After making a big saving on a Caribbean cruise, AH from Wicklow got in touch to stress the importance of not taking no for a answer when looking for a discount
“Last May I booked a Mediterranean cruise with Thomas Cook, to travel this June. It’s a 12-night cruise on a Royal Caribbean ship, and I paid a booking deposit of €1,015, out of the total price of €12,120 (for seven people), with the balance due at the end of March.
“Given the the current economic situation, and the almost daily reports of hotel and holiday prices being slashed, I called Thomas Cook just before Christmas. I asked if a discount would be possible, saying that I might otherwise have to consider cancelling.
“I was told, by both the lady I was speaking to and later her boss, that I had already received a 5 per cent/€639 discount (which was true) and under no circumstances was a further discount possible.
“I then phoned Royal Caribbean directly and was told that if I was booking today, the price of the cruise would be €9,923. I was also told that if I told this to the agent I had booked with, it should (but could not be forced to) pass on this discount.
“I contacted Thomas Cook again, informing it that even if I was to cancel my booking, sacrifice my deposit and rebook the same cruise directly with Royal Caribbean, I would still make a significant saving. A few days later, Thomas Cook replied to say the price of my booking was now being dropped to €9,442, saving me €2,678 or 22 per cent.
“Two questions spring to mind: is this reduction due to the recent depreciation of sterling, and, if I had said nothing, who would have received this extra €2,678?
After reading Fred Guildea’s Travel Tale (Go, January 24th) about waiting more than nine months for a resolution to his complaint to Aer Lingus, Peter Sefton got in touch to highlight his own problems with the airline
“In July 2008 I booked a flight to Malaga, in Spain. I turned up with my printed boarding pass at 3pm for a 4.10pm flight. I was told that the flight had left and that all passengers had been e-mailed with the new time. Once I pointed out that I had printed my boarding pass in the previous 24 hours this excuse disappeared.
“I have since written twice asking for my refund. I have received no reply. Is everyone treated like this? Of course, there is no way to contact them by telephone. Or is there?
“There are no Aer Lingus staff at the airport; their business is being handled by Menzies Aviation, which has the worst PR people I have ever encountered.
“Please help!”
Aer Lingus responds"[We] apologise to Mr Sefton for the delay in responding to his complaint. A customer-services representative has been in contact with Mr Sefton directly, and we are pleased to say that this matter has been brought to a satisfactory conclusion."