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Lastminute.com Won't Refund Package Holiday

So we're meant to be flying from Manchester to New York on 16th January (obviously this won't be happening) and we booked the package through Lastminute.com. I received an email from them saying that in light of the lockdown we need to cancel our booking on their website as they won't automatically do it. I put the request through and received an email saying if we wanted to cancel we would only be refunded £30.98 instead of the £1200 we've paid as the airline and hotel haven't cancelled our itinerary.

After lots of emails back and forth, including me quoting the CMA advice that as it's illegal for us to travel we should be refunded in full, Lastminute.com are still saying the airline and hotel haven't cancelled so we're not entitled to a full refund. 

In another plot twist, I've gone on the Lufthansa website to check our flight status and the flight isn't showing on any search and its also not appearing on the Manchester Airport departures, so has the flight been cancelled and we've not been informed? I can't get any answers from Lufthansa and I'm going round in circles with Lastminute.com.

What are our options if the flight doesn't get cancelled? Are we simply out of pocket and there's nothing that can be done? Is there any point in requesting a chargeback on our credit card?

Thanks
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Comments

  • k3lvc
    k3lvc Posts: 4,174 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    1) What do your insurance company say
    2) Was is genuinely a package ?

    It's likely that Lufthansa will still be offering scheduled flights to NY and likely that your hotel in NY is still open - it's of little concern to them that you can't travel
  • Lunar1989 said:
    So we're meant to be flying from Manchester to New York on 16th January (obviously this won't be happening) and we booked the package through Lastminute.com. I received an email from them saying that in light of the lockdown we need to cancel our booking on their website as they won't automatically do it. I put the request through and received an email saying if we wanted to cancel we would only be refunded £30.98 instead of the £1200 we've paid as the airline and hotel haven't cancelled our itinerary.

    After lots of emails back and forth, including me quoting the CMA advice that as it's illegal for us to travel we should be refunded in full, Lastminute.com are still saying the airline and hotel haven't cancelled so we're not entitled to a full refund. 

    In another plot twist, I've gone on the Lufthansa website to check our flight status and the flight isn't showing on any search and its also not appearing on the Manchester Airport departures, so has the flight been cancelled and we've not been informed? I can't get any answers from Lufthansa and I'm going round in circles with Lastminute.com.

    What are our options if the flight doesn't get cancelled? Are we simply out of pocket and there's nothing that can be done? Is there any point in requesting a chargeback on our credit card?

    Thanks
     They've tricked you into cancelling so they dont have to. 
     As you cancelled and not them you are not entitled to a refund. 
  • It all hinges on if it was actually a package holiday or not. What type of package is listed on the ATOL certificate? 
  • _shel said:
    Lunar1989 said:
    So we're meant to be flying from Manchester to New York on 16th January (obviously this won't be happening) and we booked the package through Lastminute.com. I received an email from them saying that in light of the lockdown we need to cancel our booking on their website as they won't automatically do it. I put the request through and received an email saying if we wanted to cancel we would only be refunded £30.98 instead of the £1200 we've paid as the airline and hotel haven't cancelled our itinerary.

    After lots of emails back and forth, including me quoting the CMA advice that as it's illegal for us to travel we should be refunded in full, Lastminute.com are still saying the airline and hotel haven't cancelled so we're not entitled to a full refund. 

    In another plot twist, I've gone on the Lufthansa website to check our flight status and the flight isn't showing on any search and its also not appearing on the Manchester Airport departures, so has the flight been cancelled and we've not been informed? I can't get any answers from Lufthansa and I'm going round in circles with Lastminute.com.

    What are our options if the flight doesn't get cancelled? Are we simply out of pocket and there's nothing that can be done? Is there any point in requesting a chargeback on our credit card?

    Thanks
     They've tricked you into cancelling so they dont have to. 
     As you cancelled and not them you are not entitled to a refund. 
    We've not actually cancelled, we submitted the request as instructed by lastminute and when they said we'd only be getting £30.98 I was able to withdraw the request and according to our account we're still due to depart on 16th. It does seem like they're being sneaky, either we cancel and get £30.98 or if we leave it and don't get anything! 
  • It all hinges on if it was actually a package holiday or not. What type of package is listed on the ATOL certificate? 
    From looking at the ATOL certificate it clearly states its a package and says we're covered for flights and hotel. 
  • eskbanker
    eskbanker Posts: 35,318 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    _shel said:
     They've tricked you into cancelling so they dont have to. 
     As you cancelled and not them you are not entitled to a refund. 
    It's not as simple as that for packages, where the customer has protection from regulation 12 of the Package Travel Regulations 2018:

    (7) Notwithstanding paragraphs (2) to (6), in the event of unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances occurring at the place of destination or its immediate vicinity and which significantly affect—

    (a) the performance of the package, or

    (b) the carriage of passengers to the destination,

    the traveller may terminate the package travel contract before the start of the package without paying any termination fee.

    (8) Where the package travel contract is terminated under paragraph (7), the traveller is entitled to a full refund of any payments made for the package but is not entitled to additional compensation.

    It shouldn't be difficult to argue that legislation in both the UK and the USA prohibiting travel constitutes such circumstances.
  • Caz3121
    Caz3121 Posts: 15,733 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Lunar1989 said:
     I've gone on the Lufthansa website to check our flight status and the flight isn't showing on any search and its also not appearing on the Manchester Airport departures, so has the flight been cancelled and we've not been informed? I can't get any answers from Lufthansa and I'm going round in circles with Lastminute.com.
    what was the routing / flight numbers? If this was on Lufthansa then I would expect it to operate via Frankfurt. If it was a codeshare flight with a Lufthansa flight number, who is down as the operating airline
  • eskbanker said:
    _shel said:
     They've tricked you into cancelling so they dont have to. 
     As you cancelled and not them you are not entitled to a refund. 

    (7) Notwithstanding paragraphs (2) to (6), in the event of unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances occurring at the place of destination or its immediate vicinity and which significantly affect—

    (a) the performance of the package, or

    (b) the carriage of passengers to the destination,

    the traveller may terminate the package travel contract before the start of the package without paying any termination fee.

    (8) Where the package travel contract is terminated under paragraph (7), the traveller is entitled to a full refund of any payments made for the package but is not entitled to additional compensation.

    It shouldn't be difficult to argue that legislation in both the UK and the USA prohibiting travel constitutes such circumstances.
    Thanks for this, I will try and argue this with my credit card company. I've quoted similar to Lastminute and all they came back with was that as the flight and hotel hadn't cancelled then they wouldn't refund me! Its very frustrating!! 
  • Caz3121 said:

    what was the routing / flight numbers? If this was on Lufthansa then I would expect it to operate via Frankfurt. If it was a codeshare flight with a Lufthansa flight number, who is down as the operating airline
    The flight number is LH7635 and is direct from Manchester to Newark in New York but its not showing on any website. The direct flight is on my ATOL certificate so if they made changes to my flight would I then have a case to get a refund? 
  • Westin
    Westin Posts: 6,211 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Can you recheck your flight details.  I think LH7635 is/was a United Airlines code share service and United are not currently flying MAN EWR.  Lufthansa have never operated a direct MAN EWR service, instead they offer services via Frankfurt.

    If LH7635, or the United equivalence has been cancelled you should have no issues claiming a refund.
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