American trip prior to lockdown

MoonStone_2

Hello, my mother and I planned a trip last year to Toronto, Niagara Falls and New York, 18th - 25th March. The weekend before we were due to leave the US government banned UK travellers. We'd booked flights through an agency, Inverness - Heathrow- Toronto and returning JFK- Heathrow - Inverness. I booked hotels and the Amtrak train separately. American Airlines emailed me to say the JFK to LHR flight was cancelled and there was no alternative, could I call them. I did but they referred me back to the agency. Amtrak cancelled the train from Toronto to New York and at the same time over 70s were advised to stay at home. I tried to call the agency but there was just a message to email them. I did this but only got a standard reply. The two hotels that I booked directly refunded me in full. The New York hotel only partially. I made a claim on travel insurance but they told me to try again with agencies (hotel and flights) and my credit card. I tried all that and got either refused or ignored. The insurance asked for more documents and then turned me down based on terms and conditions (they knew the reason when I first approached them!). It has taken 10 months and we are still over £1000 out of pocket. Does anyone have any ideas?

Upsidedownandaround

If the flights were cancelled you should be entitled to a refund. If your hotels were open and non- refundable you would not be entitled to a refund and that would be a matter for your insurance to make a claim.

Without knowing what the agency said when you asked for a refund, why your credit card refused your claims and what your insurer asked for It's impossible to say whether there is any course of action you should take. You will need to provide more detail.

MoonStone_2

Sorry, trying to keep it short. When I finally got a response from the flight agency they told me that the flights were non-refundable. (Their first contact with me was on March 24th. I had sent them several emails at this point, begging for a response as the flight from Inverness was in the early hours of March 18th requiring an overnight on 17th) Which is maybe true except that one of the airlines had cancelled the main leg (JFK to LHR) or the return flight. I couldn't reach BA with whom the other 3 flights were booked. I was on hold. A lot. Below is the important part of the email from AA.

"One of your flights was canceled and we were unable to rebook your trip from JFK

to LHR. Please call 800-433-7300 for help. We’re sorry for the change to your travel

plans." 

Upsidedownandaround

Unfortunately no one will be able to give you advice without knowing what you bought, who from and whether they were cancelled or not and why your credit card and insurer declined your claims.

On what you have said I'm beginning to suspect these flights were not on a single ticket and were point to point flights cobbled together from an agency like Kiwi. If so you may only be entitled to a refund for the cancelled flight. It may be an insurance claim but without knowing why they declined your claim then again its impossible to say whether that is the case or not.

Westin

Who was the ‘agency’?
What exactly was booked via the agency?
Did you book any of the flights separately? 

From what you have indicated so far you did not have a package arrangement which unfortunately means that all elements are treated separately in regards to changes, refunds or indeed loss if one travel arrangement means another in the chain can not be used.

MoonStone_2

The agency was Budgetair, I booked all flights via them. One part of the journey was cancelled by the airline operating the flight, I attempted to contact all airlines involved and the agency. The airlines told me to contact Budgetair who cut off their telephone lines and did not respond to my emails.

It sounds vague as there is a lot of detail. I'm putting together a timeline for myself so I can recall what happened when. Some of it (booking) was over a year ago.
I kept all correspondence and emails that I sent but that is a lot of data.
on 29th January I booked flights through Budgetair INV-LHR-YYZ and JFK-LHR-INV.. On 14th March the UK was told that travellers could not enter the US and in that weekend the return flight and train (booked separately and fully refunded) were cancelled. At some point over the same weekend over 70 year olds were advised not to leave home and Canada also announced a ban on UK travellers. 

MoonStone_2

This was what my credit card said;

Further to your claim regarding Voyage Prive and Budget Air.

Unfortunately on this occasion I am unable to offer assistance.

You have cancelled the hotel and flights, and therefore must abide by the terms and conditions agreed to at the time of booking.

If however you have confirmation from Voyage Prive and Budget Air confirming that you are due a refund, and the amounts you are to be refunded, please forward these and we will duly consider your case further.

I am sorry I cannot offer you a more accommodating response at this time.

(Note, I did not cancel "the flights" one of them was cancelled and I could not reasonably drag my 72 year old mother across the Atlantic, into two countries that had told us that our entire nation was banned into a pandemic hotspot with no way back.)

Upsidedownandaround

It sounds like you booked two single sets of flights rather than actual return ones. If that is the case you would only be entitled to a refund for the cancelled flights. If this is correct then if you have provided proof of cancelation to your card provider you should escalate it by way of complaint to the ombudsman.

For flights that did fly then you would not be due a refund from Budgetair or your credit card. It's not their problem you are not allowed in to the country and your mother is 72. This may be a matter for your travel insurer but from what you have said your insurance does not cover this.