Dear All

I am writing to tell you the problems that occurred while I was on hols with Falcon/ First Choice last Sept 05. It has taken me this long to report on what happened as it has had lasting effects on me, due to the death of my father. I am still haunted by the ordeal and the subsequent treatment I received and I think it is time to tell my story. I know it's a bit long winded but bear with me.

I booked my hol from Dublin to Lanzarote with Falcon Direct (Falcons telephone booking service) at late notice. During the course of the booking I told them of my fathers health. My dad had been in hospital in a nursing home capacity for the past year. He suffered from the lung condition of Emphysema. At this time, my father had no lung infection and was in a stable state of health, which was later confirmed by his doctor at the hospital. However, as a cautious person, I decided to ask the attendant if I should advise this situation to the insurance company. I was told this was not necessary, as should any problems arise they would be dealt with by calling the insurance telephone number she gave me with and quoting the booking reference number. This seemed reasonable to me as I felt it would be quite unlikely that any difficulties should arise, and also I felt that the Falcon attendant would know best with regard to the company's recommended insurance policy, and as such I felt there would be no need to query further. I was also advised that I would have no policy document or any other documentation relating to the holiday in time for departure and these would be sent to my home in due course. I would collect my tickets at Dublin airport on the Thursday on departure.

The following Monday, I received a telephone call from my mother at 3pm stating that she had been told by the medical staff that my dad's condition had deteriorated significantly as he had picked up a lung infection and that she had been advised to inform me to return home immediately. At this point, I was told that time was limited and perhaps he would barely last the night. I returned immediately to my apartments and called the Falcon Emergency Resort number in Lanzarote as the rep was not due to arrive until later that afternoon. The attendant provided me with 4 phone numbers and advised me to call them to try to arrange flights to Dublin. Each of the numbers told pretty much the same story, that the flight to Dublin that evening was completely booked out, and took our names to go 'on stand by'. The only other option I was offered was a flight that evening to Birmingham airport which was due to arrive at approx 3am on Tuesday morning, however the next available connection from Birmingham to Dublin was not the following morning.

At this point the Falcon first choice rep arrived for her daily visit and I approached her and asked her to help me. I was quite distraught at this stage. I felt that she dealt with me in a very flippant manner and her advice was 'Well, if I was you I would book to Birmingham'. Another holidaymaker at the hotel, who actually works in the travel industry in Dublin spoke to me after my encounter with the rep told me I should contact the insurance company and ask their advice. The rep had not given any advice regarding this. Using the telephone number I received from Falcon Direct, which was an Irish number, I called them immediately. I was then put on hold for up to ten minutes or more. As you can imagine, this upset me greatly as I was calling internationally in an Emergency situation, it later worked out that they had given me the company's non emergency number. In between calls I went back to the rep and asked was this the correct number or if she had an emergency number I could call. She said she didn't know, as she had no access to insurance numbers at the resort. As I had no travel agent because the holiday was booked through Falcon Direct I did not have any base to contact so the rep was really the only point of assistance. I had even considered calling Falcon Direct myself such was my state of panic and distress but the 1890 prefix number does not work abroad.

When I relayed the rep's response to the lady holiday-maker helping me, she said that the rep should have contacted her office in the Canaries and obtained this number for me. Instead the rep shunned me and continued chatting with two other people socially in the hotel bar area. At this point the lady holiday-maker approached the rep herself. She also was told the same story. When she made the rep aware that she knew that this was not a reasonable response, begrudgingly she finally stormed off to use the telephone, I presume, to contact her head office. The other lady contacted her offices in Dublin in the meantime in an attempt to also obtain the insurance number. She obtained this number first. A couple of minutes later the rep reappeared and cast the numbers on the table, in an apparently displeased manner. It appeared to me and a couple of other holiday-makers in the bar area at the time, that I was disturbing her peace and quiet.

I then proceeded to the hotel reception area to use to telephone nearing 5 o clock, I met with three other Dublin holiday makers who had been staying at the same apartments and whilst waiting for the phone I told them what had happened to my dad. These three ladies had been due to return to Dublin that evening on the flight which we had been placed on 'stand by' for. Two of these ladies, sensing my plight and my obvious clear distress at this point, offered to remain at the apartments until the Thursday when our return tickets had been booked for and allow myself and my partner to return home on their flights that evening. Myself and one of the ladies approached the rep, who again seemed displeased to be disturbed, to ask if we could do so. She answered that she thought it might be possible to do this, but quite obviously didn't appear to be bothered to assist us and continued chatting with her friends. When pushed to act she said it would be best if the two ladies just didn't bother to turn up at the airport that evening, and sure then myself and my partner would then get the flights as we were on stand by. Obviously, this was completely unsatisfactory as I could not take a chance such as this with these ladies tickets that evening. Indeed, neither could I return to Dublin leaving these kind ladies in an unsure predicament for return travel on Thursday. It was very clear to me that she had no concept of the seriousness of this situation.

Eventually she begrudgingly went to reception to call head office to see if a change could be made. After some to-ing and fro-ing I was informed that this would cost €100 each which I paid for all four people changing their tickets, by my Visa card. She advised me to go to the ACE-Handling desk at Arrecife airport where I would be provided with our tickets.

On arrival at the airport I approached the ACE Handling desk who knew nothing of me and referred me to the First Choice desk in the Arrivals Hall. After some further confusion, we were then provided with written tickets. As we queued for Check in I was again phoned by my mother to inform me that dad had just died. As you can imagine, I was utterly devastated, and my immediate reaction was just to get on the plane and go home. Yet even at this late stage I was still yet another hurdle from boarding the aircraft. The lady at check-in insisted the plane was now overbooked and there was no room for myself and my partner. Luckily one First Choice rep that had taken pity on me at the airport pleaded the case with the check-in assistant who eventually understood that a direct swap of names had occurred and therefore there were not two extra people. I cannot explain how traumatised I was at this stage. Thankfully the flight was on time and the remainder of the return continued without any further incident.

The following day I contacted the insurance company to inform them of the curtailment. I was issued with a claim number and told that a curtailment form would be posted to me. Over one week later, I contacted them again today with the claim number to ask where this form was. I was informed quite curtly that there was no such number or claim. I was also told, in what I felt was abrupt manner that I was wasting my time trying to make a claim as I had not informed them that my father had a condition before I travelled. I had however suggested this to the Falcon Direct attendant as stated earlier, and had been advised it was unnecessary. As I am not au fait with how holiday insurance works I accepted this at its merits. I was also told I should have read my policy documentation. This, of course, was impossible as I had not received it before I travelled. I was actually very upset by the way in which the insurance lady had spoken to me, so much so that I was quite distressed after the phone call. I felt her and her colleague who had spoken to me a week earlier were very disrespectful and had adopted what I felt was a 'it's your own fault for going away' attitude. So much so that actually the second lady referred to her own mothers illness and how she had chosen not to take any chances herself. I was quite offended by this as my father was not in danger of death when I left the country or I obviously would not have travelled.

I have sinced sent this story to Falcon head office who at first kept referring me back to the insurance company who in turn kept telling me that the claim was probably a waste of time. As far as I am concerned it was Falcons misinformation which was to blame and their treatment of us in the resort that made the ordeal most unbearable. Falcon then sent me a holiday voucher for ONE HUNDRED euro between the two of us. What an insult.

Eventually after a number of letters I was referred to a named party in the insurance company who told me in this case that the condition would be overlooked and I would be allowed to claim back the cost of returning home, this was minimal in the end as policy excesses were also taken from it.

So in conclusion that was Falcons apology to me.. not even 70 pounds sterling. I cannot believe the disregard I was treated with in this terribly traumatic situation.

Most probably the worst day of my life, I felt my difficulties were overlooked by my rep to the point at which other holiday makers had to intervene to assist me. Such was the trauma I lived through on this day I have since suffered for sleep difficulties. I am finding it very difficult to accept not being there for my father's death and the treatment I received from Falcon made the ordeal completely unbearable.