0:00:02 > 0:00:04We asked you who's left you feeling ripped off
0:00:04 > 0:00:05when it comes to your holidays.
0:00:05 > 0:00:09And you couldn't wait to tell us your various disasters.
0:00:09 > 0:00:11I don't understand how people can do this to other people.
0:00:13 > 0:00:14I wanted to cry then.
0:00:14 > 0:00:16I had more than enough.
0:00:16 > 0:00:20Whether it's a deliberate rip-off, a simple mistake,
0:00:20 > 0:00:21or a catch in the small print,
0:00:21 > 0:00:24we'll find out why you're out of pocket,
0:00:24 > 0:00:26and what you can do about it.
0:00:26 > 0:00:28Keep asking the questions, keep...
0:00:28 > 0:00:29You know, go to the top if you have to.
0:00:29 > 0:00:32We do get results. That's the interesting thing.
0:00:32 > 0:00:34Your stories. Your money.
0:00:34 > 0:00:36This is Rip-Off Britain.
0:00:38 > 0:00:40Hello, and welcome to Rip-Off Britain,
0:00:40 > 0:00:43where this week we're on the island of Tenerife
0:00:43 > 0:00:46to investigate one of the subjects that you contact us about
0:00:46 > 0:00:48probably more often than anything else -
0:00:48 > 0:00:50your holidays.
0:00:50 > 0:00:52But unfortunately, for a lot of you,
0:00:52 > 0:00:54what should have been a time of relaxation
0:00:54 > 0:00:58and a chance to grab a well-earned break has gone disastrously wrong.
0:00:58 > 0:01:00And when that happens, it isn't always obvious
0:01:00 > 0:01:04what you can do about it, or who can help to put things right.
0:01:04 > 0:01:06As we're going to be hearing in some of our stories today,
0:01:06 > 0:01:09you may find that you haven't actually got the protection
0:01:09 > 0:01:10that you think you've got.
0:01:10 > 0:01:13Or indeed it could be that the company with whom you booked
0:01:13 > 0:01:17do not want to admit responsibility when things start to go wrong.
0:01:17 > 0:01:19Or perhaps they're even less keen
0:01:19 > 0:01:22to put their hands in their pockets to sort things out!
0:01:22 > 0:01:25Either way, we're not just going be hearing about
0:01:25 > 0:01:28some of your holiday horror stories - we've got advice
0:01:28 > 0:01:31to stop the very same things happening to you.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35Coming up, how Britain's favourite airline
0:01:35 > 0:01:38sent this man backwards and forwards across the globe -
0:01:38 > 0:01:41after a missed connection that wasn't his fault.
0:01:41 > 0:01:45The whole dream of being there and travelling all this way
0:01:45 > 0:01:47and doing all these exciting things was literally
0:01:47 > 0:01:49just slipping through my fingers at that point.
0:01:49 > 0:01:51The nightmare of getting to the airport
0:01:51 > 0:01:54only to find your flight grounded
0:01:54 > 0:01:56because the airline's run into trouble.
0:01:56 > 0:01:58You just feel the ground is going to open up
0:01:58 > 0:02:01and you are going to fall through it. It was unbelievable.
0:02:01 > 0:02:03You don't believe it is going to happen to you - but it does.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08Now here's a holiday nightmare that most of us can identify with.
0:02:08 > 0:02:12You know the story. You book a hotel which looks great in the brochure,
0:02:12 > 0:02:14only to find that when you arrive,
0:02:14 > 0:02:17that your dream accommodation is in fact a building site.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20Well, for one couple who got in touch with us,
0:02:20 > 0:02:23it was even worse than that. The hotel they had gone to
0:02:23 > 0:02:26for that very special celebration didn't just have the builders in,
0:02:26 > 0:02:29whole parts of it were literally falling down around them.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32And they've even sent us the footage to prove it.
0:02:35 > 0:02:37There are some landmark birthdays
0:02:37 > 0:02:41that just cry out for a little extra celebration,
0:02:41 > 0:02:45so when Lynn Eaton from Carlisle was thinking how to mark
0:02:45 > 0:02:48her husband Jim's half century last April,
0:02:48 > 0:02:51she knew she wanted to do more than simply throw him a party.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57We were just having a cup of coffee and I could see this sign
0:02:57 > 0:03:00in Thomas Cook window, something about Vegas.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03And I just said, "Do you fancy Vegas instead of a party?"
0:03:03 > 0:03:06and he said yes. So that was how it started, really.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10So, seizing the moment and after a look through the brochure,
0:03:10 > 0:03:13and indeed a chat with the friendly agent,
0:03:13 > 0:03:17they'd booked Jim's birthday treat - a week at The Imperial Palace hotel,
0:03:17 > 0:03:21very handily placed for Vegas's legendary Strip.
0:03:21 > 0:03:22I was very excited.
0:03:22 > 0:03:24I couldn't wait to get there, really.
0:03:26 > 0:03:27And it was the hotel itself
0:03:27 > 0:03:30that they were particularly looking forward to.
0:03:30 > 0:03:32It was small and it was friendly.
0:03:32 > 0:03:34And we thought it is in the middle of everything
0:03:34 > 0:03:36and it's not the most expensive.
0:03:36 > 0:03:39We were quite happy with that one, so that is why we picked it.
0:03:43 > 0:03:47So far, Lady Luck seemed to be on their side.
0:03:47 > 0:03:49But the couple's fortunes began to change
0:03:49 > 0:03:52when the day of the trip dawned - and they had a chance conversation
0:03:52 > 0:03:55with another passenger on the flight out to Vegas.
0:03:55 > 0:03:58I told him we were stopping at the Imperial Palace
0:03:58 > 0:04:01and he gave me a bit of a blank look,
0:04:01 > 0:04:03and then said to me, "Are you sure?"
0:04:03 > 0:04:06"Because we've been moved out of there
0:04:06 > 0:04:09"because it is getting major renovation work."
0:04:10 > 0:04:13As soon as they landed, Lynn and Jim sought out a Thomas Cook rep
0:04:13 > 0:04:15to find out just what was going on
0:04:15 > 0:04:19at the hotel that had looked so perfect in the brochure back home.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23She explained, yes, there is major, major work
0:04:23 > 0:04:24being done on the hotel.
0:04:26 > 0:04:28I said, "Well, can we be moved?"
0:04:28 > 0:04:32and she explained that we weren't actually with Thomas Cook
0:04:32 > 0:04:34at this point, even though we'd booked in a Thomas Cook store,
0:04:34 > 0:04:37and there was nothing she could do.
0:04:38 > 0:04:40This was news to Lynn and Jim.
0:04:40 > 0:04:42They'd certainly been under the impression
0:04:42 > 0:04:44that they were on a Thomas Cook holiday.
0:04:44 > 0:04:48But the rep explained that in fact their holiday had been booked
0:04:48 > 0:04:50with a separate part of the Thomas Cook Group,
0:04:50 > 0:04:52called Flexible Trips.
0:04:53 > 0:04:54We were on a Thomas Cook flight.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57As far as we were aware, we were with Thomas Cook.
0:04:57 > 0:04:58We'd booked in a Thomas Cook shop,
0:04:58 > 0:05:01but she made us aware that we were actually with Flexible Trips,
0:05:01 > 0:05:04which we'd never heard of before.
0:05:04 > 0:05:06- Had we?- No, we hadn't.
0:05:07 > 0:05:09So they set off for the hotel,
0:05:09 > 0:05:11and quickly encountered more surprise
0:05:11 > 0:05:14about where they were headed.
0:05:14 > 0:05:16We did jump into a taxi and we said
0:05:16 > 0:05:18we wanted to go to the Imperial Palace
0:05:18 > 0:05:20and he looked at us and said, "Are you sure?"
0:05:20 > 0:05:22And we said yes and he said, "Are you sure?" And we said yes.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25He said, "It's getting torn down."
0:05:25 > 0:05:27"We know." And when we got closer to it,
0:05:27 > 0:05:29he didn't know how to get into it.
0:05:29 > 0:05:30I was stunned. I was lost for words.
0:05:30 > 0:05:32I looked at Lynn and she looked and me.
0:05:32 > 0:05:35And the taxi driver was saying at this point,
0:05:35 > 0:05:37"I may have to leave you on the Strip here,
0:05:37 > 0:05:39"cos I can't find a way in."
0:05:39 > 0:05:42And as you can see from what they filmed on their video camera,
0:05:42 > 0:05:47things only got worse when they eventually found their way inside.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50- It was a car park.- Underground. - Underground car park,
0:05:50 > 0:05:51and then it was a building site.
0:05:51 > 0:05:56The further into the building we got, the more of a building site it was.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59It was chaotic. First thing we saw was obviously the scaffolding.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01But behind that were diggers,
0:06:01 > 0:06:04heavy machinery, guys with big drills,
0:06:04 > 0:06:06jackhammers, noise.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09I should have had a hi-vis jacket, I should have had a hard hat on
0:06:09 > 0:06:11and I should have had rigger boots on, basically.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14Because everywhere you looked, there was construction workers.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17There were bits boarded up, you know,
0:06:17 > 0:06:20with the tape on it and danger areas.
0:06:20 > 0:06:25Whole parts of the casino bit were all cordoned off.
0:06:25 > 0:06:27You weren't allowed in any of those bits.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32Now, as they'd packed sun hats and not hard hats
0:06:32 > 0:06:34for this once-in-a-lifetime birthday trip,
0:06:34 > 0:06:37Lynn and Jim were devastated.
0:06:37 > 0:06:39And they couldn't understand why they hadn't been told
0:06:39 > 0:06:41about such major work when they'd booked.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45It really did upset me. It was his present,
0:06:45 > 0:06:47and that was the hurtful thing
0:06:47 > 0:06:49because it was his 50th birthday present,
0:06:49 > 0:06:51and I'd brought him to that.
0:06:53 > 0:06:55With the whole trip turning out to be more of a disaster
0:06:55 > 0:06:58than a celebration, Jim managed to get through
0:06:58 > 0:07:01to the Flexible Trips helpline.
0:07:01 > 0:07:04They explained at that point in time there was nothing they could do
0:07:04 > 0:07:06for us and they would arrange something
0:07:06 > 0:07:09the following day, which they did.
0:07:10 > 0:07:12But it seemed the two alternatives suggested
0:07:12 > 0:07:15really were in the wrong part of town.
0:07:16 > 0:07:18I want to be central. I don't want to be miles away from anywhere.
0:07:18 > 0:07:20I certainly don't want to be in an area
0:07:20 > 0:07:22where somebody was gunned down the night before.
0:07:23 > 0:07:26Feeling desperate, the couple even looked into flying back home.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29He tried to ring to try and arrange for flights
0:07:29 > 0:07:31and the women at the end of the phone said no,
0:07:31 > 0:07:32nothing out of Vegas.
0:07:34 > 0:07:37So Jim and Lynn tried to make the best of a bad job.
0:07:37 > 0:07:38But Lynn was devastated
0:07:38 > 0:07:41that the trip she'd planned had gone so badly wrong.
0:07:41 > 0:07:45She just felt as if she had let me down and she didn't.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48Thomas Cook let us down, simple as. They let us both down.
0:07:48 > 0:07:50And they knew it was a 50th as well,
0:07:50 > 0:07:53so I think they should have been a bit more careful
0:07:53 > 0:07:55about the description of the hotel and the resort
0:07:55 > 0:07:57and where we were going.
0:07:57 > 0:07:59When Jim and Lynn returned home in June,
0:07:59 > 0:08:02they got straight onto Thomas Cook.
0:08:02 > 0:08:06But the company's response was not what they'd expected.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09The final letter we have received up to now is an offer of
0:08:09 > 0:08:13£150 in vouchers to book another holiday through them.
0:08:15 > 0:08:17That wasn't an offer they were prepared to accept.
0:08:17 > 0:08:19So Lynn and Jim wrote to us.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22And once we got involved, there was very good news indeed.
0:08:24 > 0:08:27Thomas Cook sent us a statement from Flexible Trips,
0:08:27 > 0:08:30saying they were "really sorry" about the couple's experience -
0:08:30 > 0:08:32and they've now offered a full refund
0:08:32 > 0:08:35of the accommodation costs - in cash.
0:08:37 > 0:08:39They're "looking into how it happened",
0:08:39 > 0:08:42and in particular have asked their local ground agent
0:08:42 > 0:08:44why they weren't advised of the building work
0:08:44 > 0:08:47when other tour operators, including, of course,
0:08:47 > 0:08:49parent company Thomas Cook, were.
0:08:51 > 0:08:52Meanwhile, for Lynn and Jim,
0:08:52 > 0:08:56an offer to refund the accommodation costs doesn't make up for
0:08:56 > 0:08:59the fact that such a special trip was ruined.
0:08:59 > 0:09:03It marred the birthday, for sure. Scarred me for life, I think.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06But no, it is something I'll never forget.
0:09:06 > 0:09:10And yeah, we laugh about it now, but at the time it wasn't funny.
0:09:19 > 0:09:21These days, in terms of travel,
0:09:21 > 0:09:24sadly, even when you've booked and paid for a flight ticket,
0:09:24 > 0:09:27it doesn't mean that you're guaranteed to take off.
0:09:27 > 0:09:31Because sometimes airlines can find themselves in financial trouble,
0:09:31 > 0:09:34and in a worst case scenario, even go bust.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37Now, if that happens, and all flights are cancelled,
0:09:37 > 0:09:39it could either scupper your entire holiday,
0:09:39 > 0:09:42or if you're already away, leave you stranded abroad
0:09:42 > 0:09:45with the prospect of having to fork out for another flight home.
0:09:47 > 0:09:51Don't be fooled into thinking, "It will never happen to me."
0:09:51 > 0:09:53Because in these times of recession,
0:09:53 > 0:09:56airline failure is much more common than you'd think.
0:09:58 > 0:10:02In 2012, 10 airlines were said to have "failed",
0:10:02 > 0:10:05which is the term used when they cease flying
0:10:05 > 0:10:06or go out of business.
0:10:06 > 0:10:10Names such as Hungary's national airline Malev,
0:10:10 > 0:10:12the big Spanish carrier Spanair
0:10:12 > 0:10:14and Danish budget operator Cimber Sterling
0:10:14 > 0:10:17were consigned to the great airport in the sky.
0:10:17 > 0:10:19And when a carrier fails,
0:10:19 > 0:10:22passengers can end up paying the price.
0:10:22 > 0:10:24That's what happened to Kathleen Lether
0:10:24 > 0:10:26from Tyne & Wear last year.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29The holiday she'd very carefully planned with her husband John
0:10:29 > 0:10:32looked ruined when the Indian airline Kingfisher
0:10:32 > 0:10:35suddenly pulled the plug on its UK services.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39We landed at Heathrow and we just went to the desk,
0:10:39 > 0:10:43the flight information, and I looked for IT8, the flight number,
0:10:43 > 0:10:44and it just wasn't there.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47And I just thought, "Oh, my God, why's it not there?"
0:10:47 > 0:10:51I was really thinking to myself, something's gone wrong here.
0:10:51 > 0:10:55Kathleen and her husband soon realised they were going nowhere.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58Neither the airline nor their travel agent
0:10:58 > 0:11:00had told them that Kingfisher had in fact stopped
0:11:00 > 0:11:02all flights from the UK.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06You just feel the ground's going to open up
0:11:06 > 0:11:07and you're going to fall through it.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10It was unbelievable. You don't believe it's going to happen to you,
0:11:10 > 0:11:13but it does and all I was saying was, "What's gone wrong?
0:11:13 > 0:11:16"What's gone wrong? I'm here. Where's the plane?"
0:11:17 > 0:11:21The couple had little choice but to stump up for fresh tickets
0:11:21 > 0:11:27with a different airline - at a cost of £1,168.80.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30I couldn't do nothing about it. I couldn't materialise a plane,
0:11:30 > 0:11:32and yes, I didn't want to cut my holiday short,
0:11:32 > 0:11:35but the only option was go home and have no holiday
0:11:35 > 0:11:38and I honestly felt I was by myself and I kept saying,
0:11:38 > 0:11:40"What do I do? What do I do?"
0:11:40 > 0:11:41You know, it's a bit like having a crash.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44"You should do this, you should do this,"
0:11:44 > 0:11:46but when you're in shock, you don't function right.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49The problem is that with more and more of us
0:11:49 > 0:11:52bypassing the traditional package holiday route
0:11:52 > 0:11:54and booking our flights direct - often online -
0:11:54 > 0:11:56when this sort of thing happens,
0:11:56 > 0:11:59you may find that you haven't any legal protection whatsoever.
0:12:02 > 0:12:04If you book a package, you're protected against
0:12:04 > 0:12:08your holiday company ceasing to trade by something called ATOL -
0:12:08 > 0:12:11a government-backed scheme which, if the worst happens,
0:12:11 > 0:12:13sees passengers either given a refund
0:12:13 > 0:12:17or alternative arrangements made to allow them to finish their trip.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20Recently, that protection has been extended to travellers
0:12:20 > 0:12:24who book a flight and accommodation, or car hire,
0:12:24 > 0:12:26together at the same time -
0:12:26 > 0:12:29what the industry jargon calls "flight plus".
0:12:29 > 0:12:31But you're still not guaranteed protection
0:12:31 > 0:12:34if you book a flight on its own.
0:12:34 > 0:12:36So what can you do to stop your holiday plans
0:12:36 > 0:12:39being grounded along with your airline?
0:12:39 > 0:12:40One thing's for sure -
0:12:40 > 0:12:44don't assume that you can rely on your normal travel insurance.
0:12:45 > 0:12:49Many travel insurance policies do not cover airline failure.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52If that's important to you, you need to look at the small print
0:12:52 > 0:12:55to see if it is included, but generally, it's not.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00To get a sense of how many of us would be covered
0:13:00 > 0:13:02in this kind of situation, we got in touch
0:13:02 > 0:13:05with the most popular travel insurers in the country
0:13:05 > 0:13:07to see if their standard policies would protect you.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12We rang Which? Magazine's top ten recommended
0:13:12 > 0:13:14travel insurance providers.
0:13:14 > 0:13:19Four out of the ten didn't offer any cover against airline failure -
0:13:19 > 0:13:23and of those that did, not all included it in their basic policies.
0:13:23 > 0:13:25So it really is worth checking your policy,
0:13:25 > 0:13:29or you could find yourself in a similar situation to Kathleen,
0:13:29 > 0:13:31forking out for replacement flights
0:13:31 > 0:13:33and not sure if there's any chance whatsoever
0:13:33 > 0:13:35you'll get any money back.
0:13:39 > 0:13:41Luckily for Kathleen, she'd booked her flights
0:13:41 > 0:13:44through a local travel agent. And although neither that agent
0:13:44 > 0:13:47nor the company which the flights had been booked through
0:13:47 > 0:13:50had been given any prior warning that the flights would be grounded,
0:13:50 > 0:13:53they've told us they don't think Kathleen should have to wait
0:13:53 > 0:13:57any longer to try and get a refund and compensation from the airline.
0:13:57 > 0:14:01So they've offered her a total of £2,000 to cover that.
0:14:04 > 0:14:06And although that's very good news indeed,
0:14:06 > 0:14:08Kathleen will never forget the moment
0:14:08 > 0:14:12when she discovered the flights she'd booked wouldn't be taking off.
0:14:12 > 0:14:16I cannot explain what it felt like. You hear about other people,
0:14:16 > 0:14:19this happening to them, you think, "Oh, that must be terrible,"
0:14:19 > 0:14:21but it's so much different when it's yourself.
0:14:26 > 0:14:30According to the RAC, around two million British motorists
0:14:30 > 0:14:34take their cars to Europe each year. But there's a lot more to remember
0:14:34 > 0:14:37than just driving on the "right" side of the road.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40You've got to make sure you're on the right side of the law as well.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43And in France, steering clear of trouble
0:14:43 > 0:14:46means knowing about some new rules you might not have expected.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49Drivers in France already face a fine
0:14:49 > 0:14:53if they're stopped by police and aren't carrying a fluorescent jacket
0:14:53 > 0:14:56or a red warning triangle in their car.
0:14:57 > 0:14:59But last summer the French government also made it
0:14:59 > 0:15:04a legal requirement to carry an authorised breathalyser in your car.
0:15:04 > 0:15:07In July last year, France introduced a new law
0:15:07 > 0:15:10that requires you to have a breathalyser in your vehicle,
0:15:10 > 0:15:13and from March this year, it will be an on-the-spot fine
0:15:13 > 0:15:15if you can't produce one.
0:15:15 > 0:15:17Now, we recommend that you take two breathalysers
0:15:17 > 0:15:19in case you've had to use one or one doesn't work.
0:15:19 > 0:15:21They come in small packets like this.
0:15:21 > 0:15:23They cost about seven or eight pounds,
0:15:23 > 0:15:25but make sure you've got them in your car before you leave.
0:15:27 > 0:15:28There's another unexpected way
0:15:28 > 0:15:31drivers can get into trouble in France -
0:15:31 > 0:15:32thanks to your sat nav.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35Any equipment in the car which can tell you
0:15:35 > 0:15:38where speed cameras are located is now banned
0:15:38 > 0:15:41and just having equipment that could do that
0:15:41 > 0:15:44could land you with a hefty fine. So if you do go to France,
0:15:44 > 0:15:48then make sure that you switch off that capability if you can,
0:15:48 > 0:15:51and if you can't, don't take it at all.
0:15:51 > 0:15:54And if you think you know how much alcohol it's legal to drink
0:15:54 > 0:15:57before driving, think again. In some European countries,
0:15:57 > 0:16:00even a sip of mouthwash could push you close to -
0:16:00 > 0:16:02or even over - the limit.
0:16:04 > 0:16:06We always advise don't drink and drive at all,
0:16:06 > 0:16:09but just be very careful. It's about half the limit of the UK,
0:16:09 > 0:16:13but for new drivers and young drivers in many countries
0:16:13 > 0:16:15there's even a lower limit that applies than that,
0:16:15 > 0:16:17and in some cases it's zero
0:16:17 > 0:16:20and indeed in some eastern European countries, it's zero for everybody,
0:16:20 > 0:16:22so just watch the mouthwash as well.
0:16:23 > 0:16:27You can find more advice on trouble-free driving abroad
0:16:27 > 0:16:28on our website:
0:16:38 > 0:16:40Still to come on Rip-Off Britain -
0:16:40 > 0:16:44Why this mother had to fork out hundreds of pounds extra for flights
0:16:44 > 0:16:47just so her family could all travel together.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50I was trying to stay calm but it was very hard,
0:16:50 > 0:16:54because I was so looking forward to this holiday
0:16:54 > 0:16:56and to me, it had just been ruined.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07We've been getting answers to some of the travel problems
0:17:07 > 0:17:09you've been writing to us about -
0:17:09 > 0:17:12all too often, you tell us that when the worst has happened on holiday,
0:17:12 > 0:17:15what should be an easy process to put things right
0:17:15 > 0:17:18turns into a seemingly never-ending saga.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22Simon, how many times have you come across people
0:17:22 > 0:17:24- who have their luggage damaged? - Oh, yes.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27Well, we have got Valerie Helbert and Andrew Orchard from Whitley,
0:17:27 > 0:17:30who have that problem precisely.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33They went to Egypt, got two suitcases from the baggage belt,
0:17:33 > 0:17:36discovered that they were totally shredded.
0:17:36 > 0:17:40Took them to the airline desk and said, "Look what's happened."
0:17:40 > 0:17:43The airline desk said they can resolve the issue
0:17:43 > 0:17:47as long as they get in touch with the company, which they did.
0:17:47 > 0:17:49They are now being asked by that company
0:17:49 > 0:17:53for photographic evidence of the state of their luggage.
0:17:53 > 0:17:55They say it has been going on for months
0:17:55 > 0:17:57and they can't get any recompense. What do you advise?
0:17:57 > 0:18:02If you arrive somewhere and if your luggage doesn't show up at all
0:18:02 > 0:18:05then you go over to the baggage desk.
0:18:05 > 0:18:07There is always one in the baggage hall
0:18:07 > 0:18:09representing the airline you have just arrived on
0:18:09 > 0:18:14and you say, "I want to file a property irregularity report."
0:18:15 > 0:18:18Now if, as sounds here, the company then wants to get legalistic,
0:18:18 > 0:18:22well, I'm afraid you need pre-emptively to get legalistic too.
0:18:22 > 0:18:27You need absolutely to make sure you file your claim within a week.
0:18:27 > 0:18:30Because that is what the airlines generally require
0:18:30 > 0:18:33and furthermore, your travel insurer, unless you can show
0:18:33 > 0:18:36you've actually tried to claim it back within a week,
0:18:36 > 0:18:39they won't be interested either.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43You've been telling us that when accidents happen on holiday,
0:18:43 > 0:18:45it can be hard to get things sorted.
0:18:45 > 0:18:50Sandra Sandy had a bad fall down the stairs at her hotel in Turkey.
0:18:50 > 0:18:52They'd been left wet and there was no banister
0:18:52 > 0:18:56to grab hold of to break her fall. She ended up in local hospital.
0:18:56 > 0:18:59But Sandra and Dave are facing a fight
0:18:59 > 0:19:00to get the company they booked with
0:19:00 > 0:19:03to take responsibility for her injuries.
0:19:03 > 0:19:06What's been the long-term effect?
0:19:06 > 0:19:10Well, I can't physically do anything. Before, I had problems with my back,
0:19:10 > 0:19:12and they told me and my doctor said
0:19:12 > 0:19:15though I've had problems in the past, I find,
0:19:15 > 0:19:19even with simple things like housework, I can't do too much.
0:19:19 > 0:19:21Well, that's an excuse to get out of the house, I guess!
0:19:21 > 0:19:24Yes, it is, but I don't have anybody who'll do it.
0:19:24 > 0:19:26- I can't do the ironing.- No.
0:19:26 > 0:19:28But, Simon, the most important thing is about to come from you,
0:19:28 > 0:19:31because if anybody ever finds themselves in this position,
0:19:31 > 0:19:34- what are the rules? - OK. The tour operator,
0:19:34 > 0:19:37the holiday company that fixes up a package holiday,
0:19:37 > 0:19:40as Sandra and Dave's was,
0:19:40 > 0:19:44has an absolute strict duty of care,
0:19:44 > 0:19:48because as a holiday company, they are absolutely responsible
0:19:48 > 0:19:51for the actions of the hotel that they contract.
0:19:51 > 0:19:54They are responsible for making sure that it is safe.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57If it isn't, you have redress, not with the hotel,
0:19:57 > 0:19:59but with the company back in Britain,
0:19:59 > 0:20:02which is going to be an awful lot easier, legally.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05However, what you would need is to become almost...
0:20:05 > 0:20:08Imagine you are a policemen taking a statement.
0:20:08 > 0:20:12You'd need to talk to fellow guests, get statements from them,
0:20:12 > 0:20:16get their contact details in case you need to verify anything.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19You'd also need to get photographs of what was going on.
0:20:22 > 0:20:25Don't forget, we've plenty of advice, not just to do with holidays,
0:20:25 > 0:20:26on our website...
0:20:35 > 0:20:37These days, of course, we can fly to all sorts of wonderful,
0:20:37 > 0:20:41exotic locations - but not all airlines actually go direct
0:20:41 > 0:20:43to the places that we want.
0:20:43 > 0:20:45So if you're booked onto a connecting flight,
0:20:45 > 0:20:48there may well be a moment when you just begin to wonder
0:20:48 > 0:20:50"Are the timings a bit tight here?"
0:20:50 > 0:20:53And whether you're actually going to be able to catch
0:20:53 > 0:20:56that connecting flight without having the stress of racing across
0:20:56 > 0:20:59an unfamiliar airport from one plane to the next.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02And what happens if you don't make your connection?
0:21:02 > 0:21:04Whose fault is it? And is there going to be
0:21:04 > 0:21:07anyone there to help you? Here's someone who found out
0:21:07 > 0:21:09the answers to all of those questions the hard way,
0:21:09 > 0:21:12after an epic trip that saw him rack up
0:21:12 > 0:21:15a load more air miles than he'd bargained for.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24Stephen Barton first met his friend Jonathan
0:21:24 > 0:21:25at art college nine years ago.
0:21:25 > 0:21:28And they've stayed good friends ever since -
0:21:28 > 0:21:30to the delight of their mothers.
0:21:32 > 0:21:36It's just been a close relationship. A good friendship, hasn't it?
0:21:36 > 0:21:38Jonathan now lives in Zimbabwe,
0:21:38 > 0:21:41so when he announced that he'd be getting married,
0:21:41 > 0:21:44he obviously wanted Stephen to head over for the wedding.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47My main role for once I arrived would be to be a groomsman,
0:21:47 > 0:21:49so I was actually going to be at the front
0:21:49 > 0:21:53and standing there whilst the vows were read and said
0:21:53 > 0:21:54and the rings were passed.
0:21:54 > 0:21:58Really important point in my life, to be there with my friend
0:21:58 > 0:22:02and see him go through that sort of almost rite of passage.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07And there was more than just the wedding to look forward to.
0:22:07 > 0:22:11A special safari had been organised for the days before.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14For Stephen - who'd never flown long-haul before -
0:22:14 > 0:22:17it would be the trip of a lifetime.
0:22:17 > 0:22:20But with no direct flights from the UK,
0:22:20 > 0:22:22it would take a lot of planning.
0:22:22 > 0:22:24The flights were going to be expensive,
0:22:24 > 0:22:26so I really shopped around for quite a while
0:22:26 > 0:22:29on all sorts of different comparison websites.
0:22:29 > 0:22:31Price, though, was not the only concern,
0:22:31 > 0:22:34and Stephen and his family were delighted
0:22:34 > 0:22:38when he booked his flights with a name they knew they could trust.
0:22:38 > 0:22:41I felt confident that it was BA, British Airways, you know.
0:22:41 > 0:22:43Well known, thought, "Be safe with those guys,
0:22:43 > 0:22:46"so I'm willing to pay more than the absolute bargain bin rate."
0:22:46 > 0:22:50We felt that there was a security and a safety in going with BA.
0:22:50 > 0:22:53It's a known, it's the people's airline, you know.
0:22:53 > 0:22:56Everything about BA tells you that it's trustworthy, that it's reliable.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59And we took great security from that.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02You can see why. BA's ads like to remind us
0:23:02 > 0:23:04of their customer-focused motto.
0:23:06 > 0:23:08To fly...to serve.
0:23:10 > 0:23:12So his parents were confident he was in good hands
0:23:12 > 0:23:16when, last August, his dad took him to the airport.
0:23:18 > 0:23:20He'd be flying first to Johannesburg,
0:23:20 > 0:23:24and then connecting to a flight to Harare in Zimbabwe.
0:23:24 > 0:23:26I think our parting words were,
0:23:26 > 0:23:29"This is an adventure. This is an experience of a lifetime
0:23:29 > 0:23:30"that you'll never forget."
0:23:30 > 0:23:32I didn't quite think at the time
0:23:32 > 0:23:35how profound those words would turn out to be.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40As Stephen headed to the gate,
0:23:40 > 0:23:43he heard his flight was delayed by half an hour.
0:23:43 > 0:23:45That would eat into what should have been
0:23:45 > 0:23:48a 90 minute transfer time in Johannesburg.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51But he wasn't too worried. After all, he'd still have
0:23:51 > 0:23:54an hour to catch his connecting flight.
0:23:54 > 0:23:55And if anything did go wrong,
0:23:55 > 0:23:58surely the airport staff would help him out.
0:24:00 > 0:24:02I was sat on the plane feeling that there should be
0:24:02 > 0:24:04absolutely no problem making the connection.
0:24:04 > 0:24:06BA had booked the timeslot,
0:24:06 > 0:24:09so I was under the impression that they would be informed
0:24:09 > 0:24:12of what would happen at the other end and how long that would take.
0:24:12 > 0:24:15The 11-hour flight made up much of the lost time,
0:24:15 > 0:24:17So when Steven landed in Johannesburg,
0:24:17 > 0:24:21he had over an hour until his connecting flight to Zimbabwe.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24Unfortunately, there was a very long queue at Passport Control,
0:24:24 > 0:24:27with plenty still to do on the other side.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30I've got to get through this, get my next ticket,
0:24:30 > 0:24:33get through the security checkpoint and get to the gate
0:24:33 > 0:24:35and I've only got 20 minutes now.
0:24:36 > 0:24:39Stephen now faced a race against time.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43I ran down there towards my boarding gate,
0:24:43 > 0:24:47and the signs were all still lit up when I get there, and they go,
0:24:47 > 0:24:52"Very sorry, your plane has boarded and gone."
0:24:52 > 0:24:55I was sat there, I definitely felt like throwing up,
0:24:55 > 0:24:57because the pit of my stomach disappeared.
0:24:57 > 0:24:59The whole immensity of the fact
0:24:59 > 0:25:01that I was trapped on my own abroad.
0:25:02 > 0:25:06Still, as it wasn't Stephen's fault he'd missed his connection,
0:25:06 > 0:25:08he headed to the BA desk,
0:25:08 > 0:25:11assuming they'd be able to put him on the next flight.
0:25:12 > 0:25:17The person in the BA desk basically was sat on the line of,
0:25:17 > 0:25:18"You missed the flight.
0:25:18 > 0:25:21"Regardless of the reasons, it's your fault."
0:25:21 > 0:25:24Insisting it was his responsibility,
0:25:24 > 0:25:27the staff told Stephen that if he wanted to make it
0:25:27 > 0:25:29to his final destination, Harare,
0:25:29 > 0:25:35he would have to buy another onward ticket, costing over £450.
0:25:35 > 0:25:39I didn't have enough money on me to pay for this.
0:25:39 > 0:25:42And he didn't have any other way of paying either.
0:25:42 > 0:25:44Worried about security in Zimbabwe,
0:25:44 > 0:25:47Stephen had left his plastic cards at home.
0:25:50 > 0:25:52I'd been travelling with just enough cash for what I was
0:25:52 > 0:25:54going to be doing once I was there,
0:25:54 > 0:25:56because I was going to be staying with a friend and his family,
0:25:56 > 0:25:59there was no need to be carrying any bank cards.
0:25:59 > 0:26:01But his protests got him nowhere,
0:26:01 > 0:26:05and to his horror, Stephen was told that without any way of buying
0:26:05 > 0:26:08a new ticket, he'd have to return home to England.
0:26:09 > 0:26:14At this point, I'd really felt that British Airways had completely
0:26:14 > 0:26:17let me down. I did get close to tears at points,
0:26:17 > 0:26:21between exhaustion and complete and utter crushing defeat.
0:26:21 > 0:26:23It was pretty bad.
0:26:24 > 0:26:27So with no other option made available to him,
0:26:27 > 0:26:30Stephen had to change the date on his return ticket -
0:26:30 > 0:26:33and fly back to Heathrow on the next flight.
0:26:33 > 0:26:36The whole dream of being there and travelling all this way
0:26:36 > 0:26:38and doing all these exciting things
0:26:38 > 0:26:41was literally just slipping through my fingers at that point.
0:26:41 > 0:26:45Stephen spent the 11-hour flight back to London fuming.
0:26:45 > 0:26:49And by the time he landed, he'd decided he was not prepared
0:26:49 > 0:26:52to roll over and take no for an answer.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55I hit this immense surge of determination
0:26:55 > 0:26:58that actually, I am going to go.
0:26:58 > 0:27:00I've still got time to get there for the wedding.
0:27:00 > 0:27:05BA can sort themselves out and sort out my situation.
0:27:05 > 0:27:11And this time, the receptionist at the BA desk was a lot more helpful.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14She recognised that this should not have happened
0:27:14 > 0:27:17and reset everything so that I could fly out the next day.
0:27:17 > 0:27:20Popped back home, sorted out some more money.
0:27:20 > 0:27:24So Stephen prepared for a third 11-hour flight.
0:27:24 > 0:27:27A four-hour delay meant that, once again,
0:27:27 > 0:27:30he'd miss his connection in Johannesburg.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33But this time, BA staff put a note on the system
0:27:33 > 0:27:38to ensure that he'd be put on the next connecting flight for free.
0:27:42 > 0:27:45By the time he finally arrived in Harare,
0:27:45 > 0:27:48it was a full three days later than planned.
0:27:48 > 0:27:50And though he did make it in time for the wedding,
0:27:50 > 0:27:53he'd missed out on that once-in-a-lifetime safari
0:27:53 > 0:27:55that his friend Jonathan had laid on.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00At the wedding reception, two of the speeches,
0:28:00 > 0:28:02the groom's speech and the best man's speech,
0:28:02 > 0:28:05incorporated the fact that Steve had probably travelled
0:28:05 > 0:28:09equivalent to round the world to get to the wedding,
0:28:09 > 0:28:11so he was greatly applauded
0:28:11 > 0:28:14for actually for making the wedding in the end.
0:28:14 > 0:28:18The guests may have appreciated Stephen's commitment,
0:28:18 > 0:28:21but he was less than impressed by what happened next.
0:28:21 > 0:28:25When he wrote to BA outlining everything that had happened,
0:28:25 > 0:28:28he didn't get a reply. So he wrote to us.
0:28:28 > 0:28:32And when we contacted BA, we did get a response.
0:28:34 > 0:28:38They told us they're sorry that Stephen's trip wasn't stress free,
0:28:38 > 0:28:40but insist that - even with the delay -
0:28:40 > 0:28:44there was "plenty of time to reach his connecting flight",
0:28:44 > 0:28:46and that other passengers did make it.
0:28:46 > 0:28:50So while they say "BA was not at fault",
0:28:50 > 0:28:54they do accept that "discretion could have been used" by staff,
0:28:54 > 0:28:57and "he should not have had to travel back to London".
0:28:57 > 0:29:01They apologise for that, and say they've learnt from the experience
0:29:01 > 0:29:03to "ensure that it's not repeated".
0:29:03 > 0:29:05They also apologise for the fact
0:29:05 > 0:29:08that Stephen's had an "unacceptable wait for a response",
0:29:08 > 0:29:10and to compensate for that,
0:29:10 > 0:29:13they've offered him a £100 travel voucher.
0:29:13 > 0:29:16It doesn't rectify the fact that I didn't get there on time,
0:29:16 > 0:29:19and I didn't get to have half of the experience,
0:29:19 > 0:29:21so it doesn't really make up for it.
0:29:21 > 0:29:25Ultimately, it's just better than nothing.
0:29:29 > 0:29:32Joining me now is Simon Calder, who's our travel expert.
0:29:32 > 0:29:36Simon, that is a terrible story, and I'm sure it's not isolated.
0:29:36 > 0:29:40Do airlines really leave you enough time for a connecting flight?
0:29:40 > 0:29:43If you are an experienced traveller and you know what you are doing
0:29:43 > 0:29:46and you are maybe taking advantage of the amazing 35-minute connections
0:29:46 > 0:29:50you get at some European airports, then it is absolutely fine.
0:29:50 > 0:29:52You know the layout of the airport,
0:29:52 > 0:29:55you have been there a million times before and you know
0:29:55 > 0:29:56that if you miss that flight,
0:29:56 > 0:30:00then the airline is going to put you on one a few hours later.
0:30:00 > 0:30:03But do they make the right kind of reparation if they've got it wrong?
0:30:03 > 0:30:06Well, in most cases -
0:30:06 > 0:30:09apart from this very, very unfortunate shuttling back and forth
0:30:09 > 0:30:13between the UK and South Africa, it is very straightforward.
0:30:13 > 0:30:16The airline says, "Sorry, we messed up the connection.
0:30:16 > 0:30:18"Here's lunch, here's dinner,
0:30:18 > 0:30:21"here's maybe a hotel if we need to put you up overnight
0:30:21 > 0:30:24"and we will get you there as soon as we can."
0:30:24 > 0:30:27And that almost always is the way that it works out.
0:30:27 > 0:30:30Certainly happened to me more times than I care to remember,
0:30:30 > 0:30:33but if you are an inexperienced traveller,
0:30:33 > 0:30:36then it is up to you to say, "Look, I've not done this before.
0:30:36 > 0:30:39"I am not familiar with big international airports
0:30:39 > 0:30:41"where there is all sorts of stuff going on.
0:30:41 > 0:30:43"Give me a bit more time to change planes."
0:30:43 > 0:30:45If you're going through a good travel agent,
0:30:45 > 0:30:47they should be able to pick that up and say,
0:30:47 > 0:30:49"We've booked you on the next connection.
0:30:49 > 0:30:51"You'll have about three or four hours waiting."
0:30:51 > 0:30:53But it is going to be an awful lot better
0:30:53 > 0:30:56than the stress of thinking, "Where's my plane? Where's my gate?
0:30:56 > 0:30:58"Where's my luggage? It's all gone wrong! Oh!"
0:31:02 > 0:31:05Next, someone who's absolutely furious
0:31:05 > 0:31:07about their holiday experience,
0:31:07 > 0:31:10and when you hear what happened, you can understand why.
0:31:14 > 0:31:17Back in the '80s, the hair was big.
0:31:17 > 0:31:20So were the mobiles. And when it came to travel,
0:31:20 > 0:31:23the package holiday was king. For most people,
0:31:23 > 0:31:26booking a summer break involved at least a couple of trips
0:31:26 > 0:31:28to a high street travel agent.
0:31:28 > 0:31:32First, to collect the brochures. And then, back again to book it,
0:31:32 > 0:31:36with someone who could try and answer your questions face to face.
0:31:36 > 0:31:38But since then, everything's changed.
0:31:42 > 0:31:45And child of the '80s Amanda Stemp from Redhill in Surrey
0:31:45 > 0:31:49feels the customer experience now is very different.
0:31:49 > 0:31:52I think the problem with booking on the internet is that
0:31:52 > 0:31:54you don't get the customer service at all,
0:31:54 > 0:31:57because you're not actually dealing with someone.
0:31:57 > 0:32:00Last summer, Amanda was busy setting up a business
0:32:00 > 0:32:02selling memorabilia from the '80s.
0:32:02 > 0:32:06And she was keen to take the family away before it launched.
0:32:06 > 0:32:09A final chance to RELAX, you might say.
0:32:09 > 0:32:12So after looking online, she booked a week in Majorca
0:32:12 > 0:32:15with one of the big names in internet holidays -
0:32:15 > 0:32:17Travel Republic.
0:32:17 > 0:32:20We have booked with Travel Republic before, last year
0:32:20 > 0:32:24same location, and we didn't have any problems.
0:32:24 > 0:32:26She'd be going with her partner,
0:32:26 > 0:32:28their two young children, and a family friend.
0:32:28 > 0:32:31Amanda had organised the trip around dates when all five
0:32:31 > 0:32:33were able to travel together.
0:32:33 > 0:32:36But she didn't book all the seats in one single transaction,
0:32:36 > 0:32:39a fact that may well have complicated what happened next.
0:32:39 > 0:32:42Just three weeks before they were due to leave,
0:32:42 > 0:32:44Amanda received an e-mail that threatened to ruin
0:32:44 > 0:32:47all her carefully laid plans.
0:32:47 > 0:32:50I received an e-mail from Travel Republic
0:32:50 > 0:32:54stating they had changed my partner's homecoming flight
0:32:54 > 0:32:55to two days later.
0:32:57 > 0:32:59We were also going with a friend
0:32:59 > 0:33:01and they had changed his homecoming flight
0:33:01 > 0:33:04to almost a day earlier, as well.
0:33:04 > 0:33:08Amanda immediately phoned Travel Republic for an explanation.
0:33:08 > 0:33:11They confirmed that her partner and his friend's return flights
0:33:11 > 0:33:15had indeed been changed to a different day.
0:33:15 > 0:33:17I was getting quite annoyed, actually,
0:33:17 > 0:33:19because no-one could tell me why
0:33:19 > 0:33:23only some of the flights had been changed, not all of them.
0:33:23 > 0:33:25It was then I said, "Well, that's no good, either,
0:33:25 > 0:33:27"because I have got two young children.
0:33:27 > 0:33:29"How am I expected to fly without him
0:33:29 > 0:33:32"with suitcases and two young children?"
0:33:32 > 0:33:35One on my lap...you know, it's just not convenient.
0:33:35 > 0:33:37It's not fair, really.
0:33:37 > 0:33:40Amanda made clear that she wanted the whole group
0:33:40 > 0:33:42to travel home together.
0:33:42 > 0:33:45And though Travel Republic did offer some solutions,
0:33:45 > 0:33:47none were ideal. One way or another,
0:33:47 > 0:33:50it seemed everything they suggested would leave her out of pocket.
0:33:50 > 0:33:53She'd either need to extend the holiday
0:33:53 > 0:33:55and pay for more accommodation,
0:33:55 > 0:33:57or rebook onto more expensive flights.
0:33:57 > 0:34:00I was trying to stay calm, but it was very hard,
0:34:00 > 0:34:03because I was so looking forward to this holiday
0:34:03 > 0:34:06and, to me, it had just been ruined.
0:34:07 > 0:34:09Though Amanda was told they could cancel
0:34:09 > 0:34:11and get a refund of the flights,
0:34:11 > 0:34:14she wasn't offered the money back on the accommodation.
0:34:14 > 0:34:16But it turns out that wasn't quite right,
0:34:16 > 0:34:18and in these circumstances,
0:34:18 > 0:34:21it would be company policy to refund BOTH costs.
0:34:21 > 0:34:25But as that wasn't explained, Amanda felt she had little choice
0:34:25 > 0:34:28but to take up the only option she was given,
0:34:28 > 0:34:30which was for them all to travel back together
0:34:30 > 0:34:33on the dates that she'd initially planned
0:34:33 > 0:34:36by booking with new seats on an entirely different airline.
0:34:36 > 0:34:39And although Travel Republic did put value of the original flights
0:34:39 > 0:34:44towards that, it still meant she had to fork out an extra £367.
0:34:44 > 0:34:47I was really quite angry.
0:34:47 > 0:34:50I don't see why you should have pay
0:34:50 > 0:34:52extra amount of money at such short notice.
0:34:52 > 0:34:55This was extra money which I had actually put aside
0:34:55 > 0:34:57to set up my own business
0:34:57 > 0:35:00It should have been something I should have been spending
0:35:00 > 0:35:02on my business and they were just taking that away from me.
0:35:03 > 0:35:07Though it ended up costing a lot more than they'd budgeted for,
0:35:07 > 0:35:10the holiday itself did live up to expectations.
0:35:10 > 0:35:13But Amanda is still annoyed about the extra expense.
0:35:13 > 0:35:16And as she never got a full explanation
0:35:16 > 0:35:17about what had happened,
0:35:17 > 0:35:21she doesn't feel Travel Republic gave her the service she deserved.
0:35:21 > 0:35:24I've yet to have an answer,
0:35:24 > 0:35:26which hasn't helped the situation at all.
0:35:26 > 0:35:28Well, after speaking to Travel Republic,
0:35:28 > 0:35:31we have got to the bottom of what happened,
0:35:31 > 0:35:35but it does seem Amanda wasn't given all the information she needed.
0:35:35 > 0:35:38It turns out that the original flight she'd booked on had been
0:35:38 > 0:35:41unexpectedly cancelled, as the plane was needed elsewhere -
0:35:41 > 0:35:43a detail that was not passed on to Amanda.
0:35:43 > 0:35:46Or the fact that all five of her group
0:35:46 > 0:35:47could have been put on a flight
0:35:47 > 0:35:50leaving 13 hours earlier for no extra cost.
0:35:52 > 0:35:56Travel Republic say that as the original bookings had not been made
0:35:56 > 0:35:59in one transaction, there was nothing in their system
0:35:59 > 0:36:01to link each of them together.
0:36:01 > 0:36:04The airline has apologised for the inconvenience caused,
0:36:04 > 0:36:08and has offered a credit of £250 against future flights.
0:36:08 > 0:36:13And because they say they're "committed to pleasing each and every customer",
0:36:13 > 0:36:15Travel Republic themselves have offered
0:36:15 > 0:36:19a £250 accommodation voucher as a goodwill gesture.
0:36:19 > 0:36:22But Amanda says she won't be rushing to use them.
0:36:22 > 0:36:26Meanwhile, her obsession with all things '80s lives on.
0:36:26 > 0:36:29And though there are lots of things from that decade
0:36:29 > 0:36:31she wishes hadn't gone out of fashion,
0:36:31 > 0:36:34a face-to-face relationship with your travel agent
0:36:34 > 0:36:36has now been added to the list.
0:36:36 > 0:36:38I think because back then you would go to the shop,
0:36:38 > 0:36:41you'd deal with the same person time after time,
0:36:41 > 0:36:44they had respect for the customers back then.
0:36:44 > 0:36:46I don't think that's around at all now.
0:36:53 > 0:36:56Our travel expert Simon Calder has travelled over a million miles
0:36:56 > 0:37:01during his career, picking up some pretty handy tips along the way.
0:37:01 > 0:37:04Such as, how to make sure next time you go away,
0:37:04 > 0:37:07you pay absolutely the best price you can,
0:37:07 > 0:37:09and advice on the cheapest
0:37:09 > 0:37:12and the priciest days of the week to fly.
0:37:14 > 0:37:20The worst days of the week to fly on: undoubtedly, Friday and Sunday.
0:37:20 > 0:37:23You'll be paying a fortune because everyone wants to travel then,
0:37:23 > 0:37:25and you're going to be really squeezed,
0:37:25 > 0:37:28no chance of an empty seat next to you.
0:37:28 > 0:37:29Saturdays can be very tough,
0:37:29 > 0:37:33particularly in the ski season to winter sports destinations,
0:37:33 > 0:37:36but actually, Saturday afternoons are often quite quiet.
0:37:36 > 0:37:40After that, well, Mondays are usually very busy,
0:37:40 > 0:37:43particularly with business travellers starting off the week.
0:37:43 > 0:37:44So, too, are Thursdays.
0:37:44 > 0:37:48Wednesday is when it starts getting really, really comfortable,
0:37:48 > 0:37:51both in terms of the price you're paying and the space you'll have,
0:37:51 > 0:37:56but the great day of air travel if you want to pay least
0:37:56 > 0:37:59and have most space is Tuesday.
0:37:59 > 0:38:02Simon's also got advice on that old conundrum -
0:38:02 > 0:38:06whether to book early, or hang on till the last minute
0:38:06 > 0:38:07for a late bargain.
0:38:07 > 0:38:12If you're prepared to take a chance with a last-minute holiday,
0:38:12 > 0:38:14you can get a real bargain, probably half the price
0:38:14 > 0:38:17that everybody else on the plane around you has paid.
0:38:17 > 0:38:20However, you have to do it right,
0:38:20 > 0:38:24and that means being flexible about your date of departure.
0:38:24 > 0:38:28Maybe get 10 days off from work and then work out that you can go
0:38:28 > 0:38:31any time on three or four possible days.
0:38:31 > 0:38:37Next, make sure if you possibly can, that you're able to get access
0:38:37 > 0:38:40to the two key holiday airports in Britain.
0:38:40 > 0:38:42That's Manchester and Gatwick.
0:38:42 > 0:38:46There's many more opportunities from there than from other airports.
0:38:46 > 0:38:49And make sure you've got a plan B in your pocket,
0:38:49 > 0:38:52so if it doesn't happen, you're not too miffed.
0:38:52 > 0:38:56You might hop into the car, drive across to lovely old France.
0:38:56 > 0:39:00So the thing to do is not be too concerned
0:39:00 > 0:39:03about where you go or when and just hope you're going to get a bargain,
0:39:03 > 0:39:06and nine times out of ten, you will.
0:39:06 > 0:39:09I just have. I'm off to lovely Turin in Italy.
0:39:09 > 0:39:12Thank you very much, £59 return, hooray.
0:39:16 > 0:39:20Here at Rip-Off Britain we're always ready to investigate your stories -
0:39:20 > 0:39:24on any subject, not just holidays. Confused over your bills,
0:39:24 > 0:39:27or just trying to wade through never-ending small print?
0:39:27 > 0:39:30You should read it, but it's not in plain English.
0:39:30 > 0:39:32It should be simple, you know? ABC. You know, very basic stuff.
0:39:32 > 0:39:36Unsure what you do when you discover you've lost out
0:39:36 > 0:39:39and that so-called great deal has ended up costing you money?
0:39:39 > 0:39:41You get home, you get your bill, and it's like £70
0:39:41 > 0:39:45when it's meant to be £35, and it's just basically...
0:39:45 > 0:39:47You get ripped off, don't you?
0:39:48 > 0:39:51You might have a cautionary tale of your own
0:39:51 > 0:39:53and want to share the mistakes you've made with us,
0:39:53 > 0:39:55so others don't do the same.
0:39:55 > 0:39:59We paid them good money to act in our best interest. They didn't.
0:40:01 > 0:40:03You can write to us at...
0:40:11 > 0:40:12Or send us an e-mail to...
0:40:19 > 0:40:23The Rip-Off team is ready and waiting to investigate your stories.
0:40:27 > 0:40:31These days, booking a holiday has never been easier -
0:40:31 > 0:40:34most of us do it ourselves, online, in the comfort of our own home.
0:40:34 > 0:40:36But as we've heard today -
0:40:36 > 0:40:39just because you can hand over your money with the click of a mouse
0:40:39 > 0:40:42doesn't mean it's going to be that simple unpicking things
0:40:42 > 0:40:44if your trip doesn't go to plan.
0:40:44 > 0:40:47And that's because there can be a lot of different companies involved
0:40:47 > 0:40:49in even the simplest of bookings.
0:40:49 > 0:40:53Which is why getting a mistake put right or a refund sorted out
0:40:53 > 0:40:56can sometimes prove to be very tricky indeed,
0:40:56 > 0:40:59and why so many of you have told us that when you're trying
0:40:59 > 0:41:02to get your problem resolved, it can seem like
0:41:02 > 0:41:06each of those companies is frankly just trying to pass the buck!
0:41:06 > 0:41:08It's all a bit of a nightmare sometimes.
0:41:08 > 0:41:12So the best advice is to make sure before you go on your holidays,
0:41:12 > 0:41:14you're clear about exactly who you're booking with
0:41:14 > 0:41:17and where their responsibilities begin and end.
0:41:17 > 0:41:20And of course you'll always find out more advice on our website -
0:41:20 > 0:41:24bbc.co.uk/ripoffbritain
0:41:24 > 0:41:25But that's where we have to leave it
0:41:25 > 0:41:28on our sunny island of Tenerife for today.
0:41:28 > 0:41:31But we'll be investigating more of your stories very soon.
0:41:31 > 0:41:33So until then, thanks for your company.
0:41:33 > 0:41:35- from all of us, bye.- Bye-bye.- Bye.
0:41:56 > 0:42:00Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd