0:00:02 > 0:00:04We asked you who's left you feeling ripped off
0:00:04 > 0:00:05when it comes to your holidays,
0:00:05 > 0:00:09and you came back with a catalogue of travel disasters.
0:00:09 > 0:00:11Letting us come all this way
0:00:11 > 0:00:15to be told we're going home on the next day? Just furious.
0:00:15 > 0:00:17It has tainted the whole experience
0:00:17 > 0:00:20of booking holidays and trusting companies.
0:00:20 > 0:00:22Whether it's a deliberate rip-off,
0:00:22 > 0:00:25a simple mistake or a catch in the small print,
0:00:25 > 0:00:27we'll find out why you're out of pocket
0:00:27 > 0:00:29and what you can do about it.
0:00:30 > 0:00:34Your stories. Your money. This is Rip-Off Britain.
0:00:36 > 0:00:38Hello, and welcome to Rip-Off Britain,
0:00:38 > 0:00:40and our very special series of programmes
0:00:40 > 0:00:42that are coming to you from Tenerife,
0:00:42 > 0:00:44where we're investigating more of those problems
0:00:44 > 0:00:48that you've experienced with your holidays and travel.
0:00:48 > 0:00:50And, today, we're looking in particular
0:00:50 > 0:00:53at the rather bumpy ride that some of you have had
0:00:53 > 0:00:56- with the big-name airlines. - You're so right,
0:00:56 > 0:00:58because from flights being cancelled
0:00:58 > 0:01:01to companies refusing to compensate you for delays,
0:01:01 > 0:01:04or even worse, going out of business altogether,
0:01:04 > 0:01:06a lot of you have told us it certainly wasn't plain sailing
0:01:06 > 0:01:08when you jetted off on your last trip.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11And very often, through no fault of your own,
0:01:11 > 0:01:15you've ended up not just feeling let-down, but right out of pocket.
0:01:15 > 0:01:18And the trouble is, it isn't always easy to know what your rights are,
0:01:18 > 0:01:21especially as you may be told entirely different things
0:01:21 > 0:01:24by different people. Well, we're going to be giving you
0:01:24 > 0:01:27all the advice you need so that, if the same thing happens
0:01:27 > 0:01:29next time you take to the skies,
0:01:29 > 0:01:32you'll know exactly what you need to do.
0:01:33 > 0:01:37Coming up, why, months after Monarch Airlines went bust,
0:01:37 > 0:01:40some of the passengers left stranded overseas
0:01:40 > 0:01:42are still hundreds of pounds out of pocket.
0:01:42 > 0:01:46The thoughts that were going through our head at the time were,
0:01:46 > 0:01:49- "How do we get home?" - What are you going to do?
0:01:50 > 0:01:52And the airport teams whose job it is
0:01:52 > 0:01:56to try and stop birds from hitting your plane.
0:01:56 > 0:02:00Potentially, a bird or an animal could strike the aircraft
0:02:00 > 0:02:03and bring it down. That's the ultimate.
0:02:03 > 0:02:05So, we're here to prevent that.
0:02:09 > 0:02:13One of the biggest travel stories to hit the headlines in 2017
0:02:13 > 0:02:17was the collapse of one of the UK's biggest airlines, Monarch.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20Not only did 2,000 staff lose their jobs,
0:02:20 > 0:02:24but over 300,000 holiday-makers were left stranded abroad,
0:02:24 > 0:02:27and the travel plans for another half a million or so
0:02:27 > 0:02:29were left in complete disarray.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32Now, this not only highlighted just how tricky it can be
0:02:32 > 0:02:36to keep an airline afloat, it also shone a light
0:02:36 > 0:02:40on the sort of protection that consumers can expect
0:02:40 > 0:02:43if they're caught up in situations like this when things go wrong.
0:02:43 > 0:02:47Because whilst, eventually, every one of those passengers
0:02:47 > 0:02:50who were still stuck abroad were repatriated,
0:02:50 > 0:02:55for those yet to travel with the stricken airline,
0:02:55 > 0:02:57things were a lot less certain.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01One of the first big names on the scene
0:03:01 > 0:03:03when the package-holiday market took off,
0:03:03 > 0:03:07Monarch Airlines had been flying to destinations in Europe
0:03:07 > 0:03:10and beyond since the 1960s. In recent years,
0:03:10 > 0:03:13it had been carrying around 5 million passengers,
0:03:13 > 0:03:18among them, the Parrys from Llandovery in South Wales.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21We're quite a big family. There's me and my husband.
0:03:21 > 0:03:25I've also got three sons by the name of Jacob, Jamie and Jack,
0:03:25 > 0:03:28and then we've got a daughter by the name of Ellie.
0:03:28 > 0:03:33Mum Sarah had booked all of them onto Monarch flights to Tenerife
0:03:33 > 0:03:35as part of a trip arranged through
0:03:35 > 0:03:37an online firm, A1 Travel -
0:03:37 > 0:03:40a company they'd travelled with the year before.
0:03:40 > 0:03:42Last year, we went for seven days,
0:03:42 > 0:03:46and we decided that seven days wasn't quite long enough,
0:03:46 > 0:03:49so we decided, this year, we were going to go for ten days instead.
0:03:49 > 0:03:53And, altogether, it cost us about £5,500.
0:03:55 > 0:03:58It had been a particularly tough year for the family.
0:03:58 > 0:04:00Not only had her husband Daniel been out of action
0:04:00 > 0:04:02after a serious back operation,
0:04:02 > 0:04:05but with both of their youngest boys having cerebral palsy
0:04:05 > 0:04:08and eldest son Jack having coeliac disease,
0:04:08 > 0:04:11this family holiday to Tenerife really meant a lot.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14We were really excited about just having ten days together,
0:04:14 > 0:04:17because we do have quite a lot of hospital appointments and things,
0:04:17 > 0:04:20as well, because of the boys' medical conditions,
0:04:20 > 0:04:23so it was nice just to have a break away from routine
0:04:23 > 0:04:25and just enjoy time together as a family.
0:04:25 > 0:04:29But just three weeks before departure,
0:04:29 > 0:04:30some bad news hit.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32Monarch is the UK's fifth-biggest airline
0:04:32 > 0:04:35and the largest ever to collapse.
0:04:35 > 0:04:37Customers due to fly from the UK have been told
0:04:37 > 0:04:39not to go to the airport.
0:04:39 > 0:04:43Monarch Airlines had gone into administration
0:04:43 > 0:04:45and was no longer operating,
0:04:45 > 0:04:48which meant thousands of flights booked with the company
0:04:48 > 0:04:50were instantly cancelled.
0:04:50 > 0:04:52And I'd just gone online and checked my phone,
0:04:52 > 0:04:56and then I read an article saying they'd gone into administration.
0:04:56 > 0:05:00"Please contact the Civil Aviation Authority for advice."
0:05:00 > 0:05:03Sarah was one of hundreds of thousands of people
0:05:03 > 0:05:06to suddenly discover that the Monarch flights they'd booked
0:05:06 > 0:05:09had been cancelled without warning.
0:05:09 > 0:05:10No-one rang me from Monarch.
0:05:10 > 0:05:13No-one rang me from any other company to tell me.
0:05:13 > 0:05:15No e-mails. Nothing.
0:05:15 > 0:05:16I'm still in shock, really,
0:05:16 > 0:05:19because we've just arrived only to find this out.
0:05:19 > 0:05:23Sarah immediately contacted her travel agent, A1 Travel,
0:05:23 > 0:05:24to ask them what to do next,
0:05:24 > 0:05:28and it was then that the impact of the Monarch collapse became clear.
0:05:28 > 0:05:32The travel agent got back to me and said,
0:05:32 > 0:05:35"We'll have a look at some alternative flights for you.
0:05:35 > 0:05:39"We can find you some travelling from Birmingham Airport,
0:05:39 > 0:05:42"but you're going to have to cut your holiday short by three days
0:05:42 > 0:05:45"and it's going to cost you £2,300,"
0:05:45 > 0:05:49whereas the original Monarch flights cost £1,300.
0:05:49 > 0:05:51Sarah was shocked.
0:05:51 > 0:05:55She'd assumed that, as she'd bought a package through A1 Travel,
0:05:55 > 0:05:58it would book and cover the cost of the alternative flights,
0:05:58 > 0:06:00but unbeknownst to her,
0:06:00 > 0:06:03A1 Travel was also feeling the strain of the Monarch collapse
0:06:03 > 0:06:05and was struggling to pay out for any
0:06:05 > 0:06:08of the now rapidly increasing replacement flights,
0:06:08 > 0:06:10which, a week before the family was due to travel,
0:06:10 > 0:06:13led to another devastating blow.
0:06:13 > 0:06:17I just happened to look online the Friday before we were leaving
0:06:17 > 0:06:21and I just found out that the travel agent, A1 Travel,
0:06:21 > 0:06:23had gone into administration.
0:06:23 > 0:06:25I just looked at that and I just started crying,
0:06:25 > 0:06:28cos I thought, "Oh, that's it now. That must be it.
0:06:28 > 0:06:31"We can't be going on holiday. What can be done about this?"
0:06:32 > 0:06:35Sarah had already lost her flights,
0:06:35 > 0:06:39and now it seemed she faced losing the rest of the trip, as well.
0:06:39 > 0:06:41Fortunately, another firm stepped in
0:06:41 > 0:06:43to take over A1 Travel's future bookings,
0:06:43 > 0:06:46and that secured Sarah's accommodation.
0:06:46 > 0:06:48But without flights to get her there,
0:06:48 > 0:06:50her holiday was still in jeopardy.
0:06:50 > 0:06:52In desperation, she went online herself
0:06:52 > 0:06:56and managed to find some for £1,800.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59And though Sarah and the family did manage to have
0:06:59 > 0:07:00their much-needed break,
0:07:00 > 0:07:03the whole mess had left her out of pocket.
0:07:03 > 0:07:07It's still not clear exactly how we're going to get money back.
0:07:07 > 0:07:11We've still lost the original £1,300 that we paid to Monarch.
0:07:11 > 0:07:17Then we've also had to pay an extra £1,800 on top for new flights.
0:07:17 > 0:07:19Immediately after the collapse of Monarch,
0:07:19 > 0:07:22industry regulator the Civil Aviation Authority
0:07:22 > 0:07:25announced that those customers who had booked a package holiday
0:07:25 > 0:07:29with Monarch Holidays, or, indeed, any ATOL-protected travel agent,
0:07:29 > 0:07:33would be protected after the airline's collapse,
0:07:33 > 0:07:38as travel expert Simon Calder explains.
0:07:38 > 0:07:42If you've got an ATOL certificate, you're in a pretty strong position.
0:07:42 > 0:07:44Whether you've booked a proper package holiday,
0:07:44 > 0:07:48in which case, the tour operator is responsible for everything,
0:07:48 > 0:07:51or you've booked a holiday which is covered by Flight-Plus,
0:07:51 > 0:07:55you're in a good position. Many people, after Monarch,
0:07:55 > 0:07:57who had booked through an online travel agent
0:07:57 > 0:08:00with a Flight-Plus ATOL certificate
0:08:00 > 0:08:04found that the company simply had to go out and buy new flights,
0:08:04 > 0:08:07or offer them a full refund.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11But, of course, it wasn't quite so simple for Sarah,
0:08:11 > 0:08:15because the travel agent she'd booked through had also gone bust,
0:08:15 > 0:08:18meaning that she didn't instantly get the protection
0:08:18 > 0:08:19that she might have expected,
0:08:19 > 0:08:24and had to stump up for the replacement flights herself.
0:08:24 > 0:08:27Holidays are supposed to be such a relaxing, happy time,
0:08:27 > 0:08:29but the whole thing was stressful.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33Well, the good news for Sarah is that,
0:08:33 > 0:08:36since we filmed with her, she has been able to claim back
0:08:36 > 0:08:39the cost of her original flights from the CAA.
0:08:39 > 0:08:42It told us that any A1 Travel customers
0:08:42 > 0:08:45who'd had Monarch flights and incurred additional costs
0:08:45 > 0:08:48in booking replacements will be able to do the same.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51But I'm afraid not everyone who ended up out of pocket
0:08:51 > 0:08:54after Monarch's collapse has been so lucky.
0:08:54 > 0:08:59Pat and Billy Wills from Teesside were among 110,000 Monarch customers
0:08:59 > 0:09:03already abroad when they heard that the airline was out of business
0:09:03 > 0:09:06and that their flights home were cancelled.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09The thoughts that were going through our head at the time were,
0:09:09 > 0:09:11"How do we get home?"
0:09:11 > 0:09:13It was just, like, feeling horrendous.
0:09:13 > 0:09:16Then, all of a sudden, the pressure starts building.
0:09:16 > 0:09:17What are you going to do?
0:09:18 > 0:09:21Most of the passengers who feared they were stranded
0:09:21 > 0:09:25were rescued by a huge-scale repatriation programme
0:09:25 > 0:09:26organised by the CAA,
0:09:26 > 0:09:30which saw more than 85,000 people brought home
0:09:30 > 0:09:33on around 560 specially laid-on flights.
0:09:33 > 0:09:37The two-week operation was hailed a huge success,
0:09:37 > 0:09:39but not by Pat and Billy in Turkey,
0:09:39 > 0:09:44because the last of these flights took off on the 15th of October -
0:09:44 > 0:09:48just one day before they were due to return.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51We were flying home on the 16th of October -
0:09:51 > 0:09:54a day after the cut-off of the 15th -
0:09:54 > 0:09:56and we were absolutely stunned that we weren't covered.
0:09:56 > 0:09:58We couldn't understand why.
0:09:58 > 0:10:02What was the difference between flying home on the 15th or the 16th?
0:10:02 > 0:10:04To us, there was none.
0:10:04 > 0:10:10So, then, it meant we had to go and find flights to get home
0:10:10 > 0:10:13at our own cost.
0:10:13 > 0:10:17Billy and Pat had fallen JUST outside of the period
0:10:17 > 0:10:21in which the CAA would organise and pay for replacement flights
0:10:21 > 0:10:22for those stuck abroad.
0:10:22 > 0:10:27What's more, because the couple had booked just their flights,
0:10:27 > 0:10:29it seemed that they did not have the same rights
0:10:29 > 0:10:32as those who had booked a full package. As a result,
0:10:32 > 0:10:36the couple ended up booking new flights to Manchester Airport,
0:10:36 > 0:10:39from where they had to get a taxi all the way to Leeds Bradford
0:10:39 > 0:10:41in order to pick up their car. In total,
0:10:41 > 0:10:45their return journey cost them an extra £550.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48So, as soon as Pat and Billy got home,
0:10:48 > 0:10:50they got on to their travel insurance company
0:10:50 > 0:10:53to make a claim for the money that they'd paid out.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56Thought we would have been covered,
0:10:56 > 0:10:59and then, when the lady come back to us after a pause on the phone,
0:10:59 > 0:11:01she said, "No, there's an exclusion.
0:11:01 > 0:11:05"When a firm goes into liquidation, we won't pay out."
0:11:05 > 0:11:09Well, when we raised Pat and Billy's case with the CAA,
0:11:09 > 0:11:12it told us that those without ATOL protection
0:11:12 > 0:11:14who fell outside its repatriation window
0:11:14 > 0:11:17should take the matter up with their insurers,
0:11:17 > 0:11:22as, of course, the couple had done, or with their credit card provider.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25And though that second route has now got the cost
0:11:25 > 0:11:27of the original Monarch flights back,
0:11:27 > 0:11:31they still remain out of pocket for the difference they had to pay
0:11:31 > 0:11:37for their new flights and taxis to a different airport - around £250.
0:11:37 > 0:11:41But, certainly, both they and Sarah would say that sorting out
0:11:41 > 0:11:44the whole mess felt unnecessarily convoluted.
0:11:44 > 0:11:47So, it's good news that the Department of Transport
0:11:47 > 0:11:50told Pat that it's going to be looking at what can be done
0:11:50 > 0:11:54to minimise the impact of similar events in the future.
0:11:54 > 0:11:58It says it had already been planning to modernise ATOL protection
0:11:58 > 0:12:01to bring it more in line with updated rules around package travel
0:12:01 > 0:12:04and will now be exploring that further,
0:12:04 > 0:12:08taking on board the lessons learned from what happened with Monarch.
0:12:08 > 0:12:14In the meantime, Pat and Billy say they will now think very carefully
0:12:14 > 0:12:18about how they book their trips in future.
0:12:18 > 0:12:22This experience has taught us that - certainly me -
0:12:22 > 0:12:24that if you're going to book anything,
0:12:24 > 0:12:26make sure you're ATOL protected,
0:12:26 > 0:12:29because if a company is going to go bust,
0:12:29 > 0:12:33well, that can happen any time, I suppose,
0:12:33 > 0:12:35but if you're ATOL protected,
0:12:35 > 0:12:38you know for certain that you're going to be brought home.
0:12:38 > 0:12:42Somebody will pay for you to get you home, at no cost to you.
0:12:48 > 0:12:52Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Well, our next report is about both.
0:12:52 > 0:12:55It's a fact that thousands of birds
0:12:55 > 0:12:57strike the engines of planes every year,
0:12:57 > 0:13:01causing anything from minor delays to complete engine failure.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04Indeed, so common has this kind of incident become
0:13:04 > 0:13:07that many airports in the UK and around the world
0:13:07 > 0:13:11now have full-time teams dedicated to scaring birds away
0:13:11 > 0:13:13in order to keep things running smoothly.
0:13:13 > 0:13:15What's more, the frequency of such events
0:13:15 > 0:13:19used to mean that if your flight was delayed by a bird strike,
0:13:19 > 0:13:20depending on where you flew from,
0:13:20 > 0:13:23you might have been able to claim compensation.
0:13:23 > 0:13:27But a recent EU ruling has put paid to all of that,
0:13:27 > 0:13:29flying in the face of recent industry opinion,
0:13:29 > 0:13:32in deciding that bird strikes are not something
0:13:32 > 0:13:34anyone could see coming,
0:13:34 > 0:13:38and that verdict is set to leave thousands of people out of pocket.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43This is what a bird strike looks like.
0:13:43 > 0:13:44Watch this flight taking off
0:13:44 > 0:13:47from Manchester Airport in 2007.
0:13:47 > 0:13:52A bird hits one of the engines, creating an emergency situation.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55- ON RADIO:- Mayday, Mayday, Mayday. Thompson 253 Hotel.
0:13:55 > 0:13:58Engine failure. We are continuing north-westerly
0:13:58 > 0:14:00and then inbound toward Wallasey.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03And, a few minutes later, the pilot makes a textbook landing,
0:14:03 > 0:14:06bringing everyone safely back to the ground.
0:14:06 > 0:14:09Thankfully, in this case, no-one is hurt or injured,
0:14:09 > 0:14:12but passengers won't have escaped completely unscathed.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15Many of them will now face lengthy delays
0:14:15 > 0:14:18while a replacement plane is found.
0:14:21 > 0:14:24Mary Stead from Southport knows all about that.
0:14:24 > 0:14:28She experienced a long hold-up after an incident with an easyJet flight
0:14:28 > 0:14:33supposed to be taking her from Belfast to Liverpool in 2017.
0:14:33 > 0:14:36We arrived two hours prior to our flight.
0:14:36 > 0:14:38We went through the airport security.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41When we got through the airport security,
0:14:41 > 0:14:44we went to go for a cup of coffee
0:14:44 > 0:14:48and then my phone pinged, and when I looked at my phone,
0:14:48 > 0:14:54it was a text message from easyJet to say my flight had been cancelled.
0:14:55 > 0:14:58Mary was told that the next flight back to Liverpool
0:14:58 > 0:15:00wasn't until ten o'clock that evening,
0:15:00 > 0:15:04which meant a nine-hour wait at Belfast Airport.
0:15:04 > 0:15:06Whilst she was redoing the paperwork,
0:15:06 > 0:15:10I actually said to the lady behind the checkout desk,
0:15:10 > 0:15:14"What's the problem?" And she said, "Oh, it's a technical fault."
0:15:14 > 0:15:16There was nothing we could do.
0:15:16 > 0:15:20Nobody came to us to explain why there was a delay,
0:15:20 > 0:15:23why the flight was cancelled.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26We just had to find a seat and make ourselves comfortable
0:15:26 > 0:15:27for the rest of the evening, really.
0:15:29 > 0:15:31The wait was particularly difficult
0:15:31 > 0:15:36because Mary's husband, Norman, suffers from Parkinson's disease,
0:15:36 > 0:15:37and to make matters worse,
0:15:37 > 0:15:42the replacement flight was also delayed by 90 minutes.
0:15:42 > 0:15:47We took off the tarmac at 11.35.
0:15:47 > 0:15:54We eventually walked into my front door at 1.15am,
0:15:54 > 0:15:57after being at the airport from one o'clock.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00We were in a terrible state. Absolutely awful.
0:16:02 > 0:16:04Once back home, Mary contacted easyJet
0:16:04 > 0:16:06to ask for compensation,
0:16:06 > 0:16:09believing that, as she'd been told it was a technical fault,
0:16:09 > 0:16:12she'd be due some sort of pay-out.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15But it was at that point that the words "bird strike"
0:16:15 > 0:16:17entered the picture.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20"We apologise that your flight was cancelled.
0:16:20 > 0:16:23"However, it was a bird strike
0:16:23 > 0:16:25"and we are not liable
0:16:25 > 0:16:30"to refund any monies or any compensation."
0:16:30 > 0:16:33And I was so angry.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37You see, mention of a bird strike makes a big difference
0:16:37 > 0:16:40when it comes to the question of compensation.
0:16:40 > 0:16:42Under current EU regulations,
0:16:42 > 0:16:46bird strikes are classed as beyond the control of airlines,
0:16:46 > 0:16:49and, therefore, an extraordinary circumstance,
0:16:49 > 0:16:52meaning airlines don't have to pay out compensation
0:16:52 > 0:16:54for any delay one may cause.
0:16:54 > 0:16:57But Mary doesn't think that's right.
0:16:57 > 0:17:01I think it is the airline's responsibility to control this.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04If they know that these things happen,
0:17:04 > 0:17:06then they must have things in place
0:17:06 > 0:17:10to try and prevent these things happening.
0:17:11 > 0:17:14In fact, the whole issue of controlling birds
0:17:14 > 0:17:16and keeping them away from runways and planes
0:17:16 > 0:17:19has been a headache for airlines and airports for years.
0:17:19 > 0:17:24In fact, there are around 1,500 bird strikes in the UK each year,
0:17:24 > 0:17:28and every plane hit by a bird has to return to the nearest airport
0:17:28 > 0:17:30to get checked out as a precaution.
0:17:30 > 0:17:32The resulting delays and repairs
0:17:32 > 0:17:35can have serious financial repercussions,
0:17:35 > 0:17:38which is why a number of the UK's major airports
0:17:38 > 0:17:41employ bird control officers like Trish,
0:17:41 > 0:17:44who works here at Liverpool's John Lennon Airport.
0:17:44 > 0:17:48Potentially, a bird or an animal could strike the aircraft
0:17:48 > 0:17:51and bring it down. That's the ultimate,
0:17:51 > 0:17:54so we're here to prevent that.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58As well as scaring birds away,
0:17:58 > 0:18:01Trish also has to try and stop them nesting -
0:18:01 > 0:18:04no mean feat on a 220-acre site.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07Due to its location - the airport's location -
0:18:07 > 0:18:09there's birds all the time.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12They operate on the tide, so it doesn't necessarily mean, say,
0:18:12 > 0:18:15because it's night-time, birds won't fly.
0:18:15 > 0:18:17If the tide's in at night-time,
0:18:17 > 0:18:20then we get an awful lot of birds on the airfields.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26If a single bird gets into the engine of a plane as it takes off,
0:18:26 > 0:18:28it could be catastrophic,
0:18:28 > 0:18:31so Trish has a number of tools in her armoury to keep them away,
0:18:31 > 0:18:33including this speaker...
0:18:33 > 0:18:35BIRDS CHIRP OVER SPEAKER
0:18:35 > 0:18:39..which plays the noises of rival birds across the airfield.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43The different seasons bring different types of birds.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46Some birds are migratory birds, so, in the winter,
0:18:46 > 0:18:49we get quite a lot of migratory birds,
0:18:49 > 0:18:52which is a potential hazard, but, you know,
0:18:52 > 0:18:54we do really well in controlling them.
0:18:56 > 0:18:57The main aspect of the job is
0:18:57 > 0:19:01for people to get on their holiday safely.
0:19:01 > 0:19:04Even when they get on that aircraft, you know, out onto the airfield,
0:19:04 > 0:19:07we're still making it possible for them. We're making it safe.
0:19:10 > 0:19:12Without the work of teams like this one,
0:19:12 > 0:19:16it's likely the incidence of bird strikes would be much higher,
0:19:16 > 0:19:19and by managing the bird population around airports,
0:19:19 > 0:19:22the consequences of such events can be minimised.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25Such careful planning has led some lawyers to argue
0:19:25 > 0:19:28that bird strikes are within an airline's control
0:19:28 > 0:19:30because if preventative measures
0:19:30 > 0:19:33like bird control officers are in place,
0:19:33 > 0:19:36they can't really be classed as extraordinary.
0:19:36 > 0:19:38Well, until recently, that was the conclusion
0:19:38 > 0:19:42that much of the legal profession had reached,
0:19:42 > 0:19:44with the thinking being that if a flight WAS delayed
0:19:44 > 0:19:46because of a bird strike,
0:19:46 > 0:19:49then passengers on that flight would be due compensation.
0:19:49 > 0:19:52But then, in May 2017,
0:19:52 > 0:19:56an unexpected decision at the European Court changed all that,
0:19:56 > 0:20:02as Coby Benson from law firm Bott & Co explains.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05Before the European Court decision in May 2017,
0:20:05 > 0:20:07numerous judges reached the decision
0:20:07 > 0:20:10that bird strikes weren't extraordinary.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13They were an inherent part of running an airline,
0:20:13 > 0:20:16that they were not an extraordinary circumstance.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19In the meantime, the European Court was also tasked
0:20:19 > 0:20:21with answering this question -
0:20:21 > 0:20:23whether or not bird strikes were extraordinary -
0:20:23 > 0:20:26and, for some reason, the judges at the European Court
0:20:26 > 0:20:28reached an entirely different view.
0:20:31 > 0:20:35So, whereas before, Mary might have been able to claim compensation
0:20:35 > 0:20:37for an 11-hour delay caused by a bird strike,
0:20:37 > 0:20:41that new ruling, which overrides all previous ones,
0:20:41 > 0:20:43means it's no longer possible.
0:20:43 > 0:20:47- Hello, Coby. Thank you for seeing me about this case.- That's OK.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50She's come to see Coby to find out more.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53Unfortunately, you have a bit of an uphill struggle now
0:20:53 > 0:20:56since the European Court handed down its judgment in May.
0:20:56 > 0:21:02However, there is potentially some hope for passengers such as yourself
0:21:02 > 0:21:04and that's because the law says that
0:21:04 > 0:21:05it's what's known as a two-part test,
0:21:05 > 0:21:08so the airline has to show not only that
0:21:08 > 0:21:10it was an extraordinary circumstance,
0:21:10 > 0:21:12but also that they took all reasonable measures
0:21:12 > 0:21:15to avoid the disruption that you experienced.
0:21:15 > 0:21:19Could, for instance, they have fixed the plane sooner than they did,
0:21:19 > 0:21:22and perhaps then you could have taken off with a bit of a delay
0:21:22 > 0:21:26rather than having your flight cancelled entirely?
0:21:26 > 0:21:28Or, for instance, did they look into other flights
0:21:28 > 0:21:30that were available that day?
0:21:30 > 0:21:34These would all need looking into in further detail.
0:21:34 > 0:21:37But getting an airline to disclose this kind of information
0:21:37 > 0:21:39can be tricky.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42Unfortunately, all the information is held by the airline,
0:21:42 > 0:21:46so passengers are ultimately at the mercy of the airlines
0:21:46 > 0:21:50to disclose that information to them as early as possible.
0:21:50 > 0:21:54The court rule's slightly unfair in that regard.
0:21:54 > 0:21:56They don't require the airlines
0:21:56 > 0:21:59to disclose everything that they have available to them.
0:21:59 > 0:22:01The airline only has to give what is helpful to their case,
0:22:01 > 0:22:04which really puts the passengers on a bit of a back foot.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09Since we filmed with Mary, however, there's been some very good news.
0:22:09 > 0:22:14Though easyJet has reiterated that bird strikes are clearly classified
0:22:14 > 0:22:18as an extraordinary circumstance for which no compensation is due,
0:22:18 > 0:22:20it's revealed that Mary's plane wasn't, in fact,
0:22:20 > 0:22:23the one that the bird had hit.
0:22:23 > 0:22:26The airline has told us that the plane she was due to fly on
0:22:26 > 0:22:30was the one used to replace the one hit by the bird strike.
0:22:30 > 0:22:33As such, her delay was down to a technical fault,
0:22:33 > 0:22:36for which she is entitled to compensation.
0:22:39 > 0:22:43Well, that's a relief for Mary, but she's still staggered
0:22:43 > 0:22:46by how complicated this whole process has been.
0:22:46 > 0:22:49I'm very unhappy with bird strikes.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52It caused me a lot of heartache and a lot of pain,
0:22:52 > 0:22:56and I wish somebody could actually prevent
0:22:56 > 0:22:59a lot more bird strikes happening in the future.
0:23:06 > 0:23:08The Trafford Centre in Manchester
0:23:08 > 0:23:10was the base for our annual pop-up shop,
0:23:10 > 0:23:13where our team of experts just love getting stuck into
0:23:13 > 0:23:17as many of your consumer issues and problems as they can.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22Carol and Keith Graham came to see Simon Calder
0:23:22 > 0:23:26after what they'd expected to be a return visit to a hotel
0:23:26 > 0:23:27they'd stayed in before
0:23:27 > 0:23:30proved to be an altogether different experience.
0:23:30 > 0:23:36We went to Cape Verde, to a hotel that we went to six years ago.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39When we got there,
0:23:39 > 0:23:42things weren't quite as we expected it.
0:23:42 > 0:23:44You know, you walked into reception, you're thinking,
0:23:44 > 0:23:46"I'm sure it was on the opposite side."
0:23:46 > 0:23:49And walking down to the beach,
0:23:49 > 0:23:51and we get to the opening and I just looked, and I said,
0:23:51 > 0:23:53"I've heard of global warming,
0:23:53 > 0:23:55"but where's the beach and where's the sea?"
0:23:55 > 0:23:58Both Keith and Carol were totally confused.
0:23:58 > 0:24:00Things at the hotel were just not as they remembered,
0:24:00 > 0:24:02and then the penny dropped.
0:24:02 > 0:24:06We thought we'd booked one hotel, where, in actual fact,
0:24:06 > 0:24:10it turned out that we'd booked the sister hotel next door to it.
0:24:10 > 0:24:12Was there a moment where you thought,
0:24:12 > 0:24:15- "Has my memory betrayed me?"- Yes, it does.- Yeah, you do think that.
0:24:15 > 0:24:18It turned out that, after they'd booked,
0:24:18 > 0:24:20the hotel the couple had previously stayed in
0:24:20 > 0:24:22had changed its name,
0:24:22 > 0:24:24with another hotel close by taking it on,
0:24:24 > 0:24:28and it was this second hotel that the couple ended up staying in,
0:24:28 > 0:24:31which, unfortunately, wasn't up to the same standard
0:24:31 > 0:24:33as the one they'd previously stayed in.
0:24:33 > 0:24:37When you were there, did you say, "Look, this isn't what we'd booked.
0:24:37 > 0:24:38"Please move us to the hotel we wanted"?
0:24:38 > 0:24:40Yes, and they said,
0:24:40 > 0:24:44"There is room there and it will cost you between £400-£600."
0:24:44 > 0:24:46- That's just for a week. - And that's for what you thought
0:24:46 > 0:24:49- you'd already booked and paid for already?- Yes.- Yes.
0:24:49 > 0:24:51As the identity switch happened after they'd booked,
0:24:51 > 0:24:54Keith and Karen believe that they're entitled to compensation
0:24:54 > 0:24:58because they didn't get the standard of hotel they'd paid out for.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01We booked our holiday in August,
0:25:01 > 0:25:05and the change of name didn't happen till November the 1st.
0:25:05 > 0:25:09- Right.- And we went in December. - And we went in December.- Right, OK.
0:25:09 > 0:25:11- Your complaint is simply, "We booked something."- Yes.
0:25:11 > 0:25:12"You didn't deliver it.
0:25:12 > 0:25:16- "Therefore, we would like some compensation, please."- Right.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19Keith and Carol have already made a complaint to the travel company,
0:25:19 > 0:25:22who told them that there was nothing they could to do
0:25:22 > 0:25:25and they would receive no compensation for the mix-up,
0:25:25 > 0:25:27but the couple want to take this further.
0:25:27 > 0:25:30So, you can either go to ABTA arbitration,
0:25:30 > 0:25:33the Travel Association has a fairly good scheme,
0:25:33 > 0:25:35or you can go to Money Claims Online,
0:25:35 > 0:25:38- the small claims court... - Yes.- ..and claim like that.
0:25:38 > 0:25:41But I'd say you've got a pretty strong case.
0:25:41 > 0:25:44Thank you very much indeed.
0:25:44 > 0:25:45Since filming with us,
0:25:45 > 0:25:47Keith and Carol followed Simon's advice
0:25:47 > 0:25:50and they took their case to the small claims court.
0:25:50 > 0:25:54Five months later, the travel firm finally agreed to pay compensation,
0:25:54 > 0:25:56so that is truly a great result.
0:26:00 > 0:26:04Also on hand to help out with advice was our legal expert, Gary Rycroft,
0:26:04 > 0:26:06who joined Simon to meet Sam and Amy.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09Well, Amy and Sam, it's very nice to meet you.
0:26:09 > 0:26:12Amy feels that she's been mis-sold accommodation
0:26:12 > 0:26:14for a holiday she was planning in Cuba.
0:26:14 > 0:26:17We picked this hotel due to the rooms were a bit more modern,
0:26:17 > 0:26:20cos it looked... Honestly, the pictures were really amazing.
0:26:20 > 0:26:22But since booking the holiday,
0:26:22 > 0:26:24the photos of the hotel on the website have changed,
0:26:24 > 0:26:28and there's no longer any sign of the glossy, modern rooms
0:26:28 > 0:26:30she thought they'd be getting.
0:26:30 > 0:26:34- So, Gary...- Well...- I was just going to ask Gary, actually. Is it then mis-selling or what?
0:26:34 > 0:26:36Yes, I think that's the word, actually, Gloria.
0:26:36 > 0:26:40So, Amy, you were induced to enter into the contract
0:26:40 > 0:26:44because of the photographs that were on display at that point
0:26:44 > 0:26:46and they have changed the website...
0:26:46 > 0:26:48- Yeah.- ..to now show accurate photographs.
0:26:48 > 0:26:52That is a fundamental change in your contract,
0:26:52 > 0:26:53because, as you say, Gloria,
0:26:53 > 0:26:57the holiday that Amy was booking was misrepresented to her.
0:26:57 > 0:27:00So, if, like Amy, you feel you were mis-sold a holiday
0:27:00 > 0:27:04based on false photographs, here is what you can do about it.
0:27:04 > 0:27:07Have the holiday company admitted to you
0:27:07 > 0:27:11that the photographs you saw and relied on were not accurate?
0:27:11 > 0:27:14- Well, yeah, through an e-mail. I got an e-mail yesterday.- Right.
0:27:14 > 0:27:15So, I think, in that case,
0:27:15 > 0:27:17you've got to go back to the holiday company
0:27:17 > 0:27:20and give them some options to sort it out.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23And those options might be a full refund,
0:27:23 > 0:27:26and you can just go off and start again and book somewhere else.
0:27:26 > 0:27:28Or you could say you will still go,
0:27:28 > 0:27:30but as the rooms aren't going to be as good
0:27:30 > 0:27:32as you thought they were going to be,
0:27:32 > 0:27:34- you'd like a discount, please.- Yeah. - What would you do, Simon?
0:27:34 > 0:27:36I'd just make sure that I went to Cuba.
0:27:36 > 0:27:39So, therefore, I'd be very much after the discount,
0:27:39 > 0:27:41but if they weren't going to deliver that,
0:27:41 > 0:27:43I'd say, "Thanks very much, I'll have my money back,
0:27:43 > 0:27:45"and I'm going to find another holiday
0:27:45 > 0:27:47"on the beautiful island of Cuba."
0:27:47 > 0:27:50Since we met Amy, she took our advice
0:27:50 > 0:27:52and contacted the travel agency,
0:27:52 > 0:27:54who, after numerous calls and e-mails,
0:27:54 > 0:27:57eventually agreed to give her a refund, which is excellent news.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00But Amy says she would never book a trip
0:28:00 > 0:28:02with the same company ever again.
0:28:07 > 0:28:11Still to come on Rip-Off Britain, why airline loyalty schemes
0:28:11 > 0:28:15may not always pay off in quite the way you'd expected.
0:28:15 > 0:28:20You feel very down when you're not getting something
0:28:20 > 0:28:23you believe you have genuinely earned.
0:28:27 > 0:28:31Our travel expert, Simon Calder, is full of the secrets
0:28:31 > 0:28:33to save you money on your travels.
0:28:33 > 0:28:36He also has tips on everything from how to avoid the crowds
0:28:36 > 0:28:40to the best way to steer clear of all those tourist traps.
0:28:40 > 0:28:42This time, it's a year-round favourite -
0:28:42 > 0:28:43the Canaries.
0:28:45 > 0:28:48The Canary Islands comprise the perfect escape -
0:28:48 > 0:28:50just four hours flying time from Britain
0:28:50 > 0:28:52and rather sunnier and warmer.
0:28:52 > 0:28:55From Tenerife and Gran Canaria to tiny La Graciosa
0:28:55 > 0:28:58and remote El Hierro, they're all distinctive,
0:28:58 > 0:29:02and deliver sun, sea and plenty of interest.
0:29:02 > 0:29:06But there's confusion about the islands' geopolitical status,
0:29:06 > 0:29:10by which I mean, every few days, someone gets in touch and says,
0:29:10 > 0:29:14"Simon, I'm going to the Canaries. I've got a British passport.
0:29:14 > 0:29:16"Does it need to be valid six months?"
0:29:16 > 0:29:18The answer is no,
0:29:18 > 0:29:22at least for as long as Britain remains part of the European Union.
0:29:22 > 0:29:26Spain is part of the EU, the Canaries are part of Spain,
0:29:26 > 0:29:31so your passport is valid up to and including its expiry date.
0:29:32 > 0:29:34But it's not that clear-cut,
0:29:34 > 0:29:37because although the Canaries are part of the EU,
0:29:37 > 0:29:40for customs purposes, they're not, which means...
0:29:40 > 0:29:42You get proper duty-free,
0:29:42 > 0:29:46but there are strict limits on what you can bring back to the UK -
0:29:46 > 0:29:51just one litre of spirits and four litres of wine.
0:29:51 > 0:29:54But none of that matters until you're leaving.
0:29:56 > 0:29:58During your stay, make sure you soak up
0:29:58 > 0:30:01everything that these volcanic islands have to offer.
0:30:01 > 0:30:04There's plenty to explore, with UNESCO World Heritage sites,
0:30:04 > 0:30:06their national parks, forests,
0:30:06 > 0:30:09volcanic landscape and mountain villages,
0:30:09 > 0:30:11and if it's around February time you're going,
0:30:11 > 0:30:15then Tenerife hosts the world famous Carnival de Santa Cruz de Tenerife,
0:30:15 > 0:30:18which honestly is well worth adding to your itinerary.
0:30:18 > 0:30:21Getting about the island is plain sailing, as well.
0:30:21 > 0:30:25The ferry network makes Canary island-hopping a real joy.
0:30:25 > 0:30:28You can easily combine Tenerife with Gran Canaria,
0:30:28 > 0:30:31and Fuerteventura with Lanzarote,
0:30:31 > 0:30:35or take the overnight sailing from Tenerife to La Palma
0:30:35 > 0:30:40and wake up on a deliciously distinctive island.
0:30:40 > 0:30:43And once on dry land, there are plenty of ways of getting around
0:30:43 > 0:30:46that would cost less than a round of drinks.
0:30:46 > 0:30:50To explore your chosen island, there's no real need to rent a car.
0:30:50 > 0:30:52The local buses are reliable and cheap.
0:30:52 > 0:30:54Hola!
0:30:55 > 0:30:57It's just under ten euros
0:30:57 > 0:31:00for the express pass from Playa de las Americas
0:31:00 > 0:31:05to the Tenerife capital, Santa Cruz - a distance of around 50 miles.
0:31:10 > 0:31:12If you've flown more than once with the same airline,
0:31:12 > 0:31:15then you may well have joined its loyalty scheme,
0:31:15 > 0:31:19the idea being that every time you fly, you build up points,
0:31:19 > 0:31:21so that once you've collected enough,
0:31:21 > 0:31:25you can exchange them for a discounted or even a free flight.
0:31:25 > 0:31:29But, great as that sounds, it's not always necessarily that simple,
0:31:29 > 0:31:32and you may not be able to cash in those hard-earned points
0:31:32 > 0:31:34in quite the way that you expected,
0:31:34 > 0:31:36leading quite a few of you to get in touch,
0:31:36 > 0:31:40saying that you feel, well, rather short-changed.
0:31:46 > 0:31:49From the early 1980s, airlines realised that
0:31:49 > 0:31:53keeping customers regularly flying with them and not their rivals
0:31:53 > 0:31:55was key to their survival,
0:31:55 > 0:31:59and so frequent-flyer programmes were born.
0:31:59 > 0:32:02Loyal customers could earn so-called air miles, or the like,
0:32:02 > 0:32:05which they could redeem against the cost of future flights,
0:32:05 > 0:32:09and today one of the best-known of these schemes remains this one -
0:32:09 > 0:32:10Avios.
0:32:10 > 0:32:12Collect Avios when you fly...
0:32:13 > 0:32:16Easy! ..when you hire a car with Avis,
0:32:16 > 0:32:19and when you shop at Tesco.
0:32:19 > 0:32:22Described as reward currency, the points you rack up
0:32:22 > 0:32:26from all sorts of spending can be used to book flights on BA,
0:32:26 > 0:32:29or its partners, Aer Lingus and Iberia.
0:32:29 > 0:32:32But far from offering limitless horizons,
0:32:32 > 0:32:35some of you have contacted us saying the scheme has left you feeling
0:32:35 > 0:32:38like you've actually had your wings clipped.
0:32:38 > 0:32:40Brian Blair from West Lothian
0:32:40 > 0:32:42has been collecting Avios points for years,
0:32:42 > 0:32:45and when British Airways e-mailed with an offer
0:32:45 > 0:32:49to buy a whopping 135,000 Avios points
0:32:49 > 0:32:53for £1,615, he jumped at the chance.
0:32:53 > 0:32:57It seemed an easy way to more quickly build up the points
0:32:57 > 0:32:59that could take him where he wanted to go.
0:32:59 > 0:33:02I was very excited because I wanted to visit Reykjavik
0:33:02 > 0:33:04to see the northern lights in Iceland,
0:33:04 > 0:33:08and it was one of the dream trips that I had on my list.
0:33:08 > 0:33:11Brian's new points could be used either to buy
0:33:11 > 0:33:16one of the handful of seats reserved for Avios members on a flight
0:33:16 > 0:33:19or as part payment on a discounted fare.
0:33:19 > 0:33:23But when he tried redeeming them to get that discount,
0:33:23 > 0:33:26he was horrified to discover that the points that he'd bought
0:33:26 > 0:33:30were now worth far less than the amount that he'd paid for them.
0:33:30 > 0:33:33When I made up my dream list of the places I wanted to visit,
0:33:33 > 0:33:39I found, to my horror, that the Avios value only came to about £900,
0:33:39 > 0:33:41when I expected it to come to the full amount
0:33:41 > 0:33:45that I had outlaid initially, which was £1,600.
0:33:45 > 0:33:47I was absolutely horrified.
0:33:47 > 0:33:50With his points worth less than expected
0:33:50 > 0:33:52on every flight that he looked into booking,
0:33:52 > 0:33:54Brian was left feeling very aggrieved.
0:33:54 > 0:33:57I was getting very, very upset with the airline.
0:33:57 > 0:34:00I had flown with them before
0:34:00 > 0:34:04and the customer service was appalling, in my opinion.
0:34:04 > 0:34:08An equally frustrated Avios member is John Latter from Tetbury.
0:34:08 > 0:34:12He collects points using his American Express credit card.
0:34:12 > 0:34:16The attraction with the Avios system is that
0:34:16 > 0:34:21if you spend over £10,000 a year on your credit card,
0:34:21 > 0:34:26you then qualify for what they call a companion seat.
0:34:26 > 0:34:29And that free extra seat is especially handy for John,
0:34:29 > 0:34:32as, each year, he and his wife travel
0:34:32 > 0:34:34to visit their grandchildren in Japan.
0:34:34 > 0:34:38So, after months of faithfully collecting his Avios points,
0:34:38 > 0:34:41he was thrilled to have built up what he thought was enough
0:34:41 > 0:34:44to get not just that companion seat,
0:34:44 > 0:34:46but an upgrade for the pair of them, too.
0:34:46 > 0:34:52Yeah, I was quite excited that I'd be able to book an upgrade
0:34:52 > 0:34:55into business class
0:34:55 > 0:35:02and receive the free companion seat for my wife in the same class,
0:35:02 > 0:35:06essentially free of charge, other than the airport taxes.
0:35:06 > 0:35:09But when he tried booking four months ahead
0:35:09 > 0:35:12of the dates that he hoped to fly, BA told Brian that,
0:35:12 > 0:35:14while he could have two economy seats,
0:35:14 > 0:35:18there were no business class seats available to Avios customers.
0:35:18 > 0:35:21When I questioned British Airways about this,
0:35:21 > 0:35:26they explained that there are only two business class seats
0:35:26 > 0:35:29and six economy class seats,
0:35:29 > 0:35:33and they are booked up very quickly.
0:35:33 > 0:35:37And having asked the young man how soon you could book,
0:35:37 > 0:35:42he said the earliest was 355 days
0:35:42 > 0:35:45prior to you booking.
0:35:45 > 0:35:49Disappointed but relieved that at least his wife had qualified
0:35:49 > 0:35:52for a free seat, John took the deal,
0:35:52 > 0:35:54but he was determined that, the next time,
0:35:54 > 0:35:57he would get all the benefits that his spending entitled him to,
0:35:57 > 0:36:00by booking a full year in advance.
0:36:00 > 0:36:04Unfortunately, however, despite getting back onto BA
0:36:04 > 0:36:06as soon as he was back in the UK,
0:36:06 > 0:36:09John was again told that, due to restrictions
0:36:09 > 0:36:13on the number of seats available to Avios customers,
0:36:13 > 0:36:15there was nothing available.
0:36:15 > 0:36:20You feel very down when you're not getting something
0:36:20 > 0:36:23you believe you have genuinely earned.
0:36:23 > 0:36:28Having been exceedingly disappointed with this whole system,
0:36:28 > 0:36:29we abandoned it.
0:36:31 > 0:36:35With both Brian and John feeling deflated by their Avios experiences,
0:36:35 > 0:36:39they're meeting with frequent-flyer expert, Rob Burgess.
0:36:39 > 0:36:41He's become so familiar with how to make the most
0:36:41 > 0:36:42of these kinds of schemes
0:36:42 > 0:36:46that he claims not to have bought a flight in five years,
0:36:46 > 0:36:49instead, travelling the world with his various rewards,
0:36:49 > 0:36:52and he's set up a website sharing his tips.
0:36:52 > 0:36:55- Hi, Rob.- Brian, nice to meet you. - Good to meet you. I'm Brian. Cheers.
0:36:55 > 0:36:57John. Pleased to meet you.
0:36:57 > 0:37:02First, Brian wants to know why the points he paid more than £1,600 for
0:37:02 > 0:37:05didn't end up having anything like that value.
0:37:05 > 0:37:07So, a couple of years ago, they brought in this new model,
0:37:07 > 0:37:11whereby you can use your points for any flight for a cash discount.
0:37:11 > 0:37:14The problem is, as you found, if you try and use your points
0:37:14 > 0:37:17for a cash discount on a flight, you don't get great value for them.
0:37:17 > 0:37:20The real way to try and maximise the value
0:37:20 > 0:37:24is to try and get one of the limited number of seats per flight
0:37:24 > 0:37:26which are made available for a full Avios redemption,
0:37:26 > 0:37:28where you can pay for the entire flight,
0:37:28 > 0:37:32apart from the airport charges and taxes, using your points.
0:37:32 > 0:37:33If you're prepared to do that,
0:37:33 > 0:37:37you'll find you will get decent value for your points.
0:37:37 > 0:37:40Brian's Avios options are also limited
0:37:40 > 0:37:44because BA has less flights from his local airport, Edinburgh,
0:37:44 > 0:37:48than it does from, say, Heathrow. Again, Rob has a solution,
0:37:48 > 0:37:51although it's still not quite what Brian was hoping for.
0:37:51 > 0:37:53Living outside of London, you need to be more flexible.
0:37:53 > 0:37:56Luckily, British Airways partners with various other airlines
0:37:56 > 0:37:59and you can also use your points to redeem with them.
0:37:59 > 0:38:03So, from Edinburgh, you can redeem on the American Airlines flights
0:38:03 > 0:38:05to New York and onwards in the States.
0:38:05 > 0:38:07Finnair fly from Edinburgh to Helsinki,
0:38:07 > 0:38:10and then onwards into Asia.
0:38:10 > 0:38:13In general, the best value from the Avios scheme
0:38:13 > 0:38:17is short-haul flights into Europe or premium economy,
0:38:17 > 0:38:20long-haul business class or long-haul first class.
0:38:20 > 0:38:22I hear what you're saying, Robert.
0:38:22 > 0:38:26I have no intentions of flying long-haul business class.
0:38:26 > 0:38:29That wasn't the reason I bought the miles in the first place.
0:38:29 > 0:38:33I think it's not clear, when I purchased them,
0:38:33 > 0:38:35what you would need to do to get your money's worth.
0:38:35 > 0:38:38And the news isn't much better for John,
0:38:38 > 0:38:41who'd hoped to use his points on particular flights.
0:38:41 > 0:38:43Again, Rob says total flexibility is key
0:38:43 > 0:38:46to making frequent-flyer schemes work the way
0:38:46 > 0:38:48that you hope they will.
0:38:48 > 0:38:51And on routes like the one John is targeting to Japan,
0:38:51 > 0:38:54to get what you want, you need to get in quick.
0:38:54 > 0:38:57Avios seats are seats that BA cannot easily sell.
0:38:57 > 0:38:59Tokyo is a very, very busy route.
0:38:59 > 0:39:02It's a very pricey route, especially in cherry-blossom season,
0:39:02 > 0:39:05and if you really want to go on a particular day,
0:39:05 > 0:39:08you have to target that 355 days out and get on the phone at midnight
0:39:08 > 0:39:11and grab the two business-class seats
0:39:11 > 0:39:14or the four economy seats, which come up immediately.
0:39:14 > 0:39:17If you don't do that, then you are sitting there checking
0:39:17 > 0:39:20once a week or so to see if BA's made some more seats available.
0:39:20 > 0:39:23Sometimes, you'll get lucky. Sometimes, you won't.
0:39:23 > 0:39:25Of course, we've heard similar complaints
0:39:25 > 0:39:29about the frequent-flyer programmes operated by other big names, too.
0:39:29 > 0:39:32And while it might seem a bit churlish
0:39:32 > 0:39:34to quibble about something that's a reward,
0:39:34 > 0:39:38when the people who've been in touch with us haven't had the benefits
0:39:38 > 0:39:39that they'd hoped for,
0:39:39 > 0:39:43or their points expire, as is often the case,
0:39:43 > 0:39:46they do end up wondering if their loyalty has been misplaced,
0:39:46 > 0:39:51and if these schemes really are all that they're cracked up to be.
0:39:51 > 0:39:55Meanwhile, we asked BA about Brian and John's experiences
0:39:55 > 0:39:59when they tried to cash in their points.
0:39:59 > 0:40:01While sorry they were disappointed,
0:40:01 > 0:40:05the airline told us it has 10 million Executive Club members
0:40:05 > 0:40:09who value spending their Avios on new flights.
0:40:09 > 0:40:12It said all the terms are clearly explained on its website
0:40:12 > 0:40:14and in the terms and conditions,
0:40:14 > 0:40:17and it has various tools to help customers find seats
0:40:17 > 0:40:19wherever they want to travel.
0:40:19 > 0:40:22BA also said 9 million redemption seats are reserved
0:40:22 > 0:40:27every year for customers who wish to pay entire fares with their Avios
0:40:27 > 0:40:31and the points can be used in part payment for any flight.
0:40:31 > 0:40:33And Avios itself told us
0:40:33 > 0:40:36it's committed to offering customers good value,
0:40:36 > 0:40:39and as many opportunities as possible to spend their points.
0:40:39 > 0:40:41But it reiterated that the seats available
0:40:41 > 0:40:45will vary from route to route, and from week to week,
0:40:45 > 0:40:47depending on commercial demand.
0:40:49 > 0:40:51As for Brian and John,
0:40:51 > 0:40:54they each still have tens of thousands of Avios points,
0:40:54 > 0:40:57and while, after meeting our expert, they've got plenty of ideas
0:40:57 > 0:41:00on how to use them to best advantage,
0:41:00 > 0:41:03John is not convinced that with any such scheme
0:41:03 > 0:41:05you'll always be able to spend your points
0:41:05 > 0:41:08exactly the way you would like.
0:41:08 > 0:41:11We are accumulating Avios,
0:41:11 > 0:41:16and in the event that we can find a direct flight
0:41:16 > 0:41:20and use the Avios with another airline, we will,
0:41:20 > 0:41:23but it isn't to say that we're not going to be faced
0:41:23 > 0:41:26with exactly the same situation.
0:41:33 > 0:41:35The truth is that Rip-Off Britain wouldn't be here
0:41:35 > 0:41:39without your stories, and we've got plenty of ways you can get in touch.
0:41:39 > 0:41:40You can send us an e-mail to...
0:41:45 > 0:41:47Or you can write to us at...
0:41:55 > 0:41:59But please do not send original copies of any documents,
0:41:59 > 0:42:02and even if you haven't got a story that you'd like us to investigate,
0:42:02 > 0:42:06you can always join in the conversation on our Facebook page.
0:42:06 > 0:42:09Just search "BBC Rip-Off Britain."
0:42:10 > 0:42:13Well, I'm afraid that's just about it for today,
0:42:13 > 0:42:15but I have to say that whilst I obviously knew that
0:42:15 > 0:42:18many thousands of people had been affected
0:42:18 > 0:42:22by the collapse of Monarch Airlines, what I had not realised
0:42:22 > 0:42:24was that there was still a huge number of people
0:42:24 > 0:42:27who still have their situation to be resolved.
0:42:27 > 0:42:29Nor me. To be absolutely honest, from all the news reports
0:42:29 > 0:42:32at the time about flights being laid on to bring people home,
0:42:32 > 0:42:35I'd got the impression that most cases were done and dusted.
0:42:35 > 0:42:38But, of course, that's what we're all here for -
0:42:38 > 0:42:41to highlight any of the problems that you're having difficulty with.
0:42:41 > 0:42:43And if you want to get something sorted out,
0:42:43 > 0:42:44that's even more special.
0:42:44 > 0:42:47Absolutely. So, if there's something that you're struggling with -
0:42:47 > 0:42:50and it can be to do with any consumer issue, not just holidays -
0:42:50 > 0:42:53then do please let us know and it could well be something
0:42:53 > 0:42:55that we investigate on a future programme.
0:42:55 > 0:42:58In the meantime, thank you very much for your company today.
0:42:58 > 0:43:02- We'll see you again very soon, but for now, from all of us, goodbye.- Goodbye.- Bye.