W/E In Amsterdam Booked With Agent and Confirmed. Then Airline Have No Record Of Booking

Paul_K_2

Hi.
This is really quite bizarre but then nothing surprises me these days.

My son booked a long weekend in Amsterdam to celebrate his sisters 40th birthday. 10-12 people all booked with LoveHolidays.com but as individual or couple bookings. Loveholidays had booked them all on a KLM flight from Manchester to Amsterdam along their hotel rooms.

When they got to the airport all apart from my son had a booking with KLM, he was told they had no booking for him.

After 20mins navigating thru the LoveHolidays automated answerphone system he got thru to a human who was adament it was not there fault. He made lots calls to LoveHolidays and kept going back to the KLM desk and LoveHolidays still refused to accept any responsibility. 

After 6 hours plus, whilst still at the airport, he received an email from LoveHolidays telling him he had a full refund. (He had reained at the airport hoping something could be sorted out)

So he's got his £700-800 back (it was flights and hotel) but he's now sat at home missing his sisters 40th birthday celebrations.

This day at Manchester Airport has cost him a days earnings (He's a plumber so £270ish) and a £25 train ticket to get home.

The question is are LoveHolidays responsible for his loses or is the refund the end of their responsibility?

Any advice will be very much appreciated, thanks.

Caz3121

did he check his booking on the KLM website after he had booked? did he try to check in online in advance?
It sounds like they never booked him and did not advise him that they could not fulfil his booking request
Whether booking direct with the airline or via a third party it is worth keeping a check on the booking on the airline website as often notifications of changes etc can end up in spam

eskbanker

Paul_K_2 said:

This day at Manchester Airport has cost him a days earnings (He's a plumber so £270ish) and a £25 train ticket to get home.

The question is are LoveHolidays responsible for his loses or is the refund the end of their responsibility?

There's no chance of them being responsible for loss of earnings, especially for a day he wouldn't have been working anyway, and legally they're unlikely to be liable for a train fare either, although nothing to lose by asking.

Paul_K_2 said:

So he's got his £700-800 back (it was flights and hotel) but he's now sat at home missing his sisters 40th birthday celebrations.

If it's a special occasion, why didn't he book onto an alternative flight?  Don't know what it was like today but there are five flights with availability tomorrow morning, including a couple of EasyJet ones at £150....

Westin

As well as the questions in post #2, he would have received a booking confirmation from Love Holidays. Did he check that and was his name listed when the confirmation was received shortly after the booking made?

bagand96

I think he'd have had more success by arranging alternative flightsgl himself and then claiming that cost back from LoveHolidays on his return.

I'm not sure you'll be able to make them responsible for lost earnings, you might get a goodwill gesture from them for the rail tickets. You should also check the LH T&Cs to see if any compensation is due for late cancellation. It won't be very much mind. 

heatherw_01

The answer is no.
LoveHolidays aren't responsible for for loss of earnings.

He should have checked his name was on the booking ahead of time.

If he had checked then it could have been sorted ahead of time.

silvercar

Love holidays clearly know they messed up, otherwise they either would have refunded him just after booking or they would have sorted out his ticket. The fact the refund arrived on the day of the flight after he had contacted them, says it all.

If he had booked direct with the airline and the airline failed to book him a seat he would have been entitled to involuntary denied boarding compensation.

Whereas people are saying it’s sensible to check the reservations in advance, which it is, the ultimate responsibility is down to the travel agent, whom he entrusted with his booking.