Loveholidays Package - Wife and disabled daughter stuck in Sri Lanka

maman

Personally I wouldn't go for the sensational option. Playing devil's advocate, 14 year old well able to take a holiday in term time doesn't wring so much sympathy. It would be hard for a MP to get involved in that.

So much could change in the next few days and a safe flight could well be arranged.

joeythepoey

Thanks for all your help and comments. My wife managed to get through to BA and they've put her on a flight for next Thursday - she had to unfortunately accept it going through Doha as apparently there were no other flights available, so hoping that they won't be disrupted - the thought of them stuck in Qatar is unsettling to say the least. It will be challenging for my daughter but it appears we have no other option.

It bears noting that Loveholidays have been consistently useless and obstinate, as if going out of their way not to help. Little to no communication, wrong information, ignoring emails - I dread anyone being dependent on their help right now, as they simply won't get any.

Bit sad to see ableism in some of these comments, though it wouldn't be the first time my daughter's condition appears to be judged not on facts but people's opinion.

Peter999_2

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81914645#Comment_81914645

Glad to hear you are sorting it out. I'll also remember who not to book holidays though.

My daughter worked in France in a school teacher exchange programme and I got her the more expensive BA flights than the cheap ones - and she said BA were so helpful on every bit of her journey (she was only 19 and the first time she'd been to an airport by herself and refused to let me go).

Ayr_Rage

So, you've accepted the very routing that LH were trying to force you to use.

Safety: LoveHolidays is trying to force them onto a flight via Doha next Tuesday. This is a conflict zone that was under drone attack only 3 hours ago. The FCDO guidance is clear about the risks, yet LoveHolidays is ignoring this and trying to send a vulnerable child into a dangerous area.

Alan_Bowen

There are two issues here, if your daughter needed any assistance at the airports or was registered with Love Holidays as disabled, then the three days of protection to cover accommodation and meals does not apply, their liability is unlimited time wise. As regards the flights themselves, BA do not operate to Sri Lanka via the Middle East, so I assume you are on a different airline to Doha where you pick up BA? The problem at the moment is BA are not flying to Doha…..

joeythepoey

Thanks folks, well, a change again as with the current missile strikes on Doha it's clear this BA flight won't be going.

BA now doesn't have anything out of there until the 29th(!).

I'm looking at alternate routes, there are quite a few - via Bangkok, Instanbul, Singapore, Calcutta, Mumbai, and even via Poland. The problem is that even if I find one, I'm not sure we have the funds to cover the costs, prices are through the roof and unsure if BA/Qatar will cover or we have to claim back.

My daughter can walk, but is getting increasingly distressed about the uncertainty of what's happening.

In better news, LoveHolidays have at least pulled their finger out and arranged extension to accommodation and full board, but their comms are still very patchy.

joeythepoey

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81914664#Comment_81914664

Under duress and with great reluctance. When your options to get out of there are dwindling by the minute you sometimes have to accept the only option you have at that time.

As it stands, our concerns were justified and the flight now looks to be cancelled.

joeythepoey

Right, latest update - the consulate are helping out and have a flight this Thursday. It's expensive but at least direct, avoiding Gulf airspace, which also means it's unlikely to be cancelled.

We've decided my wife and daughter will take it, and we'll have to start the claiming back process as soon as they get back.

Loveholidays continue to be as useful as t*ts on a man - a pattern is emerging where every time we've found a direct flight that could get my wife and daughter out of there, they avoid us for 4-5 hours and by the time they get back to us the flight is long gone.

Didn't happen when they had to extend the hotel stay, but on flights it's happened on 4 occasions now.

Meanwhile, TUI's got several people out on a flight already from their hotel, with the next one leaving end of this week.

Peter999_2

That is good news that you've finally be getting them home. Fingers crossed it all goes well.

NoodleDoodleMan

"Meanwhile, TUI's got several people out on a flight already from their hotel, with the next one leaving end of this week."

No disrespect, I don't mean to be a smartass - that's why the major league package tour operators like TUI and Jet2 are best for such packages.

As long as your family get home safely, that's the bottom line.