The Travel Department , Aer Lingus and British Airways :(

Well Gina from the Travel Department posted this on AAM awhile back. Let's see if she comes back and gives an explanation this time.

"Hello, Gina from The Travel Department here.



Hope you don’t mind us joining in the discussion on the Boston trip? Just wanted to address the feedback on hotels we use in Boston as part of the New England in the Fall Tour.


We handpick our hotels based on a number of criteria including customer value for money and the hotel’s convenience to the various tours. To be honest we did look at selecting a hotel in Boston City Centre but felt strongly that the tour group would have to spend a lot of time commuting in and out of Boston City Centre each day (on our tours to Cape Cod , Rhode Island etc). We believe that this would have added a long time to each tour and taken away from the tour experience.


So convenience was a big factor in selecting our hotels in Boston, but we also believe that they provide several other positive features including sizable rooms and good breakfasts.


As always, we listen really carefully to feedback from customers and value your comments. Hope this helps explain why we offer this hotel. If you want to contact me directly you can email me at ginap@thetraveldepartment.ie . You can also speak to any of our customer relations team at 01 637 1600.


All the best! Gina, The Travel Department"
 
ParkLane said:
I think that these are still around as well.
Click to expand...

Thanks very much for that suggestion.

And thanks too, to the other poster who mentioned the gina-p at the Travel Department e-mail. I'm guessing they are all off on their holidays still at the moment (unlike some of their customers !) so maybe we will hear an answer in the new year.
 
Hi. well I got the main part of it refunded so far, and am just waiting for the rest of the refund which they have promised to send.
The Travel Department also offered me 100 euro off another trip to China with them. I'm still not sure though if I'd risk doing it with them in case the same thing happens all over again !
I also finally got my luggage back - it made it all the way to China, and for some strange reason then ended up in Paris ! Anyway - it arrived back here today. (I had packed all my thermal underwear in it for the China trip so I am very pleased to have it back to wear now).
 
Glad you got some of your money back with the rest to come, Mike.

One thing has jumped out at me from your update - despite all of the security palaver that anyone taking a flight has to go through, your luggage travelled on a plane that you weren't on? Anyone else find this strange in these times?
 
Mike - i know you haven't mentioned compensation but in case you are tempted to seek it.....
I've 30 yrs dealing with tour operators who screwed up clients holidays.
This was badly handled by TravelD and I still haven't understood why they and airlines couldn't eventually get you on another flight. And I share Gipiman's amazement re your baggage.
And I'm shocked that the full refund wasn't given to you immediately.

But.......

My experience tells me that if you take this further -whether thru arbitration proceedings or courts - TD will quote force majeure.
In all holiday company contracts this is mentioned. And even though these contracts may be ,indeed are unfair contracts and can be challenged ,the actual law as covered in the Package Holiday Act does state that in case of Force Majeure the consumer is not entitled to compensation.
So ,both contractually and according to the relevant law, it appears you'd have a tough time claiming compensation. And court proceedings cost money if you lose.

Naturally, full refunds are different from compensation.

I'd be happy to answer any questions on this.Smugly. i think I know more than many layers on holiday/travel law.And I'm bored.
 
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