Gulf Air - eDreams.co.uk | Flights refund

ncmscnc

The whole thing seems like a scam to me. I am sorry.
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This can be made flexible or at least flexible enough without a great deal of cost to anyone involved! At least they can "try" to release the ticket so someone else can purchase it? Have a "waiting" or some sort of "queue" system for a price even.
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No, just saying NO outright reeks of exploitative nature of these businesses. They are not even trying to be friendly.

Caz3121

ncmscnc wrote: »

The whole thing seems like a scam to me. I am sorry.
.
This can be made flexible or at least flexible enough without a great deal of cost to anyone involved! At least they can "try" to release the ticket so someone else can purchase it? Have a "waiting" or some sort of "queue" system for a price even.
.
No, just saying NO outright reeks of exploitative nature of these businesses. They are not even trying to be friendly.

It is not a scam, you just need to be aware on what you are purchasing.
When you book direct with the airline you can see the fare rules of the options available (GulfAir sell 4 different types of economy tickets - it is up to you so select the one that is suitable for your needs. Flexibility comes at a cost and a refundable economy ticket costs over £1,500)
You chose to book through and agent (I assume you were looking for a cheap price) so selected a restricted ticket that you booked agreeing to their T&Cs
This is how air travel works...you have the choices before you book
1) spend £1,500+ on refundable ticket booked direct with airline.
Cancel = full refund
2) spend £360 booking non-refundable ticket though a third party agent
Cancel = no refund

They are not in business to be friendly. You entered into a contract and agreed to the terms (possibly without reading them) but now you want to change your mind. The contract you entered into details what happens in this case...

Pollycat

Caz is right.
It is not a scam.

I booked flights with Singapore Airlines to Bali for a holiday, 9 months in advance.

I knew full well that I was purchasing a non-refundable ticket and deliberately chose that cheaper option because if I have to cancel the holiday, losing £1k on flights will be the least of my worries.

On the subject of eDreams, there are countless threads on the Air Travel board on Tripadvisor about shoddy customer service - but in this instance they are right and you are wrong.

Businesses are in the business of making money - they are not there to be 'friendly' and refund money that they don't have to.

jpsartre

ncmscnc wrote: »

This can be made flexible or at least flexible enough without a great deal of cost to anyone involved!

It would cost the airline a great deal of money if people stopped paying for flexibility, which is what would happen if inflexible tickets could be refunded anyway. Needless to say there is no scam here.

ncmscnc

I am not sure I can agree to this unfair shafting peacefully.
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A business is there to make money. I can agree to that. As any good shareholder would do, I would have them to make money and be the good agents with my money too. At the expense of what? For example, would I agree for them to pay less than “possibly a living wage” to their staff? No.
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It’s a cheaper flight ticket alongside a flexible one. I do not have choice but to book cheaper flights as the “artificial flexibility” element is 420% more. This is a normal behaviour. Why is this considered as something I have to put up with?
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Get rich and afford flexibility or get stuffed is the sprit of businesses now?
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Sorry about the rant, may I ask how can I take this a bit further please. Any protection at all? I know I have “agreed to the terms”. The flight is next week for goodness sake!

PeacefulWaters

Why is this considered as something I have to put up with?

Because you can cheaply insure against many of the risks of not flying.

budgetflyer

You could have also booked via Lastminute.com who for about 15% extra on their price, offer a 90% credit (useable against future Lastminute.com bookings only) if for any reason you cant/dont want to fly.

ncmscnc

Lastminute.com, I did not know that. Thanks.

stevenhp1987

ncmscnc wrote: »

I am not sure I can agree to this unfair shafting peacefully.
.
A business is there to make money. I can agree to that. As any good shareholder would do, I would have them to make money and be the good agents with my money too. At the expense of what? For example, would I agree for them to pay less than “possibly a living wage” to their staff? No.
.
It’s a cheaper flight ticket alongside a flexible one. I do not have choice but to book cheaper flights as the “artificial flexibility” element is 420% more. This is a normal behaviour. Why is this considered as something I have to put up with?
.
Get rich and afford flexibility or get stuffed is the sprit of businesses now?
.
Sorry about the rant, may I ask how can I take this a bit further please. Any protection at all? I know I have “agreed to the terms”. The flight is next week for goodness sake!

There is nothing that can be done.

You either don't fly, and lose your money, or you fly and don't.

Non-flexible tickets are cheap for a reason - they are a guaranteed sale in that you cannot cancel them. The airline will make ~£60 on that ticket, the rest goes to the UK Government as taxes (e.g. APD).

What is the exact reason for not going? You say "change of work assignments" - did you not have holiday booked at work for this?!

If you had holiday booked, your company have to give twice as many days notice as the amount of time you are away before the start of the holiday... and you will be away for ~3 weeks. This means, giving your booking date, your company could not legally just cancel your holiday...

If you didn't book holiday at work, why did you buy the flights if it wasn't all OK to go?

Voyager2002

stevenhp1987 wrote: »

What is the exact reason for not going? You say "change of work assignments" - did you not have holiday booked at work for this?!

If you had holiday booked, your company have to give twice as many days notice as the amount of time you are away before the start of the holiday... and you will be away for ~3 weeks. This means, giving your booking date, your company could not legally just cancel your holiday...

If you didn't book holiday at work, why did you buy the flights if it wasn't all OK to go?

The OP also talked about no longer being able to afford the holiday. That suggests that s/he is in "flexible" employment and has been given fewer hours recently than in the past. Sadly, that is not an insurable risk.