Lastminute.com & British Airways

AJMN

Hi,

I booked a small package holiday last October with Lastminute.com for August just passed, it was a Xmas/Birthday present for my wife.

We come from a small island on the west coast of Scotland and travelled to Glasgow a couple of days before the flight on 18th of August from Glasgow to Heathrow and then Heathrow to Cologne and the return was Saturday the 22nd exact same way.

On Monday the 17th while i was driving, my wife tries to do the 24hr check in but was only getting to check in as far as London. Nobody had told us about any changes, not Lastminute or BA. My wife gets in touch with Lastminute who tell her to get in touch with British Airways and they were passing the blame to Lastminute, this was going on all afternoon and late evening and we were running out of time. Lastminute were saying we were priority and would be in touch as soon as alternative arrangements were made. We went out for a meal that night and still nothing from them. My wife got back in touch with them and again said we were priority and this time we told them as we were running out of time that we'd have to make alternative arrangements and booked Eurowings from Edinburgh on the 18th which cost £581.21 return for the two of us and had to book parking at Edinburgh airport £46.68. We had already lost the parking booked at Glasgow airport as it was non refundable.

On the 18th of August I get an email off Lastminute.com for a reimbursement of £526.64. They then decide to change that to £457.70 for which I have questioned but not got a reply.

Between BA blaming Lastminute and vice versa, I am sick of both of them both and still haven't had any reimbursement of Lastminute.

Do i have to just accept the £457.70 or do I have any other claim with either of them?

Thanks for any advice.

peteuk

You don't actually state what the issue was with the BA flight from Heathrow to Cologne.

Woodstok2000

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82137806#Comment_82137806

BA direct flights to Cologne were scaled back this year I think - theyre now mostly seasonal for the Xmas markets so I doubt there was a flight at all.

peteuk

Its very dependent on what you purchased, if it was a flight and hotel then package travel regulations apply. If it was just a flight then its different.

Did you receive any booking confirmation for the Heathrow - Cologne flight?

If booked as a flight only - then if after booking there was a schedule change then BA should have contacted you to advise of this and offer an alternative. At that point if no alternative was available then a full refund should be offered. Its then up to you to find an alternative (or in this case lastminute.com) but you will be liable for the additional costs.

As you brought a package (flight + hotel) then at that point Lastminute.com should have covered the additional cost of the flight. Its their responsibility to get you there for the accommodation part of the package.

As for parking then normally I would say claim from the travel company however they offered you an alternative airport, which you accepted and so the costs are on you.