Why a voucher and not a seat on another flight?

DEAR Mango.

After receiving your email last night I cannot help but feel you have “done a dirty” on me.

Without any discussion or consultation, I receive a voucher to the value of my flight booked with you for June 18. The reason given is the Covid-19 lockdown.

My problem with this is the following: I was able to book this flight as bookings on your website were open and available from June 15. I would not have been able to have booked it during your block-out periods or due to Covid19 lockdown.

Since this business flight was critical for a small business like mine, to negotiate goods for export, I do not understand why I was not offered another seat on another flight on the same day.

The only reasoning I can come up with on this oversight is that of the value of the fare I paid and what you are currently charging on all your flights during June.

Having a voucher is of no value to me as travel was for a business meeting. I do not see why I must now pay almost four times my original fare to travel on the same day.

In that respect, I hereby request: 1. A move to another flight on the same day without paying in towards the current fare or 2. a full refund which I am entitled to, and not a voucher.

Section 47(4) of the Consumer Protection Act allows suppliers the option of making alternative offers to satisfy their promises to deliver, but the consumer has the right to consider whether they want to accept that offer.

If the customer is being unreasonable, the supplier has recourse but it cannot impose a blanket no-refund, voucher or similar policies.

I await your reply.

Thanking you