Holiday Gems - extra baggage fees

kgirl123

Hi all,
Not sure if this is the right place to post but just wanted some advice on this.
Booked with Holiday Gems to go to Egypt for 11 nights all inc as a family of 5. A week later they sent us our travel information and it turned out there's no hold baggage added to our booking. In the whole booking process there is no mention about the lack of baggage in the 'package', and they even have an 'optional extras' section at the end which offers transport. For an 11 nights holiday, baggage is certainly a must.

I did a bit of research, found CAP 1015 regulations, which state that any extra fees such as baggage must be flagged and prominently displayed, which it is not. I emailed them with no luck, they are asking for £70 per bag and said this information is displayed - it's in tiny print, alongside a bunch of other points, in the left bottom corner below all of the holiday filters. There's 5 of us and the numbers start to add up, so we're not happy about having to pay extra.

In my opinion the information is nowhere near 'prominently displayed' and CAP state it cannot be hidden anyway in terms and conditions or be hard to find.

Any advice on this would be appreciated, do we have to pay up? I guess cancelling at this point is not an option without cancellation fees

Thank you!

BorisThomson

The regulations you quote are guidance, not law.

The side column you refer to is as big as the price column, and directly underneath it.

I would not assume a flight has a hold luggage allowance unless it specifies it does. Why would you think something exists despite no suggestion that it does?

photome

they do tell you about hold baggage charges in the terms and conditions

Gloomendoom

Out of curiousity, I've just done a dummy booking on the Holiday Gems website and would agree, if baggage isn't included, it isn't clearly stated that it isn't. It is there, but you have to look for it.

The cost of transfers is clearly stated in the price block.

kgirl123

Whenever I have booked a package holiday I have always had baggage include OR clearly stated as an extra towards the end of the booking so it's clear what your final cost is before you hit the pay button

I understand they are in the terms and conditions but booking a holiday that's the last place me, or most customers I would imagine, will look. So I was just curious if it's legal for them to do that and spring those extra costs for you after you've booked (so it's not easy to cancel)

photome

I am not sure holidaygems sell package holidays

How did the price compare with them to any other OTA that did include baggage

you did agree to the T and C though but it does seem a bit underhand whicj is why i suspect their prices look so good

Westin

It will not be a package holiday, rather a cobbled together arrangements different travel services.

These OTAs know that many people search for a cheap holiday and that shopping is done on price as the deciding factor, they therefore do everything they can to display the cheapest deal to draw people in. This means pulling through flights with little or nothing included. No baggage, no seat assignment, no meals. If you want them you have to add them in which of course adds to the cheap headline price that people search for.

Holiday Gems do seem to mention that checked baggage is excluded. Deceiving, especially if you are used to booked a traditional tour operator package holiday, but not illegal.

I think you will have to pay the hold baggage charge if you wish to check in luggage. You might however be better adding this directly with the airline concerned as Holiday Gem may charge you a service/admin fee to add it on post booking.

Gloomendoom

If you try adding the luggage directly through the airline or want to make any other changes to the booking, in my experience, they will refer you back to the travel agent. That is why I always organise my own travel and book direct with the airline, even for work trips.

It wouldn't harm to try though.

kgirl123

Thanks for all your advice, I guess I'm used to booking with Thomson/First Choice who are very open about any paid extras, but of course can't compare them to a cheaper deal provider. I will be warned for next time!

I did check earlier and indeed it is cheaper to do it via the airline (£50 vs £70) and it seems that I'm able to do it online. Will give this a try and hope I don't get pushed back to do it via Holiday Gems

maman

Out of curiosity I experimented with booking with Holiday Gems on my phone. After your post I was actively looking out for information on baggage and saw nothing. I got as far as where they ask for passport and card details before pulling out.

I think you have a point but there's probably little you can do about it other than avoid the company in the future.

I'm used to booking flights myself and baggage charges are usually very obvious and considerably cheaper than £70!

I had a similar experience recently with a company that wanted me to book plane seats through them for a price higher than the airline charged.

mirola

I'm having the exact same issue with this atrocious travel agent as we speak. Hiding the subject 'luggage' in places where people don't look (an ATOL logo without text and a short sentence in the masses of t&c s blurb).

In the follow up telepone confirmation staff doesn't mention the subject hold luggage either (so easy to do, clear lack of training  But then again maybe deliberate as when they say 'luggage' people might say 'no thanks, cancel the booking').

Their website has been set up to deliberatly make it vague that hold luggage is not included (as other are very clear, Holiday Gems can do the same, but for many years obviously choose not to).

Customer services, what customer services? They don't care, don't answer any questions, just copy and paste pre chewed blurb.

You can't speak to senior management, lower management just thinks you're a nuisance when you have an issue and won't roll over and die because they say so..

Always pay by credit card people, I paid by bank card and am stuck with this now, couldn't reverse my payment.

Avoid this travel agent like the plague.

They need serious training and a website tweak, then most would probably be fine.

Open, honest and transparant is not something that is appplicable to their trade, something that business transactions should be according to the consumers act.