Can they do this?

texas star

Hi I hope somebody can help me please? Flying to Lanzarote on Saturday with Budget travel but they just phoned to say they overbooked us and they are putting us in other apartments? I dont want to stay there. What can I do, or is it tough?Please advise:(

Kimbot

T&C's would pretty much cover them to change any part of your package holiday!!
How can they overbook you tho, its strange!!

bucks73

When you booked the holiday you either ticked a box online or signed a booking form to accept their booking conditions. These booking conditions allow them to change your holiday if necessary.

You have two choices. 1. Cancel and take a full refund or 2. accept their change of accomodation and the compensation, which should be 32 yoyos per person.

From their website:
10. ALTERATIONS BY THE ORGANISER

(a) The Organiser reserves the right to alter, change, curtail or cancel a holiday.

(b) If as a consequence of “Force Majeure” (as hereafter defined in sub-paragraph (f) of this Clause), the Organiser is obliged to curtail, alter, extend or cancel a holiday, the Consumer shall not be at liberty to maintain a claim for compensation or otherwise for any loss arising as a consequence of the said curtailment, alteration, extension or cancellation of the holiday.

(c) The Organiser has a specified minimum number of bookings required for a programme of holidays and the Organiser’s obligation to provide that programme shall be contingent upon the Organiser receiving and maintaining that minimum number of bookings. In the event that the Organiser does not receive the minimum number of bookings or having received such minimum number has that number reduced by reason of cancellations or transfers by Consumers or otherwise, the Organiser shall be entitled to cancel or curtail the relevant programme at any time up to 4 weeks prior to the departure date and the Consumer shall not be entitled to make a claim for loss arising as a consequence of cancellation or curtailment in these circumstances. The Organiser shall notify the Consumer within seven days of any cancellation or curtailment necessitated by the foregoing circumstances.

(d) If prior to the departure date there is a cancellation, alteration, change or curtailment relating to a holiday which results in more than 18 hours change in the time of departure, or a change in resort or type of accommodation offered, or some other change which significantly alters the holiday, the Organiser shall, if practicable, offer an alternative comparable holiday of at least similar standard or shall refund the Consumer all monies paid. Unless within four days of issue of the offer of an alternative holiday, it is declined by the Consumer in writing, the Organiser shall assume that the Consumer has accepted such offer. Where the offer is declined the Consumer shall only be entitled to return of payment made.

(e) Where the Organiser makes an alteration to the holiday as contemplated in sub-paragraph (d) of this Clause the Consumer shall be entitled to receive compensation in accordance with the scale set out in this sub-paragraph. No compensation shall be payable where the alteration is for reasons referred to in sub- paragraph (b) or (c) of this clause.

Notification Period Prior to Departure Date: Compensation per person:
Within 8 weeks £13.00
Within 6 weeks £19.00

Within 4 weeks £26.00
Within 2 weeks £32.00

babaduck

I used to hate that part of the job (when I worked for a tour operator). Budget cannot move you to a complex with a lower standard of accom, so can you tell us (a) where you had originally booked and (b) where they are moving you to

We can give you info on the new complex (I know Lanzarote fairly well)

It's not the worst thing that can happen in the scale of things, although I'm sure it doesn't feel like that right now. The last thing any Tour Operator wants to do is move people because of overbooking (which tends to happen in resort by the actual accom, not through any fault of Budget)

Hellrazer

Seems to me that tour operators can get away with anything they like.

Try this one
And this is the second time this has happened to us with the same TO in as many years.

Booked a holiday for 2 weeks.Flight time was 8.00pm on 4th August returning 18th August @ 16.55pm.
Got a letter last week saying that the flight times had changed from 8.00pm to 2.55am on the 15th August.Return flight staying the same.

Wouldnt have been a problem except that we`re flying with a 9 month old baby and the 8.00pm flight would have been ok but to change to 2.55am is a joke.

That and the fact that a 14 night holiday was now a 13 night holiday although the tour operators expect me to accept arriving at 8.00am( whereas we were due to arrive at say 12.00am) as a nights holiday.

Not going to mention who the TO are but they are not members of the ITAA and are therfore unregulated over here.

Ive gotten sorted at an extra cost to myself of €60.00 but my concern is that there are 200 other people on the same flight,probably with kids aswell who will probably just let this go and not even question it.

Rant over.