Hi,
Wonder if you can help?
We booked a holiday through Going Places /Thomas Cook on the 5th December to the US. At the time the Going Places rep advised us that there would be one flight connection in the US at Chicago. At the time we were a little reluctant to book with a connector, conscious that out luggage could get lost or we could be delayed resulting in missing the connection, but we were assured there would be nothing to worry about. Based upon the information we were provided with we booked the holiday and paid in full.
On the 18th December we were contacted by the travel agents to be advised that they had made a mistake and there would actually be 2 connections, one in Chicago, another in Denver before we finally reached our destination. One connection has 20 minutes between landing and flying again.
We raised a complaint immediately on line after being met with a couldnt care less attitude with our local travel agents. We have today been called by Thomas Cook to be advised that they dont consider it their error, they claim the error was made by Inghams with whom the holiday is booked, they advise that they only act as "agents" to Inghams. Inghams state its Thomas Cooks fault as the two connecting flights were detaled in their brochure. The travel agents had a copy of the brochure but when we asked for a copy we were advised that it was their store copy and they hadnt got another one.
We never had a copy of the brochure, we booked the holiday based upon the info the travel agents provided us with and now it transpires that both companies are blaming each other.
This isnt an alteration to the flights, the two connections were always there. We have a "holiday details and payment confimation" document from the Agents from the day we booked which only states one connecting flight to help prove that we were not advised from the outset.
Where do we stand and who is our complaint with?.. both companies, both Thomas Cook and Inghams dont want to know and are blaming each other for the error....
Help!
Can you get hold of a copy of the relevant Ingham's brochure? Maybe from another agent or from Inghams. Failing that go back into the original agent and tell them you want to see their file copy, and then ask them for a photocopy of the relevant pages.
Was it an Inghams package holiday? If so, your agent can only really book what Inghams are selling. What does your Inghams confirmation say on it?
Was it an Inghams package holiday? If so, your agent can only really book what Inghams are selling. What does your Inghams confirmation say on it?
Where do we stand and who is our complaint with?..
I think it would help if you could clarify exactly what your complaint is - are you saying that if you had known that you had two connections to make that you would never have booked this particular holiday? And that you now want to cancel? In which case it looks as if you're complaint is with Thomas Cook who appear to have provided you with inaccurate information if the Inghams' brochure makes it quite clear that there were always two connections for flights for this particular holiday.
Or are you saying that somehow you've been booked on inappropriate flights and that there is no way that you will be able to make the connecting flight with only 20 mins to do so? And now want to be booked on different flights? If this is the case then the complaint is with whichever company booked the flights. If Thomas Cook booked this as a complete package for you and it is Ingham's who've cocked the flight bookings up then your complaint is with Inghams.
However, it will largely depend on which airport this applies too. Yes, 20 mins at Chicago is probably going to make it impossible to make a connecting flight but this wouldn't necessarily be the case at Denver. Is it by any chance a skiing holiday you are going on? Could it be that the final leg of the journey from Denver to your ski resort will be a helicopter transfer - relatively common in the US and especially for more upmarket ski packages. If this is the case then it probably won't go without you and Inghams are likely to be pretty confident that you'll make it otherwise they wouldn't as a matter of routine book customers onto these particualr flights as part of a brochure advertised package. You'll have had to go through US Customs and Immigration etc at Chicago, including having to claim and re-check in your baggage - especially in the current climate of hightened security - and the transfer at Denver will be just an internal domestic one which is likely to be much less time consuming.
SM
I think it would help if you could clarify exactly what your complaint is - are you saying that if you had known that you had two connections to make that you would never have booked this particular holiday?
- Hi, thanks for replying - Our complaint is that if we had been provided with the correct info at the time of booking we wouldnt have booked that particular holiday. As it stands, we go away on the 14th Jan so even when we were provided with the correct info on the 18th Dec we didnt have adequate time to find the holiday we had expected at the price we paid. On this basis I feel that compensation should be considered fair. Hope this clarifies matters.
Thanks for your reply sunaddict (although ours is a snow holiday, sorry!) - I will get a copy of Inghams brochure, but we've been advised that the Inghams brochure states theres two connecting flights. The Agents details state that there is one connecting flight, this is what we recieved when we booked the holiday. Inghams ticket confirmation states that there are two connecting flights.
Any help is greatly appreciated. Thank you for your comments so far.
Lucy
-
Edited by
Glynis HT Admin
2010-01-07 23:26:31
Edit to add quotation for easier reading
Were you given a confirmation invoice at the time of booking? It should state the flight particulars.
Mark
Mark
We did receive confirmation when we booked and paid for the holiday, tha agents confirmation states that there is just one connection which is wrong...
Hi. Did you not receive a confirmation from Inghams, via the travel agent, shortly after you booked?
On this basis I feel that compensation should be considered fair. Hope this clarifies matters.
Not really - what is it you are expecting to be compensated for? As yet, you haven't missed the connection or had your luggage lost. Do you know if any other TO does do a package for that holiday with only one connection? Or something similar for another resort that would meet your needs with only one connection? What is your final destination and do you know if anybody does packages to it based on just two flights? This was a late booking - presumably you paid in full at the time of booking? I know that it's tricky with the way the Xmas and New Year holidays fell but they might argue that despite booking within less than 6 weeks before departure you were notified of this change within less than 2 weeks of booking and nearly 4 weeks before you depart. Also, I think it is still relevant to confirm whether the 20mins connection time is at Chicago or Denver, as well as your final resort destination because not all ski destinations in Colorado would necessarily be possible with no or just one connection.
As Mark says, a lot will depend on exactly what is stated on the confirmation documents provided by Thomas Cook compared to what is in the Inghams' brochure. Any attempt to wring compensation out of a TA or TO has to be based on any additional expense or inconvenience that you have been put too as a result of their mismanagement. I think that at the moment the best you could probably argue for is a full refund from Thomas Cook and the extra between what you've already paid and what you will have to pay to re-book onto another holiday with only one connection.
SM
The only confirmation received from inghams was dated the 18th December, which is when the agents called to advise they'd made a mistake, that was sent directly to the agents and we collected that on the 30Dec. The confirmation from Inghams were the tickets and confirmation for the holiday. It appears the additional connector only came to light when the agents recd this confirmation on the 18th Dec...
What documents did you receive when you booked with Thomas Cook? Those document will be the base of your contract. Those documents (usually a booking confirmation or confirmation invoice) should state accommodation and flight details, price paid, outstanding balance etc.
Mark
Mark
Not really - what is it you are expecting to be compensated for? As yet, you haven't missed the connection or had your luggage lost. Do you know if any other TO does do a package for that holiday with only one connection
I would hope there would be a possibility that we could perhaps be compensated for the incorrect information that we were provided with that resulted
in us booking and paying for the holiday, we were advised there would be one connecting flight, there's actually two and there was all along. We wouldn't have booked if we'd been made aware of the facts.
We fly with United Airlines, the do offer the same flight with one connection which is what we have on the return journey, sorry for not stating this in my first message.
The connection which allows 20 minutes is in Chicago, just to clarify.
-
Edited by
Glynis HT Admin
2010-01-07 23:29:40
Edit add quotation
I'm sorry if I'm confusing with all the posts. When we booked the holiday, we paid in full and recd a "travel and payments" receipt which stated one connector.
The final destination is Jackson where one connector is possible as that what we have on the return flight.
Lucy
The final destination is Jackson where one connector is possible as that what we have on the return flight.
Lucy
Ok that makes it clearer. Your contract was one connection not two.
Perhaps you have a case for breach of contract but you will need to seek a legal opinion on that.
Mark
Perhaps you have a case for breach of contract but you will need to seek a legal opinion on that.
Mark
Lucy, is one of those not just a re-fueling stop on your outward journey?
Robby, that sounds as if it could be the explanation - I doubt that anybody would ever make a transfer through Chicago in 20 mins but a 20mins re-fuelling stop where onbound passengers to Denver don't disembark makes sense of those sort of timings.
SM
20 minutes connection in Chicago is impossible.
You will arrive at Terminal 5, upto 5-10 minutes to disembark, 5 minutes to passport control, upto 15-30 minutes at Immigration, 5-10 minutes to collect luggage, you then may be stopped at Customs, recheck in your luggage at the dropoff maybe another 5-10 minutes, transfer to domestic terminal via train 5-15 minutes depending on which terminal, queue for security depending on time of day could be 15-30 minutes, then a walk to your gate.
You need a minimum of 90 minutes at Chicago.
I would class this as a major change and would insist on a refund.
Dave
You will arrive at Terminal 5, upto 5-10 minutes to disembark, 5 minutes to passport control, upto 15-30 minutes at Immigration, 5-10 minutes to collect luggage, you then may be stopped at Customs, recheck in your luggage at the dropoff maybe another 5-10 minutes, transfer to domestic terminal via train 5-15 minutes depending on which terminal, queue for security depending on time of day could be 15-30 minutes, then a walk to your gate.
You need a minimum of 90 minutes at Chicago.
I would class this as a major change and would insist on a refund.
Dave
I can understand your worry and upset with Thomas Cook for initially telling you there was only one connection when Ingham's obviously state there's 2. I do think however that robbyw could possibly be right in saying that one of those 'stop offs' is a refuelling stop, not a flight change ie 1 connection/2 stops. Therefore TC may have be right when they stated one connection, but failed to mentioned the fuel stop.
If Ingham's have this as a package then I would assume that they are confident that their customers get from A to B on a regular basis. Had it been a DIY or a 'put together' holiday then I'd be nervous. I'd suggest you ring Ingham's to confirm that one of the stops is purely for refuelling.
Please let us know how you get on.
If Ingham's have this as a package then I would assume that they are confident that their customers get from A to B on a regular basis. Had it been a DIY or a 'put together' holiday then I'd be nervous. I'd suggest you ring Ingham's to confirm that one of the stops is purely for refuelling.
Please let us know how you get on.
Sorry no way a plane refuel in 20 minutes, barking up wrong tree here.
Is there a time difference between the 2 airports? (USA having different time zones?)
I'm just wondering if you maybe have to add an hour or 2 onto the time for time difference? So maybe really it's 1hr 20 mins or 2 hrs 20 mins?
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