xl.com legal advice

rizlaking

I booked 8 passengers on what we believed to be a good deal flying to Turkey. I have now been informed by XL.com that they have cancelled my flights after I have booked a villa for the said dates.

XL Airways claim that it was a pricing error and that I am welcome to book at the new price if I wish, however this is a vast increase in price. They have taken the money from my account and claim that are going to refund. However this means I will now loose my deposit on the villa if I cannot find alternative flights within my budget.

The ironic thing is we booked flights last minute, last year at a similar sort of price without problems and beleived the fact that because they had two flights leaving at relatively the same time they was merely selling off seats.

I would really appreciate someone with more knowledge to guide me here. I have contacted trading standards and they suggest I contact the airtransport users counsel.

Here are XL'x booking conditions

Thanks in advance.

dmg24

When is the flight for? I am assuming it is more than eight weeks away? If so, they cover themselves in their terms and conditions.

We plan our flying programme many months in advance, and although it is unlikely that we have to make any changes to confirmed bookings it can happen. From time to time for operational or commercial reasons it may be necessary to make changes to or cancel your flight after your booking has been accepted.

Provided you have paid the amounts due on time, we will not cancel/change your flight within 8 weeks of departure except as a result of force majeure or a Significant Change (as defined below). We can cancel your flight outside this 8 week period including for operational or commercial reasons. If we do this you will be entitled to receive only a refund of any money already paid.

rizlaking

August - This suggests maybe why the late booking last year was okay and not this one. She told me on the phone that 40 others booked and head office has given instructions to cancel every booking.

Unfortunately for them once I get the bit between my teeeth I don't let go, especially if I lose my villa deposit and I've never failed yet on getting a website top of google. I feel an xlsucks.com coming on :rolleyes:

Thanks for the heads up on the paragraphs dmg.

Engadine

As the flights you booked are not until August XL are well covered within their terms and conditions. It is not the first time nor will it be the last time that a situation arises like this with a holiday company. Pricing errors happen on a fairly regular basis with holiday companies and charter airlines and they do not tend to honour the price, they almost always cancel.

There was a similar situation last year with a Thomson Cruise that loads of people on HotUKDeals had booked, Thomson cancelled all the cruises!

Best thing you can do really is have a good look for alternative flights at a reasonable price