The Daily Telegraph - Saturday - Travel
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binding on the tour operator.
The changes to the Abta scheme are modest – introduced along with a new specialist company that is taking over the running of the scheme. But there are some useful reductions in fees for many claimants. Previously the charges levied on the consumer were £108 for claims up to £3,000, and £180 for claims between £3,000 and £7,500. That has been rationalised so all claims up to £7,500 are charged at £108. For higher claims between £7,501 and the upper limit of £25,000 the fee has been reduced from £264 to £135. That compares with a fixed fee of £140 to use the Aito scheme, but that has rather lower limits: the maximum claim is £2,500 per person or £10,000 per booking.
Whichever you choose, there are strategies that will increase your chances of winning your case. I’d never discourage anyone from seeking redress and it’s vital for companies to realise that cynical practices will cost them more than looking after their customers properly. But I also see lots of letters from readers who have got things out of proportion, or written reams about minor issues when they would do much better to focus on the key problems. So, with that in mind:
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Dear Allan
You mention hiking, which immediately suggest Andros, with its lush mountainous interior criss-crossed by footpaths, and some fabulous beaches – in fact you would do well to spend all four days here, although it has no major archaeological ruins. To get here, head directly from Athens airport to Rafina, and catch the ferry (two hours) to Gavrio on Andros’s west coast.
The island is traversed by the Andros Route, a challenging
Be reasonable. Has your tour operator actually broken any promises in the holiday description, or have you just suffered a serious of unfortunate problems that it tried to resolve?
Keep things in perspective. Do you really want to spend hours of your time and all that emotional energy in a battle you might not win? Sometimes, putting something down to experience may cost you less in the end.
JANE FOSTER
GREECE EXPERT
Take advice, ideally from Citizens Advice (citizensadvice.org.uk) or an independent-minded friend (rather than one who whips you up) who will help you with your argument.
Be clear about what redress you want – and remember that financial compensation has to be proportionate to the cost of the holiday.
Be succinct in any written complaint or evidence. Mentioning every single problem at length doesn’t strengthen your case, but will likely weaken it.
If your case involves a serious injury, see a solicitor before starting any legal action or arbitration.
Let airlines know if you are likely to miss check-in deadline or risk losing your return flight My wife booked a return ticket from Manchester to Cusco in Peru via Paris through STA Travel flying out on May 5 and returning on May 24 to join an escorted tour. She missed the outbound flight largely due to the M60 being closed at Stockport, which I only discovered when I drove her to the airport. (I accept that we probably hadn’t left enough time for the drive).
Air France rang my wife on her mobile after she had missed the Manchester-Paris flight and described her as a “no-show” but did not mention that her entire ticket had been cancelled. Neither did it occur to us to contact STA Travel through whom we had purchased the ticket. Instead we got on with booking a replacement outbound flight and she travelled out with Avianca from Heathrow. We had no idea that this might prejudice the Air France return.
It was when checking in for this flight that my wife was told there may be a problem using the original ticket to return to the UK. I contacted STA Travel, which confirmed that Air France was unlikely to honour the return as its fare rules say that flights must be taken in sequence.
It seems an unfair ruling especially as the flight had already been brought forward from May 7 to avoid an Air France strike day. Can you help?
ANDREW FARKAS
QGILL CHARLTON
CONSUMER CHAMPION
AIf a passenger misses an outbound flight most scheduled airlines will automatically cancel the return. They argue that this is to prevent customers taking advantage of discounted return fares or regional promotions. Despite the fare difference often being minimal since the advent of low-cost airlines, the requirement to fly each sector in the order ticketed remains enshrined in the conditions of carriage of most “legacy” IATA airlines.
I agree that airlines should show flexibility when the passenger has missed the flight for a valid reason and is not attempting to benefit financially from flouting the fare rules.
I asked Air France to review its treatment of Mrs Farkas and it agreed to reinstate her return ticket free of charge, as a goodwill gesture because her original flight had been disrupted by strike action.
In order to have the best chance of your ticket being reinstated after missing a flight, it’s important to contact the airline as soon as you are aware you may miss check-in.
It’s vital for companies to realise that cynical practices cost them more than looking after their customers
giving your full name and, if your query is about a dispute with a travel company, your address, telephone number and any booking reference. We regret that we cannot personally answer all the queries we receive, but your email will be acknowledged.