Extremely disappointing and emotionally exhausting experience with Flight Centre regarding my recent Malaysia family holiday.

I spent months saving for this trip. As a parent travelling with an infant, this was not just another holiday for me — it was something I carefully planned, budgeted for, and genuinely looked forward to. The island portion of the trip was specifically meant to be the relaxing and luxurious part of our holiday after the busy city leg in Kuala Lumpur.

When the original quote was sent to me with accommodation at Lexis Port ****son, I specifically declined it and requested to be upgraded to Grand Lexis Port ****son because I wanted the upgraded experience and facilities, particularly the private pool villa experience that Grand Lexis is known for. I paid an additional ±R4,700 for this upgrade immediately when requested, and my booking confirmation clearly reflected Grand Lexis Port ****son.

However, upon arrival after a long drive with an infant, multiple large suitcases, hand luggage, and baby items, I was informed that my booking had incorrectly been made at Lexis Port ****son instead.

At that moment, the excitement I had for this part of the holiday immediately disappeared.

Instead of checking into the resort I had specifically selected and paid extra for, I was left sitting in a hotel lobby for two hours while the issue was being investigated. During this time, my consultant was unavailable because she was on leave, and the 24-hour emergency assistance line was not answering calls.

The level of stress and panic this caused was unbelievable. Imagine being overseas with a baby, exhausted from travelling, carrying luggage everywhere, and suddenly not knowing whether you even have confirmed accommodation. I was anxious, overwhelmed, frustrated, and close to tears. What should have been the beginning of a relaxing island getaway became one of the most stressful parts of the entire trip.

Eventually, I was told that if I still wanted the Grand Lexis accommodation that I had already paid Flight Centre for, I would need to personally pay an additional R3,090.87 out of pocket because of a booking discrepancy caused by their supplier system. I was assured that this amount would later be reimbursed. What nobody told me was that I would spend more than a month waiting for my own money to be returned.

What frustrated me even more was how quickly Flight Centre was able to take my money when the upgrade payment was requested, yet when it came to reimbursing money that I should never have had to pay in the first place, I was left waiting for over a month while being repeatedly told they were "waiting on the supplier."

As the customer, my agreement and payment were made directly with Flight Centre — not with their suppliers. Their internal supplier issues should never become the customer's burden. I effectively had to repeatedly follow up and fight to recover money that was only paid because of an error that was openly acknowledged as not being my fault.

The overall stay itself was also deeply disappointing. The accommodation and service standards at Lexis Port ****son were nowhere near what I had specifically selected and paid for:

• The room had not been properly cleaned • Toilet paper, tea and coffee were not replenished — I had to physically go to reception to request these items because the room telephone was not working • Used mugs were left dirty in the sink • Towels were carelessly thrown on the bed • The kettle was faulty and needed replacement • Shared areas and restaurant facilities were visibly unclean, including ants on windowsills and stained couches

This was not the premium experience I had spent months saving for.

What hurts the most is that I completely lost out on the private pool villa experience that I specifically upgraded for and dreamed about for months. That was the entire reason I paid extra for Grand Lexis in the first place. I had looked forward to spending quality time with my family, relaxing in the privacy of our own pool, and enjoying the experience I had worked hard and saved for. Instead, that experience was taken away because the booking was handled incorrectly.

The time wasted dealing with this issue was also never truly acknowledged:

• Two hours lost sitting in a hotel lobby trying to secure accommodation that should already have been arranged • Stressful check-in and check-out processes that disrupted what was supposed to be the relaxing portion of our holiday • Constant uncer*****y regarding our accommodation arrangements • Carrying luggage and caring for an infant while trying to resolve booking issues • Time spent emailing, following up, escalating, and repeatedly requesting updates after returning home • More than a month spent waiting for reimbur*****t of money that should never have been paid in the first place

Flight Centre later referred to reimbursing the additional amount paid by me together with the price difference between the two resorts as a "goodwill gesture."

I disagree.

The reimbur*****t of the R3,090.87 simply returned money that I was forced to pay out of pocket due to an acknowledged booking error that was not caused by me. The refund of the difference between Lexis Port ****son and Grand Lexis Port ****son merely corrected the fact that I did not receive the accommodation product that I specifically selected, paid for, and was contractually confirmed to receive.

Neither of these amounts compensated for the lost holiday time, the stress, the uncer*****y, the anxiety, the inconvenience of travelling with an infant while trying to resolve accommodation issues, or the complete loss of the private pool experience that formed the entire basis of my upgrade decision.

While Candice herself remained professional and tried to assist where possible, the overall handling of this matter fell well below the standard I expected from a company of Flight Centre's size and reputation.

After months of saving and planning for this trip, the memories that should have been of relaxation, family time, and a special holiday experience were instead overshadowed by accommodation problems, financial frustration, uncer*****y, stress, and disappointment.

I paid for a premium holiday experience and did not receive it. No customer should have to spend part of their holiday fighting for accommodation they have already paid for, nor spend more than a month trying to recover money that should never have left their account in the first place.