Episode 15 Rip Off Britain


Episode 15

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JULIA SOMERVILLE: We asked you who's left you feeling ripped off

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when it comes to your holidays,

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and you came back with a catalogue of travel disasters.

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I thought it was a joke, I really did.

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You know, I started laughing.

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I said, you cannot be serious.

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They were saying it was not their fault.

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It was unbelievable. I can't even explain.

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-ANGELA RIPPON:

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

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a simple mistake, or a catch in the small print,

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

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and what you can do about it.

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-GLORIA HUNNIFORD:

-Your stories, your money,

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this is Rip-off Britain.

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Hello, and welcome to a particularly jet-set edition of Rip-off Britain.

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Not just because we've come all the way to sunny Tenerife

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to investigate your stories,

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but because today we are focusing on

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the problems many of you have had with airlines.

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And our investigations have revealed some surprising secrets

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about the way they do business.

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We're also going to be finding out the answers to questions

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that anyone booking a flight has probably wondered about

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at some stage or another.

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Such as, when is the right time to bag the best fare?

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Is it by booking early or last-minute?

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And should we really be swayed

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by what looks like to be the cheapest deal in the first place?

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That's the dilemma.

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Well, on top of uncovering some surprising new facts,

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we'll also be resolving some real old chestnuts.

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So, as we prepare for takeoff,

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fasten your seat belts and stand by for some especially useful advice,

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because, after all, spending time with us

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could mean that you end up spending less on a flight

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that just wasn't what you'd hoped for.

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Coming up, after one takeoff was held up for 40 hours,

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will you get a bigger delay if you choose a smaller airline?

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It was so deflating

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to know that we'd lost so much time off the holiday.

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We just thought, "Is there any point in bothering?"

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And how you could end up with fewer rights,

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not to mention hundreds of pounds out of pocket,

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if your flight turns out not to be with the airline

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you thought it was.

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We had to pay for our own hotel,

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the food in the hotel.

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Just more expense on top of the holiday -

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more expense we didn't expect to pay,

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and I would expect the airline who made us late to pay for that.

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Now, let's face it, long gone are the days

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when it was just the big names that ruled the airways.

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The skies are now crowded with dozens of other airlines, as well.

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Some of the names you might recognise, others, perhaps not,

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but while all of that extra choice can be a good thing for our pockets

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in terms of driving down prices,

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can those smaller companies really compete

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when it comes to service, and, of course, reliability?

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Well, some of those new kids flying over the block will say

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yes, they definitely can,

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but you have been telling us quite a different story.

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So, we set out to investigate

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if choosing a smaller airline could mean

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that you're laying yourselves wide-open to much bigger problems.

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And more than 100 passengers are unwittingly became headline news.

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Now, they should be relaxing on a beach in Corfu by now,

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but a plane-load of passengers is still waiting at Manchester Airport.

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Due to technical problems, their flight to Corfu was grounded,

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so the passengers had to sit and wait, and wait.

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We've been at the airport since 9am Monday morning.

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No water, no drinks being brought down.

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At 39 hours, it was to become one of the worst delays

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in the British civil aviation history.

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We just had a lot of misinformation,

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and people feel they've been lied to

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by the holiday company and the airline.

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Now, could it be that choosing to fly on a small airline

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was at the heart of the problem?

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Andrew Stafford from Stalybridge, in Greater Manchester,

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was in the thick of it,

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travelling with his son and friends and family.

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We noticed the flight had been delayed by an hour,

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but as the next hour passed, it went back an hour,

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and then, obviously, as the day went on, it got worse and worse.

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Andrew and his fellow passengers

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were flying with a company that, chances are, you've never heard of -

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Small Planet Airlines,

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which has a fleet of 21 planes across Europe.

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With its main office being in Lithuania,

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Small Planet makes a big noise about its punctuality.

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We are not some average company,

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so we experience far fewer long delays than average.

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Unfortunately, on this occasion,

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the plane had a fault and just couldn't take off.

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The 144 passengers were going nowhere

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and were taken to a local hotel.

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These aren't the type of holiday photographs we paid for.

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Having already lost a day of their holiday, the next morning

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the passengers were all shipped back to Manchester Airport

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only to discover that their plane still wasn't fixed.

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Small Planet Airlines contacted very frustrated customers

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via its Facebook page.

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"Dear passengers, we sincerely apologise

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"for the inconveniences and stress

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"the current flight delays have caused you.

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"We have never had such a difficult situation before."

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With only a relatively small fleet,

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Small Planet wasn't able to schedule a replacement flight.

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And as the day went on,

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with no idea of when the broken plane could be fixed,

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the exhausted passengers started to lose hope

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that they'd ever get to Corfu.

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At this point, some people were actually going home.

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We were only going for a week,

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we didn't know whether we were going to go that day, the next day,

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or if we were going to be there for three or four days at this point.

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It was really an anxious time for everyone.

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Like Andrew, fellow passenger Tim Hewitt

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also started to take snaps of the whole saga.

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This was the departure board in Manchester Airport.

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Obviously with the delayed flight,

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telling us that it's next information at six o'clock.

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People hanging around in the airport,

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I think we were starting to lose the plot a little bit,

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because we found this one quite funny,

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it's the advertise that Manchester Airport,

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"Your holiday starts here."

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I get the point.

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And at the end of day two,

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the passengers were once again taken to a hotel.

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It was so deflating

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to know that we'd lost so much time off the holiday.

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We just thought, "Is there really any point in bothering?"

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Tim was travelling with his fiancee, Holly,

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they'd paid nearly £2,500 for this trip

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in order to plan their wedding.

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We had meetings booked with wedding planners, florists, bakers.

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We had quite a tight schedule

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where we were going to try and fit everything in.

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But by the early hours of next morning,

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a replacement plane had been sent from Poland,

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and Tim and the others were at last allowed to board.

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But due to a further delay,

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they had to sit on the tarmac for a couple of hours.

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But in the end, what's two hours

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when you've already been waiting for 37?

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The moment that those wheels left the tarmac at Manchester Airport

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there was cheering, there was clapping,

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and it was a really nice atmosphere amongst the plane.

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OK, three days late, mind, but we were actually on our way.

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Now, airlines of any size can,

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of course, experience technical problems,

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but a situation like this exposes a particular issue

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when that happens with smaller ones.

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Sure, these carriers have often wonderfully cheap fares,

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and they may fly to places that the bigger airlines don't,

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but if there is a delay, it could be more significant

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because an operation that's leaner all around

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is unlikely to have the ability to deal with the resulting logistics.

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If you don't have very many planes

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and something goes wrong with one of them,

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you are immediately in some serious trouble

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because your whole fleet planning is based on the fact that

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the aircraft on the ground in Malaga is expected to be in Manchester,

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and from there it's going to fly to Faro in Portugal,

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and there's people waiting there to fly back to Gatwick.

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So it's this huge jigsaw puzzle

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that you need to have plenty of resources for.

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If you don't, or if you simply decide

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"We're going to sweat our assets as much as we possibly can,"

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then that can expose some very serious problems.

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To see just how serious those problems might be,

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we took a closer look at flight delays

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on all routes flying in and out of the UK.

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We wanted to know if delays tended to be longer

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on routes operated by smaller airlines.

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And to find out,

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we looked at the data from the Civil Aviation Authority.

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Now, of the 5,055 routes in and out of UK airports in 2015,

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only 1,153 were operated by smaller airlines.

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But perhaps surprisingly,

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given the very small share of the market that these airlines hold,

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when it came to keeping you waiting on the tarmac for longer,

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they played a much larger part.

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In fact, of the 50 routes that had the longest average delay,

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more than half of those were run by smaller airlines.

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Now, that doesn't mean that if you fly with a smaller airline

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that you're more likely to be delayed,

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but it does suggest that if and when a delay happens,

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it is likely to be longer.

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And one name that just kept cropping up

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on routes that had experienced the longest delays was...

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You guessed it - Small Planet,

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an airline that's very familiar to this legal firm

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in Wilmslow, Cheshire.

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Hello, Bott and Co.

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You're through to Candace and the flight delay team. How may help you?

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If your flight is delayed over five hours,

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then you are entitled to compensation.

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And litigation executive Kevin Clarke says

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the number of claims for delays on all smaller airlines has shot up.

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2016 has been a bad year for some of the smaller airlines.

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Airlines that, this time last year, we were seeing

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claims for, maybe, a couple of hundred passengers a month.

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We've seen a 500% increase with those airlines.

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And Kevin says that especially applies to Small Planet.

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It's been a particularly bad summer for Small Planet.

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They like to have the aircraft in the sky as much as possible,

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and they don't have the capacity to deal with these issues.

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So what you will find is that the knock on effect

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of a seemingly routine incident can run through days and weeks.

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And there's been a number of lengthy delays,

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particularly at Manchester,

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in excess of 20 hours,

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culminating in this monster delay.

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That particularly bad delay

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is a flight that the team here has taken a very close interesting.

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I've personally corresponded with all 144 passengers

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and asked them to tell me their experiences.

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We've had people who are going for business,

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we've had people who were going to plan weddings,

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we've had people who were going to scatter ashes of their loved ones,

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we've had people who've lost car hire bookings.

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We'll work out exactly how much they are entitled to,

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but I wouldn't be at all surprised

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if the total sum exceeds six figures.

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But as Small Planet airlines doesn't have offices in the UK,

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getting it to actually pay that money out may not be plain sailing.

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Last year, Kevin had to go to court

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to demand that the airline pay a huge compensation bill

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for delayed flights,

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which involved bailiffs seizing one of their aircraft.

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So with the court order,

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the High Court enforcement officer attended the airport,

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walked onto the runway,

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and took ownership of the aircraft as it landed.

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At that point, the airline owed

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somewhere in the region of about £16,000 in court orders.

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And they were told that the aeroplane would remain there

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until such time as it was paid.

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That is an extreme example,

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but those are the lengths we have to go to.

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I must say, I haven't heard of that before.

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But when we contacted Small Planet Airlines,

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it told us that the delay on the Manchester to Corfu flight was,

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"One of the most difficult technical situations that it's experienced,

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"with the plane's crucial hydraulic system needing immediate repair."

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Engineers made every effort to fix it as quickly as possible,

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while the company attempted to source a replacement aircraft.

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It reiterated that, in the meantime,

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it did take care of affected passengers,

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including organising hotels and meals.

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The airline went on to say

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that "while its services may sometimes be delayed,

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"it has never cancelled even a single flight,

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"and always carries out its responsibilities

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"in accordance with UK law."

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It acknowledges it's difficult to put a price on

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the "stress and frustration" caused by a long delay,

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but says it's always willing to cover negative experiences

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to some degree.

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As for other recent delays,

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it says that late delivery of aircraft

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and the knock-on effect on training

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are amongst factors that have caused problems in summer 2016.

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But it says for future summers,

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among other considerable improvements,

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it will have "two stand-by aircraft with dedicated crews

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"to cover delayed flights."

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Even so, after experiencing such a long, long delay,

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Andrew says he is more likely to fly with a bigger name

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when he next goes away.

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I'll certainly have a look

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at which airline's are servicing that holiday,

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and we'll probably make a decision based on that airline.

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We'll probably move away from the smaller airlines

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and stay with the bigger ones now.

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And Tim feels exactly the same way.

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After all, the next time he goes to Corfu,

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it will be for his wedding,

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and that's one flight he cannot afford to be late.

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Come April when we fly out for our wedding in Corfu,

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we will certainly be using a large airline

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and not a smaller one.

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We feel at least then we have a fighting chance

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of actually getting to our wedding on time!

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Booking a cheap flight has never been easier.

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Instant access to the internet means that, frankly, any of us can

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straightaway compare prices right across the entire market.

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But while, understandably, it is the fare that most of us focus on,

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there may be other details that you'll want to look for, as well,

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particularly if it turns out that the airline with which you've booked

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is not the actual one with which you're going to be flying.

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Now, that could make a difference in all sorts of smaller ways

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from the legroom and seat pitch to whether or not you get a snack.

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But more fundamentally, if something goes wrong,

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then you may find that you simply have not got the rights

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that you would have expected,

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which could leave you hundreds of pounds out of pocket.

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Right, so where have we been?

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Jeff and his wife, Karen, from Wakefield

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have been taking their granddaughter Paige on holiday with them

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since she was three years old.

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-To Majorca.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

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Minorca.

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And after ticking off over a dozen destinations across Europe,

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the then 11-year-old Paige wanted to spread her wings

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and go a little further for their 2015 holiday.

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We'd taken Paige away, but never to America.

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This was the big thing. This was the thing she'd always spoke about.

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"Can we go to America? Can we go to Orlando?"

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Jeff and Karen didn't take much persuading

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and had soon booked a two-week trip to the Sunshine State.

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A few weeks before we went, everyone was really excited.

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Paige was telling her football coach,

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telling everybody at school.

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The family flew with Virgin Atlantic,

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and to make their trip even more memorable, Jeff paid a bit extra,

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£25 each,

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to make sure that their seats would be reserved

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on the top deck of the plane.

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The flight from Manchester to Orlando was brilliant.

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I mean, on the top deck, we felt like royalty.

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Climbing up the steps, the three of us.

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And it was a fantastic flight.

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It was what we expected from Virgin.

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The family touched down in Orlando

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and enjoyed the holiday that they'd always dreamed of.

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Paige even managed to get her grandma, Karen, on the big rides.

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I liked seeing Grandma nearly have a heart attack on all the rides!

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Every helter-skelter,

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anything that were going, she was on it,

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and Grandma had to go on, too.

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But all too quickly the holiday was over.

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And it was time for the family to head back home to Manchester.

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Their return, unlike the outbound flight, wasn't direct.

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Instead, it involved a connection in Atlanta, and the family noticed

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that the internal leg of the journey wasn't with Virgin

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but the American airline Delta.

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Virgin had said that it were their sister company in America.

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So, if it's their sister company in America,

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we expect the same kind of service from Delta as from Virgin.

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Timings with the connection were tight,

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but providing there were no hold-ups,

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they would have just enough time

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to make the onward flight to Manchester.

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Mother Nature, however, had other ideas,

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and as a hurricane swept into Orlando,

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the family's flight was delayed.

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We were really getting concerned, weren't we?

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We knew we had an hour and a half to get our connection.

0:16:590:17:02

When they finally touched down in Atlanta,

0:17:020:17:05

there were only ten minutes to spare,

0:17:050:17:07

but the family hoped they might just make it.

0:17:070:17:10

We made good time on the flight, I think we saved half an hour,

0:17:100:17:15

and people were still saying, "If you rush, and you run,

0:17:150:17:17

"you can get that flight."

0:17:170:17:19

But Jeff, Karen and Paige weren't the only ones hurrying

0:17:190:17:22

to try and catch that Manchester flight.

0:17:220:17:25

Everybody were up, out of their seats, ready for rushing.

0:17:250:17:28

We went up to the guy that was telling people what to do

0:17:280:17:30

and he just said, "Don't ask me, just go to the gate.

0:17:300:17:33

"If you've got the gate number, just go.

0:17:330:17:35

"Don't bother checking in,

0:17:350:17:36

"you've still a chance of catching that plane, it is there."

0:17:360:17:39

The family was moments away from reaching the gates,

0:17:390:17:42

and their plane was in sight.

0:17:420:17:44

As we got to the gate, we were told it had been closed,

0:17:450:17:49

we couldn't get on the plane.

0:17:490:17:50

We asked them why, we said, "The plane's still there."

0:17:500:17:53

They said, "International rules." Heart sank.

0:17:530:17:56

So Jeff joined the queue of other disgruntled passengers

0:17:560:17:59

waiting for advice on what to do next.

0:17:590:18:02

After three hours, we eventually got to speak to a customer service rep.

0:18:020:18:06

She tried to find us flights for that day, that night,

0:18:060:18:09

couldn't do it, couldn't do it for the next day.

0:18:090:18:12

The best they could offer us was the Saturday,

0:18:120:18:15

which was in a couple of days' time.

0:18:150:18:17

At that time, we started to panic,

0:18:170:18:19

not knowing if we'd get back on time for school or work.

0:18:190:18:22

Jeff and Karen had no option but to accept the flight two days later,

0:18:220:18:27

which involved another connection, this time in New York.

0:18:270:18:30

We just wanted to go home.

0:18:310:18:33

Instead we had to go to a small motel,

0:18:330:18:36

we were just shattered,

0:18:360:18:37

in the same clothes we'd been in all day,

0:18:370:18:39

and I guessed we would be for the next two days.

0:18:390:18:42

They weren't able to change their clothes

0:18:420:18:44

because their luggage was kept at the airport.

0:18:440:18:47

Check-in staff told them it would be forwarded on

0:18:470:18:49

to their connecting flight,

0:18:490:18:51

whichever that turned out to be.

0:18:510:18:53

But for Jeff, what was most concerning about all of this,

0:18:530:18:57

was that instead of a rep from Virgin Atlantic

0:18:570:18:59

dealing with his queries,

0:18:590:19:01

it was Delta that he was now having to deal with.

0:19:010:19:04

It turned out that was because

0:19:040:19:05

he'd booked what's known as a codeshare flight,

0:19:050:19:08

which means the journey he'd bought through one airline

0:19:080:19:11

was actually operated by another, in this case, Delta.

0:19:110:19:15

It wasn't something he'd really been aware of,

0:19:150:19:17

and he certainly hadn't realised

0:19:170:19:19

what significance it would come to have.

0:19:190:19:21

This is the Virgin Atlantic booking.

0:19:230:19:25

This shows that it's a VS number,

0:19:250:19:27

which is a Virgin code,

0:19:270:19:29

from Manchester to Orlando.

0:19:290:19:32

Then coming back, Orlando to Atlanta,

0:19:320:19:34

and then Atlanta back to Manchester.

0:19:340:19:37

These are all VS codes.

0:19:370:19:39

Even though that was a Delta airline that we ended up catching.

0:19:390:19:42

When all goes well,

0:19:420:19:44

codeshare agreements can mean more choice for customers,

0:19:440:19:48

allowing airlines to coordinate luggage handling, for example,

0:19:480:19:51

leading to a smoother onward journey.

0:19:510:19:54

But if anything goes wrong,

0:19:540:19:56

don't assume the airline with which you booked

0:19:560:19:59

has any obligation to sort it out.

0:19:590:20:02

And the other company

0:20:020:20:03

may not have any responsibilities to do that either.

0:20:030:20:06

In Jeff's case, the Delta representative told the family

0:20:060:20:09

that it wouldn't cover the extra costs

0:20:090:20:11

involved in staying those additional two days.

0:20:110:20:14

Instead, all it offered was a discount voucher for a nearby hotel.

0:20:140:20:18

To be told that we'd have the pay for everything ourselves,

0:20:190:20:22

they wouldn't help us at all with nothing,

0:20:220:20:25

we were really frustrated.

0:20:250:20:26

The least we expected was to be put up in a hotel.

0:20:260:20:30

The family spent an extra £340 over the two days

0:20:300:20:34

whilst they were waiting for their flight home.

0:20:340:20:36

We had to pay for our own hotel, the food in the hotel,

0:20:360:20:40

just more expense on top of the holiday,

0:20:400:20:42

more expense we didn't expect to pay,

0:20:420:20:44

and I would expect the airline who made us late to pay for that.

0:20:440:20:49

After arriving back two days later than planned,

0:20:510:20:54

Jeff put in a complaint to Virgin.

0:20:540:20:57

I wrote to Virgin, I complained,

0:20:570:20:59

and asked them to do something about our delay.

0:20:590:21:01

They wrote back to me,

0:21:010:21:03

and basically said I should get in touch with Delta.

0:21:030:21:06

At this, I was incredulous.

0:21:060:21:08

I'd booked with Virgin,

0:21:080:21:09

and expected them to do something about it.

0:21:090:21:13

And when, as instructed, Jeff did get in touch with Delta,

0:21:130:21:16

the news was no better.

0:21:160:21:18

Delta told us at the time that they had no responsibility

0:21:200:21:23

as it was due to bad weather,

0:21:230:21:24

and they are not covered for bad weather.

0:21:240:21:27

But in any case, as far as Jeff is concerned

0:21:270:21:30

it should be Virgin that's liable for all this,

0:21:300:21:33

because that's the company with whom he booked.

0:21:330:21:36

We booked these flights through Virgin,

0:21:360:21:38

I really think they're responsible for this.

0:21:380:21:40

At least they could have done, whether it's legal or morally,

0:21:400:21:44

they could have paid our expenses for the hotel,

0:21:440:21:48

the transport and the meals.

0:21:480:21:50

But as our travel expert Simon Calder explains,

0:21:500:21:53

it's not that simple.

0:21:530:21:54

And the nationality of the airlines involved can have a major impact

0:21:540:21:59

on the treatment you receive.

0:21:590:22:00

Codesharing was invented to enable airlines to pretend

0:22:000:22:05

they flew to more places, more often than they actually do.

0:22:050:22:09

And so therefore a typical airline will have relationships

0:22:090:22:12

with a number of other partners and apply its code to those flights.

0:22:120:22:17

A single flight can be pretending to be half a dozen different flights

0:22:170:22:22

on different airlines.

0:22:220:22:24

The worst case is when things go wrong with a flight,

0:22:240:22:28

and if you are on a codeshare flight with an airline from

0:22:280:22:33

outside the European Union,

0:22:330:22:36

then if you are flying from outside the European Union,

0:22:360:22:41

your rights are effectively wiped out.

0:22:410:22:44

So, if Jeff's delay had been on the outward leg of the trip

0:22:460:22:49

on Virgin, based, at least for now, in the EU,

0:22:490:22:52

the airline would have been required by law to pay compensation.

0:22:520:22:57

But because it occurred on his flight with Delta,

0:22:570:22:59

based in the US, no such laws apply.

0:22:590:23:02

It's really frustrating that Virgin being an EU carrier,

0:23:020:23:06

if we'd have gone with another EU carrier,

0:23:060:23:08

we'd have got some compensation,

0:23:080:23:10

but with then passing it on to Delta,

0:23:100:23:12

which is an American airlines,

0:23:120:23:14

we're not getting any compensation at all,

0:23:140:23:17

either from Delta or Virgin.

0:23:170:23:19

With Jeff frustrated at the response that he's had from both airlines,

0:23:200:23:24

we tried them again on his behalf.

0:23:240:23:26

But in a joint response,

0:23:260:23:28

while apologising to the family for the inconvenience

0:23:280:23:31

on their journey home,

0:23:310:23:32

the airlines stuck to what they'd previously said,

0:23:320:23:35

telling us that "with safety always the number one priority,

0:23:350:23:40

"if there's bad weather,

0:23:400:23:41

"such as hurricanes, snow or thunderstorms,

0:23:410:23:44

"flights may have to be delayed or cancelled.

0:23:440:23:47

"And in such cases, airlines are not obliged to offer compensation."

0:23:470:23:52

They went on to say that

0:23:520:23:53

"alternative flight options were looked into,

0:23:530:23:56

"and hotel discount vouchers were issued for a local hotel."

0:23:560:24:00

The companies also pointed out that

0:24:000:24:02

because the customers didn't request their bags back in Atlanta,

0:24:020:24:06

they remained in the system,

0:24:060:24:08

and were placed on the customer's flight home.

0:24:080:24:11

And they stressed that while a number of airlines

0:24:110:24:13

have codeshare agreements in place,

0:24:130:24:15

it's always made clear during the booking process

0:24:150:24:18

who the operating carrier is.

0:24:180:24:20

Oh, I'm useless at these.

0:24:200:24:22

But after this experience,

0:24:220:24:24

Jeff is going to try and avoid codesharing flights in the future

0:24:240:24:27

by asking whoever he books with

0:24:270:24:29

exactly who will be operating his flight,

0:24:290:24:32

and therefore, who will be looking after him should things go wrong.

0:24:320:24:36

I try and ensure I knew about the codeshare flight thing.

0:24:360:24:39

Didn't mean anything to me at the time,

0:24:390:24:41

now I know exactly what it means,

0:24:410:24:42

I would definitely want to know if it was a codeshare,

0:24:420:24:45

and if there was any problems, would we get compensated?

0:24:450:24:49

Still to come on Rip-Off Britain,

0:24:550:24:57

are the airlines really snooping on your online searches

0:24:570:25:00

so they can hike up the fares?

0:25:000:25:03

There must be something that ties in,

0:25:030:25:05

-that you've looked for that flight before.

-Yeah.

0:25:050:25:07

So when you eventually do go in to book them...

0:25:070:25:10

-They hike it up.

-..it becomes dearer.

0:25:100:25:12

Our travel expert Simon Calder has all the secrets

0:25:150:25:18

to save you money on your travels.

0:25:180:25:20

He's full of tips on everything from how to avoid the crowds,

0:25:200:25:23

to the best way to steer clear of those tourist traps.

0:25:230:25:27

This time, seven-star hotels,

0:25:270:25:29

eight-lane highways and the world's tallest building.

0:25:290:25:33

It could only be Dubai -

0:25:330:25:34

destination for more than a million Brits this year.

0:25:340:25:37

To me, it can feel like Las Vegas on sea.

0:25:390:25:43

But unlike that desert city,

0:25:430:25:45

Dubai has a long and distinctive history.

0:25:450:25:48

And if you follow my advice,

0:25:480:25:50

I hope you'll agree it's a place with both spice and soul.

0:25:500:25:53

Simon says that to make contact with the real exotic Middle East,

0:25:540:25:58

you need to leave the air-conditioned shopping malls

0:25:580:26:01

behind and head to the large waterway of Dubai Creek.

0:26:010:26:05

From there, you can get a shuttle back and forth to the souks

0:26:050:26:08

for about one dirham, the equivalent of around 20p.

0:26:080:26:11

The souks - big, chaotic markets -

0:26:140:26:17

are full of noise, colour and commerce, and very few fixed prices.

0:26:170:26:21

When you're haggling, you'll never outsmart a merchant,

0:26:210:26:25

but don't feel pressurised to buy unless the price is right.

0:26:250:26:29

Keep smiling and don't hesitate to walk away.

0:26:290:26:33

The United Arab Emirates is a deeply Islamic nation,

0:26:330:26:37

and visiting the vast Jumeirah Mosque provides

0:26:370:26:40

a fascinating insight into the religion's philosophy and rituals.

0:26:400:26:43

Tours take place every day at 10am except Fridays

0:26:430:26:47

and cost 20 dirham, around £4,

0:26:470:26:50

which includes water, dates, tea and pastries.

0:26:500:26:53

Close to Dubai Creek,

0:26:550:26:56

you can escape from the heat and clamour of the city.

0:26:560:27:00

Simon recommends heading into the Al Fahidi historical neighbourhood,

0:27:000:27:04

filled with art galleries, cafes and hotels.

0:27:040:27:06

They don't have seven stars,

0:27:060:27:08

but they do boast plenty of character.

0:27:080:27:10

And finally, as ever, Simon recommends local transport

0:27:100:27:13

to get the real feel for the old Dubai.

0:27:130:27:17

You won't be in town for long before someone tries to sell you a tour

0:27:170:27:21

to the mountain fortress town of Hatta,

0:27:210:27:23

but just catch local bus number E16 instead and you'll save a fortune.

0:27:230:27:28

Now one of the complaints we hear time and again

0:27:330:27:35

involves the apparently sneaky way that airlines are said to keep tabs

0:27:350:27:40

on the visits you make to their websites

0:27:400:27:42

as you search for fares.

0:27:420:27:44

The theory goes that if you're using the same computer or tablet

0:27:440:27:47

to check back to see if the price has changed,

0:27:470:27:49

the site will recognise it's you and bump up the cost

0:27:490:27:53

so you feel under pressure to book right away

0:27:530:27:56

in case the cost goes up even more.

0:27:560:27:58

Now, it might sound like some far-fetched conspiracy theory,

0:27:580:28:02

but so many of you have now come to us with the same suspicion,

0:28:020:28:05

we were curious to find out whether this really is what's going on

0:28:050:28:09

or if it's just an urban myth.

0:28:090:28:11

So, we've done our own test to discover the truth once and for all.

0:28:110:28:15

For many of us, the days of walking into our local travel agent

0:28:190:28:23

to book a simple flight are a thing of the past.

0:28:230:28:25

More often than not, we just open up a laptop and do it ourselves online.

0:28:250:28:30

Like millions of us, frequent flyer Margaret Durnin from Glasgow

0:28:320:28:36

has become a dab hand at searching out the best bargains.

0:28:360:28:39

I think because we fly quite often, I think I'm quite savvy

0:28:390:28:43

around how to book flights and how to get the best deals.

0:28:430:28:48

So, when Margaret received an invitation to her friend's wedding

0:28:500:28:53

on the Amalfi Coast in Italy,

0:28:530:28:55

she got straight on to her trusty laptop

0:28:550:28:57

to check out the flights.

0:28:570:28:59

We had looked to see who flew from Scotland directly to Naples,

0:28:590:29:03

and the only flight we could find was from Edinburgh direct to Naples.

0:29:030:29:09

But with the wedding still over a year away,

0:29:090:29:12

flights for the dates she needed hadn't yet been released,

0:29:120:29:15

so Margaret kept checking back on the airlines website

0:29:150:29:18

to see if they'd become available,

0:29:180:29:19

hoping that by booking as early as possible,

0:29:190:29:22

she'd get the lowest price.

0:29:220:29:24

On the morning that we found out they were released,

0:29:240:29:26

we were so excited

0:29:260:29:28

because we were desperate to go and enjoy the wedding,

0:29:280:29:32

and we knew that as soon as the flights were released that

0:29:320:29:36

that would be the cheapest time.

0:29:360:29:37

And we went on the laptops as quickly as we could.

0:29:370:29:42

Margaret selected return flights for herself and her husband.

0:29:420:29:46

Happy with the price, she proceeded with the booking.

0:29:460:29:48

But when she clicked onto the payment page

0:29:480:29:51

her bargain fare no longer seemed quite such a good deal.

0:29:510:29:55

I keyed in the card details and pressed send,

0:29:550:30:00

and at that point, a screen popped up to say, "Do you wish to continue?

0:30:000:30:04

"Just to advise you that the flight prices have changed."

0:30:040:30:09

And at that point, I noticed that the flight had gone up

0:30:090:30:11

in a total of £100.

0:30:110:30:13

In just the few minutes in which she'd been making the booking,

0:30:150:30:18

the two seats she'd chosen had each gone up by £50,

0:30:180:30:22

and Margaret wasn't impressed.

0:30:220:30:23

I was extremely angry.

0:30:240:30:26

I just couldn't believe that they could do that -

0:30:260:30:29

change it without giving you prior warning.

0:30:290:30:32

Even if there was an indication beforehand,

0:30:330:30:36

before you put your bank details,

0:30:360:30:37

because to me that means they know you definitely want those...

0:30:370:30:41

You want that flight, so you're prepared to pay for

0:30:410:30:44

whatever price they put on that screen.

0:30:440:30:47

More than a little miffed that the price had changed mid-booking,

0:30:470:30:51

Margaret contacted the airline to ask them why.

0:30:510:30:54

She was told that only a limited number of seats had been available

0:30:540:30:57

at the original price,

0:30:570:30:59

and as prices aren't locked during payment,

0:30:590:31:02

on this occasion once those had run out, the cost went up.

0:31:020:31:06

But Margaret has her own theory as to what had gone on.

0:31:060:31:08

I think their website has some kind of knowledge,

0:31:080:31:12

that it knows that you've gone through this booking procedure,

0:31:120:31:15

and it knows that you are definitely wanting to buy this,

0:31:150:31:20

and you're not just browsing.

0:31:200:31:22

They definitely know that you want this flight,

0:31:220:31:24

and I feel that they just automatically increase the flight

0:31:240:31:28

behind the scenes.

0:31:280:31:30

And Margaret wasn't the only wedding guest to share those suspicions.

0:31:300:31:34

Her daughter, Lisa, and family friend, John, both also found

0:31:340:31:38

that during the course of booking their flights,

0:31:380:31:39

the seats increased in price.

0:31:390:31:43

There must be something that ties in,

0:31:430:31:45

that you've looked for that flight before.

0:31:450:31:47

-Yeah.

-They must have some kind of system on their website,

0:31:470:31:50

so when you eventually do go in to book them...

0:31:500:31:53

-They hike it up.

-..it becomes dearer.

0:31:530:31:55

For it to jump 50...

0:31:550:31:56

Well, in my case it was £60, for me and Kate, it was just...

0:31:560:32:01

-In a matter of a couple of minutes, is...

-No.

-It's ridiculous.

0:32:010:32:04

Aye, it's ridiculous.

0:32:040:32:06

Margaret, Lisa and John are all convinced

0:32:060:32:08

it's more than just coincidence that the flight prices went up

0:32:080:32:11

just before they were about to pay.

0:32:110:32:14

They firmly believe that the airline had been monitoring

0:32:140:32:16

their previous interest in those flights,

0:32:160:32:18

so that knowing they were set on that particular journey,

0:32:180:32:21

it could bump up the price just as they were about to book.

0:32:210:32:25

And their suspicions are shared by plenty more of you, too.

0:32:260:32:29

Over the years, we've often heard from people claiming

0:32:290:32:32

that once you've done a number of searches

0:32:320:32:34

to keep tabs on a particular fare,

0:32:340:32:36

the airline will nudge up the price to subtly pressure you

0:32:360:32:40

into finally making the booking.

0:32:400:32:41

The concern is that your online activity is being somehow tracked

0:32:410:32:46

in order to squeeze more money out of you.

0:32:460:32:48

It's a theory we've now heard so many times

0:32:500:32:53

that we thought it was about time we put it to the test.

0:32:530:32:56

So we set up an experiment,

0:32:590:33:01

monitoring the price of two specific return flights

0:33:010:33:04

with airlines we've heard this allegation levelled against

0:33:040:33:07

at regular intervals over the course of the month.

0:33:070:33:10

Crucially, each time we checked the prices,

0:33:100:33:13

we did so on two different computers.

0:33:130:33:16

One of them was wiped clean of all our browsing history,

0:33:160:33:19

searches and stored information before we looked at the fares,

0:33:190:33:22

so in effect, each time we checked, we were starting afresh.

0:33:220:33:26

But on the other computer,

0:33:260:33:28

we didn't get rid of any of our previous search details,

0:33:280:33:31

so all our online activity

0:33:310:33:33

and the digital footprint we'd left behind remained.

0:33:330:33:37

The theory goes that if airlines really are watching

0:33:370:33:40

your movements online,

0:33:400:33:41

tracking your behaviour so they can sneak up prices accordingly,

0:33:410:33:45

then this second computer would carry all the information

0:33:450:33:48

they'd need to help them do it.

0:33:480:33:50

However, our results suggest

0:33:500:33:52

we can knock this particular conspiracy theory on the head

0:33:520:33:55

once and for all.

0:33:550:33:57

We found that though prices did fluctuate,

0:33:570:33:59

they did so entirely consistently across both computers.

0:33:590:34:03

We were quoted the same fares on each device,

0:34:030:34:06

and it made not a jot of difference

0:34:060:34:07

whether the airline could tell from our browsing history

0:34:070:34:11

that we'd made the same search before.

0:34:110:34:13

And though just a small snapshot of what may or may not be going on

0:34:130:34:17

across the wider industry,

0:34:170:34:18

our findings certainly ring true with pricing expert Oliver Ranson,

0:34:180:34:22

who's worked with some of the world's leading airlines

0:34:220:34:25

as a revenue specialist.

0:34:250:34:26

It's a bit of an urban myth that airlines put up the prices of seats

0:34:260:34:29

just because you've looked at one before.

0:34:290:34:31

It doesn't make good business sense to put up prices

0:34:310:34:34

when passengers come to your website for the second time.

0:34:340:34:37

If you do that, you'll make them angry,

0:34:370:34:39

you'll make them upset, and people will fly with your competitor.

0:34:390:34:42

Interestingly though,

0:34:440:34:45

while Oliver says it just isn't in the airlines' interest

0:34:450:34:47

to behave in this way,

0:34:470:34:49

it is entirely possible for them to do it.

0:34:490:34:51

The technology to watch passengers' online activity exists.

0:34:520:34:55

There are rumours that some airlines in the UK

0:34:550:34:58

have trialled this unsuccessfully.

0:34:580:35:00

So, Oliver has a much simpler explanation

0:35:000:35:03

as to why Margaret's fare went up

0:35:030:35:06

within moments of starting to book it.

0:35:060:35:08

I think Margaret's been a bit unlucky.

0:35:090:35:11

Airlines only have a limited number of seats to sell at the lower fares,

0:35:110:35:14

and on the busier flights, sometimes they close out those fares entirely.

0:35:140:35:17

It's all worked on the basis of something called demand to come.

0:35:170:35:21

If the airline's expecting a lot of passengers to buy,

0:35:210:35:23

the price is probably going to be a bit higher.

0:35:230:35:26

Margaret could even have been competing against

0:35:260:35:28

her own friends and family going to the same wedding,

0:35:280:35:30

who might have been able to snap up the seats

0:35:300:35:32

just in the minute or two before

0:35:320:35:34

she had the chance to press the buy button.

0:35:340:35:37

Well, Oliver might be confident that we're not being watched

0:35:370:35:40

in the way that was feared...

0:35:400:35:42

..but he soon found some of you who aren't convinced.

0:35:450:35:48

Do you think that airlines monitor your buying behaviour online

0:35:480:35:51

and increase the prices when you come back the second time?

0:35:510:35:53

Yeah, 100%. I've noticed that so many times happening to me.

0:35:530:35:56

Oh, yes, I'm sure that's the case.

0:35:560:35:58

I've sometimes been back and had another look at the price,

0:35:580:36:01

only a few minutes later, and it can be several pounds more.

0:36:010:36:06

When you go back and look at the flights

0:36:060:36:08

for the second or third time,

0:36:080:36:09

do you think that the airline increases the price?

0:36:090:36:11

Yeah, I've heard something about that.

0:36:110:36:14

That you're meant to browse privately or something,

0:36:140:36:16

so that they don't know that you're shopping around.

0:36:160:36:19

But suspicions of Big Brother type observations aside,

0:36:210:36:25

all any of us wants is to get the very best deal.

0:36:250:36:27

So, come on, Oliver, you're the expert -

0:36:270:36:30

how do we beat the system and get the best bargains?

0:36:300:36:33

Would you stay up a little bit late at night

0:36:330:36:35

to save a couple of hundred pounds on your airfare?

0:36:350:36:37

-He would.

-I would.

-THEY LAUGH

0:36:370:36:39

Airlines often release their cheapest seats late at night.

0:36:390:36:42

12 o'clock midnight, or one o'clock in the morning.

0:36:420:36:44

If you stay up to catch this,

0:36:440:36:45

then you'll be buying the cheapest seats on the flight.

0:36:450:36:47

OK, that means I'm going to have a late night.

0:36:470:36:49

If you...

0:36:490:36:51

..they'll be able to get the special offer straight to you.

0:36:510:36:53

That's very interesting. I shall try that next time.

0:36:530:36:56

Don't always book a year ahead travel,

0:36:560:36:58

wait and see if the airline has a sale.

0:36:580:37:01

And Oliver's final tip to get the very best deal,

0:37:010:37:04

regardless of whether or not the airlines are watching you,

0:37:040:37:07

make sure you're always keeping a close eye on them.

0:37:070:37:11

Spend just five minutes a week looking at their website

0:37:110:37:14

and seeing when they have their sales,

0:37:140:37:16

recording it in a document on your computer.

0:37:160:37:18

You'll then be able to know in the future

0:37:180:37:20

whether or not you're getting good value for money

0:37:200:37:22

on flights that you're buying.

0:37:220:37:23

And for just five minutes a week of effort,

0:37:230:37:26

you can potentially save £1,000 a year for the rest of your life.

0:37:260:37:28

Meanwhile, back in Glasgow,

0:37:300:37:31

even if they're not being watched,

0:37:310:37:33

Margaret, Lisa and John still don't think a price should change

0:37:330:37:36

once you've clicked to buy it.

0:37:360:37:38

It's definitely made me, like, more wary

0:37:390:37:41

about booking things like plane tickets and trains.

0:37:410:37:45

Why and how do they put up the prices?

0:37:450:37:48

It's not transparent.

0:37:480:37:49

The price that you start with doesn't finish.

0:37:490:37:53

It's just not right.

0:37:530:37:54

Once again, we took Rip-Off Britain on the road,

0:38:030:38:06

setting up our pop-up advice clinic

0:38:060:38:08

in one of the UK's biggest shopping centres,

0:38:080:38:11

the Trafford Centre in Manchester.

0:38:110:38:13

It's a great way to meet as many of you as we can,

0:38:140:38:17

and give on the spot advice on all your consumer troubles.

0:38:170:38:20

We've been watching you for many, many years!

0:38:200:38:23

-Oh, that's kind of you to say so.

-And you look amazing!

-Thank you!

0:38:230:38:25

Holiday questions have been top of the agenda here at our pop-up shop,

0:38:280:38:32

and so many people have been coming to see our lovely travel expert,

0:38:320:38:35

Simon Calder.

0:38:350:38:38

Yours is the kind of story

0:38:380:38:39

that I know Simon likes to get his teeth into.

0:38:390:38:42

In January 2015,

0:38:420:38:44

Christine and John Davies from Crewe booked a big trip to Turkey

0:38:440:38:48

with 11 members of their family.

0:38:480:38:50

But after paying a deposit of £2,200,

0:38:500:38:53

some unexpected news meant they'd no choice but to cancel.

0:38:530:38:56

How come you didn't go, what happened?

0:38:580:39:00

Unfortunately, in the March, I was diagnosed with breast cancer.

0:39:000:39:04

I had to have surgery,

0:39:050:39:07

followed by chemotherapy,

0:39:070:39:09

followed by radiotherapy.

0:39:090:39:12

Christine was too poorly to go on holiday,

0:39:120:39:14

and even though the travel firm had offered to delay the trip

0:39:140:39:17

by six months,

0:39:170:39:18

Christine didn't think she would be well enough by that time, either,

0:39:180:39:21

so they cancelled the whole thing.

0:39:210:39:24

But Christine's travel insurance company made clear

0:39:240:39:26

they wouldn't be getting back all of the deposit.

0:39:260:39:30

-What happened?

-Well, they e-mailed and said,

0:39:300:39:32

the only people that were covered was myself and my husband.

0:39:320:39:36

-Not all 11 of you?

-Not all 11 of us.

0:39:360:39:38

They said that the others would have to claim under their insurance,

0:39:380:39:43

on their travel insurance.

0:39:430:39:45

-Oh...

-Had they booked travel insurance?

0:39:450:39:47

One had, one hadn't.

0:39:470:39:48

But the one that had, they wouldn't pay him out

0:39:480:39:51

because he hadn't paid the holiday.

0:39:510:39:54

Plus, they said there was no reason why he couldn't go

0:39:540:39:58

on the holiday, anyway.

0:39:580:40:00

So how much did you finally get back?

0:40:000:40:02

We got back £295.

0:40:020:40:04

-Instead of 2,200?

-Yes.

0:40:040:40:07

-Ooh.

-That sounds like a really bum deal, Simon.

-Right.

0:40:070:40:09

Well, especially since there you were,

0:40:090:40:12

going through this awful treatment with all the health worries,

0:40:120:40:15

you know, really alarming time for the whole family,

0:40:150:40:18

and suddenly, you're told, "Oh, by the way,

0:40:180:40:20

"we're hanging onto your money

0:40:200:40:22

"and you can't claim it back on insurance."

0:40:220:40:24

Had you asked me before you made that booking,

0:40:240:40:27

I would have told you two things.

0:40:270:40:29

First of all, if you're going to buy a £12,000 holiday

0:40:290:40:32

and put down, what, a £2,000 deposit,

0:40:320:40:35

then take out travel insurance for the whole thing at the same time.

0:40:350:40:40

As we've said before,

0:40:400:40:41

taking out travel insurance

0:40:410:40:43

to cover you from the point of booking your holiday,

0:40:430:40:45

and not just for the period while you're way,

0:40:450:40:48

means that in the event you have to cancel,

0:40:480:40:50

you won't lose any money you've already paid.

0:40:500:40:53

And Simon has another tip for avoiding losing out

0:40:530:40:56

should you need to change your travel plans.'

0:40:560:40:58

To avoid all of that pain,

0:41:000:41:01

I would have said, "When are you going?

0:41:010:41:03

"September? Don't even think about booking it yet."

0:41:030:41:07

I would've said, "Maybe have a look in June, July."

0:41:070:41:10

You'll still be able to get a great place to go on holiday,

0:41:100:41:13

you just won't have that risk exposure,

0:41:130:41:15

for so much money over such a long time.

0:41:150:41:18

Well, I'm pleased to say that Christine is making a full recovery.

0:41:180:41:22

But instead of rebooking the same holiday, the couple decided

0:41:220:41:25

to take their four grandchildren to Cyprus instead.

0:41:250:41:28

And there's one more bit of advice

0:41:280:41:30

that's key to protecting themselves in the future.

0:41:300:41:33

Pay part of your deposit with a credit card,

0:41:330:41:36

even if it's only £1 or a fiver.

0:41:360:41:38

The fact that you've paid £1 or £5 on your credit card

0:41:380:41:41

means that the whole sum is covered.

0:41:410:41:44

-Are you doing my job for me?

-No, I'm not!

0:41:440:41:46

It's what I've learnt by listening to you, Simon!

0:41:460:41:49

I'm just sorry,

0:41:490:41:50

and I do hope you get to have a holiday with the family.

0:41:500:41:53

But get in touch, tell me when you're travelling,

0:41:530:41:55

and I will tell you the best time to book.

0:41:550:41:57

You couldn't ask better.

0:41:570:41:58

Don't go to your travel agent, go to Simon Calder.

0:41:580:42:01

He'll sort it out, then you write the cheque or pay.

0:42:010:42:04

THEY LAUGH

0:42:040:42:06

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

0:42:100:42:13

you can join in the conversation on our Facebook page,

0:42:130:42:16

just look for BBC Rip Off Britain.

0:42:160:42:18

Or you can log onto our website, bbc.co.uk/ripoffbritain.

0:42:180:42:23

If you'd like to send us an e-mail, then our address is...

0:42:230:42:25

Or if you want to send us a letter, then our new address is...

0:42:280:42:32

Well, I'm afraid we've reached the end of the journey for today,

0:42:430:42:46

but on the way, with any luck,

0:42:460:42:47

you've learned a few tricks of the airline trade

0:42:470:42:49

that even if they don't save you any money,

0:42:490:42:52

could well save you a bit of time the next time you go abroad.

0:42:520:42:55

I was particularly interested in hearing how airline pricing works.

0:42:550:42:59

And while we might think that there's

0:42:590:43:00

a touch of the dark arts about it,

0:43:000:43:02

in fact, it seems that the secret really is

0:43:020:43:05

just to use your common sense!

0:43:050:43:06

And if you can, keep an eye on the ups and downs in pricing

0:43:060:43:10

over the months before you book.

0:43:100:43:12

And that way, you will get

0:43:120:43:14

a sense of what is likely to be the lowest price.

0:43:140:43:16

Well, with the huge number of airlines we have these days,

0:43:160:43:19

it's very hard to believe that once there were so very few of them.

0:43:190:43:23

But while things may have seemed a lot simpler back then,

0:43:230:43:26

it was also a lot more expensive to fly.

0:43:260:43:29

So in the end, all of that choice is really good for consumers.

0:43:290:43:32

But at that point, that's where we have to leave it for today.

0:43:320:43:35

Hope you've enjoyed the programme.

0:43:350:43:36

And we'll be back with more of your stories very soon.

0:43:360:43:39

So until then, from all of us, happy landings and bye-bye.

0:43:390:43:42

-Goodbye.

-Goodbye.

0:43:420:43:44

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