Well I should have known that it was a stupid idea!!
Spoke to an extremely unhelpful Jet2 rep this morning who basically told me it was "something that head office had decided to do" and they weren't prepared to do anything to help.
She just kept repeating over and over again, "I have no information for you"!
So, we have now booked our flights home with Easyjet to Liverpool airport but we are still having to fly out from Blackpool.

So now my question is.....am I being unreasonable expecting the airline to be more helpful in offering an alternative or is this normal practice?

did you book this as a return or as two separate journeys? Trouble is, now you have accepted the other flight, I don't know how easy it is to do anything about it.

The flights were both booked at the same time. Not sure whether this is classed as a return or not?
Basically, we have had to accept the outgoing flight as they have refused to refund that flight as it's still running.
The next available returning flight to Blackpool is on the thursday, which is no good.
There is no other airline that flies to Blackpool on the tuesday, this is why we are having to fly to Liverpool with Easyjet.
This was also the cheapest option as to scrap the outgoing flight with Jet2 and then rebook both flights with Easyjet would have cost us a lot more.
Also, now, we have got the added headache and extra expense of transport to and from the airports. Originally, we were going to leave our car at Blackpool airport, but obviously we can't do this now. So we are now having to arrange transport to Blackpool airport (approx 40 miles away) and then transport to pick us up from Liverpool airport on our return, (again approx 40 miles).

When you made your original booking with Jet2 did you tick 'return flight' and choose the 2 options and make your booking or, did you book the outgoing separately from the return flight?

Good question Glynis.

On the assumption that you ticked the "return" option - and I've booked with Jet2 many times in the past (all OK I must state) this is the procedure I'd follow.

They will provide some kind of confirmation or invoice - possibly email (I cannot recall how they do this now) and that voucher or paperwork will show both flights. I'd class this as a linked flight on the one booking.

If an airline cancel one of the legs for whatever reason they are in breach of their contract with you and should either offer viable alternatives or repay the full flight costs plus all credit card fees and any other charges they (Jet2) leveied as aprt of that sale.

You would also possibly be due some compensation depending upon how close to departure they cancelled.

You would then rebook with, say Easyjet both legs out and in to Liverpool or even Manchester.

Had you paid the original flights by credit card and had the total cost of both flights (out in return) exceeded £100 you could have claimed a full refund from the credit card company - foregoing your outbound flight and hence receover your total cost - then rebooked with another airline.

Jet2 have acted most unreasonably by refusing to transfer, at no cost to yourselves, both legs out and in to Manchester - that refusal seems most strange, bizarre almost.

One other possibility - Jet2 could have chosen to fly you out of Blackpool and back into Manchester and then provided ground transportation for you from Manchester to Blackpool thus fulfilling their cntractual obligations and keeping you, their customer, somewhat happier than you are now.

Why do airlines/tour operators and companies in general feel the urge to seriously pee people off ?

Tell Jet2 your ground transport costs in excess of the cost of Blackpool airport parking will be winging their way to their offices and unless unpaid within 14 days legal action will be taken either against them or against the credit card company (if you used credit card to pay in the first instance).

Check this element first with Ros Fernihough on 01922 621114. She offers legal advice to members of this site.

Do please let us know the ultimate outcome - but enjoy your stay in Amsterdam irrespective.

Why does anyone find this behaviour strange...Ryanair do this sort of thing weekly and using one of the many lawyers they employ they are pretty much fireproof. Many have tried to sue but few have suceeded. The bosses of Jet2 and Ryanair are buddies so thats maybe where they are coming from.

Get some legal advice but i dont think you you will be able to send any bills to them....

I phoned Jet2 "customer helpline" again to clarify a few things. They were slightly more sympathetic this time but their customer service is absolutely dire.
They clarified for me that they would not be offering any help to me or anyone else in the same predicament, they also informed me that they don't have any alternative options for their customers. It was also clarified that they refuse to refund the money for the flight that isn't cancelled. They infact led me to believe that I should be grateful that they are actually refunding the money for the flight which "they" have cancelled as this was quoted to me numerous times!
When I pointed out to them of the extra expenses that I have now incurred through their appalling service and breach of contract they thought that they were quite justified in doing what they have.

I work in customer service and I know for a fact that companies rely on the basis that over 50% of complaints are not pursued either through the customer not bothering as they don't know how to or because they are prepared to just "put up & shut up"
Yes, I may not get anything out of it but it will make me feel a lot better knowing that I have not just sat back and accepted what's happened.

Many thanks for all of you help and advice, it has certainly helped and I shall keep you posted.
Oh and do I intend to still have a fantastic time in Amsterdam?
This is the first time in nearly 15 years that me and my husband have been away without the kids.....need I say more!!

Vodkafreak,

check the legal position with Ros on 01922 621114. If I were in your position I would check this a.s.a.p. I'm pretty horrified as this could so easily happen with our bookings from Liverpool to Nice and back with Easyjet.

I see that the flight from Blackpool to Amsterdam is showing available and at a cost of £0.99 - there's no 27th return nor 28th. You can return for £9 on the 29th.

Demand is clearly low - consolidation appears to be the trend here. Personally, I'd look to fly back to Manchester at £24 and catch the train from M/cr airport to Blackpool - the service is pretty regular as I use that same line.

Thanks Mike.
I did look into the train idea from Manchester airport to Blackpool. However, the flights would have cost us another £100 or so plus train tickets and then a taxi from Blackpool North to the airport.
If we had taken the option to fly back to Manchester then it would have been cheaper to go home directly from the airport as we live in the Bolton area. I'm sure that you will understand how the geography works out!!
So, this is why be have booked with Easyjet to go to Liverpool.
Maybe a bit hasty I know to have booked the Easyjet flight but we "had" to make sure that we got a flight home to fit in with the mountain of arrangements that we have made back home and whilst we are there.
I'm going to make sure that I keep all receipts that show the extra costs that we have been forced to pay.
To be honest, I'm trying to keep a calm attitude about this farce at the moment as the last thing that I want to do is ruin our break as I can be like the proverbial pitbull!
Because we have already now made alternative arrangements to get home the issue with he company is now more about how we have been treated rather than what they should do for us legally or morally.
Again, many thanks.

I can well understand your frustration!I am not sure whether you know how expensive their customer services line is. The first call I made to them cost me more than £9!
I found another no on saynoto0870 This web site allows you to look at alternative numbers. You can then call this no as I do with my total talk package which I pay £7.99 a month for.
My problem was that I accidentally pressed the book button twice. The first I didn't think had worked.
I then had 2 bookings for Leeds/Barcelona all the same detail names etc. They would only refund this money if I paid a charge of £35!
I was told that if I didn't accept this immediately then I would have to pay the £235 for the flights. They would change a date but not a name or different destination.
I wrote to them to no avail and just said nothing is refundable. They told me I was fortunate that as a goodwill gesture they would give this less the £35.
I only knew I had 2 bookings when I received 2 emails and different booking numbers.
I spoke at lenght to the Customer Services in the UK which was at the no I got from the 0870 web site.
In the end I just had to accept I made a mistake. I know this is totally a different situation. I think they should refund all your money and then allow you to make a fresh booking.
I would call Ros as she will know exactly what the legal situation is. I could ask my daughter as she has a law degree but works in the field of liability. Every Glasgow University Graduate from my daughters time is red hot on law of Contracts. The man who writes the books on Contract Professor David Walker was her tutor. He has now retired but in my daughters day everyone dreaded him. He failed so many able students and they even had to know the the footnotes as the answer to the question could be there.

This is no interest but I just feel so sorry for you and life is made hard when you have to fight for everything. I have just spoken to my daughter on the telephone. She says that without reading the booking conditions she is unable to comment. She says companies like Jet2 and others usually have things pretty secure to cover themselves. Her other comment is that whilst you are booking a return flight because of the way the booking are done ie seperate pricing etc.It may allow them to hold you to the the current situation. How much would you lose if you just booked a return flight with another Carrier? Would it cost less for the transfers between Airports? If it made the journey easier for you might you consider it? Just a thought. Read the conditions yourself and see if the situation is clarified.
Good luck
Sue

My problem was that I accidentally pressed the book button twice. The first I didn't think had worked.

Had I written their software I would have accounted for that eventuality. OK, if you clicked the first booking, then exited that screen, re-entered details and then clicked to book again I'd accept that as two bookings.

However, with a minimal time gap between the two click "events" and with no difference in the data any half-decent software should accept this is a mistake - why the hell can they not ask for clarification on-screen in such instances.

I'd speak with your credit/debit card company and explain there was a system error. Your card company might have two separate transactions. If so, complain that the second was clearly dubious.

If the credit/debit card issuer confirms there's only ONE transaction - query the legality of the airline accepting two separate bookings for the same named passengers on the same flight, same date/time. How could you be in two seats at the same time ?

Some companies really are arseholes aren't they.

EDIT: Sorry, I appreciate NOW that the problem above was in the PAST.

What Jet2 said was that how were they to know it was the same person. They said it could have been your MOTHER. I did discuss with Julie the possibility of stopping it via the credit card but she said they would in all probability sue me as it was my mistake.

I have not flown with them since but I did fly with Flybe in December. When I was booking the flights as I came to the end of the booking it told me not to click again but just wait. ie they put a warning on the system. If a similar situation existed on the Jet2 site then I would not have had the problem. I would hope that they would have done something likewise as I am sure that I may not be the only one who met with this problem.

I just put it down to experience in the end but when they wrote to me they did make it very obvious that they thought they had been more than generous in allowing me just to pay £35 for the cancellation.

Thanks Mike anyway.

Sue

I've not been logging on for a while, hence the delayed response, but the double booking item is a computer program bug.
Basically the web page sets up the transaction data and when you press submit it initiates the transaction. It should have safeguards built in to stop a double submission particularly on the web where you may have different IP addresses between parts of the "conversation" possibly accompanied by long time delays.

The process should be on the lines of you submit the request and receive a different screen displaying confirmation, which may or may not contain the data. That way you cannot resubmit accidentally if there is a communications glitch on the web stopping the message getting back to you.
Under no circumstances should they allow the same data to be resubmitted twice and any commercial system will know that it is the same data as they should have had to switch into a "secure" conversation probably in a session.
If this happens to anyone in the future make the company aware of the fact that "you know and are notifying them that there is a bug in their system" and apart from them fixing the bug, you would also like your money back and would like confirmation that your financial data is actually secure in their possession.

Like you Steve, I've been tied up lately and just returned to this thread. Your post was most informative. I write software but not for web based systems but the safeguards you describe seem obvious to me and should have seemed the same to the developers of the site concerned.

A call to the FSA and or the Credit/Debit card issuer used by the booker might solicit some response if the site is unable to comply with basic security aspects.