Monarch administration

[jerryrowe]

WARNING

I had booked a holiday to Minorca flying out on 6 October with Monarch. Obviously this has been cancelled.

I also booked a taxi to and from LGW with a firm called Home James. I paid online using a credit card. When I e-mailed them to cancel the taxi, I was told there was a whopping 85% (yes, 85%) cancellation fee, costing me over £120. They sent me a copy of their terms and conditions which confirm this, but at no time when booking was I shown these, nor was I asked to tick a box confirming I had read them.

I am investigating what redress, if any, I have for these unfair terms, short of taking them to court, but I am not hopeful.

I would recommend YOU DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY.

[billsamuels]

Hi Jerry,

Sorry to hear that news mate. 

I've spent the best part of 47 years in the travel industry and each time I see another collapse it just makes me feel bad. If it's any consolation Jerry, nowadays we (the travelling public) do have several ways of get recourse, sadly not total, but some.

I'd be happy to talk it through with you if you think it would help.

PM your number and I'll call.

All the best.

Bill

[mick]

I have an even worse experience!

In November we are flying out to Taipei for a family wedding. Whilst in this neck of the woods we are making it a trip of a lifetime and traveling to Oz to see family.

I booked return from LHR to Taipei through Expedia which travels via Hong Kong

Having looked at Oz flights from Taipei it worked out cheaper to fly back to Hong Kong (Hong Kong Express) and get a return to Sydney from there.

Because we are flying back to Hong Kong from Sydney I thought we could just get on our connecting flight there back home. (All with Cathay)

WRONG!

I notified Expedia that we would not be taking the flight from Taipei, They told me that there would be an admin fee for missing the short leg between Taipei and Hong Kong. They then said that for the three of us it would be around £1100 (WTF!!!) to miss that section of the flight. I explained that we were just picking the same flight up in Hong Kong and I just wont turn up for my TPE to HKG leg.
They said if I don't fulfil my leg from TPE they will off load us and we wouldn't be able to board in Hong Kong!

Of course I complained to no avail. They told me i should have read the small print

I contacted Cathay who said there was nothing they could do because we booked through Expedia. If we booked direct with Cathay they could have sorted the issue out

Bottom line is we arrive back in HKG where we will take a flight back to TPE, stay a night at the airport hotel to return next morning on our booked flight BACK TO HKG and on to Heathrow.

WHAT A BLOODY JOKE!

It has cost us about £500 extra for the flights back to TPE including the hotel

I shall not be using Expedia again and for others, beware of the small print!

[graham]

Unfortunately Mick there is always a risk when using one of the consolidation websites like Expedia, Kayak and the like. Although I've never fallen foul of them ( because I haven't used them) I do know a few people who have suffered the same situation that you detail above.