Perhaps not what you want to hear, but they are entitled to what they did to you.

Mark

Hi

Thomsons did the same to us,we booked A I in Ibiza,on Saturday we got a letter stating that we would have to pay another£672 to keep that option or we would have to downgrade to H B,we had rung pre-departures the week before because the hotel had disappeared from their website and eventually got them to agree to:waive amendment charges and rebook at Junes prices because that is when we booked or give a full refund,we chose the refund and have booked with Portland,I would push them a bit and ask for the prices when you originally booked.Good luck,hope it works,T.

Usually, when the tour op makes the amendment on their in-house system - they should amend their system booking date to go back to the period your reservation was made. (ie - different brochure editions are released throughout the period up to the coming season and their system holds the brochure dates accordingly... All they have to do is select the right date period and it should price it at the same costs shown in the brochure). If not - they can amend it manually but you will have to push for it.

If you had a free child place on your original booking and choose a hotel from the same edition brochure that featured free child places at the time you made your booking - the tour operator should honour the free child place.

As it is Portland, then it's direct booking so it's not like you can go and camp in the travel agents' office until it gets sorted out. Telephone them again, tell them you want to speak to the person in charge and refuse to hang up until you speak to either the department supervisor or manager and until your booking is rectified...

CwB

Something what people miss is you can sue these companies for breach of contract, all tours ops terms and conditions are found unfair in court. Everything is too much in their favour.

We got the other end of the deal. This June 08 we booked a year in advance on b&b to sharm el sheikh in my usual hotel. It has been with portland and thomson for years on a b&b basis. Then 4 months before departure, we got a letter which stated all of our party had now been upgraded from b&b to A1 free of charge. Basically its because the hotel changed its format. We were very happy.

Hi we had the same as derwentrocker.
Had booked to go HB to Majorca,
the hotel then stopped doing HB and now did AI.
We got the AI free of charge.

Some times you are the pigeon and sometimes you are the statue

I've just looked at Portland's booking conditions.

As far as I can see, they have cancelled the holiday you booked, and you can either accept a replacement holiday of similar cost, or have a full refund. Either way you are entitled to compensation, but it's a derisory sum - a maximum of £40 per person at 7 days notice.

I believe they are in breach of contract, and a court of law might consider the terms and conditions unfair. Especially since you can give evidence they are lying and it's not a brochure error at all.

Last week we received a letter stating that it was a brochure error and the drinks were not part of the holiday. We have stayed at this hotel twice previously and drinks were included as originally stated.

I recommend getting legal advice from Ros, I really don't think Portland should be allowed to get away with it.

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