Cancelled Virgin Flights, bought through PH Travel

peterkgb1

I bought 2 Virgin Atlantic flights in June from PH Travel Ltd for travel later this month.  Last week, I got an email from PH Travel to say that Virgin had cancelled the flights and what do I want to do.  I requested a refund in full.  PH Travel have now come back to me and are saying that they will only refund £3000, from a total purchase cost of £3300.  Is this legitimate?  Do i have any rights for a full refund?  Thanks

Thrugelmir

What were the cancellation terms you agreed to when you made the booking? There'll be a handling charge on every ticket to cover the agents costs. 

Caz3121

Full refund would apply had you booked directly with the airline
Service fees for doing work on your behalf to obtain the refund from the airline and refund it to you is completely normal for third parties, whether the amount being deducted is correct will depend on the t&cs at the time you booked

michael1234

Thrugelmir said:

What were the cancellation terms you agreed to when you made the booking? There'll be a handling charge on every ticket to cover the agents costs. 

Most people don't and indeed don't need to read all the terms produced by the vendor for every purchase they make online (or in a shop for that matter). There is a raft of consumer legislation that kicks in. 

e.g. If those terms had a clause which said something like "...in the event of The Company cancelling this agreement, you agree to pay The Company a 75% cancellation fee...." it would clearly not survive any test in court because it would be unusual and customer would not be expected to know about it. The exception is where such a clause is prominently displayed very clearly before purchase. Then it would be hard for the customer to claim he wasn't aware of it.

In summary, do not treat the terms and conditions of a travel company as being set in stone particularly if there are any unusual or onerous clauses.

Upsidedownandaround

A 10% administration fee isn’t “onerous or unusual” for a third party to charge. 

[Deleted User]

Upsidedownandaround said:

A 10% administration fee isn’t “onerous or unusual” for a third party to charge. 

Depends who you ask. There has been some suggestion that £75 per ticket should be an upper limit for administrative work of this nature.

Upsidedownandaround

[Deleted User] said:

Upsidedownandaround said:

A 10% administration fee isn’t “onerous or unusual” for a third party to charge. 

Depends who you ask. There has been some suggestion that £75 per ticket should be an upper limit for administrative work of this nature.

And presumably that would then be considered "onerous and unusual" when it gets placed on a ticket costing £250?

You either do a set fee or a set percentage. It's not unusual or onerous for a third party to charge an admin. or service fee at 10%.

It may however be expensive but then again given the difficulty a lot of others encounter on getting refunds back from certain other 3rd parties the efficient customer service may be worth every penny in this case

Caz3121

michael1234 said:

Most people don't and indeed don't need to read all the terms produced by the vendor for every purchase they make online (or in a shop for that matter). 

when choosing to book a flight during a pandemic with numerous cancellations and reschedules I would check 2 main things
1) what would happen if the airline cancels my flight?
2) what would happen if the flight operates but I do not wish to travel, either due to isolation rules or another reason?
The flights I have booked direct with the airline I know 1) get 100% refunded, 2) get 100% in form of a voucher. I would not expect the same results if I chose to book through a third party unless it specifically confirmed that.

Thrugelmir

michael1234 said:

Thrugelmir said:

What were the cancellation terms you agreed to when you made the booking? There'll be a handling charge on every ticket to cover the agents costs. 

Most people don't and indeed don't need to read all the terms produced by the vendor for every purchase they make online (or in a shop for that matter). There is a raft of consumer legislation that kicks in. 

We are discussing booking airline tickets in this particular instance. The terms exist whether people chose to read them or not. Complaining after the event is to late. Hopefully they'll be greater awareness in the future to take more care. When comparing ticket prices something else to be factored into the decision making process. Making mistakes is unfortunately far too often how we learn.

peterkgb1

Thrugelmir said:

What were the cancellation terms you agreed to when you made the booking? There'll be a handling charge on every ticket to cover the agents costs. 

there is no mention of any handling fee/admin charge whatsoever. Here's the full T&C supplied:

"All bookings are subject to our terms and conditions.

 

1. All Tickets are refundable, changeable and Non-transferable unless otherwise specified.(as per airlines fare rules)
2. Passengers must ensure that all names are correct as per their passports and that the travel itinerary is correct. Changes may not be permissible after the tickets are issued and a payment for a new ticket may be charged.
3. Airfares are guaranteed upon ticketing only. If there would be any issue with the payment, we will notify you as soon as possible through email and phone. Otherwise, we will send you the ticket within 48 hours of your booking.
4. Free baggage allowance will be provided to the passenger wherever applicable by the airlines, varying according to routes and class of services.
5. Passengers must reach airport 3 hours prior in case of international flights and 2 hours prior in case of domestic flights. Tickets cannot be refunded or changed due to no-show at the airport (unless otherwise specified by airlines).
6. Passengers are responsible for all travel documentation including visas. Visas may be required for the entire journey both for the destination and/or transit. Visas must be secured before ticket issue. Tickets cannot be refunded for failure to obtain a visa.
1. Passport, Visa & Health Recommendation
2. Passports must be valid for at least 6 months beyond the period of your stay.
3. ESTA visa is a mandatory requirement for all USA bound travel including transiting the USA.
4. If your flight has a change involving two different airports with the itinerary, it is your responsibility to organize the transfer to the right airport and also check the transit visa requirement.
5. If you have booked code-share flight, terminal change may be there and you may require transit visa for changing the terminals. Please check with the embassy or airline directly for checking visa requirements in case of terminal change.
6. PH travel is not responsible for the VISA formalities. Please consult the relevant embassy or consulate for this information.
7. Health Recommendation: Recommended inoculations for travel may change at any time. It is your responsibility to ensure that you obtain all recommended inoculations, take all recommended medication and follow all medical advice in relation to your trip.
7. Insurance / Travel Insurance: - The Company strongly recommends that the Client takes out adequate travel insurance. The Client is herewith recommended to read the terms of any insurance to satisfy them as to the fitness of cover. The Company will be pleased to quote you for insurance.
8. Money paid by you for the flight/ holidays are ATOL protected by the Civil Aviation Authority. Air Travel Organisers' Licensing is a United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority scheme to give financial protection to people who have purchased package holidays and flights from a member tour operator.
9. Flights/ packages are protected by CAA in case the airline goes out of operation or bankruptcy. However bookings made on low cost airlines or charter flights / airlines not under SAFI are not covered by the airline failure insurance, therefore PH Travel/Agent will not be liable for loss of money in such cases.
10. Changes :- If you wish to change any item – other than increasing the number of persons in your booking – And providing we can accommodate the change, you will have to pay an admin fee of GBP 75.00 per booking plus the airlines/ supplier charges (if any) .From time to time we are required to collect additional taxes . You will be informed for any additional taxes prior to ticket issuance/ re issuance. After ticket issuance none of the airlines allow free changes.
11. Cancellation

Cancellation before ticket issuance: - Should you or any member of your party be forced to cancel your flight or holidays, we must be notified by the person who made the booking and who therefore responsible for the payment of cancellation charges.

Cancellation after ticket issuance: - Cancellation after ticket issuance will result in loss of 100 % of total cost of all travel arrangements in most of cases. Please consult with your travel consultant. Low cost airlines/Charter flights carry a 100 % cancellation fee in both conditions before or after ticket issuance.

1. South African travel requirements for minors travelling to and from South Africa. New requirements, introduced by the South African Department of Home Affairs from 1 June 2015, specify that all minors (children under 18 years) are required to produce, in addition to their passport, an Unabridged Birth Certificate which shows the details of both parents for all international travel to and from South Africa. Travellers will be asked to produce the required documentation at check-in for each flight.
2. New passport regulations for Travellers to the U.S.A. The United States of America has made it mandatory, that anyone flying to the US for holidays or business under the Visa Waiver Program must hold the latest Biometric Passport or a Machine Readable Passport that contains an electronic chip, even if the electronic visa has been granted. The biometric passport has a sequence of lines, which can be swiped by the US Customs/Immigration/Border Protection officers that will quickly confirm the passport holder's identity and collect other information about the holder. VWP visitors arriving in the US without the Biometric Passport would be denied entrance into the country. Travellers among the VWP countries are encouraged to check with their passport issuing authority to be in possession of a biometric passport. Travellers with an immediate travel plan, who are unable to possess such a passport, may apply for a US visa at the respective embassy or consulate.
3. A direct flight in the aviation industry is any flight between two points by an airline with no change in flight numbers, which may include a stop at an intermediate point. The stop over may either be to get new passengers (or allow some to disembark) or a mere technical stop over (i.e., for refuelling) or due to operational reasons.
4. Federal law forbids the carriage of hazardous materials aboard aircraft in your luggage or on your person.
5. All credit or debit cards must have a verifiable US and UK or other country billing address. Online credit card transactions are authorized at the time a user or anyone acting on their behalf accepts these Terms & Conditions and continues with the purchase.
6. In exceptional circumstances, PH Travel may not be able to issue airline tickets for confirmed bookings due to ticketing restrictions outside its control. If this occurs we will attempt to notify you and organize a refund or arrange an alternative. Where you choose an alternative and it is more expensive than your original booking, you may be responsible for paying the difference.
7. Unaccompanied Minor: Tickets cannot be sold to unaccompanied minors age 18 and below. Each and every airline has its own policies for children travelling alone. Please confirm with the airline directly for minor age requirements, because the following conditions might change: Some airlines will allow unaccompanied minors to travel on non-stop flights only. Some airlines may not allow unaccompanied minors to travel while not accompanied by an adult. Many airlines will charge fees to be paid at the airport. You must call the airline to verify rules and restrictions for unaccompanied minor(s) travelling alone.
8. Infant Policy: Infant is a traveller who should be under two years throughout the travel. If an infant completes two years during the travel he/she would not be eligible for infant fare and the airline will consider it as a child hence the ticket will be booked under the applicable child fare. With one adult only one infant is allowed on lap, in case if there are two infants with an adult then second infant ticket will be booked under the applicable child fare.
9. Credit Card Decline / Billing Information If the provided form of payment gets declined for the ticket cost, we will notify you as soon as possible. In such scenarios the card account holder may need to talk with his/her bank for rectification and/or provide an alternate form of payment, once it gets through we will send an email confirmation to the email address provided at the time of booking. We accept all major credit cards and debit cards for the payment of tickets. These cards could be issued within North American or in any other country. Your card account might show multiple charges however that will not exceed the quoted amount. If you think that your card has been overcharged please contact our travel consultant on toll free number. Please note: airfares are guaranteed once the ticket is issued, and not upon submission of payment. If your payment is not processed for any reason, we will advise you within twenty four hours.
10. E-Ticket: Your e-ticket confirmation is sent to the e-mail address provided by you at the time of booking. If you do not receive your e-ticket confirmation within 48 hours after you book it online on PH Travel please contact our travel consultant on 0207 725 7000  Note: PH Travel shall not be liable if customers do not comply with this condition.
11. Refund: Usually tickets are non-refundable unless specified by the airline rules. In the event of refundable ticket, the airline will charge a penalty as mentioned by the airline in Fare Rules and the refund will be processed in 8-12 weeks from the date of cancellation request is created. The refund is processed in the same form of payment that is given at the time of booking the reservation. There'll be no refund in case of NO SHOWS. Please contact on our toll free number 0207 725 7000 for more clarity on Refund.
12. Schedule Change: There is any amendment to your flights scheduled. It happens rarely because of the operational needs of the airlines. Usually these changes vary from one minute to a cancelled flight. A Schedule change can be described as: change in flight timing, change in flight number, and change in routing, change in date or cancellations. In some cancellation cases the sole resolution might lead to a cancellation of the flight and refund. PH Travel is committed to get the airlines in question to re-protect the passengers. It ultimately depends on the concerned airlines to provide the space on next available flight. If the airline is unable to re - protect the passenger we will contact to the request a refund and its depends on airlines / suppliers approval.   
13. If you need further information on above mentioned points regarding refund/cancellation/special assistance etc., please call our customer care number 0207 725 7000.

 

1. With travel restrictions and advises changing rapidly due to COVID-19 pandemic and with almost every airline requiring a negative COVID-19 test (RT-PCR) certificate to be accepted on the flight, we would always advise to the customers to please check the latest updates on https://www.gov.uk/world & https://www.gov.uk/guidance/travel-advice-novel-coronavirus
   Entry restrictions are imposed by a number of countries and including passengers with a connecting flight. Please make sure you reconfirm your flight with the airline and also check the latest information on the airlines website as it’s difficult for us to cascade any last minute changes in your flight due to operational challenges.

If you know that you would like to defer your travel plans, then please e-mail us from here or call us 0207 725 7000 and let us know your preferred dates to move your booking to. Please do not expect an immediate reply, once we are through our immediate departures we will move onto these replies and call you about your plans. To assist us in dealing with your request, please also detail your booking reference number, current planned date of travel and best phone number to contact you.  "

Westin

Have you asked them what the £300 deduction is for?

Was this a booking for 4 people?  If so sounds like their £75 x 4 admin charge.