If all the avenues of complaint with a tour operator or travel agent have been exhausted then the next level to consider is taking to problem to a higher authority.
Many people accept unfair practises and dodgy service as fact of everyday life and have to be pushed over the edge before taking appropriate action. However, the travel sector is an exception to this rule.
Holidays are the one time of the year when we can leave behind all the frustrations of everyday life, so if anything infringes on the good times then it is often a step too far for most people. This explains why the travel industry attracts a particularly high number of complaints.
Trade Associations
Most reputable tour operators and travel agents are members of a trade association, with Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) and the Association of Independent Tour Operators (AITO) being the largest and most popular. The ABTA operates an arbitration scheme that attempts to resolve complaints between customers and tour operators.
The ABTA or ATOL symbols are a reassuring sign when considering a package holiday, because they mean a customer will be financially protected if the operator goes bust.
ABTA
Approximately 1,900 companies are members of the trade organisation ABTA. In order to qualify they must all be able to provide their customers with detailed advice concerning insurance, visas, health issues and travel plan changes.
When a customer books a holiday with a ABTA-approved travel agent they should be reassured that the company is financially sound, that the descriptions in the brochures are accurate, money can be refunded if the booking is unsatisfactory and that they will never be left stranded overseas for whatever reason.
AITO
The over 160 strong tour operator membership of AITO was expected to demonstrate a high degree of customer service and code of conduct before they were allowed to join the organisation.
This tight control ensures that when a customer purchases a holiday through one its operators they should expect quality, security and professionalism.
Tell us what went wrong and find out which ombudsman or regulator can help, whether it is worth escalating, and exactly how to take your complaint further.
Try our Which Ombudsman Do I Need? free, here on this site →Flight Regulation
Holidaymakers travelling to their destination by air are well supplied with flight regulatory bodies.
For instance the Air Transport Users Council (AUC) monitors the airline industry on behalf of consumers, offering advice and support with compensation claims. Whilst the British Airport Authority (BAA) is responsible for the management of seven large UK airports and the British Air Transport Association (BATA) is a non-profit trade association for airlines.
Resolving a Complaint on Holiday
If a complaint relates to botched booking then it should be directed towards the travel agent or whoever made the original booking. If misery is caused by the holiday itself then complaints should be made to the tour operator.
Most tour operator’s terms and conditions specify that a complaint should be registered to the appropriate holiday representative whilst actually on holiday. A large number of complaints are solved at this stage. Holidaymakers are usually aware that if a complaint is lodged upon return it is too late to save the holiday by that point. If a resolution is accepted whilst on the trip then it is usually impossible to reopen the case upon return home.
If a problem arises before the holiday then the travel agent, or booking office, should be informed immediately.
Your situation may be slightly different. ask a question below ↓ and our editorial team will reply with our advice.
Upon Return
If a complaint has not been sorted out whilst on holiday then the tour operator should be contacted upon return. A claim should be submitted with all the appropriate evidence and travel booking details. The standard length of time allotted for registering a complaint following a holiday is usually around 9 months.
If these local resolution efforts prove futile then the complaint can then be taken up with the appropriate trade association.
Independent Holidays
If the holiday was booked independently, with the aid of a tour operator then any problems should be taken up directly with the company responsible. For example if a hotel room is unacceptable then the complaint should be lodged with the establishment, and as soon as possible.
Time Shares
Complaints about timeshares should firstly be taken up to the head office. If this proves unsatisfactory then the claim can be taken to the Organisation for Timeshare in Europe (OTE), if the company is a member.
Many timeshare resorts in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East are represented by OTE. This organisation offers consumer advice and a free conciliation service for problems between their membership companies and disgruntled customers.
The non-profit organisation Association of Timeshare Owners Committees (TATOC) also represents Timeshare owner interests by promoting high-standards and good relations within the industry.
If the timeshare company is not a member of OTE then the case should be forwarded onto the local Trading Standards office or Citizens Advice Bureau.
My wife and I took a 5 day Europe tour by Bus leaving Wembley UK from July 6th to July 10th.
Many issues however main was when in Paris the Tour representative was told by his company to leave the tour bus alone. We were more than 20 passengers on board. We couldn't take correct ferry service. That made us entire night on road! Just because absence of the tour manager they couldn't book our bus on correct ferry.
I am a cardiac patient and faced issues related my health. When I complained the tour operator they didn't give satisfactory response nor they compensated any passenger.
Can we log a legal complaint? If yes, how?
Thanks
Manish
But they did not give ticket and refund money
How I can get back money ?
I booked ticket on 29 November 2023
Traveling date to s 24 July2024
We were supposed to fly to Turkey last October but the Foreign office advised against travel so we could not go against the rules plus my company told me they would not pay me so we could not risk going. I asked for a refund and was told no it was 100% charge to cancel, they would not refund so we have no alternative other than to book another holiday, which we did not want to do but could not afford to lose any money. When the paperwork arrived they had added the flights to Turkey on they never explained that we had to pay for the flights at any other point but the flights were going out to Turkey they said anyway we ended up been pressured into booking another holiday to Egypt for July 2021. In the meantime I contacted my bank and won my money back, that was in November, so Blue Sea Holidays has until January to claim this money back and if they did not the money was mine. They left it until April when i was emailed by the Managing Director asking me to pay the money back, I should have claimed it back from my bank. I also received a money claim online, of which I have defended ,and now I have to go to the small claims court with no lawyer as I cannot afford one. These companies really are terrible disgusting really not sure what else I can say just wonder where I stand on this. Thanks
If you phone to book a holiday they answer in under 4 minutes!!!
Beware of accepting Refund Credit Notes alongside any written promises of firm repayment dates as they may well be "extended" without any consultation.
and used to justify longer delays to repayment.
Very hard to pin anyone down and commitments/promises mean very little
I booked a flight to Vegas on 20th of January.I was due to fly on the 29th April. Due to the travel ban my flights were cancelled by the airline Virgin Atlantic at the beginning of April (again another terrible customer service). I contacted Travel Trolley 2 weeks before my flight as instructed by their automated message. Initially they would only offer me a credit note, which i refused as i wanted a full refund. After 2 weeks of me constantly calling and demanding refund( one operator hung up the phone on me because i was refusing to accept the credit note), I finally got them to request a full refund from the airline on the 25th April. At one point they told me that my ticket had been partially checked and my ticket was under airport control. Saying that i had to contact Virgin and get them to reverse the ticket status. When i tried contacting virgin I was told that they couldn't do anything and I had to go through my travel agent. I was eventually sent an email confirmation of the refund request and that it would take up to 8-10 weeks for the refund to come. A admin fee was mentioned but i quickly shot that down and said I am entitled to a full refund. I called 8 weeks later and still no refund received from Travel Trolley. Blaming the airline for not processing it yet. I was told to call back in another 2 weeks which I did and still no refund. (Virgin accepted the refund request on the 7th may.) I was told again to call back in 2 weeks to see if they had received payment back from Virgin, But again still no refund. And again they told me to call back in another 2 weeks.
So its now been 16 weeks since my flight was cancelled and i have still not received a single penny back.
Now the Travel Trolley customer service. So apart from all of the above, the staff are extremely rude. It is an all Asian call centre with a very bad line making it impossible to understand a word they are saying.(This is not a racist comment but a fact).
I was unable to speak to a supervisor or manage to log a complaint about their operator hanging up the phone on me. I have not received any updates on claim.
so again i repeat never ever use Travel Trolley.
Virgin Atlantic customer service. They refused to help me in anyway. that's all i can say about them.
Atrocious services received from all.
I tried for 17 weeks to contact Travelup. Mostly engaged phone lines or lines going dead. By email. Twitter and eventually Instagram. I joined the FB page regarding the illegal changes made by Travelup to their T&C’s and the grievance many 100’s if others have with Travelup.
I have also started a bank chargeback. My main complaint is lack of correspondence regarding my claim and after waiting 17 weeks had partial refund followed by another partial refund and now the have illegally kept £50 as an admin fee... it is ME that has done all the work to get this and they shouldn’t have changed their T&C’s as the one they have now is not what I agreed to in January on booking.
Please can someone help me or tell me what I can do ?
Thank you
Told they were cancelled a while ago and have been trying to get a refund ever since.
l have been trying to contact them but NONE of their telephone numbers are working....
maybe they have gone, l dont know.
Yesterday l got an email from a different airline saying my flight was booked and going ahead. l am confused now...l have messaged said airline, still waiting for reply.
Dont know what to do as we do not wish to travel at this moment in time, but if l do nothing l will not get money back....
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