Dreaming of a refund after a nightmare in Cuba
I booked a family vacation to Cuba over March Break. Our flight was delayed seven hours, so our holiday was more like six days, not seven. The hotel was constantly noisy, so we got little to no sleep. There was no intervention from the hotel’s security staff to stop rowdy teenagers from running the hotel hallways at night and the hotel could not move us to a quieter part of the property. We didn’t like the food and the lack of variety offered during our stay and the hotel was run down. What are our chances of obtaining a refund or some compensation?
Travelling at March Break can be hectic at the best of times, as it’s a peak travel period for getaways to warm destinations, especially for students and families with children. With hotels operating at full capacity and with kids and young adults in abundance, it is bound to be a more lively vacation, compared with a quiet getaway any other time of year.
Most tour operators have destination representatives who are available at the hotel to provide assistance as well as address any service issues their customers may have while they are at the destination. Communicating your concerns to the representative may have aided in resolving some of your customer service issues.
Also, when you are travelling abroad, keep in mind that different living standards and practices exist outside Canada including, but not limited to the provision of utilities, such as water and electricity, accommodations, food and food preparation. The hotels featured by tour operators are all independently owned and operated. But customer service issues such as dissatisfaction with the hotel, its staff and services, are valid if you feel strongly your vacation has been affected and has resulted in a loss of enjoyment on your part.
Flight delays and changes to flight schedules can occur from time to time after a booking is made. There is consumer protection legislation in Ontario governing travel agencies and tour operators. It addresses schedule changes. However, the provision only applies when the transportation has been delayed or advanced by 24 hours or more. If the flight change was 24 hours or more, the tour operator would have been required to offer the choice of comparable alternative travel services or a refund. As that is not the case here, you would be subject to the terms and conditions of the booking. Most probably the tour operator’s terms and conditions state that all flight times, airlines and type of aircraft can be subject to change.
My advice would be to approach the tour operator’s customer service department to communicate your experience and explain the circumstances that contributed to your dissatisfaction. You can ask your travel agent to communicate with the tour operator on your behalf or you can file a complaint directly with the tour operator online.
A reputable tour operator will track the feedback they receive from you and other customers regarding the hotel properties and other travel services they sell. At a minimum, the information you provide will assist the tour operator in determining how the product is performing and whether they are delivering the quality, standard of service and experience they aspire to provide.
Although you would be subject to the terms and conditions of the travel services purchased, the tour operator may be willing to offer some type of compensation or goodwill gesture, even though they may not be obliged to do so. Communicating your experience can also ultimately result in preventing future travellers from experiencing similar circumstances. Dorian Werda is vice-president, operations for the Travel Industry Council of Ontario (TICO), a non-profit corporation that regulates 2,500 travel retailers and wholesalers registered in Ontario. Send your travel questions to Your Questions at travel@thestar.ca. Not all questions can be answered.