Travel Horizons failure to confirm booked flights - HELP

[Lyn]

The following was part of a letter sent 15.6.04 to Travel Horizons,107 Great Portland St, Ldn W1W 6QG. To date we have not received a reply regarding their failure to confirm bookings we had made for flights to USA and subsequent problems.

<list>March Flights and car hire agreed, booked and paid for.
May Several telephone calls during this month to Jay to check our
bookings and whereabouts of car hire document.
28 May Several telephone calls to Jay regarding change in itinerary
received. Jay gave details of a 3rd itinerary with yet another change of flights and times. Several phone calls made by US Airways staff to your company to try and confirm arrangements. Jay promised to enter details by 5pm that day but none were entered.
29 May Arrived at Manchester airport to be told our international flights were not confirmed by Jay and were no longer available.
Several phone calls made by US Airways staff (in our presence) to your company to try and confirm arrangements. No return call received from Jay. US Airways arranged alternative international flights on the only dates available. Retrieved car from airport car park. Left airport to travel back home. A 4th itinerary was received (after we should have gone on our holiday) giving a jumble of flight information which was absolute nonsense ie international flights were listed to be made after the internal flights.
30 May Returned to Manchester airport to make flights under �FIM'
5 June Original return flight date not available.
We were required to leave our accommodation and were
effectively �homeless'.
Additional accommodation had to be found.
Additional car hire had to be found.
7-8 June Returned home via the only flight then available.
Returned to work 2 days later than initially authorised.</list>

We are at a loss as to what to do next and desperately need expert advice. Please help us as a great deal of additional expense was incurred.

Thanks

[Dogtective]

Woof
Sorry for the delay in replying to your post what I require is more information regarding the players to give you a more detailed response but the following should help you. Travel Horizon has been contracted to book your flights for the specified itinerary on the specified dates. With a few caveats, failing to do so may result in a breach of contract and consequently the linked financial loss, which results from this breach, may be recovered. This may hinge upon on what was said at the time of purchase regarding who was responsible for confirming the flights.

If you want to fill in the details ie who said what and whether your holiday was a package holiday then post back.

Grrr
Woof Woof

[Lyn]

Thanks for your reply

We booked all flights and car hire only thro Travel Horizons. They were responsible for booking and confirming the flight and car hire details. The full cost of all transactions were shown on our March Visa statement confirming Travel Horizons were paid for the agreed flights etc. This was not a package holiday, just flights and car hire agreed over the telephone initially and then confirmed by an itinerary being sent to us.

Where should we go from here? Any help you can give would be hugely appreciated.

Lyn Hunt

[Dogtective]

Lyn
I am still of the same opinion from the information you provide that the travel agent is in breach of contract because the flights you requested and paid for were not booked with the airline. You are entitled to claim the financial loss resulting from this breach, ie additional travel to and from the airport, additional expense for overnight accommodation etc.

What to do next
1. Place your travel agent in the Doghouse (see post)
2. Draft a letter to the director of the company. No wonder you have had no response, the extract of your letter baffled me - too much waffle! What you should do is cut to the chase, cut out the narrative, be brief and concise, bullet point your problems and stipulate what you will accept as a resolution.
3. Put a reasonable timescale on the letter.
4. If you have not received a response within that time then contact your local trading standards department, as they may be able to help you.
5. Raise a small claims action against the company. Do this and you’ll have your day in court, its very cathartic if nothing else. You may also get help from your local trading standards with this.

Hope this helps. Keep in touch. Remember this don’t let the b’strds get you down.

Woof
Dogtective

[Astraltraveller]

I wish I had read this post before I booked with Travel Horizons - I've had exactly the same experience when travelling to Australia with my wife. Arriving for an internal flight from Brisbane to Sydney we were informed by Qantas that the tickets hadn't been confirmed by TravelHorizons and we had to pay again for the flights! On return Travel Horizons have ignored all of my phone calls, emails and recorded delivery letter. I am currently starting the process of making a claim in the small claims court - what was the outcome for you eventually?

Regards
Pete

[BHT]

Personally I would go to the local press and advise them of the difficulties you have gone through. Also, I would try to find out who is the head of the company who let you down, and write him a letter telling him that you are going to the newspaper. Newspaper is a very effective word to most businesses.
As a travel agent, this is very disheartening to read, I must say. I know that agents are only human and that mistakes are made but it sounds like you have had a fairly torrid time, and the lack of communication from your agent is just about unforgivable.
I hope this experience doesn't put you off using travel agents in future.

[Sexy Babe]

I have had a similar problem with a company called Moresand holidays. Me and my expartner booked a package holiday through them in August to New York.

Upon arrival at Heathrow airport we were told by American Airlines with whom our flights were booked with that they could not find our booking. When they looked further into the matter it was uncovered that the status of the flights we had booked were cancelled and AA had not received payment from Moresand for the flights.

We had the confirmation booking and also proof of payment for the full package including flights but AA would not accept this. As a result we missed our 08.20 scheduled flight and Moresand did not open until 9am. When AA spoke to them at the time they could not confirm the bookings which is all AA needed. Instead they were trying to get us on an afternoon flight with AirIndia.

Having been up early to arrive at the airport for 5am then having to wait until 9am when Moresand opened with the stress of not knowing if we would be able to go or not, having to wait several more hours in the airport for an afternoon flight was not an option. We came down from Newcastle so it is not as if we could pop home for a few hours.

Evetually American Airlines were able to offer us places on the 10am flight at a discounted rate. I purchased both tickets on my debit card which came just short of 500.00. Moresands said they would refund this back but to this day (over a month later) i am still in dispute with the company and have not received my refund.

It is difficult to get to speak to the people dealing with it and most of the staff are rude and unhelpful and are not prepared to do anything. The employee who said he would take care of it at the start of December asked me to fax in all the information including receipts i spoke to him a few days ago and he had not even read the fax i sent.

I am at my wits end dealing with this company have spoken with many of the staff who do not give their names and do not call you back when promised or arrange callbacks from more senior staff. i do not know what to do next they have breached contract and breached ATOL code of conduct.

I am currently considering taking them to small claims court as advised by trading standards. Would just like to know what action was taking in the above cases and what the end result was. For anyone reading this DO NOT BOOK WITH THIS COMPANY. thanks SarahLou and p.s i did not choose the name sexy babe.

[johndavina]

Similar experience to you. Got to the airport in Australia and there were no flights booked for us on the flight. Can tell you that Travel Horizon have now gone into voluntary liquidation.

[robster27]

Unfortunately I've also fallen foul of MORESAND HOLIDAYS. We booked a holiday to New York through these people in April and didn't use the hotel booked after agreeing this with the guy who took our booking with Moresand We've spent the last 4 months trying to get the promised refund but to no avail. Exactly the same treatment by their staff, they are extremely rude, unhelpful and don't reply to email or phone messages. Oddly enough a complete contrast to when they are taking your money!

When I finally did manage to speak to the correct person she told me I was gullible for believing what their Sales agent had told me when booking the holiday (that I would get a refund, even though the hotel confirmed a refund was paid and Moresand acknowledge they received one).

I think that says it all, avoid this company at all costs, it seems they will say anything to get you to part with your hard earned cash and at the same time ruin the one part of the year you look forward to.

[TWICKY]

im having same problem i do have a contact number of the manager of the company and i am taking them down the legal road also let me know if you want the managers name and number i would be glad to cause him some ear ache like we all have had