Return flight cancellation

Midsummer_II

We were due to return to the UK from Australia on 24th March with Singapore Airlines.  When we turned up at Perth airport we were unable to board the first part of the flight as Changi airport was closed to transit passengers.  No help was offered.  After a few hiccups we got a return flight with Qatar Airline via Doha at a cost of £4000 for the two of us, a lot of money but we just wanted to get home.  We are attempting to get that back from our insurance company.  However my question is about the return part of the flight with Singapore Airlines.  We put in a claim with Carlton Travel who we had booked through.  They are saying that how much we get back will be up to Singapore Airlines and that we must agree to this before the agents ask the airline to make a refund.   Surely our contract is with Carlton Travel, not Singapore Airlines, and that they should be making a refund of half the full fare to us within 14 days.   What is our legal position please?  

Life__Goes__On

You should be able to get a refund of the £4000,   but not the refund of the cancelled leg.
How did you paid for the trip?

Caz3121

Carlton travel would be able to pass on any refund once they receive it back from Singapore Airlines 
Are you trying to claim the return flight cost from SQ plus the Qatar flight from insurance? I suspect insurance should then deduct the refund from SQ from your claim if received

Nebulous2

I’m in a very similar position, except from New Zealand. My insurance company has told me I have a claim but I need to recover what I can from lastminute.com who were my travel agent or my credit card company before they will process it. I’m unclear how much Singapore will refund to lastminute, but surely 50% of the original fare would be about right. Lastminute have been hopeless and almost entirely uncontactable throughout. 

I’ve also submitted a chargeback claim to Barclaycard. The call centre agents said they would do that, but again they’ve became very uncommunicative now that I have submitted a claim form. 

Qatar were quite good, but they certainly charged. They could because they were more or less the only game in town. 

Midsummer_II

I am not asking about the £4000 we paid to Qatar Airline.  It is the cancelled part of our originally booked flight with Singapore Airlines which was cancelled by SA.  My question is surely my claim should be against Carlton as that is who I booked with, not SA.  We are always being told that our claim is against who we booked/bought an item from not the manufacturer or service provider.    

Nebulous2

Midsummer_II said:

I am not asking about the £4000 we paid to Qatar Airline.  It is the cancelled part of our originally booked flight with Singapore Airlines which was cancelled by SA.  My question is surely my claim should be against Carlton as that is who I booked with, not SA.  We are always being told that our claim is against who we booked/bought an item from not the manufacturer or service provider.    

Yes your claim should be against Carlton. If you go to the Singapore Airline website it tells you that. You can only claim there if you booked direct. If you booked through a travel agent you need to go to them. However Carlton are unlikely to refund you until they have received a refund from SIA. They may also take an admin fee. 

Ganga

But you cannot have the £4000 AND the return fair back as this will mean that you have been re payed twice , I suspect that will prefer the greater value which is probably the £4k

Thrugelmir

Did you attempt to reschedule your return jouney to an earlier date? 

Life__Goes__On

Midsummer_II said:

I am not asking about the £4000 we paid to Qatar Airline. 

If the replacement flight cost more than the cancelled one,  then that is the best route to get more money returned,
If it didn't or you don't want to go down that route, you are due a refund of the cancelled flights  thou Carlton Travel
As pointed out already, you can't get both.