TUI- never again

After the disgusting treatment we received in 2020 we vowed never to use TUI again, but really wanting to go to Puglia and with TUI having the best options we swallowed our pride and booked with TUI in January for our September holiday.

Well after paying our balance on Friday, we get an email on Monday saying our flights were cancelled and to phone to either book alternate flights, an alternative holiday, or cancel and get a refund.

After a long call yesterday evening the agent couldn’t help.

After several attempts this morning to even get in the queue and then nearly 2 hours on hold I was told there were no alternative flights that would allow us to take our planned and paid for holiday. The agent I was speaking to could not help with alternative holidays as she wasn’t sales trained, so I was passed to a retail agent. Said retail agent was in a shop and whilst she could sell me a new holiday, she couldn’t help with switching my existing holiday, or cancelling as we booked via the website.

By now I’d decided to cancel and get a refund but the agent could only give me the same numbers that were almost impossible to get through on.

After a further 5 attempts to get through this evening before the 7:00pm closing time I’ve now got further frustration to look forward to tomorrow, whilst trying to get some work done.

Like I said NEVER AGAIN

This state of affairs isn't exclusive to TUI by a long chalk.

Flight cancellations are commonplace at the moment, I've had three different airlines do the same thing in the last fortnight.

R

Sounds painful - commiserations
Perhaps you could send an email or recorded delivery letter demanding the refund and save yourself the time and aggro of trying to get through again?
A nice twitter rant using their official handle may also elicit a response as companies hate the negative PR

It just like washing machine experiences.

We used Tui during the Covid summer of last year to go to Crete at the last minute. Couldn’t have been a better experience.

Sorry your experience is poor.

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Originally Posted by ralphy

This state of affairs isn't exclusive to TUI by a long chalk.

Flight cancellations are commonplace at the moment, I've had three different airlines do the same thing in the last fortnight.

R

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Flight cancellations are not common place. The majority of flights go. We are in Crete no issues, son Malaga and back no issues.

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Originally Posted by craig1912

Flight cancellations are not common place. The majority of flights go. We are in Crete no issues, son Malaga and back no issues.

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And yet, a google search for “UK flight cancellations” tells a different tale, from the two instances you mention………..

I think these days you have to accept that air travel isn't guaranteed, it's a little naive to think otherwise given what we know about recruitment issues. I wouldn't like to be in your situation, but at least with Tui you're going to get your refund eventually, it could be a lot worse.

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Originally Posted by blackal

And yet, a google search for “UK flight cancellations” tells a different tale, from the two instances you mention………..

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Oh grow up- the majority of people going on holiday now experience no issues , but keep believing everything you read

Quote:

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Originally Posted by craig1912

Flight cancellations are not common place. The majority of flights go. ...

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The 2nd sentence doesn't disprove the former. Also, I'd suggest building up a bigger sample than 2 before jumping to any conclusions.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by craig1912

Flight cancellations are not common place. The majority of flights go. We are in Crete no issues, son Malaga and back no issues.

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Good for you.

But you're relating your exerience, I'm talking of mine.

https://www.independent.co.uk/travel...-b2100314.html

R

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jukeboxs

The 2nd sentence doesn't disprove the former. Also, I'd suggest building up a bigger sample than 2 before jumping to any conclusions.

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The majority of flight are operating have you a problem with that or are you just believing everything you read

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ralphy

Good for you.

But you're relating your exerience, I'm talking of mine.

https://www.independent.co.uk/travel...-b2100314.html

R

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Yep you are in the minority that have had an issue
And whilst it’s my experience it’s the experience of the majority

Quote:

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Originally Posted by craig1912

Yep you are in the minority that have had an issue

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I never suggested that I was in the majority.

R

Quote:

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Originally Posted by craig1912

The majority of flight are operating have you a problem with that or are you just believing everything you read

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Oh, grow up.

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Originally Posted by seadog1408

Oh, grow up.

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Sad

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ralphy

I never suggested that I was in the majority.

R

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I didn’t say you were

I'm assuming booking flights on scheduled airlines and not charter flights/low cost airlines minimises the risk of cancellation?

It’s hardly a new phenomenon…. Just significantly more common place at the moment and a real pain…. The thing is…. Make it simple when it needs to be cancelled and you can cope….

I’ve had it happen numerous times over the years, consequently, I ‘sort of’ accept it as a potential travel hazard…

Ryanair cancelled my flights to Greece a couple of months back…. I needed Google to assist with how to manage the refund as they made it deliberately awkward…. Anyway, I got my dosh back and rebooked at a £500 premium with……………. TUI!!!! Hurrah!

I hope you get sorted OP

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ryanb741

I'm assuming booking flights on scheduled airlines and not charter flights/low cost airlines minimises the risk of cancellation?

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No, BA currently cancelling more than Easyjet, although giving more notice!

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Originally Posted by cbh

No, BA currently cancelling more than Easyjet, although giving more notice!

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Wow didn't know that. I've booked BA to Vienna and then Eva Air from Vienna to Bangkok. 2 unlinked bookings so I assume if BA cancel their flight they aren't liable for the EVA Air issue. I guess they'd be forced to get us there on Austrian or something and the EVA flight is the next day.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ryanb741

Wow didn't know that. I've booked BA to Vienna and then Eva Air from Vienna to Bangkok. 2 unlinked bookings so I assume if BA cancel their flight they aren't liable for the EVA Air issue. I guess they'd be forced to get us there on Austrian or something and the EVA flight is the next day.

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Correct but you may have to fork out for another flight and then refund your missed flight on your insurance / argue with the company who didn’t get you to where you were supposed to be.

Had this a couple of years ago with BA. Bl**dy nightmare!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ryanb741

I'm assuming booking flights on scheduled airlines and not charter flights/low cost airlines minimises the risk of cancellation?

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Not really, ba cancelled my flight to Portugal a few weeks ago.

Luckily we had 4 months notice and I rebooked for the same day but they are struggling too.

inform your CC company that Tui have failed to deliver services promised and let them sort it out.

Drive to Italy, it will be fun.

I was left with a bad taste in my mouth from the initial Covid cancellations. It took two days on the phone to get through and was then given a cancellation number and instructions to phone yet another number to get my refund. Tui were helped, financially, by the German government to get through "the first lot". It's a lottery whether your holiday is OK, so I won't be booking one yet. It's the hotel staff and owners at the other end that I feel sorry for. Many are losing "regular" guests through no fault of their own. I keep in touch with a member of staff in one destination and she told me of Tui transferring last minute bookings of what she described as "Benidormers" to their hotel. Remember that this hotel was mainly used by "older" couples and you can guess the result! Neither the "guests" nor the staff were happy and chaos ensued, with some "guests" having to be "removed" and transferred again. The hotel normally had excellent reviews but the "Benidormers" slated it and the regular guests also complained due to the "rowdiness" experienced!

I want my holidays to be stress free, so won't be going for some time.

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Originally Posted by Jeremy67

inform your CC company that Tui have failed to deliver services promised and let them sort it out.

Drive to Italy, it will be fun.

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Is that not the last resort? (no pun intended). I thought you had to exhaust all the other avenues first.

The problem is that the tour operators and the airlines are effectively getting away with selling holidays and flights that don't exist (they may have existed once) they are ripping off customers and no one is taking any action to stop them, they have probably twigged that if Ryanair can get away with it they can.

Until legislation catches up with what they are deliberately doing nothing will change,

They know how many personnel they employ in all areas, they know how the operational requirements for the aircraft, both on the ground and in the air, its simple maths, they are selling flights that they cannot support. I believe they would be in big trouble if they did it in the US.

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Originally Posted by adrianw

The problem is that the tour operators and the airlines are effectively getting away with selling holidays and flights that don't exist (they may have existed once) they are ripping off customers and no one is taking any action to stop them, they have probably twigged that if Ryanair can get away with it they can.

Until legislation catches up with what they are deliberately doing nothing will change,

They know how many personnel they employ in all areas, they know how the operational requirements for the aircraft, both on the ground and in the air, its simple maths, they are selling flights that they cannot support. I believe they would be in big trouble if they did it in the US.

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The airlines aren’t to blame for the problems at the airports recently, they only buy a service from the airport infrastructure. I bet they’re as frustrated as the passengers.

If they had to supply there own baggage handling, refuelling, Marshallers, check in staff and security, air travel would go back to being solely for the wealthy. But you’d still be stuck at border control.


Sent from my iPhone using TZ-UK mobile app

Quote:

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Originally Posted by aa388

The airlines aren’t to blame for the problems at the airports recently, they only buy a service from the airport infrastructure. I bet they’re as frustrated as the passengers.

If they had to supply there own baggage handling, refuelling, Marshallers, check in staff and security, air travel would go back to being solely for the wealthy. But you’d still be stuck at border control.


Sent from my iPhone using TZ-UK mobile app

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You did see how many staff the airlines have made redundant? or how many flights have been cancelled because over stretched crews timed out.

British Airways https://news.sky.com/story/more-than...ndant-12044454

Most of them https://www.flightglobal.com/strateg...141746.article

Quote:

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Originally Posted by adrianw

You did see how many staff the airlines have made redundant? or how many flights have been cancelled because over stretched crews timed out.

British Airways https://news.sky.com/story/more-than...ndant-12044454

Most of them https://www.flightglobal.com/strateg...141746.article

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Agree with this- sons girlfriend is cabin crew for EasyJet, lots have just jumped ship to BA. They all got rid of loads of people and now can’t hire them back. EJ were paying big bonuses for Manchester based staff to go to Gatwick.

I was speaking to one of my friends who has worked at Manchester airport for years last night and he said there’s a huge issue with getting the people they’ve hired their security clearance. The companies that are supposed to be doing the checks are apparently hopeless and staff from Jet2 are having to be used to go into the offices to try and sort it out. He compared them to the shysters that popped up offering to help with Covid PPE contracts, scammers who’ve promised the earth to get the contracts and cannot actually fulfill their roles.

By way of an update, I did eventually get through and my cancellation with full refund is in hand.

We’ll probably book somewhere else with On The Beach. We went with them to Crete last year and when the flights were cancelled a few days before departure they sorted it out for us at their expense with no hassle for us.

A completely different customer experience.

Oh dear. Our balance for September is payable to Tui on Friday...

When covid looked like it was spreading again back in December my wife was worried we could be stuck abroad for Xmas (we were due to go away around the 14th to 21st from memory). She was worried about being stuck in a room with our 5 year daughter and her missing Xmas. She phoned TUI the day before and they let us move the holiday to another date for free. Their service was excellent.

I’m fully aware that we were lucky and others have service equally as bad as ours was good. We managed to fly to and from Florence this week with EasyJet with only short delays, whereas a friend of ours is currently stuck abroad due to EasyJet cancelling their flight. BA are similar right now with loads of flight cancellations.

For the foreseeable I think we all have to accept that travel is a bit of a lottery unfortunately. Make plans and go, but try and have an idea of a back up plan if needed.