Episode 7 Rip Off Britain

We asked you who's left you feeling ripped off

when it comes to your holidays

and you came back with a catalogue of travel disasters.

It was absolutely gutting.

You know, we just... We thought, "That's it. We've lost our money."

Never in my life have I experienced anything like that.

It... I wouldn't wish it on anybody.

So, whether it's a deliberate rip-off,

a simple mistake or a catch in the small print,

we'll find out why you're out of pocket

and what you can do about it.

Your stories. Your money. This is Rip Off Britain.

Hello and welcome to Rip Off Britain

where, for this special series, we've decamped to sunny Lanzarote

and it's an ideal base from which to investigate

some of your holiday and travel dilemmas.

Although, do you know what?

Actually, the word "disaster" would be a better description

for some of the experiences we'll be looking at.

You are so right, Julia. It really would.

Because what could be worse

than when that longed-for holiday finally comes around

than being told that you can't get on the plane

without anyone being able to explain why

or, indeed, discovering that you've suddenly been refused a visa

for a favourite destination

that you've visited before without any trouble at all?

Well, both scenarios would not only absolutely scupper your holiday,

but it could also leave you very seriously out of pocket.

You're right, which, of course,

is why the people who find themselves

in exactly those situations came to us.

Like others we'll be hearing from today,

they came up against an absolute brick wall

in trying to get their problems resolved.

And while, in some cases, we only got involved after the event,

as you'll see, the family at the heart of one of our stories

came to us for help just in the nick of time.

Coming up, the eight-year-old boy banned,

with his dad, from entering the US

just as they were about to get on the plane.

So, why can't anyone tell them why?

Having an official point the finger at him saying,

"You will not be flying today" was pretty distressing for him.

And how one of Britain's best-known airlines

has left this man hundreds of pounds out of pocket,

despite him doing absolutely nothing wrong.

I really did just want the floor to open up.

I had all these people behind me. I was absolutely mortified,

just like, "What on earth do I do now?"

Now, here's a story about a missing visa.

If you want to visit some of the most popular

package holiday destinations outside Europe,

you may well need to get a visa before you travel.

In most cases, it should be pretty straightforward to get one,

particularly now so many of them are done electronically.

But that's not at all how it turned out

for the family in our next film.

One of their visa applications was repeatedly rejected,

meaning the holiday they'd booked and paid for

looked as if it simply wasn't going to happen.

Things were looking desperate

and it was at that point that they contacted us.

Now, of course, the whole point of this programme is to try and help,

but this time, with just days to go before they were due to leave,

well, it seemed it might just be too late.

For Rebecca and James from Pendle in Lancashire,

last year's summer holiday was a particularly important chance

to get a break.

Well, it's an absolute sanity saver

because we do have a lot of stress involved

in the day-to-day running of the home

and so that two weeks, where you can just switch off

and just do the things that other families take for granted

and are just run-of-the-mill, to us, it's very special.

James works as a teaching assistant

whilst Linda cares for their daughter, Rebecca,

who is both deaf and blind.

I'm a full-time carer for Becky.

It means that I have to sort out all her appointments.

I have to be in contact with all the different authorities

that help towards her upkeep.

She keeps the family going. There's no two ways about that.

Without her, well, I don't think we'd survive.

Summer holidays can provide the family

with some much-needed respite

as they book Rebecca into a local care centre

while James, Linda and their 14-year-old son, Callum, go away.

It would be, really, a difficult manoeuvre

to get Rebecca from Britain to another country,

so it's far better for Rebecca to go into respite care

and obviously, from our point of view,

Linda then gets a break where she isn't doing the full-time caring.

In 2015, just as they had the previous year,

the family had set their sights on Turkey.

Turkey is just an absolute fantastic place to visit.

The climate is brilliant. The people are warm and friendly.

It's just so relaxing.

They booked well ahead of time in September

and knew from their previous visit

that they had to apply online for an e-visa.

It's a simple application process

that can usually be completed in just a few minutes.

The other occasion, it was quite straightforward

and, at the end of the process, I was issued with a visa.

But this time, when the family applied,

while Linda and their son, Callum, had their visas issued straightaway,

James' application was rejected.

Thinking he'd made a mistake, James tried again,

but the same rejection notice appeared.

He tried again and again and again -

in fact, dozens of times - but all to no avail.

We've been on this site at least 40 times now, if not more.

So, now we...

It just says, "Sorry.

"Unfortunately, we are not able to issue a visa for you."

"Please proceed to the nearest Turkish embassy

"or consulate for visa application."

With every failed application,

you just think the chance is slipping further and further away,

that going on holiday might not be on the cards for me this year.

The couple contacted the Turkish authorities by phone,

but no-one could explain

why James' application had been rejected.

And an appointment at the embassy seemed out of the question

when they found none was available

until long after their holiday would have been over.

This has been one of the most stressful periods

I've experienced in a long, long time.

You lie awake at night thinking, "What is it?

"Is it something we've done wrong?"

It was only when the family approached their MP for help

that they discovered the reason the application had been turned down

was probably because someone with the same name and birth date

had been banned from entering Turkey in the past

and the system apparently assumed

that the two Jameses were one and the same.

Surely, they could filter out,

using the extra information that you put on your application for a visa,

to say, "Well, yeah, this guy isn't the one we're looking for."

The best solution the MP's office and the Turkish embassy could offer

was that James should fly to Turkey without a visa,

explain the situation on arrival

and hope the authorities there were sympathetic.

In other words, chance it and see what happened

with the very real risk that he might be sent home

and Linda and Callum would have to take the holiday on their own.

It would be up to me to find my way home,

at my own cost,

and then I've got the situation of leaving my wife and my son alone.

For the family, that wasn't an option,

but with visa problems not covered by their travel insurance,

just staying at home would leave them seriously out of pocket.

The cost of the holiday was 3,300.

So, obviously, if you split that between three people,

you're looking at...

I stand at £1,100,

and apparently, the insurance company has no facility to reimburse me

because it doesn't fall within the parameters of their cover.

With the clock ticking, James got in touch with us,

hoping there might be something we could do to help.

At first, despite making lots of calls,

we were struggling to get anywhere

but, finally, we were able to organise an appointment for James

at the Turkish embassy

to explain the situation and apply for his visa in person.

The only problem was it was just two days

before the family were due to go on holiday

so, for James, this 500-mile round trip to London

really was a last-ditch attempt to save his holiday.

I'm very nervous this morning

because there's absolutely no certainty

that, having come all this way, I will be given a visa.

It's just in the lap of the gods.

Half an hour later, James emerged from the embassy,

but there was still no final decision.

I feel we've made real progress this morning.

At least now, once the vice consul has been in touch

with the powers that be in Turkey,

he will either say, "Yes, I can issue you a visa,"

or, "No," so it's just waiting and hoping for the best.

Two hours went by with no word from the consulate.

James went back inside to see if there was any further update

but he came out with no news and, it seemed, no hope.

I think the chances of actually getting to Turkey now

are very, very slim if not, well, nigh impossible.

I don't believe we will get a phone call

either tonight or tomorrow to say that the visa's there,

and if it were to arrive tomorrow,

it's just not possible to get back down here in time.

Resigned to the fact that his holiday wasn't going to happen,

James headed off to catch his coach back to Pendle,

but halfway home,

he got the phone call he'd been waiting for.

It was the vice consul saying, "You've got the green light.

"The visa's here. We'll mail it to you first thing in the morning."

And he was both delighted and relieved when,

less than 24 hours before he was due to take off,

his visa finally arrived.

Can't put into words how happy we are. Fantastic.

Didn't think it was going to happen and, well, they came through.

I'd just like to express my personal thanks

to everybody involved at Rip Off Britain

that has made this possible.

Without you, the holiday turned into a disaster.

It's been saved.

Well, it's obviously a great result,

but James can't understand why no way forward was suggested

until we got involved.

When we asked the Turkish embassy for an explanation,

it confirmed that there was indeed someone

with the same name and birth date as James

who had been denied entry to Turkey.

Because of that,

although the two men aren't linked in any way,

an online visa couldn't be issued automatically

and James' application required what they called

a second level of processing.

And the embassy advised that,

while getting an ordinary visa appointment

may take longer during the busy summer season,

if, like James, you find your visa can't be processed online

and your situation is urgent,

an emergency appointment can be arranged

by contacting the consulate directly.

It went on to say it was pleased its staff had done a good job

in assisting James with his exceptional case

and stressed that more than 10 million e-visas have been issued

since the new system was introduced -

a quarter of them to British tourists -

and it's confident the new service is both faster and more efficient.

As for James and his family, despite the stressful lead-up,

Turkey once again provided the relaxing break

the family was looking for.

So much so that they've booked to return again this year,

although this time, they'll be on their guard

in case the same problem crops up again.

I think the Turkish e-visa system

has seriously got to be looked at by the powers that be and improved.

Well, not just improved. Actually made foolproof.

I certainly wouldn't want to go through this again.

Now, one of the countries that's well known

for its strict entry policy is the United States.

Its immigration policy is really not to be messed with

and, unless you have an absolutely clean slate

with no criminal record whatsoever,

you may find that taking a holiday there is far from easy.

But one of the people that we're about to hear from

can prove beyond any doubt

that he has never been on the wrong side of the law.

So why should he suddenly have discovered

right at the last minute that he wasn't welcome?

MUSIC: Born In The USA by Bruce Springsteen

Each year, around 3.8 million Brits visit the United States,

which remains one of our favourite holiday destinations.

Provided, that is, that they'll let you in.

"Dear Mr Obama.

"Hello. My name is Drew and I'm eight years old.

"I went to America when I was four

"and my mum and dad got married out there.

"I wanted to go back as it was really fun..."

Last July, Drew Saunders was meant to be going on a dream holiday

to Las Vegas with his family,

but sadly, he didn't get further than the airport.

"I got stopped by a man at the front of the plane.

"He said, 'Why are you travelling to the US today?'

"My dad said, 'For a holiday,'

"and he said, 'Not today, you're not.'"

Drew had been looking forward to a holiday of bright lights,

water slides and sunshine.

He'd first visited Las Vegas back in 2011,

giving his mum and dad the ring when they tied the knot.

Back then, he was too little to take in all the city's thrills.

But after four years of hard saving by his parents,

a return trip was booked

and, according to dad Martin, Drew couldn't wait.

He was over the moon. It's, like, a week before,

it was the big countdown, ready to go.

So he had packed his own suitcase, got all his travel money ready.

For him, it was the biggest event of the year.

It was bigger than Christmas.

As with all tourists visiting America,

the Saunders needed extra documentation

on top of their passport to make the trip.

Those of us who don't have a full visa

will typically apply for an ESTA -

or Electronic System for Travel Authority -

via an online application form.

And the family had got all the paperwork in place

well in advance.

They all came through.

Passports, everything was in check. Holiday money.

Um, yeah, so pretty much, on the Thursday,

when it was ready to go, we were all set to go.

All prepared, the family arrived at Heathrow Airport,

checked in and passed through security smoothly.

But just as they were about to board their flight,

Martin started feeling uneasy.

I noticed a gentleman in a suit just watching me and looking at me

and I could feel that something wasn't right.

But he asked me for my passport

and said, "What is your business in the US?"

I said, "I'm going with my family on holiday,"

and he said, "Not today, you're not."

You may not know it, but American Homeland Security

do have a discreet presence at airports that are flying to the US

and this particular officer was insistent

that Martin and eight-year-old Drew were not going to board the flight.

I said, "But we've got all the required documents."

He said, "I know you have but your status has changed."

Erm, he said, and, basically, he could change the status

whenever he wished at whatever point he wished.

We were pulled aside and pointed at

and saying, "You won't be travelling today.

"Check your bags and leave the airport."

And Drew the same.

You know, having an official point the finger at him saying,

"You will not be flying today," was pretty distressing for him.

Drew's anxiety continued when it appeared that the US official

was suggesting that his mother, Nikki,

could continue to board the plane without her husband and son.

Obviously, she replied, "I'm not going to go without them."

So...yeah, with Drew, he just looked really upset.

The family's bags were removed from the plane

and, stunned, they found themselves back at the check-in desk.

We were asking the staff, like, "What do we do?"

They said, you know, "You can use our phones,

"you can use the computer to resolve the problems,"

but we didn't know what the problem was.

The staff suggested that Martin try the US embassy.

We tried to ring the embassy.

We were told that you had to make an appointment at the embassy

and I thought, "Well, OK, we'll just get a taxi down to the embassy,

"um, have an appointment, get the whole thing resolved,"

but it wasn't as easy as that.

The family says they were advised by their travel agent

that they couldn't simply turn up at the embassy

without an appointment.

And while, initially, it seemed that the best option

might be for them to apply for a full visa,

when they looked into this further,

the next available slot for an appointment to get one

was a full month away.

By now, the family had spent seven hours at the airport

and it was becoming increasingly clear

that they were not going to go to America after all.

Admitting defeat, they went home

and spent their fortnight's holiday in Essex, not Vegas.

I'm self-employed, no criminal convictions,

no parking tickets, no points on my licence

so, no, no reason whatsoever why they'd stop myself going.

The whole thing's bizarre,

how they could, you know, choose an eight-year-old

to be a threat to national security.

You know, he's just going through primary school.

As the incident sank in,

the family set about trying to work out just what the problem was

and it was only when mum Nikki checked her e-mails

that she found one sent shortly before they'd been due to travel,

advising they could no longer fly as their ESTA status had changed.

But as they'd already left home by the time it had been sent,

she hadn't seen it

and, in any case, there was still no explanation as to why.

So the Saunders turned to the US Homeland Security website

to see if anything could be done.

They've got back with a letter saying that they're looking into it,

but still not really heard anything to why that,

you know, we were stopped on that day.

Right, go for the big one.

Meanwhile, the family had forked out nearly £3,500

for a holiday they had not been able to take.

Martin turned to his travel insurance

but was told that his policy didn't cover issues around visa

or entry requirements.

Luckily, the Saunders did manage to recover their accommodation costs

and get a voucher for flights to an alternative destination

via their travel agent and the airline.

But none of that solves the mystery of why,

as it stands, Martin and Drew cannot fly to America.

"I knew my dad couldn't sort this out

"because the man from the government from that country,

"he just said no."

The situation the Saunders found themselves in isn't uncommon.

It's been reported that approximately 366 people

are refused entry to the country every day.

So how exactly are people identified as potential threats to US security

and might you fall foul of the rules and regulations?

US immigration lawyer Susan McFadden believes that Martin and Drew

have somehow found themselves

onto the worryingly titled US No Fly List.

No Fly List is, as the name implies,

a list of people who are not allowed to fly to the US,

from the US or over US territory.

People get put on the list for a variety of reasons

but the main one is that they, or someone they know,

is engaged in activity that the US Government finds

to be reasonably suspicious of terrorism.

But others, like Martin and Drew,

may unwittingly find themselves on the list

without any obvious explanation.

It could very well be a confusion of names.

It could have been an error

in putting the name on the database in the first place.

That certainly happens.

With this particular situation no clearer,

we took the Saunders family's questions

to the US Department of Homeland Security.

It told us that it isn't permitted to discuss specific cases

but acknowledged that there are more than 60 grounds

on which people can be denied entry into the United States.

But Martin and Nikki say that none of those reasons,

which include having a criminal record,

previously being deported from the country

or previously outstaying their visa status,

apply to them or Drew and all they can do is persevere

to have the Saunders family name removed from any No Fly List.

I'd like to think that both our names would be cleared

cos it is a big misunderstanding.

I'd really like Homeland Security to get in touch

and say, you know, "We've made a big mistake,"

and they put their hands up and say, you know, "You're free to fly

"and you can go to America whenever you choose."

"I really, really feel sad

"and I'll be really happy if you could fix this for us.

"Drew Saunders."

Still to come on Rip Off Britain,

a breakthrough that's great news for consumers

but bad news for airlines that don't stick to the rules.

Some airlines try and wriggle out of their obligations

just so they don't pay their passengers.

-GLORIA:

-For two days only, we came to the heart of the East Midlands.

So welcome to Nottingham.

It's because you write to us and e-mail us

with your consumer problems in your hundreds

that we open up our pop-up shop.

And, you know, it's not just a great opportunity

for us to be able to meet all of you face-to-face,

but it means that we can also give you on-the-spot advice.

And travel journalist Lisa Francesca Nand

was on hand to do exactly that when Joan Marriott came in

frustrated that a last-minute change had happened to her holiday.

We booked to go on a cruise on the 8th of May.

Um, on the 7th of May, we got a text

saying that there was a problem with the boat

and we wouldn't be sailing until Sunday.

Um, we were being offered 15% compensation

-off the amount that we'd paid...

-Mm-hm.

..and also 10% off the next cruise,

whether we'd like to go on another one, you know...

-But that was it.

-And does it mean that you're actually losing

two days of your holiday?

-Yes. Yes.

-Right.

-And also two ports of call.

Right. How did you feel when you got that text?

Very disappointed, very angry, upset.

OK, so let's see, Lisa. Anything you can do there?

Well, the thing is, in this case, you're not actually out of pocket,

which is a good thing cos they have fully refunded you

-for those two days that you're missing.

-Yeah, yeah.

But there is something you could possibly claim for

and it's something called loss of enjoyment.

If you go back and you speak to the operator and say,

"Is there any compensation?"

Well, I think that's really good advice from Lisa.

-So have a lovely time.

-Thank you.

-Don't let it spoil your holiday.

-No, I won't.

-OK.

Meanwhile, in the heart of the shopping centre,

travel expert Simon Calder was fielding queries

on the holiday destinations you were heading to

and he had some great tips on whether it's always a good idea

to buy foreign currency before leaving the UK.

-Going to Croatia in September.

-Your first time there?

-Yes.

So what are the questions that you want to ask the guru?

-I'd like to know about the currency.

-Oh, I'm very, very glad

because so many people get it wrong when they go to Croatia.

-What is the currency of Croatia?

-The Croat krone.

-No, no.

-What?

-Well, it's the Croatian kuna, OK?

-Oh! Did you know that?

-No.

-Right.

And it's not the euro, and so many people think that Croatia,

because it's in the European Union now,

it's automatically in the Eurozone. It isn't.

And so a number of people will take euros out there and think,

"Oh, well, we'll just spend those."

Unfortunately, it doesn't quite work like that.

So these might be useful

but, actually, I would simply take good old sterling.

Just turn up with these.

You can get off the plane at Dubrovnik Airport

and go straight to the bureau de change.

Just change £10.

That'll be more than enough to get you into town.

Once you're in town, you can't move for travel agencies

which are selling you very, very good rates for Croatian kuna.

You will find that it's incredibly good value out there.

And do not, whatever you do, get any Croatian kuna in advance

because it's a so-called exotic currency.

You can go to the Post Office, you can go to travel agents,

you can go to banks and they're going to give you a terrible rate.

-Does that help?

-Yes, definitely.

-What were you going to do?

-I was thinking of getting them before I go.

-Oh!

-So...

I can run through the great, long list of countries

for which it's worth getting money in advance.

One, the United States. Two, the eurozone. That's it.

Everywhere else - so Turkey, Egypt, all those places -

just wait till you get there

because if you try and get some here,

you'll just get a rubbish rate.

Now, earlier in the programme,

we heard about the problems that some of you have had

getting visas for countries you'd been hoping to visit.

But what if you're not actually visiting a country

but simply have a connecting flight in one of its airports?

Do you still need a visa then?

Well, as you'll see, you may be told by everyone you've checked with,

from the company you're flying with

to the embassy of the country itself,

that no visa is necessary,

but that still might not be enough to satisfy the airline

and that could mean you're not allowed to board the plane.

Breathtaking mountains, stunning countryside

and culture-rich historic cities.

It may not be the obvious choice, but this is Kazakhstan,

visited by an ever-increasing number of tourists

looking for a holiday to remember.

And for a seasoned traveller like David Scott,

it had everything he wanted for his next adventure.

So I was heading out there for, you know, Christmas, New Year

and a holiday across that period.

This was my main holiday of 2014,

so I was really looking forward to getting out there, relaxing.

David spotted a good deal online if he flew via Russia,

travelling to Moscow with easyJet

and then onto Kazakhstan with Siberia Airlines

on a separate ticket.

Having travelled to more than 100 countries,

he knew there was a possibility he'd need a visa.

So he did some digging

and found Kazakhstan itself doesn't require one.

But he wanted to ensure that, as he was flying via Moscow,

he didn't need one for Russia either,

so he called the embassy's helpline to check.

The Russian consulate said, "No, nobody needs a visa

"for transit through Moscow,

"providing you're not leaving the airport

"and you're connecting onto a flight within 24 hours."

That's pretty standard.

But just to be on the safe side,

he also checked the rules with his airline, easyJet.

easyJet confirmed, "Absolutely no. You don't need a transit visa."

So I went ahead, booked the ticket.

Reassured, David spent the next few weeks

preparing for his holiday adventure.

But as the big day arrived,

the very problem he thought he'd done everything to avoid

reared its head.

I got a friend to drive me down to the airport

at four o'clock in the morning.

Turned up, you know, not fully awake,

and then, suddenly, the girl behind the counter's saying,

"No, you haven't got a visa. You can't fly."

I really did just want the floor to open up.

I had all these people behind me. I was absolutely mortified,

just like, "What on earth do I do now?"

The easyJet staff at Gatwick Airport insisted that,

despite what he'd been assured, a Russian transit visa was required

because, once David arrived at Moscow,

he'd need to pick up his luggage

and check it in again for his next flight,

which they said would mean leaving the transit area of the airport,

but that was news to David.

And it's, like, "Whoa! Hang on. I've been in Moscow Airport before.

"I know where the transit desk is.

"You just take your luggage tag to the transit desk,

"give your luggage tag to the transit agent

"and they do that for you. You don't have to exit."

Despite David's protestations,

the easyJet staff were adamant he couldn't board

and, with his connecting flight in Moscow leaving in a matter of hours,

David feared he wasn't going to make it to Kazakhstan at all.

My connecting flight only flies twice a week,

so it's not as if I could go the next day.

It would have been a case of

I wouldn't have got there until after Christmas.

I mean, that was an extremely stressful experience.

With easyJet not budging but the clock ticking

if he wanted to make that connection,

David decided he had no choice

but to try and find another flight to Moscow and fast.

After some frantic phone calls,

he found one with British Airways flying later that day,

but from Heathrow.

So really hoping his new airline would agree he didn't need a visa,

he bit the bullet, booked his seat and got a cab to Heathrow Airport.

I was running around Heathrow

looking for the British Airways desk to check in.

Got there, you know, half expecting to be refused by British Airways

on the same grounds.

No problem at all and I says, "Don't I need a visa?"

"Nope, you don't need a visa."

So got on my flight and it was sudden relief,

but up until that point, it was just stress.

David made his connecting flight to Kazakhstan with,

as he'd originally been advised, no visa required.

But shelling out £470 for his new flight to Moscow

plus £40 for his cab had made a big dent in his finances,

not to mention his enjoyment of the holiday.

After all, he'd already got a valid ticket

and, as he saw it, had been denied boarding for no valid reason.

I'd had £500 knocked out of my spending money budget, if you like.

I mean, I was really looking forward to going on that holiday

and I needed it at the time,

but when I arrived, I mean, the first three or four days,

all I could think about was how frustrated, how angry

and how upset I was with easyJet

and it took a few days for me to calm down.

I mean, the first few days I was out there,

I was busy searching the internet, looking for websites

to try and find all the information I needed

to get the complaint in to easyJet.

David was confident that when easyJet responded to his complaint,

it would accept that it had made a mistake

and refund the extra money he'd paid.

But instead, when he arrived back in the UK,

easyJet asked David to prove that he had special authorisation

from the Russian embassy to travel through Moscow without a visa,

which he, of course, didn't have because, according to the embassy,

the journey he made didn't require a visa in the first place.

So that really didn't impress David.

I mean, when they came back with that response,

I just couldn't believe it.

It just made absolutely no sense

and I could not understand what they were asking me for.

It was like asking me to provide them a letter

from the UK Border Agency for me to go through Gatwick.

Just made no sense whatsoever.

Now, you can understand why David might be baffled,

but Simon Calder, who's heard similar stories before,

has an explanation.

Now, this poor guy says he was assured

by the Russian embassy and by easyJet

when he asked in advance

that he would, of course, be allowed to transfer so-called airside,

not have to enter Russia

and therefore, he wouldn't need a visa

and it obviously unravelled.

Why did that happen?

Well, easyJet say, "We are a point-to-point airline.

"We sell seats from Gatwick to Domodedovo Airport in Moscow

"and, at that point, you're on your own.

"We demand everybody who we fly there

"has the right documentation

"and, if you don't, you're not getting on the plane."

By describing itself as a point-to-point airline,

easyJet's position is essentially

that it's only bothered about the place it's flying you to

and nothing after that.

So in David's case, as it was taking him to Moscow,

a city where a visa would be required

if it was the final point of your journey,

a visa is what it wanted to see

and the airline didn't give two hoots that,

because of his connection, he didn't actually need one.

easyJet confirmed its position in an e-mail it sent David

in response to his complaint

but he can't understand why the airline's policy

wasn't made clear to him at the time of booking...

..or, indeed, when he rang easyJet to check precisely this point.

I'm upset, I'm angry and I'm frustrated

at the responses I've been getting from easyJet.

When we got in touch with easyJet,

it said it was sorry to hear about David's issues,

but that, like all airlines, it requires all passengers

to have the correct documentation for their journey

and it reiterated that, as a point-to-point carrier,

in cases such as this, a visa is required.

It added it was the embassy's responsibility

to provide information about onward travel

but it didn't confirm if or why its staff had told David

he didn't need a visa, as he maintains is the case.

None of that helps David.

He remains thoroughly cheesed off

that he's been left out of pocket through no fault of his own.

The stress that this caused initially was ridiculous.

I was satisfied that I'd done the right thing.

I turn up and, suddenly, I'm told I've done the wrong thing.

I mean, I was absolutely mortified.

ANGELA: Our travel expert, Simon Calder,

is sharing his top tips on favourite destinations across the globe.

This time, it's Florida, much loved by Brits.

It doesn't come cheap, though, with long-haul flights,

theme park tickets

and somewhere to stay just the basics.

But there are still plenty of ways to keep your costs down,

provided you check what you're getting.

To get the most bang from your buck,

check the price direct from the theme park

with what specialist ticket agents are charging

and check if you're going to be sent the real tickets

or just a voucher code

for which you're then going to have to pick up the tickets

when you arrive in Florida, using up valuable time

that could be better spent enjoying those unlimited thrills.

And after shelling out for all those theme park tickets,

it's good to know that you can weave

a few Florida freebies into your trip.

For example, in the lovely Orlando suburb of Winter Park,

on the second Thursday of every month,

there's a free outdoor screening of a family movie.

Just bring a rug and some popcorn.

It's a great way to escape the theme park commotion.

But once you're back at your hotel room,

watch out for an increasingly common scam.

Don't be tempted by the late-night takeaway leaflets

that might appear under your door.

These high-quality, full-colour productions

have pictures of delicious-looking pizzas,

but be warned.

If you order one, you might find the delivery man never appears.

That's if the person at the other end of the phone

is a scammer with no connection to any restaurant.

They'll take your card details

and use them to make fraudulent purchases

or empty your bank account.

So instead, ask the nice person on hotel reception

for their preferred pizza provider.

Now, if you've ever had a run-in with an airline

after your flight was delayed or cancelled,

you'll know just how tricky it can be sometimes

to get things resolved the way that you would like it.

Well, over the years, we've had a steady stream of people

telling us that they feel their complaint

got them absolutely nowhere

and there hasn't been a lot they could do about it.

Well, all of that is about to change

and there now is somewhere else that you can take your complaint to.

It's one of the issues that you write to us about the most.

Whether it's delays...

I'd like them to be honest, first and foremost,

about why we were delayed.

..unfair treatment...

We were so stressed about flights, it sounds daft,

and I tried to remain chilled, I tried to remain positive.

..or simply poor customer service...

We felt absolutely desperate.

We really don't know what else we could have done

to prevent this happening.

..problems with flights and airlines

are guaranteed to put a dampener on your holiday

before it's even got off the ground.

And as we've heard through every holiday series we've ever made,

when you have a problem with your airline,

getting it resolved in the way you'd like

isn't always straightforward,

even when it seems that the law is on your side.

So when we heard about a new major development that,

when it's up and running,

should mean you have somewhere to go to sort things out,

we knew you'd be keen to hear all about it.

In April last year, the Civil Aviation Authority,

which regulates the industry,

announced plans to create an aviation ombudsman.

It's a new service that, if you've reached stalemate

with a complaint against an airline, will offer a fresh, unbiased look

and make a decision one way or the other.

If it finds in your favour,

airlines will be forced to provide whatever compensation is due

and if they're signed up to the scheme,

they'll have to abide by its decisions.

It's a move that personal finance expert Sarah Pennells

thinks is long overdue.

At the moment, we get really good protection

from EU consumer regulations that say you have to be given vouchers

for things like meals and phone calls

if a flight's delayed by more than a few hours.

And you may get compensation as well

depending how long it's been delayed for.

But the trouble is that some airlines

try and wriggle out of their obligations

just so they don't pay their passengers.

It's exactly the kind of service

that Collette Hanlon is hoping will help resolve her complaint

after she lost 24 hours of her dream holiday.

We chose to go on holiday to Florida

to spend some time together as a family.

We were really looking forward to it.

The boys were extremely excited.

Collette was travelling with her sister and two nephews

to Disney World in Florida, via New York.

But a two-hour delay leaving Glasgow Airport,

due to crew being unable to find

a safety slide certificate for the plane,

meant they missed their connecting flight

and they were stranded in Newark Airport

in New York overnight.

Now, although they were put up in a nearby hotel,

they still lost a day of their fortnight's holiday.

When we went and spoke with the ground staff,

what they advised was that if we wished to claim for compensation,

we had to put that in writing on return from our vacation.

So that's exactly what Collette did.

They replied three weeks later,

telling me that the delay was outwith their control

and they did not feel that this was suitable for compensation.

After getting nowhere with the airline involved,

Colette took her complaint to the CAA.

Took it to the CAA - the Civil Aviation Authority -

who investigated the information that I gave them

and agreed that we were entitled to compensation.

The CAA believed that the airline was bound by the EU regulations

which govern compensation pay-outs for delayed flights

but the airline disagreed

and, as the CAA didn't have the authority

to force its ruling on the airline,

it couldn't help Collette get what she was due.

And that's the key difference there'll be

once the ombudsman service starts up.

It will be able to enforce rulings against all airlines

that are members of the scheme.

Sarah Pennells is cautiously optimistic.

It's absolutely crucial

that they get all the airlines to sign up to this scheme

because otherwise, I think that consumers

can't have real confidence in their rights

when they book a holiday or take a flight.

I think it's also important that this scheme is free,

so consumers aren't charged to complain,

perhaps because the airline

hasn't handled their complaint well in the first place.

Let us know if the scheme does or doesn't work for you.

If you've got a story you'd like us to investigate,

then get in touch with us via our Facebook page,

BBC Rip Off Britain,

our website bbc.co.uk/ripoffbritain,

or email us at...

Well, I'm afraid we've come to the end of this programme already

but, before we go, I have to say I would be horrified

if I was prevented from boarding a plane to my holiday.

Not only would it be mortifyingly embarrassing

but the hassle and the expense of sorting everything out

would really give me the hump.

SHE LAUGHS And that's putting it mildly, I can tell you!

All the more so, of course, if, as in the situations we saw earlier,

it had all been down to just a mix-up or a mistake.

And what's especially frustrating is that situations like those

can leave you dreadfully out of pocket.

And that's because, as we heard,

most insurance companies specifically exclude from their travel cover

everything to do with visas.

So if, for any reason, there is an issue,

it could have a very costly consequence.

But, you know, thankfully, these types of situations are rare,

but it's always worth double-checking

on what paperwork you need as soon as you book your holiday,

so that if there is a problem,

there's hopefully enough time to sort it all out.

But that's where we've got to leave it for this time.

We're going to see you very, very soon

to investigate more of your stories.

So until then, from all of us here in the sun, bye-bye.

-Goodbye.

-Bye-bye.