Advice about 3rd party flights not being provided through a holiday company



janey said:
I’ve never encountered this before and I’m wondering what, if any legal rights I have.

I booked a holiday in July for January. The regular airports were Manchester and Gatwick so I paid £230 to fly from Ponteland.

In November I paid £70 for extra space seats and there was no mention of any issues, I spoke to holiday company on 2nd December and again, no issues were raised.

I had a call yesterday to say, Tui (the flight carrier) had cancelled the flights because of the situation in Gaza. I looked, they hadn’t, I could still book a seat on 15th on intended flight, I told the company this, they said, oh, but it’s not possible to book 22nd (day I was due to fly home) they’ve cancelled the flight on 22nd. It’s true you couldn’t book 22nd but I rang TUI and, they hadn’t cancelled 22nd flight, at all, it was full. I told them this too.

So, they then said, TUI had changed their policies and wouldn’t accept 3rd party bookings. But, they said, I could fly on 15th and return on 26th (staying an extra 4 nights). If they don’t accept 3rd party flights how is it possible I can fly on 15th (day I thought I’d already booked to fly) and return on 26th on a TUI flight.

I am convinced they didn’t book the flight when I paid the money in July, they’ve sat on it, then if/when they’ve gone to book it they’ve shat themselves because the return flight was full.

I don’t think they expected me to cause a fuss, they just thought I’d fly from Manchester and land at 2.30 am and get the train (they’d kindly checked the time of that left at 4.00am).

Im sure it’s not but, if I am right, it seems like fraud, to have money from July to pay for a flight that’s not been paid for.

Sorry for long post but it’s totally unknown territory to me and I wanted to provide full context.
Click to expand...
If I'm reading it right ,you're using them for flight only ?
I'd say they've flogged your seat as part of a holiday making more money .
 
janey said:
Cheers Becs, I’ll tell them that on Tuesday.

I Didn’t pay by credit card, paid with debit card.
Click to expand...

Really should use credit card for expensive stuff.
Parents had a sort of similar issue. Got to airport & flight had been cancelled & travel agent hadnt told them. Managed to get on an earlier flight, but didn't have all the extra they'd paid for. Went to travel agent for refund, but they didn't really want to know & tried to fob them off constantly. Whole thing dragged on for about a year, in the end did a section 75 claim with credit card & got the difference back.
 
Imo this is a safety issue for any single traveller man, woman or other. If holiday's sold specifically as a singles thing then they should be very particular about timings, connections etc. I would lay the 'lone single traveller in the early hours' stuff on thick and complain like feck they're endangering you.
 
pinewaves1868 said:
Imo this is a safety issue for any single traveller man, woman or other. If holiday's sold specifically as a singles thing then they should be very particular about timings, connections etc. I would lay the 'lone single traveller in the early hours' stuff on thick and complain like feck they're endangering you.
Click to expand...
When I initially got the call and she nonanchantly said, “I’ve looked and you can get a train at 4.00am” as if I should be grateful.
I said “ I’m 60 years old, I’m on my own it’s a long time, since I travelled like a student“
They gave not a shiny shit
chunkyshanhawk53 said:
Hope you get sorted. Do use a credit card for this stuff. I know some people don’t like credit but get one for the protection (pay it off the same day if you want!)
Click to expand...
Thank you, I hope I do too.
No, paid by debit card, you live and learn.
Dan..Dan..Dan..Dan said:
Not the easiest reads/watch but Amish Nambiar seems to have been involved with Solitair (Now liquidated) and GoSingles.

Anish NAMBIAR personal appointments - Find and update company information - GOV.UK

Free company information from Companies House including registered office address, filing history, accounts, annual return, officers, charges, business activity
find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk


Click to expand...
I googled the CEO yesterday, I wish I’d done it before I booked. I wouldn’t have touched them with a barge pole.
I’ve just added a comment to trust pilot.
JAZZMANB said:
If I'm reading it right ,you're using them for flight only ?
I'd say they've flogged your seat as part of a holiday making more money .
Click to expand...
I booked a package but paid extra to fly from Ponteland.
I don’t think they’ve flogged the seat, I think, rather than book the seats I had paid for in July, they sat on the money and then lied as to why the seats I thought I had booked and paid for in July, weren’t available
 
Last edited:
The lesson here is that wherever possible always book directly with the airline/tour operator rather than little known booking companies which loiter on price comparison sites. If anything goes wrong you are then dealing with the actual service provider and not a third party.

And use a credit card.
 
Darlo1973 said:
The lesson here is that wherever possible always book directly with the airline/tour operator rather than little known booking companies which loiter on price comparison sites. If anything goes wrong you are then dealing with the actual service provider and not a third party.

And use a credit card.
Click to expand...

Yeah agree with this. I got caught up in this with covid and love holidays. They cancelled the hotel after the canaries were added to the government don’t fly to list, but as the Ryanair flight still flew they wouldn’t refund the flight. Tried claims again Ryanair, Love Holidays and Travel Insurance and each claimed going after the other for refund as they were liable. Thankfully we got the hotel costs back but never the flights.
 
@janey this is what you need:

The Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018

These Regulations implement Directive 2015/2302/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EC) No. 2006/2004 and Directive 2011/83/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing Council Directive 90/314/EEC.
www.legislation.gov.uk www.legislation.gov.uk

Section 15:

(8) Where the organiser is unable to provide a significant proportion of the travel services as agreed in the package travel contract, the organiser must offer, at no extra cost to the traveller, suitable alternative arrangements of, where possible, equivalent or higher quality than those specified in the contract, for the continuation of the package, including where the traveller’s return to the place of departure is agreed.

(9) Where the organiser offers proposed alternative arrangements which result in a package of lower quality than that specified in the package travel contract, the organiser must grant the traveller an appropriate price reduction.

(10) The traveller may reject the proposed alternative arrangements offered under paragraph (8) only if—

(a)they are not comparable to the arrangements which were agreed in the package travel contract; or

(b)the price reduction granted is inadequate.

(11) Where—

(a)a lack of conformity substantially affects the performance of the package; and

(b)the organiser fails to remedy the lack of conformity within the reasonable period,

the traveller may terminate the package travel contract without paying a termination fee and, where appropriate, is entitled to a price reduction, or compensation for damages, or both, in accordance with regulation 16.
 
Becs said:
@janey this is what you need:

The Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018

These Regulations implement Directive 2015/2302/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EC) No. 2006/2004 and Directive 2011/83/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing Council Directive 90/314/EEC.
www.legislation.gov.uk www.legislation.gov.uk

Section 15:

(8) Where the organiser is unable to provide a significant proportion of the travel services as agreed in the package travel contract, the organiser must offer, at no extra cost to the traveller, suitable alternative arrangements of, where possible, equivalent or higher quality than those specified in the contract, for the continuation of the package, including where the traveller’s return to the place of departure is agreed.

(9) Where the organiser offers proposed alternative arrangements which result in a package of lower quality than that specified in the package travel contract, the organiser must grant the traveller an appropriate price reduction.

(10) The traveller may reject the proposed alternative arrangements offered under paragraph (8) only if—

(a)they are not comparable to the arrangements which were agreed in the package travel contract; or

(b)the price reduction granted is inadequate.

(11) Where—

(a)a lack of conformity substantially affects the performance of the package; and

(b)the organiser fails to remedy the lack of conformity within the reasonable period,

the traveller may terminate the package travel contract without paying a termination fee and, where appropriate, is entitled to a price reduction, or compensation for damages, or both, in accordance with regulation 16.
Click to expand...
That’s fab, thank you so much for taking the time to do that xx
 
Osklen said:
Yeah agree with this. I got caught up in this with covid and love holidays. They cancelled the hotel after the canaries were added to the government don’t fly to list, but as the Ryanair flight still flew they wouldn’t refund the flight. Tried claims again Ryanair, Love Holidays and Travel Insurance and each claimed going after the other for refund as they were liable. Thankfully we got the hotel costs back but never the flights.
Click to expand...


My only significant COVID travel loss was the other way around. Original trip was for July 2020 but that was refunded by BA for the flight and Expedia for the hotel as credit vouchers. Used these to rebook later in the year thinking that everything would be back to normal by autumn.

When that was hit by the second lockdown, BA instantly gave me a another credit note but Expedia claimed that their voucher was non-refundable. Insurance company didn't want to know and according to my credit card provider I had already been refunded for the original hotel booking so was nothing to do with them either.
 
janey said:
I’ve never encountered this before and I’m wondering what, if any legal rights I have.

I booked a holiday in July for January. The regular airports were Manchester and Gatwick so I paid £230 to fly from Ponteland.

In November I paid £70 for extra space seats and there was no mention of any issues, I spoke to holiday company on 2nd December and again, no issues were raised.

I had a call yesterday to say, Tui (the flight carrier) had cancelled the flights because of the situation in Gaza. I looked, they hadn’t, I could still book a seat on 15th on intended flight, I told the company this, they said, oh, but it’s not possible to book 22nd (day I was due to fly home) they’ve cancelled the flight on 22nd. It’s true you couldn’t book 22nd but I rang TUI and, they hadn’t cancelled 22nd flight, at all, it was full. I told them this too.

So, they then said, TUI had changed their policies and wouldn’t accept 3rd party bookings. But, they said, I could fly on 15th and return on 26th (staying an extra 4 nights). If they don’t accept 3rd party flights how is it possible I can fly on 15th (day I thought I’d already booked to fly) and return on 26th on a TUI flight.

I am convinced they didn’t book the flight when I paid the money in July, they’ve sat on it, then if/when they’ve gone to book it they’ve shat themselves because the return flight was full.

I don’t think they expected me to cause a fuss, they just thought I’d fly from Manchester and land at 2.30 am and get the train (they’d kindly checked the time of that left at 4.00am).

Im sure it’s not but, if I am right, it seems like fraud, to have money from July to pay for a flight that’s not been paid for.

Sorry for long post but it’s totally unknown territory to me and I wanted to provide full context.
Click to expand...
Cancellation may be necessary in exceptional circumstances and GoSingles reserves the right in its absolute discretion to cancel your holiday. If this occurs, you will be offered an alternative holiday of comparable standard (if available) or credit voucher for the amount paid which can be redeemed within a period of 12 months. In no case except for circumstances beyond our control or where you fail to make payment in whole or in part will your holiday be cancelled within 10 weeks of departure

This is in their changes and cancellations. They will no doubt say that your holiday isn't cancelled, but the one you booked is, so I would argue that they have gone against their terms and conditions - If those flights are still going to / from Newcastle.
You could have booked hotels / parking at Newcastle. - to change airports at such short notice is really poor.
Hope you get something sorted
 
Last edited:
There are protections similar to section 75 on debit cards as well, contact your bank for details.

Also this practice is rife in the travel industry. They effectively use your money to short airlines prices knowing the risk is with the consumer and not them as they can fob you off with some nonsense if it goes wrong. I always book direct but really this practice needs outlawing. They are fraudsters at the end of the day.
 
offmenut said:
Cancellation may be necessary in exceptional circumstances and GoSingles reserves the right in its absolute discretion to cancel your holiday. If this occurs, you will be offered an alternative holiday of comparable standard (if available) or credit voucher for the amount paid which can be redeemed within a period of 12 months. In no case except for circumstances beyond our control or where you fail to make payment in whole or in part will your holiday be cancelled within 10 weeks of departure

This is in their changes and cancellations. They will no doubt say that your holiday isn't cancelled, but the one you booked is, so I would argue that they have gone against their terms and conditions - If those flights are still going to / from Newcastle.
You could have booked hotels / parking at Newcastle. - to change airports at such short notice is really poor.
Hope you get something sorted
Click to expand...

Interesting that they don't say ...or full refund in the event of a cancellation when it's the law that they have to. Clearly a dodgy company.
 
janey said:
It’s good (I don’t mean good for you) just good that someone else has had a similar experience.
I posted on their FB page and they kept deleting my posts
I also have e-mails and the evidence flights were not cancelled and that it’s not because TUI don’t accept bookings from 3rd parties (I mean, if they didn’t why would they be able to book another one).

I have asked for communication with TUI, that evidences they booked flights in July, when I paid, and for communication when TUI said the flights were cancelled.
They have refused, using data protection.
Click to expand...
The data protection point is bollocks. Both emails are in relation to you and presumably include personal information about you in making and cancelling the flight, and you have a right to see any personally identifiable information a company holds about you. I'd send them a Subject Access Request under GDPR to see these emails and all other data that they hold on you. That should turn their bowels to water.

A full refund would be much simpler and cheaper for them than a formal response to an SAR.
 
chunkyshanhawk53 said:
Hope you get sorted. Do use a credit card for this stuff. I know some people don’t like credit but get one for the protection (pay it off the same day if you want!)
Click to expand...
Even if you only pay for part of it on a credit card, like a deposit, you’ll be covered for the full amount.
NYMackem said:
The data protection point is bollocks. Both emails are in relation to you and presumably include personal information about you in making and cancelling the flight, and you have a right to see any personally identifiable information a company holds about you. I'd send them a Subject Access Request under GDPR to see these emails and all other data that they hold on you. That should turn their bowels to water.

A full refund would be much simpler and cheaper for them than a formal response to an SAR.
Click to expand...
This. Ask for a SAR and evidence that the flights were booked. Don’t let them say data protection. It’s your data and you are entitled to it by law.
 
Last edited:

Back
Top