CAN I GET A REFUND FOR WRONG AIRPORT?
Have a question? Ask our expert Simon Calder
Q I booked a short break via Booking.com, in Valencia, Spain. Because I requested a return flight as well, the website transferred me to the Ryanair site. I booked the outward flight for the date and time we wanted, and then went to the return journey section and chose the date and time of the flight. What I failed to notice was that the particular return flight I chose was from a completely different airport, Castellon, 60km down the coast.
We turned up at Valencia airport to check in and discovered the problem, but did not have time to reach Castellon. So we were obliged to buy new flights for the evening flight from Valencia, and spend the whole
day at the airport.
Booking.com has denied any responsibility, saying they only deal with the accommodation side of the booking. Can I get a refund from Ryanair?
Sandra R
A I am afraid that I can see no prospect of recovering any of the money you have lost. I have made a test purchase through Booking.com and worked out what can happen when you are redirected from the accommodation site.
Clicking on “flights” takes you not to Ryanair but to a third-party site run by the price-comparison firm, Kayak. When you tap in Valencia, it also offers flights from Castellon: they have the code CDT rather than VLC for Valencia. I mimicked what you had done, and selected what appeared to be the best deal. I was then transferred again: not to Ryanair but to a Swedish online travel agent, GoToGate, to buy the flights. It’s an interesting online trail. And during it I saw no indication that the flights served two different airports a long way apart.
Ryanair advises passengers to book direct through the airline’s own website rather than through online agents, and I must say that I agree with the airline that it is easier to avoid inadvertent errors. I could not replicate your experience when I went to Ryanair.com.
Next time, I urge you either to book through a good, human travel agent, or go direct to Ryanair rather than setting off on an online adventure during which you are passed from one company to the next.
Finally, having messed up more than one flight booking myself, I always try to make sure that someone is at my shoulder when I buy online, checking my work to make sure I haven’t blundered.
Every day, our travel correspondent, Simon Calder, tackles a reader’s question. Just email yours to s@hols.tv or tweet @simoncalder