while missing work could lead to loss of income which of course would make things much worse. As a matter of urgency, seek some debt counselling from Stepchange or a similar organisation: there is a good and supportive community on this forum which would be a good place to start.

As posted above, double-check whether the airline would really allow you to change the passenger name. If so, the upgrade means that you got a pretty good deal and should find someone to buy for about what you paid. In any case, this makes no difference to your credit card debt...

As others have hinted, paying your credit card is much less important than paying your mortgage. If you don't pay the latter you lose your home; if you don't pay the former then you are unable to borrow again for up to six years, and since debt seems to be a problem for you then in some ways that could be helpful.

sloth_frattelli

Thanks for the replies everyone. I'm glad I came here to ask, and as well as all the other advice I've taken I can ponder over these options now too.

To explain the circumstances around booking and no longer needing the flights means having to negotiate around some personal stuff, but I didn't want to make this thread about any of that, just the flights.

In earnest, the mortgage arrears were accrued before the flights and I should have known better than to trust others selling a pipe dream and promising to fulfill their portion of the debt. I have been in contact with all my creditors and mortgage overpayments will clear in March. The credit card I've met with slightly over the minimum each month.

In general, I'm just coming out the other end of a stormy spell overall, rather than just financially. I can match my obligations monthly and have taken steps through work to avail of counselling services. I keep track of my credit report and used to be great at saving. I'll get there and be debt free again some day.

Again, I appreciate all of your help.