Flight changes

Holidaymaker2019

Hi, I wonder if anyone can help. I have a holiday booked with TUI to Tenerife from Gatwick. I chose an earlier flight which I paid more for so I could benefit from arriving at lunchtime rather than the evening. When I logged in to post my passport details, the flight had changed to the cheaper later flight. I have my confirmation email, I called and they said it was showing as 8.15am on my booking but on Skyscanner as 3pm. They were meant to call back yesterday, but did not. The holiday was still being offered online for the earlier flight. I now have an email to say we are on the later flight. Where do I stand regarding the extra I paid for the flight? Or is it me getting shafted by terms and conditions?? TIA

lisyloo

When you say “on sky’s planner” what do you mean?
Do you have the earlier flight in writing/email?

Call them again and if they say they will call back ask for a name of who will call you back and when.
If you or your partner can go to a TuI office then go there.

If you have it in writing then it’s a mistake and should be sorted, but don’t wait for days for someone to call you back, chase it and ask to speak to a manager as you weren’t called back.

Westin

I'm confused about your reference to "I have my confirmation email, I called and they said it was showing as 8.15am on my booking but on Skyscanner as 3pm".

- Is this a package holiday or a flight only?
- What was the original flight number and date of travel?

I would say it's bad form if your original early 8.15am departure is indeed still available and up for sale against the same holiday package, yet they have moved you to the later flight but there could be justifiable reasons (e.g. transfers to North of island hotels only now matched against the later flight). I would simply call TUI customer service again and ask why you have been moved and either ask if you can possibly move back to the flight originally booked, or have the day flight supplements refunded.

Holidaymaker2019

Hi, thanks for your response. The young lady said it was the external system that shows the actual flights? Now the 8.15am flight is no longer being offered. Just feel like I paid more for a flight to leave earlier and they've simply taken the extra money and put me on the cheaper later flight. win win for them me - £340

Pollycat

Who mentioned Skyscanner? You or TUI?
Skyscanner is just a flight search engine so I don't know why either parties would look on there?

Although lisyloo says it might be a mistake if you have the earlier flight in writing, it could be that they have cancelled the earlier flight.
Have you checked if it's still showing on the TUI website?

Holidaymaker2019

The young lady called skyplanner, that's my typo! The flight was still showing until today. I screen shot it when I was talking to her. Weird thing is, the flight at 3pm they have put us on is fully booked, we couldn't sit together despite paying for extra legroom for my tall husband?! So why that flight is showing as bookable is beyond me. We are going call again tonight.

Caz3121

when are you due to travel? the further ahead you book the more likely there could be schedule changes. Winter schedule starts at end October so they should be sorting out slots and confirmed times around now.
TUI t&cs state 12 hours is a 'significant change' that would allow you to cancel for refund. Less than 12 hours, it is just 'tough' unless you are travelling in the next 14 days

TELLIT01

It will be interesting to hear the outcome. I have also in the past paid extra to get a flight at what I consider to be a good time. If I was transferred to a later flight, which was originally cheaper, and didn't get a refund of the difference I would be extremely unhappy.

leylandsunaddict

If you'd booked on the "cheaper" flight and they'd changed it to the more "expensive" flight would you be happy if they asked you to pay the difference?

Airlines don't refund when prices go down and they don't ask for more when they increase. If the original flight still exists for the package you're doing then ask to be put back on it. If it doesn't exist then there's nothing you can do.

CardinalWolsey

leylandsunaddict wrote: »

If you'd booked on the "cheaper" flight and they'd changed it to the more "expensive" flight would you be happy if they asked you to pay the difference?

Airlines don't refund when prices go down and they don't ask for more when they increase. If the original flight still exists for the package you're doing then ask to be put back on it. If it doesn't exist then there's nothing you can do.

How ridiculous. OP pays a premium to travel on the more expensive daytime flight. Tour operator unilaterally changes them to the lower cost night flight. Any sane person would want a refund of the original difference. Determining that original difference is the challenge though - i.e. what was the price difference between the daytime flight and the evening flight at the point of booking?

leylandsunaddict

CardinalWolsey wrote: »

How ridiculous. OP pays a premium to travel on the more expensive daytime flight. Tour operator unilaterally changes them to the lower cost night flight. Any sane person would want a refund of the original difference. Determining that original difference is the challenge though - i.e. what was the price difference between the daytime flight and the evening flight at the point of booking?

It's far from ridiculous. Flight schedules are always subject to change. If they have 2 flights and day and they have to consolidate they choose which ones fits with their operations the best. It may be the earlier one or it may be the later one. They wouldn't ask the people that were on the "more expensive" flight to pay more, so they don't refund if it goes the other way.

If having a flight time change is important then don't book with the charter airlines/tour operators that have terms that aren't acceptable to you. You know what they are before you book. Some airlines/tour operators are much better than others, the tour operators and their charter airlines being about the worst.

Establishing the difference would be nigh on impossible because prices are constantly changing, even on the same day. Just because a package is more expensive on one flight at one point in time it doesn't mean it will be that way all the time.