Sunshine holidays

lucep21

We have our holiday booked for 6th Aug with Sunshine holidays. A week & a half ago I happened to go onto BA’s website and spotted our flight had been cancelled from LGW and replaced with a LHR flight. On BA’s website it clearly states that our options are to either 1) accept new flight 2) they would cancel our flights or 3) find an alternative flight. 

I contacted Sunshine explaining that we would feel more comfortable cancelling our flights as we are extremely uneasy about going now away, only to be told that an airport change isn’t classed as a ‘significant change’ therefore they cannot refund our flights. I contacted BA who told us because we’d booked through a 3rd party we have to adhere to their t&c’s and not BA’s. When I’ve looked at Sunshine’s t&c’s, they’ve listed 23 departure airports that aren’t covered if they change your departure point. They only fly from 33 to begin with! 

I’m finding this extremely unfair of Sunshine holidays to be doing this when the airline are actually happy to cancel it. I’ve currently paid £860 of the £2600 holiday. The rest is due on the 23/7. If I cancel they want another £280 from me. Has anyone else got any experience of this? Thank you 

Alan_Bowen

Most operators use a list of airports between which they can change flights without it being a significant change allowing you to cancel. Gatwick and Heathrow are always covered, even Virgin Holidays, who I would put a few steps higher than Sunshine, would not allow you to cancel in these circumstances. As you have seen, if you booked with BA itself the situation would have been different but if you now cancel, you will be subject to cancellation charges which almost certainly go up after the balance due date, so decide what you want to do before then.