Myself and my three friends have had a very unsatisfactory experience booking a holiday through A1 Travel. We booked a holiday to Turkey in early May this year. Before booking I emphasised that it was absolutely vital that we had an apartment with four single beds as we were not couples but 4 friends travelling to celebrate a 60th birthday - and we definately did not want to sleep together! The agent absolutely assured us that this would not be a problem. I actually rang her up twice after this, before we had paid, to confirm the situation with the beds and told her that it was so important to us that we wouldn't book that particular holiday if we could not be assured of the 4 single beds. Again she emphatically assured us that we would have 4 beds - this wasn't a problem. Well - you've guessed - we arrived at the apartment and there are 2 single beds and one double. We were then furious to find that the apartments office said that they had emailed A1 Travel and told them they had no apartments with 4 single beds! This ruined our holiday and obviously we complained but we are not satisfied with A1 Travel's reply that this was 'a genuine mistake'! I think commission comes before customers with their agents - so if you have any special requests BEWARE!

DO NOT USE THIS TRAVEL AGENT After booking a holiday with this company and stating that because one of the party traveling had nerve problems suffered after a operation for a broken neck. I said it would HAVE to be from a local airport .Two weeks later I get a telephone call saying that I will have to pay a extra £30 for each passenger (3) leave a day earlier and leave from another airport 3hrs drive away (none of us drive) They gave me 2 and a half hours to get intouch with the other passengers and accept or lose all the money paid. I was unable to reach one of the passengers (not that we could have left from the other airport) It would seem from postings on travel agents ,this seems very common for A1 travel.Other companies I have spoken to will do a FULL refund on monies paid. But NOT "A1 travel" So beware or better still book with another company

Although I was told to accept the offer by A1 Travel or lose ALL monies I have today telephoned them and I was asked if I wanted to cancel my holiday!!!! IF last month I lost the holiday by not accepting their offer of going a day earlier ,leaving from a different airport and paying more,what holiday are they talking about???How the hell can I cancel something they have told me I have not got??
Unless Of cause they want to sell my holiday AGAIN !!!!!!!!!!!

I think I will be taking legal action as well for the return of my £827 + exspences

They are a joke of a company. I had a blazing row with them last week as my cheque that was promised to be posted last tuesday didn't turn up. I rang to ask why they just said they couldn't say exactly when it would be sent (it's ok we have only waited a year!!!!!). They have now said it could be this week --- or next!!! I will let you know. Good luck if you do decide to take legal action.

pollypip

Regulation 12 of the Package Travel Regulations 1992 states that you should be allowed to cancel following a significant change "without penalty"

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1992/3288/regulation/12/made

I would suggest contacting Simpson Millar for some free legal advice DETAILS HERE

luci

Thank you Luci I have just telephoned Simpson Millar but they can not help ,they only deal with dirty hotels and accidents caused by a 3rd party but she did say that I should write to A1 and if I do not get any joy from them (ie return of monies paid)I should get intouch with ABTA.So I will be putting together a letter to them this weekend.Thanks again for your help

I travelled with this company last autumn (2010) to Tenerife and this summer (2011) and have had no faults with them at all. My concerns were with the hotel this year and not them. I went to Costa Blanca to Santa Sussana and one of my gripes was that the hotel put a party of 4 , me, my husband and two 17 year old boys into one room when we had paid for 2. I complained to hotel who then put us in separate rooms. The hotel was not up to much but I wish I had read this forum before and then would not have booked it. A1 travel was also used last October (2010) by my two daughters aged 24 and 18 when they went to Lanzarote. again no problems. If you are using a cut price operator you should be prepared for any flight delays as they use Easyjet, Ryanair and other cut-price airlines to keep holiday prices down. Again any trouble is with the airline not the holiday company. Airport transfers can be an issue but my family always book a private taxi to wait for us on arrival so we don't have any hassles. I have no issues with A1 travel who also ensured I booked an extra airline seat (as I have a spinal problem which makes it hard for me to sit forward in a tight space and on a hard seat). As I have not paid much for ANY of the holidays my family has booked with A1 (all less than £250-300 per person) I really see no need to complain. If you want an all-in service I suggest you use the big holiday companies but for this you will pay a VERY hefty premium.

I guess then that none of your family's holidays last year were affected by the collapse of Goldtrail then? If you have a look at this thread

http://www.holidaytruths.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=49&t=148960&start=0

you'll see that some people are only just receiving their refunds - 12 months after they lost their holidays. Yes, if you book a holiday that is being provided by one of the cut price operators then you do run extra risks and the problem was initially caused by the collapse of one of those operators. But the problems that people then had with getting the money they were legally entitled to and which every other TA managed to pass on to customers long ago IS down to AI travel. If others could do it, then I think that it is legitimate for people to ask why A1 couldn't and to warn other customers that A1 won't process claims with the same response times as other TAs in the event of this happening with another TO used by A1 in the future.

ATOL and other bonding schemes are supposed to provide protection for customers in these situations but A1 appears to have been extremely slow in forwarding money from the bonding scheme that covered Goldtrail and that was rightly their customers. I've never used A1 and never would now - the fact that it has taken them so long to get this money to its rightful owners suggests to me that there is a possibility they might be experiencing cash flow problems of their own. In which case they could be the next ones in line to go down the tubes - taking your holiday with them. Yes, bonding schemes mean that you do eventually get it back but not everybody can afford to book another holiday while they wait 12 months to receive it.

SM

As I said earier. I and my family have had no trouble with A1. Anyone who has issues with this company have every right to complain but I have NOT. I am not prepared to comment on any issues outside of my experience and would also NOT condem any company I had not used, unlike other reviewers. I will NOT post untrue comments or a review based on anyone else's experience, just my own. That is what review sites are all about.

The hotel was not up to much but I wish I had read this forum before and then would not have booked it.

would also NOT condem any company I had not used,

Aren't these comments a bit contradictory? The point of a forum like HT is to be able to benefit from the information posted here about other people's experience. I accept that you have had what you consider to be good service from A1 but others caught up in the Goldtrail problems clearly have not. Also, a number of people do seem to have had the same problem as you, namely that on arrival they've not been provided with what they had booked - 1 room instead of two, a room rather than an apartment etc. Looks like an emerging pattern to me that I would act on when making a decision about whether a TA could be trusted to ensure that you got what you booked.

You point out that had you read up on your hotel in Santa Sussana here before booking then you wouldn't have done so. Having read here about A1, I wouldn't choose to book a holiday with them - I don't see what the difference is. You don't have to agree with me but just because I hold a different opinion on the reliability of A1 doesn't make me or anybody else who, unlike you, has had a bad experience or forms an opinion based on those bad experiences of others, a liar.

SM

I refuse as a new contributor to be drawn into any dispute with other people. As I keep repeating - this is MY experience of the one TRAVEL company. The hotel I complained of was not to my liking due to the fact I had not researched it better, this does not mean I blame the travel company. The hotel's own website was misleading about room quality and size. I do not disagree with anyone else, I have just posted an honest review. reviews which are supposed to be fair and objective about a PERSONAL experience of a travel company, a resort or specific accomodation which is what I have done. If I am to be harangued because I have not agreed with other posts about any issues others may have had then I will leave this forum immedately and inform my friends not to bother with this website.

I'm sorry if you felt 'harangued' - that wasn't my intention. I understood this to be primarily a discussion board and not just one for reviews of TAs ande TOs and hence that it was OK for me, and anybody else for that matter, to join in the discussion of information posted here. I hope that you will stay with HT because it is a mine of information where you can ask questions, engage in constructive discussion and not just post reviews. As you clearly do not find my way of contributing helpful I will try to ensure that I do not respond to your posts in future.

SM

Im not sure about A1 travel. Ive booked a holiday with them to Luxor for DECEMBER, but i cant seem to get access to there web site.Easy jet sent through my e ticket but wants to obtain details of my passport or i wont be allowed to fly, ive contacted A1 by phone and was told to login to admin@a1 travel this ive tried on several occasions but not having any luck. she did ask me when i was travelling and i told her the date she then said, phone back nearer the date. ANY ONE OUT THERE WHO CAN HELP ME PLEASE.

if your not flying till December then you have nothing to worrie about til November, if youn booked your flights from A! it would have been them that sent the booking reference to you , try to access the admin either early afternoon or after 8pm

wizard

Thanks for your help. Ive never travelled like this before always booked through a travel agent,when i saw the dfference in price i just couldnt resist the holiday. Then panic set in when i couldnt access their sight. many thanks.