Where do we stand, booked a package to Barbados, but the flight were to SpainBa?

petalins
petalins Posts: 3
First Post
Newbie
edited 16 February 2022 at 10:05AM in Overseas holidays & travel planning
Hi 

On 6th February 2022, we booked a family holiday to Barbados for 8 people. It was such a good deal at £488 per person we were willing to pay the full amount as that was the only option and it was non-refundable, so a big risk.

8th February we had the confirmation of the holiday. For some reason we were a bit uneasy as it was so cheap, but the confirmation made us feel slightly better.
Still unsure, I checked the booking and noticed it was a flight for an hour and 15 minutes, so I googled the airport on the booking, only to find its in Spain.

Since the 9th of February, I have been calling and trying to get an answer to be told finally today, that Love holidays will not be honouring the holiday as it will cost them around a £1000 per person, we have only paid for the Room, and £100 towards the flight. So they will be giving us a full refunded instead  Although they sent a confirmation of the holiday to Barbados.

Please can you let me know where we stand, as you can imagine we are not happy
«1

Comments

  • heatherw_01
    heatherw_01 Posts: 6,544
    Name Dropper First Anniversary First Post Photogenic
    Ambassador

    Hi, we move threads if we think they’ll get more help elsewhere (please read the forum rule) so this post/thread has been moved to another board. If you have any questions about this policy please email forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com.
    I’m a Forum Ambassador and I support the Forum Team on the Quick Grabbit, Freebies, Overseas Holidays & Travel Planning and the UK Holidays, Days Out & Entertainments boards.
    If you need any help on these boards, do let me know. Please note that Ambassadors are not moderators. Any posts you spot in breach of the Forum Rules should be reported via the report button, or by emailing forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com.
    All views are my own and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.
  • Grumpy_chap
    Grumpy_chap Posts: 14,740
    First Anniversary First Post Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    Forumite
    A genuine mistake seems to have been made - you knew it was "too good to be true" and you are being offered a full refund (or pay the extra for the flight costs).  You wont lose out.

    What may be pertinent is the actual detail of the "confirmation" and whether that created a contract (acceptance of your offer) in which case there may be more rights.  BUT there are also specific rules that affect this type of website error.

    I very much doubt you'll be getting the holiday at the price advertised.

    A similar thing nearly happened to me once - saw a deal to Mexico but then noted the flight was to Turkey.  I saw that before booking though.  Clearly a common fault that can creep into the aggregator websites from time to time.

    petalins said:
    Hi 

    On 6th February 2022, we booked a family holiday to Barbados for 8 people. It was such a good deal at £488 per person we were willing to pay the full amount as that was the only option and it was non-refundable, so a big risk.

    8th February we had the confirmation of the holiday. For some reason we were a bit uneasy as it was so cheap, but the confirmation made us feel slightly better.
    Still unsure, I checked the booking and noticed it was a flight for an hour and 15 minutes, so I googled the airport on the booking, only to find its in Spain.

    Since the 9th of February, I have been calling and trying to get an answer to be told finally today, that Love holidays will not be honouring the holiday as it will cost them around a £1000 per person, we have only paid for the Room, and £100 towards the flight. So they will be giving us a full refunded instead  Although they sent a confirmation of the holiday to Barbados.

    Please can you let me know where we stand, as you can imagine we are not happy



  • Caz3121
    Caz3121 Posts: 15,533
    Name Dropper First Anniversary First Post
    Forumite
    you would have been best to post this in the main holidays board (this one is for reporting holiday bargains)
    Sounds like this was an error on their website and their t&cs cover errors in section 2
    "If we confirm and process your booking where a pricing or other error is obvious and could reasonably have been recognised by you as a mistake, we may terminate the contract and refund you any sums you have paid us." 
  • bagand96
    bagand96 Posts: 6,049
    Name Dropper First Anniversary First Post
    Forumite
    Reminds me the stories that have cropped up a few times of people booking "bargain" flights/holidays to Florida only to find later they'd booked flights out of Birmingham, Alabama (BIR) and not Birmingham UK (BHX).

    The airport in Barbados is Bridgetown which to my knowledge doesn't share a name with any Spanish airports.  Unless your destination resort/hotel maybe shares a name with somewhere in Spain which caused it, or might just be an unexplained system glitch.

    I agree with the above posters though in that the T&Cs include a clause about errors, they can and do happen and Love Holidays are entitled to cancel, I doubt you'll be able to force them to give you your bargain holiday (you admit it was such a good deal - the old adage of if something's too good to be true?)

    Out of interest what did the LH website and your confirmation show for flights? Assuming it showed flight details with airports and an airline name?
  • Westin
    Westin Posts: 5,921
    First Anniversary Name Dropper Photogenic First Post
    Forumite
    Although they sent a confirmation of the holiday to Barbados.”

    I would also be interested in more details of the hotel and flight confirmed by LH.

    I can’t think of any ex UK flight to Spain taking 1h15m.  Could you have mixed up the time difference and it’s 2h15m which would perhaps take in Gerona, Barcelona, the northern Spanish airports or possibly even the Balearics?

    This isn’t your booked hotel is it? - https://www.melia.com/en/hotels/spain/majorca/sol-barbados/index.htm?utm_medium=organic&utm_source=uberall&utm_content=dynamic

  • Hi  
    The second attachment, is what they sent as the confirmation, it doesn't have the Spanish airport on it.
    Below is what we booked.
  • bagand96
    bagand96 Posts: 6,049
    Name Dropper First Anniversary First Post
    Forumite
    edited 16 February 2022 at 9:48PM
    There are a few clues. A Coruna is indeed in Spain and that’s the airport the Vueling flight is to. Vueling are a short haul Spanish airline that don’t fly to Barbados.  Granted it may not be immediately obvious as most don’t have in depth knowledge of airlines and airports but it’s always worth double checking everything, especially when booking through Online Travel Agents who put a holiday together by combining flights and hotels from different suppliers. 

    Still not sure how it may have happened, can’t find an “A Coruna” in Barbados.  Maybe the accommodation name matches something in Spain, or maybe there isn’t a reason and the IT just went rogue. 

    Westin said:
    I was half expecting flights to Palma given the amount of hotels on Mallorca named after Caribbean islands.
  • Westin
    Westin Posts: 5,921
    First Anniversary Name Dropper Photogenic First Post
    Forumite
    Thank you for posting a screen grab of the LH correspondence.

    I would guess an IT mapping problem.

    I suspect LH are going to be stung with those Vueling seat costs as I doubt they will be refundable.

    I couldn’t replicate the error when I tried tonight so at least they seem to have stopped a reoccurrence.

    A refund would certainly be appropriate and I think all they legally need to offer.  They might make a small gesture to you in the form of a discount off another holiday, or they could hold ground in the belief that you knew it was a pricing issue as holidays to Barbados don’t come that cheap. If you want to book something else perhaps ask them for a goodwill gesture. 
  • silvercar
    silvercar Posts: 46,863
    Academoney Grad Name Dropper Photogenic First Anniversary
    Ambassador
    The sort of story the tabloids love. You may get more by selling your story.
    I'm a Forum Ambassador on The Coronavirus Boards as well as the housing, mortgages and student money saving boards. I volunteer to help get your forum questions answered and keep the forum running smoothly. Forum Ambassadors are not moderators and don't read every post. If you spot an illegal or inappropriate post then please report it to forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com (it's not part of my role to deal with this). Any views are mine and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.com.
  • Just as an aside; I have paid a lot less than that for holidays in Barbados.

    £188 for direct return flights with BA. US$65 per night for beachfront accommodation. So it's not as outlandish as some here as suggesting. 

    Even with more expensive flights, note that the holiday is for a ridiculously short duration. Doesn't look like an obvious pricing error. 


Meet your Ambassadors

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 342.5K Banking & Borrowing
  • 249.9K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 449.4K Spending & Discounts
  • 234.6K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 607.1K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 172.8K Life & Family
  • 247.4K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 15.8K Discuss & Feedback
  • 15.1K Coronavirus Support Boards