 Poster: A snowHead
|
Anyone who like me has booked on the 0600 LGW INN on those dates looking for that extra half day's skiing will be disappointed. Inghams wait until 10 days after the final payment is due to tell us that they have cancelled the flight. They've rebooked us on one leaving 3 hours later, which has cost us a ski day. Non one steals my ski days and gets away with it!
We've now booked this trip with them for Christmas for 7 years and will not do so again. This is the sort of behaviour that gets the TOs the reputation they have and deserve. I'd love to know the time delay between the decision being made and us being told.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
Steve Sparks, Depending on the level of bookings for this season there could be a lot of flight consolidations and perhaps airport consolidations
|
|
|
|
|
|
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
|
Its three hours get over it
There are folk on here that are having to rearrange their entire holidays because of flights being changed or cancelled
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
Inghams have done the same to our flights to Finland No skiing on that day, but we gain it on the last day of holiday, leaves us to ski until 4pm so cant complain.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
My January flight with Crystal has been shifted by 7 hours and my half term one with Neilson has been moved to an airport 150 miles in a different direction, so I think you got off lightly.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
| Garfield wrote: |
Its three hours get over it
There are folk on here that are having to rearrange their entire holidays because of flights being changed or cancelled |
But at the end of the day, if he phoned the holiday company to change the time of his flight he would be charged a fortune...but they can do it to us without any regard!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Shimmy Alcott, thank you, I know I'm really lucky to be going skiing at Christmas and I already get more than my fair share. I don't suppose the TO's brochures next year will say on the front cover "This is what we're thinking of running - it depends how many of you sign up as to whether you will get what you think you paid for."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
truffaut, he booked and paid for a specific flight, that has not been honoured. Why is that acceptable when as far as he is concerned it is a fully enforceable contract...he couldn't suddenly phone them up and say "actually I want to change my flight time by a couple of hours"
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
|
| Shimmy Alcott wrote: |
| truffaut, he booked and paid for a specific flight, that has not been honoured. Why is that acceptable when as far as he is concerned it is a fully enforceable contract...he couldn't suddenly phone them up and say "actually I want to change my flight time by a couple of hours" |
probably cos that's in the 'terms and conditions of booking' and much as you / steve / snowheads might not like it you'll probably find it would stand up in a court of law.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Whilst acknowledging that Steve Sparks may have got off lightly compared to others, I am surprised at the number of snowheads who think this behaviour is an acceptable business practice.
Clearly the acceptance of such treatment only encourages it, and the TOs will continue in this vein until they start losing customers to those who don't.
Good on you Steve, stick up for expecting a level of quality that goes with a contract.
bertie bassett, iirc despite signing T&Cs, if a contract is found to be onerous to the disadvantage of only one party, then no matter what you've signed, the courts may choose to overturn it.
Not saying they will, and it would take a brave man to get it that far, but one alternative recourse is to walk away from future involvement with that company.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
My flight to Japan in January has now been changed twice and cancelled once.
I know its one of those things I have to accept but if I wanted to change names, go over weight in luggage, try and cancel flights etc I get charged.
Seems a bit unfair really! 
|
|
|
|
|
|
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
|
Maybe boycotting TO's and charter flights , and using small independent operators and scheduled flights is the way forward 
OK, I'm leaving.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Naming and shaming poor service (whether it is "legal" within the terms and conditions) wont change the situation but is a useful heads up for others. The biggies all seem to be much of a muchness. We have used Ski Safari several times for the US - they have always been great - no hidden extras, good hotels, transfers efficient. For the package operators there is usually a nightmare element e.g. having to wait for 2 and a half hours at Turin for another flight to arrive as we did last year with Chrystal when they crammed a two level coach rather than send 2 smaller coaches. Anyone travelling BA this year watch out for all the extras that are now going on top e.g. ski's now charged for (looks like £32 extra for each bag each way), paying by credit card now charged for.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
Easyjet pushed my return flight back 5 min in january, I am so pi**ed off!....
In a more serious note:Steve Sparks I fully undertsand you're upset. You make your plans, you get excited and they drop the news when it's too late to really do anything about it.
T&C or not, airlines and TO's are virtually the only businesses that get away with this sort of things so regularly..
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
Steve Sparks, you can still get an afternoon skiing in if circumstanes permit in Innsbruck itself, but I assume you are not staying at Innsbruck and are heading to a resort somewhere. The early flights to Innsbruck do not allow for getting to a resort and skiing most of the day, or staying in Innsbruck and skiing the whole of the day.
On the bright side - it could have been a lotb worse and now you get a bit more sleep !!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
rayscoops, Sleep's for when you're dead.
We're going to Obergurgl so no chance of getting out that day. You're right it could have been worse and it's by no means a serious problem, but the perfunctory letter from Inghams really got my goat particularly the lack of any explanation. It is unacceptable to treat customers paying a very large amount of cash this way.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
Dont forget Xmas Eve (from around 5pm) in Austria is closed (family time).
|
|
|
|
|
|
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
|
| JimW wrote: |
| bertie bassett, iirc despite signing T&Cs, if a contract is found to be onerous to the disadvantage of only one party, then no matter what you've signed, the courts may choose to overturn it. Not saying they will, and it would take a brave man to get it that far, but one alternative recourse is to walk away from future involvement with that company. |
I think that's the unfair terms in consumer contracts act right? So the t's and c's probably say something about reserve right to change flight times yada yada yada. Sorry but I don't see how a court would ever say it's a contract disadvantageous to a party if the net effect is that the flight has moved by 3 hours and you've received a minimum of 6 weeks notice.
Clearly as a Snowhead I would also be gutted to loose Piste time but to the average judge then I just don't see that being the case.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
bertie bassett,
the bias of the onerousity (I Like that new word!) and possible challenge would not about the move of time, it's the fact that they can change specifications at no penalty, but you can't.
Contract law does specifically cater for the fact that a one-sided contract ( or at least a clause in it) can be torn up by the courts if it is deemed to be unfairly biassed - it's something I have come across quite frequently at work with our legal dept. , since we are a large company dealing with small companies: we have to be intrinsically "fair" when negotiating our IT supply contracts.
In this case, and again David vs Goliath, unlikely to get to that, so the alternative sanction is to walk away from future dealings. And let your  friends know you've done so!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
I've just spoken to them and they cite "commercial reasons" for the cancellation.
Bizarrely these flights are cancelled for Christmas and New Year, but reinstated later in the season, so either Inghams have had a nightmare selling two of the three biggest weeks of the season or there's something really weird going on. There is a Thomas Cook charter which leaves LGW at 0555 which Neilson are still selling. I will ask if they can put me on that when I drop my letter of complaint in a bit later. I doubt it will achieve anything other than venting some frustration.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
| Quote: |
| Maybe boycotting TO's and charter flights , and using small independent operators and scheduled flights is the way forward |
They're all at it though ... BA cancelled our outward flight LGW to Salzburg on Wed 16 Dec return on Xmas Eve & rescheduled us out on Fri 18th -return on Boxing Day!!!
Luckily a decent airline - ezj - to the rescue 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| DallyPaul wrote: |
| Maybe boycotting TO's and charter flights , and using small independent operators and scheduled flights is the way forward |
Of course scheduled airlines never cancel flights. Not.
Last year we were booked on the afternoon direct KLM flight from London to Seattle. A few months after we booked, they cancelled this flight, and moved us to the morning direct flight. A bit annoyed: meant getting out of bed rather early.
A few months later, then canned the morning direct flight too - and re-routed us via Minneapolis! Oh no you don't, we've not doing a 4-hour layover in the middle of nowhere with two small kids.
So they agreed we could cancel: it only took them 12 weeks to refund our money.
[We eventually went the route we've done a few times previuosly, Birmingham->Amsterdam->Seattle. And the price had gone down £100 each as well....]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
