TUI renege on 'free amendment' offer

Lazypixie

Can anyone offer any advice? We booked a holiday but were unable to travel because of Covid symptoms three days before travelling. We had booked the holiday at the time the 'free amendments' were offered by TUI in case of Covid related illness. We have asked TUI to use our holiday value as credit towards our next (already booked) holiday but have now been told that we can only book another holiday. My partner is a NHS key worker and we dont want to book any more holidays in addition to the next one that we already have booked with TUI !
The TUI policy on their definition of 'Amendments' is non existent. The senior customer service advisor has been less than helpful or compassionate in dealing with this matter. She insists that the holiday is classed as a cancellation due to the departure date being in the past. We did inform TUI of our symptoms before we were due to travel. TUI want us to claim through our Travel Insurance but we will have an excess to pay.
Due to the fact that we interpret the term 'amendment' as a broad term and a credit towards our next holiday not unreasonable do we have a right to take the matter further? If so who should we approach? 

[Deleted User]

Amending a holiday wouldn't mean using the payments towards a separately booked one.  It would mean amending the holiday that was booked and paid for to another time.  

You may have interpreted it that way, but it's an unreasonable interpretation.

welshmoneylover

Fairly common for travel agents to amend to a new booking not an existing one

Westin

Deleted_User said:

Amending a holiday wouldn't mean using the payments towards a separately booked one.  It would mean amending the holiday that was booked and paid for to another time.  

You may have interpreted it that way, but it's an unreasonable interpretation.

Would agree. I think you misunderstood the offer. It would be for a new booking not to credit an existing one.

[Deleted User]

Tui don’t appear to have reneged on their free amendment offer at all.  Your other holiday is a separate booking altogether. All you were assured of is that you can book another holiday without penalty if you needed to cancel this one.  

They are correct in that if you want a refund you will have to claim from your insurance if it covers you for such circumstances and to be honest I think it unlikely as you booked a holiday under agreement that you could have a free amendment and this is what Tui are offering you.