Holiday disaster

QueenDH

Good evening

Please can I ask for some advice?
I booked an All-inclusive holiday in October to go to a hotel in in the sun (£1900). The flight was 6am. I booked in online at 1.15am and paid £28.00 for four seats. We arrived at the airport 5.15am to find no cue and to be told the desk was closed and we could not travel. The reason I was given was the baggage would not go through and I should have been there from 5 (we could have travelled with hand luggage and the suitcases could have followed the following day).

“Check in Process - the Airline.
For your flight you can check in online or at the airport. This will vary by route. Online check-in opens 24 hours before departure and closes 2 hours prior to your flight leaving”. The website also states if using online check-in-service you will need to be at the departure lounge at least 45 minutes before departure.

I found it difficult to understand why we could not check in. There was sufficient time to make it to the departure lounge to board the aircraft. A gentleman in front of us was allowed to go through. The check-in staff made a call and said she had to wait to be called back for a response but she thought it was unlikely to be yes. The staff was informed that we had already booked in online but this did not make any difference. The staff was not interested and suggested I contact the tour company for alternative flights and go to Costa and have a hot drink!! There was no empathy and very little effort to help rectify the situation we found ourselves in. As a professional, I would have made every effort to present the customer with a positive outcome but this service fell short of best practice. I was extremely disappointed in the service we received.
Following this I contacted the tour company who said I could travel 7am the next day but would have to pay £320 for another flight, or to travel to and from Cardiff or Bournemouth airport as suggested later that day. I don’t know how much I would have been expected to pay for transfer from the airport to the resort.
The children and I were looking forward to this holiday and were devastated not to be going away. I emailed the travel company asking if they could make an exception and book us on the next flight leaving Birmingham the following morning, with transfer to hotel at no cost to us. We are willing to accept 6 days holiday rather than none but I did appreciate this was an unusual request. I did not receive any response from them.

With no holiday and a huge credit card bill I thought I could write to my credit card company to see whether I could resolve this under section 75 of the Consumer credit Act 1974. However, they claim they cannot help me because we were not in the departure lounge 45 mins before departure. Since we have reached a deadlock (deadlock letter provided) I was considering referring this to the Financial Ombudsman Services Limited. But I don’t know if there is any point doing so and whether I should just accept that I have lost this money.

Would appreciate constructive comments. Thanks in advance for your help.

elsien

Online check in makes no odds. Were you at the desk 45 minutes before departure? If not, the airline is not at fault. What was the reason you were so late? If it was a public transport issue your travel insurance may give some cover. If it's down to just not allowing enough time you have no redress.
Rather than abandoning the whole holiday you couid have given the alternatives a little more consideration.
From what you've written I think you may have to chalk this one up to experience and allow much more time in future. If it was a budget airline they operate to very tight schedules so the extra time taken to get a family on board won't be acceptable to them.
As far as the credit card goes, the airline didn't fail to provide the service you missed the flight because you were too late. They're not going to budge on that.

Chino

QueenDH wrote: »

There was sufficient time to make it to the departure lounge to board the aircraft.

How could this possibly be the case if you arrived at the airport at 5:15 am yet you were required to be at the departure lounge at that time (i.e. 45 minutes before your 6:00 am flight)?

QueenDH

Never been in this situation before. Intention was to get to airport earlier but situations beyond my control meant we were not at the desk at 515. Financially paying more money to travel the next day was not a viable option. Thanks for your feedback.

AnotherJoe

QueenDH wrote: »

Reduced your post to the bare essentials.


The flight was 6am. I booked in online at 1.15am

We arrived at the airport 5.15am
the website also states if using online check-in-service you will need to be at the departure lounge at least 45 minutes before departure.
I found it difficult to understand why we could not check in.

Why do you find it difficult to understand why, when at checkin (not the departure lounge) with 45 min to go, you couldn't get through security,and make your way to the departure gate, instantaneously,in order to arrive there with 45 minutes to go?


They were more than generous to allow you to travel there and then and send your luggage on later as they didn't even need to do that. Why did you not take them up on that?


So, its your problem unless the circumstances beyond your control were something like traffic delays or a breakdown which would be covered by some travel insurance policies.

eDicky

QueenDH wrote: »

[(we could have travelled with hand luggage and the suitcases could have followed the following day). ]

This was the obvious solution in your situation, that they were kind enough to offer. Not having the essentials for a day in your hand luggage is unwise, checked luggage always has a chance to be delayed or lost.

The phone call that the counter staff made was to check the possibility that you and luggage could be accepted at that time without delaying the flight, a decision that was not in her hands. It's no use criticising her.

If the cause of your delay was covered by your insurance, that's your solution now.

elsien

I read that as being the OPs suggestion, not a solution offered by the airline.

Edi81

This has got to be a windup.
Who thinks that arriving 45 mins with luggage to check in is enough time at the airport?

eDicky

elsien wrote: »

I read that as being the OPs suggestion, not a solution offered by the airline.

You could be right, given their apparent disconnection with reality.

Ergates

QueenDH wrote: »

However, they claim they cannot help me because we were not in the departure lounge 45 mins before departure.

Given that this is what the airlines website clearly states as a condition to fly and you failed to meet it - their position seems entirely reasonable.

QueenDH wrote: »

Since we have reached a deadlock (deadlock letter provided) I was considering referring this to the Financial Ombudsman Services Limited. But I don’t know if there is any point doing so and whether I should just accept that I have lost this money.

I don't see why the FOS would side with you in this case, it seems pretty clear cut. Do you honestly think you have a case? If so, for what reason?

As others have said above - if you have travel insurance, read the terms and see if the "situations beyond my control" are covered.

eskbanker

elsien wrote: »

I read that as being the OPs suggestion, not a solution offered by the airline.

Agreed - I'd be shocked if any airline voluntarily suggested separating passengers from their hold luggage, given the obvious security ramifications! I've lost count of the number of times I've had delayed departures while hold luggage has to be removed when the relevant passengers fail to show up at the gate....

Granted there will sometimes be occasions where hold luggage has to follow passengers separately but only once it's fully within the airline's control, such as problems with their baggage loading.