Dial A Flight not offering refunds

stratt2020

Hi all,
Today a dial a flight account manager called to advise that we have 2 options for our cancelled Virgin Atlantic flight (start of April). Either a credit note for 12 months or to claim on our insurance. 
The conversation got a little animated after I advised we were legally entitled to a full refund. The manager advised there is no law for what is currently happening and the flight companies were going to the government to ask then to change the law.

I insisted on requesting a full refund and was advised that if everyone for a refund then travel companies and flight companies will go bust.

Long story short, where do I go from here?
Can I do a section 75, or not because we used a 3rd party in dial a flight?

Should we claim on insurance or insist on refund?

We dont want a credit mostly as a 12 month credit is likely to more of a 3-6 month credit as we are unlikely to be allowed to fly anytime soon and this limits options and prices could be more than we booked for.

To make matters worse we have another set of flights for May also with virgin via dial a flight.

Any help gratefully recieved!

Westin

Dial a Flight will be unable to offer you a refund unless the airline refunds them.  I do feel sorry for many of these agents at the moment as they are really in the middle of this and probably only able to pass on the information and policy that they have from the airline at the time, which has often been changing day by day.

As you have discovered, many airlines - perhaps for obvious reasons, are offering only credit to be used for future travel.  Far from ideal, against EU regulations should the flight be cancelled - but this is the new temporary world that we face and have to adapt to.

You are of course at liberty to speak with you credit card company about a S75 claim but as you correctly point out, having a third party intermediary in the link does not help.   This is also not likely to be an instant solution as the dispute process can take time and there is no guaranteed outcome at the moment.  If you take this route, please come back and tell us how you got on.   Many on the threads are saying they will do this but I have yet to see anyone return and update how successful they have been. 

stratt2020

Thank you for the response, I do have an update, dial a flight called back today to confirm that we are eligible for a refund and they will be refunding. Refund will take up to 4 weeks (completely understand why)
They also said guidelines from airlines changing day by day.

My main gripe with the call from yesterday was the way they 'pitched the call'. But glad this looks hopefully like its resolved for now

travelbug2012

Hi stratt2020

just wondering if you got You full refund from dial a flight or if you are still waiting? I’m in the same boat but keep getting told various different things.

Doubletwin33

Paid Dial a Flight £1000 deposit in October 2019 for two week holiday in Malaysia at the end of August 2020. Early into lockdown we enquired about the status of our holiday given formal UK Government guidance to be told repeatedly that they were dealing with customers in order of departure and for us to remain patient. 
Early May Etihad Airways cancelled the flights, Edinburgh to Abu Dhabi to Kuala Lumpar.
we waited on some communication from Dial a Flight and nothing. 5 years of dealing with Dial a Flight this was the first time we get no notification or reminder that the balance of the holiday was due to be paid. Under the circumstances and UK and Malaysian Government guidelines there was no possibility of travel even if we were prepared to travel.
Now getting told by Dial a Flight it was a non- refundable deposit and as we we’re not prepared to travel nor had we paid the balance in full by the due date the best they can do is provide a credit note/ voucher against any future travel. 
If the majority of the deposit is for the air travel why am I not entitled to a refund?
Is it fair to expect me to pay the balance on a holiday when there was no discussion or alternative flights offered? 
My voucher/credit note to be used against a holiday for August 2021 which means flights can’t be booked until September 2020. What security do I have between now and then that’s the deposit is covered by ABTA should the company go bust between now and September?
Im disgusted by the way Dial a Flight are dealing with this and very confused about my consumer rights. Can anyone help?

Alan_Bowen

If you booked a package holiday and received an ATOL Certificate confirming that it was a package, then you are entitled to a full refund of all monies paid if you were told the holiday was cancelled. That refund is due from Dial A  Flight. If its flight only and before the balance was due to be paid the airline confirmed the flight was cancelled you are entitled to a refund under EU261 providing they had actually booked the flights. If the flights had not been confirmed by the airline then it is the agent who must refund, if the flights were booked then if any money had been paid to the airline, they should refund the agent and they pass it on to you.

DialAFlight

Hi Doubletwin33,
We can assure you DialAFlight is working in imminent departure date order and that cancellations and refunds are being processed as quickly as possible as per package travel regulations.   If you need assistance in any of these matters or with your current claim then please contact DialAFlight via: customer.services@lotusgroup.co.uk  and we will assist you individually.

Caz3121

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see under Companies posting on the forum

realrunner

I too have been getting my travel with DialAFlight for a period of time now.  We flew to chile on 12th March only to try getting out of the country shortly later due to our cruise being cancelled while out there with return business class flights back from San Diego California.  Phoned DialAFlight to try and get us out of the country as our return flights couldn’t be used as we were in Chile and had to pay over£3000 extra on top of our original flights.  There was no time to argue about this as we were a thousands of miles away from home.  DialAFlight said this is what BA wanted not them.  I’ve made a complaint through DialAFlight but I seem to do all the pushing.  I followed all guidelines through government/ TA and airline.  Things were shutting and slamming down very fast out there only to find that when I was in Santiago airport to get flight home people were jumping on my BA flight for nothing extra.  I never obviously used my original return flight from San Diego California so who pocketed the money???  Certainly not me.