We have a member of TR staff as an HT member, he tries to sort out members problems where he can as a new member you cannot send a pm to him so i will send one pointing him to this topic

Wizard

Thanks, really appreciate that.

I would never normally make a complaint like this, just feel really gutted!!

Travel Repulic do state in their price match criteria thay they will only match with Abta bonded companies and that claims have to be done within 24 hours of booking, so in that respect I can't really see what they've done wrong.

For me its a combination of the changes made after booking and the increase in accomodation costs (feeling like I was backed into a corner) - and even though I made the price match promptly they took over 24 hours to come back to me - so it was outside of the 24 hour limit. I had plenty of other information I could send them to demonstrate the pricing differences but by which is was over the time frame.

I feel very frustrated that i was unable to cancel the flight when the accomodation price had gone up - its made it a very expensive deal but I had little choice - which they know - the reason being, its always cheaper to book flight and accomodation together.

The reason you couldn't cancel the flight because that booking was totally unrelated and booked through a different supplier to the hotel booking, and TR don't package holidays.

The expedia price match request was never going to work as they are not Abta bonded, so it was a waste of time submitting it. It would have been better to submit one of the others and then you would have been within their 24 hour limit (I'm not saying it would have been honoured though).

Booking elements of holidays separately is usually cheaper, but does run the risk of this sort of thing happening.

Booked holiday to turkey with travel republic August 2012, we have now been notified that the accommodation we booked is not available, we have already endured flight time changes now this. There are 8 persons travelling including 2 small children. We are told we can have a refund for the accommodation but not flights, alternative accommodation offered not up to same standard, so do we all sleep on beach? How can companies get away with this? I can not afford to loose £2500' do I pursue down legal route? I surely must have a good case? Any views please?

Hi and welcome to HT!

The T&Cs clearly state that flights and accommodation are treated as separate bookings and the booking for one is still active even if the other is cancelled.

You will have ticked a box on the booking to confirm that you read and accepted the T&Cs.

Any legal action you take in relation to the accommodation booking will need to be against the supplier that TR booked this with on your behalf. The paperwork from TR will tell you who this is but the best way of salvaging this is probably to get a refund of the accommodation costs - you should be entitled to that - and make a fresh booking for an alternative.

SM

yes I would keep the flights and book accomodation with another supplier if you are not happy with the alternative choices TR are offering., you dont need to take both with TR as they will be seperate bookings with different suppliers and not a package. Have you checked to see if your orginal choice of accomodation is available elsewhere??

Have researched ATOL's website, April 2012 saw new legislation for ATOL members called flight-plus.
Flight plus arrangers have an oligation to replace part of the holiday or provide a refund for the whole arrangement to the customer. Travel agents and tour operators are, by law, required to issue ATOL certificates, to enable holidaymakers to know the level of protection. I know I didn't have one. My argument is, if I went, say, to Tecso's and purchased a faulty item, I wouldn't go to the manufacturer I would take it back to Tesco's. I booked this holiday 5 months ago and 8 weeks before I travel I'm told the accommodation is not available, there must be consumer protection for this kind of occurence, surely my statutory rights cannot be compromised.

While the regulations changed in April 2012 it only became compulsory to issue ATOL certificates from October 2012. This is why TR won't have issued you one when you booked in August but will have ATOL Flight Plus cover.

But the thing to note is that as far as I can see, any ATOL certificate only protects you in the event of one of the suppliers becoming insolvent so you are only covered here if the reason why your accommodation is no longer available is because the supplier has become insolvent and has ceased trading. This is why you need to check who was the supplier that you had authorised TR to place the accommodation booking with on your behalf. TR T&Cs make this clear and you must have ticked the box to say that you accepted these otherwise the booking wouldn't have gone ahead. As far as I can see TR will have met their obligations in offering you either alternative accommodation or a refund of the accommodation costs.

The cover provided by Flight Plus is not the same as full ATOL cover for a traditional package. It is designed mainly to ensure that, for example, in the event of insolvency of the airline someone will get you home or if one of the suppliers becomes insolvency before you leave that you are not out of pocket. It doesn't cover you for a full refund, for example, if a hotel has closed down or has double-booked. You, therefore, do need to find out more about why the accommodation you originally asked TR to book for you is no longer available before anyone, including a solicitor, can advise you whether you have a legal case and against whom.

SM

Angela owens wrote:

Have researched ATOL's website, April 2012 saw new legislation for ATOL members called flight-plus.
Flight plus arrangers have an oligation to replace part of the holiday or provide a refund for the whole arrangement to the customer. Travel agents and tour operators are, by law, required to issue ATOL certificates, to enable holidaymakers to know the level of protection. I know I didn't have one. My argument is, if I went, say, to Tecso's and purchased a faulty item, I wouldn't go to the manufacturer I would take it back to Tesco's. I booked this holiday 5 months ago and 8 weeks before I travel I'm told the accommodation is not available, there must be consumer protection for this kind of occurence, surely my statutory rights cannot be compromised.

Flight Plus Atol only covers for supplier failure. What you've booked isn't a package holiday, only 2 separate elements. There is actually nothing tying them together, and they are not covered under Package Regulations.

TR are only acting as an agent. If Thomsons travel agent in the high street came back to you and the said accommodation was available would you blame them? This is no different. Have TR said why it's unavailable?

This problem occurs time and time again with OTAs, because people don't read the booking conditions before accepting them, and understanding that they have separate contracts with separate suppliers. You have no contract with TR, only one with the airline and won with whoever TR booked your hotel with.

When are you travelling? I would just accept a refund for the accommodation and book elsewhere.

Just to add, 'supplier failure' in this context means that the company has failed, not that they've just failed to supply the service.

SM

Angela welcome to HT

had your post been made in the travel republic thread in the tour operators board I may have spotted it earlier..

AS an HT member you have access to a member of staff at TR namely steved1 who has assisted many of our members,

may i sugest you sent him an e-mail with booking ref and outlining the problem to
steve@travelrepublic.co.uk
please be concise and polite and allow a couple of days for a reply [he is a busy boy]

Wizard

it all goes back to what i have said before keep away from this company because you may have problems they wont want to sort.

Angela owens wrote:

Booked holiday to turkey with travel republic August 2012, we have now been notified that the accommodation we booked is not available, we have already endured flight time changes now this. There are 8 persons travelling including 2 small children. We are told we can have a refund for the accommodation but not flights, alternative accommodation offered not up to same standard, so do we all sleep on beach? How can companies get away with this? I can not afford to loose £2500' do I pursue down legal route? I surely must have a good case? Any views please?

You won't get anywhere with this, why do you think you have a case ?

They have probably booked you on to easyjet flights and handed the money over to easyjet ( as indeed you would have done if you had booked direct with easyjet yourself) at the time of booking.

If you are not happy with the accommodation they are now offering just book your accommodation with another accommodation provider.

You haven't booked a package holiday covered by package holiday legislation and all the terms and conditions would have been detailed at the time you booked with Travel Republic and you must have ticked a box to say you had read them at the time.

I agree with Doe, you are very unlikely to get anywhere with this and as others have said there is nothing preventing you from booking the accommodation to suit your needs with another supplier. Indeed rather than wasting time bemoaning the fact the quicker you resolve the accommodation issue the better. Prices will increase rather than decrease the nearer you get to your date.

Please do not be put off by what you may consider negative feedback. Many who have replied have come across similar tales to your own in the past and have a far better understanding of how it works. That is the real problem here, how people understand the term "Package Holiday" and unfortunately how joe soap public understand the term is totally different to how it really is.

In very simple terms it means that unless you book a holiday from the brochure of one of the officially recognised Tour Operators - Thomson. Thos Cook, Monarch and some others then it is not "a package" but what is termed " a dynamic package" and as such each part of it is stand alone, therefore if one part fails the other still stands. That is exactly what has happened in your case.

Travel Republic are not a bad company as many on here can testify but the are Agents rather than Operators - talk to them again and explain how it effects you. Steve1d will assist if he possible can I amsure.

fwh.

Thank you all for your advice. I apologise if I sound like I' m moaning but this is the second time in a matter of months that this has happened with a holiday booked with TR. fortunately I did receive a total refund for flights and hotel on the other occasion, as different circumstances applied but never the less the law of averages are definitely not on my side and I need to be more diligent in future, only package holidays for me from now on. There are hotels still available in Turkey but as you can appreciate for such a large party during the Easter holidays I would need to spend at least another £1,000 which I cannot afford, remember I booked this holiday on 21st August 2012. Other agents on the web are still selling the hotel we booked for the same dates, I am concerned others will be in my position.

angela,
as advised by others i would contact steve.
before you do though have a look at the other hotels of the same * rating in the resort, check all the reviews as well, and then advise him that others are still selling your first hotel.
tell him that if you must move then you would prefer to stay at one of those you have chosen or get a refund on the hotel and just try and rebook through someone like alpharooms or lowcostholidays