Changing flights - major hassle - help needed

[Ash]

A couple of friends are experiencing major hassle in trying to, in one case, alter flight dates and in another, synchronise flights on the return leg.

To explain:
One friend is already in Thailand and is due to return first week of February.
This friend now wants to extend his time there so the second friend can join him there in early March. She has booked and paid for flights and they want to return together on the same flight in early April.
Both flights were booked with Trailfiners in Dublin and involve Dublin-Dubai-Bangkok both ways but neither Trailfinders nor aerlingus seem willing - or able - to help. Emirates have been more helpful but insist they cannot change the flights but it should be aerlingus who can.
They are trying to sort it out from both Thailand and Ireland but are getting nowhere.
Emirates said there is availability on the Bangkok-Dubai flight. Checking on aerlingus.com, there is ample seats available on the return leg from Dubai.
Aerlingus say it is Emirates who need to change the booking; Emirates say it is Aerlingus's job. The aerlingus.com website change booking page does not recognise the details on the booking number.
In the meantime, no-one seems to be able to make the simple changes required and time is frittering away and closing in on the first friend's original return date.
Just HOW difficult can it be to change ONE person's return flights? Surely people change travel plans all the time.
The couple are so frustrated by this.
Can anyone suggest a solution or someone to contact?

 

[DirtyH2O]

Have they checked with the travel agent they originally booked with?
Have they got a paper ticket or eticket? If paper then they will have to get an amended ticket issued to be physically presented at check in.
Is it two seperate flights or is it all under one airline's flight code e.g. EI for Aer Lingus.
Is it a changeable class of ticket, it may cost more to make a change than the ticket is worth anyway.
Are there seats available for the same fare class on the new date of departure?

 

[Lauren]

Travel agent is better off doing it....There will likely be a charge associated with the changes.

 

[Ash]

Thanks for the replies and advice so far.

Both tickets were bought (seperately) from Trailfinders in Dublin. However, they don't seem to want to know about it now. She has telephoned several times to no avail.

The only flight travel plans they want to change are the first person's (his) return date and align it with the second person's (already booked) later return flight.


"Have they got a paper ticket or eticket? If paper then they will have to get an amended ticket issued to be physically presented at check in."

The ticket to be changed is a paper ticket.

"Is it two seperate flights or is it all under one airline's flight code e.g. EI for Aer Lingus."

Two flights each way, two flight operators, two reference codes.


"Is it a changeable class of ticket, it may cost more to make a change than the ticket is worth anyway.
Are there seats available for the same fare class on the new date of departure?"

Am doubling checking this but they both know there would be a charge for any change. They haven't even been given an option. Seats are available on the return flights but the fare class is unsure at this time.


The Trailfinders telesales people have not been very helpful. When asked for a supervisor, one telesales person stormed off.
Is there any way to by-pass the telesales phones and contact a Manager in Trailfinders in Dublin who hopefully might give a more sympathetic hearing? This situation cannot be that difficult to resolve.
My friend is trying to sort this out by phone or email and wants to avoid having to go to Dublin if it can be helped.

Any further help or advice much appreciated.

 

[DirtyH2O]

Trailfinders will charge you at least seventy euros for amendments, excluding the airline charges. I think they prefer not to get involved after payment anyway. Have you contacted Aer Lingus by phone, check the terms of your booking with trailfinders on their website, compare the cost of changing each portion to the cost of a new booking especially if you can get some money refunded on the original ticket. Bangkok is one of the cheapest places in the world for flight bookings, although not around Khao San Road of course.