Flights changed after i paid in full

[wdw2011]

I booked last year and was suppose to fly from Dublin to jfk then onto Orlando with delta on the 26th August.

I paid my last payment a few weeks back and hadn't received any invoice which i thought was odd so got in touch as i was panicking about booking our seats i need to be together with family(im a very bad flyer) the holiday company i booked with wouldn't give me my flight information to do this until full payment was made ☹

But anyway got in touch to find out where my documents was and was told over the phone that i will be flying with virgin through Gatwick and have to make a connection flight from Dublin flying with Aer lingus that morning at 8.40am to Gatwick then our flight leaves Gatwick at 12.10pm

I know this sounds stupid but i went into a full blown panic attack after that phone call because i had the 51st & Green lounge booked to relax before our flight & we would of cleared customs before landing in America i felt so disappointed on the phone and the man actually turned around and said i should be happy because we actually arrive into Orlando 4hrs earlier

I mean i was so taken back i didn't even ask a reason behind such a change in itinerary for the flights but i think it was to do with the flight with delta was full because i had been checking myself online and the seats had been booking up fast hence the reason i saved so hard to get it paid when i did

The holiday company obviously hadn't our flights reserved at the time of my booking with them.I have since received all my documents through email and logged onto virgin and choose our seats but i feel so disappointed i have no idea what we are in for as we have never flown with virgin and never been to Gatwick before and only have 1hr 55mins to change over🤦can anyone help with this please our connection flight with Aer lingus is showing up with the virgin booking online so does that mean we dont have to collect our bags at Gatwick?
Or do we go straight to collect bags at Gatwick then to virgin check in desk?

I'm so confused (stupid i know) I have emailed the holiday company 3 times now asking the same questions but still no reply think i need to bit the bullet and ring them again.

[galaxyflorida]

If you ask when you check in at Dublin, your bags should be checked through so you don't have to pick them up. Same with boarding passes, as it's on one booking you should be able to get your passes in Dublin for your Virgin flight but do check.

One thing though at Gatwick Aer Lingus use the South terminal and Virgin use the north terminal. Easy to transfer though - just follow the signs and there's a tram (like what you'd find at Orlando).

If you want a lounge at Gatwick there's a few to choose from. Use this link: discountcode.dailymail/holiday-extras
and book through holiday extras and you get 10% off.

[Hooray4Disney]

Oh I do feel for you, as I am also having problems since also, paying in full for our flights!

I’m now on our third change! Very disappointed and not happy as they still have not been sorted out since I found out last night that they had changed again!

Have direct flights on the way out with Virgin but indirect with Delta on way home. At the moment, they have changed the indirect to have a 55 minute layover in Atlanta! I’m hoping that this is going to be rectified on Monday.

[Guest]

I can imagine this must have come as a bit of a surprise.

Did you book as a package or did you think you were booking set flights?

Also do you know if you have through tickets from Dublin to Orlando or do you have separate tickets Dublin to Gatwick and Gatwick to Orlando.

I am being nosy too but was it online or via a ta in a shop?

[Guest]

Originally Posted by Hooray4Disney

Oh I do feel for you, as I am also having problems since also, paying in full for our flights!

I’m now on our third change! Very disappointed and not happy as they still have not been sorted out since I found out last night that they had changed again!

Have direct flights on the way out with Virgin but indirect with Delta on way home. At the moment, they have changed the indirect to have a 55 minute layover in Atlanta! I’m hoping that this is going to be rectified on Monday.

See more...

I appreciate if you are unhappy with the indirect via ATL timings then they may well adjust them for you. However, if it is any comfort at all we have done that connection 3 times without ant probs at all at ATL. As long as it is a through ticket should be ok in end. I do like to make sure I am not the last flight out from ATL. But as Delta is an ATL hub there should be plenty of capacity to change to an earlier connection. Be advised though that 55 is longer than the MCT for Delta on that route. Of course if you have bad knees or something and are worried about making the connection then that is worth noting 😉

[lam]

So lets get this straight.
Last year,you booked return flights from Dublin to the USA via jfk for August with Delta. Presumably looking to do preclearance. You also booked an airport lounge to 'chill'.
Did you pay a deposit and what docs did you get to confirm your booking at this stage?

You have probs getting amy flight info from holiday co until you pay the final balance, at which point you learn not only can you not choose your seats on theDelta flight you originally booked (having paid the balance) but that the Holiday Co have made a substantial change to your booking.

different airline, different airports, different times.different route PLUS no pre-clearance?
and you cannot enjoy the airport lounge facility you booked.

I don't know who the Holiday Co is, but I think they have a real cheek doing this.
Looks like a breach of contract to me.

On skyscanner, this route regularly shows up as being cheaper than the dub to mco via jfk route you originally booked.

Did they give you any explanation?

You are perfectly within your rights to pursue this and insist upon your original route IF you are not happy with what they've done OR at least get a refund of the difference in flight price and the cost of the unused lounge booking..

If you pursue the original booking, I'd also copy in the airline to any correspondence you send to Holiday Co, so as they can see how unfairly you were treated by them.

Print off all the docs you got from them last year and recently.
good luck with it all.

ps, I think this is shocking

[lam]

Oh and thats why I book direct with disney and direct with the airlines.may cost a bit more but gives me peace of mind that they'll sort out any probs.

[lam]

Originally Posted by Hooray4Disney

Oh I do feel for you, as I am also having problems since also, paying in full for our flights!

I’m now on our third change! Very disappointed and not happy as they still have not been sorted out since I found out last night that they had changed again!

Have direct flights on the way out with Virgin but indirect with Delta on way home. At the moment, they have changed the indirect to have a 55 minute layover in Atlanta! I’m hoping that this is going to be rectified on Monday.

See more...

We did this route once, unfortunately, the flight was late in and we literally had to race to get on the tram to the terminal (2 stops away) and then run to the gate. We made it by about5-10mins max!

BUT

our luggage didnt make it.

We ended up waiting at the carousel in mco for the next flight to arrive some 2hrs later.

boy were some people mad. we should have stayed in Atlanta (it looked fab and had loads of interesting shops etc) and ate and shopped and sauntered onto the next flight without the hassle!

never been back this route but i would try it again as delta is a good airline,atlanta is not too far from mco, they tracked our luggage and we liked the aircraft!

[THE WIZARD]

Sadly that's the main reason I would never fly indirect anywhere, too many possibilities for problems & no one to claim responsibility! Hope it all works out for you.

[wdw2011]

Originally Posted by galaxyflorida

If you ask when you check in at Dublin, your bags should be checked through so you don't have to pick them up. Same with boarding passes, as it's on one booking you should be able to get your passes in Dublin for your Virgin flight but do check.

One thing though at Gatwick Aer Lingus use the South terminal and Virgin use the north terminal. Easy to transfer though - just follow the signs and there's a tram (like what you'd find at Orlando).

If you want a lounge at Gatwick there's a few to choose from. Use this link: discountcode.dailymail/holiday-extras
and book through holiday extras and you get 10% off.

See more...

Thanks i will do i am also going to ring them up tomorrow to find out unfortunately i dont think there is much point booking a lounge as we wouldn't have the time to use it