1 reviews | Active since Mar 2021
Very upset!
I am having the worst experience with Flight Centre at the moment. In March of this year, my Mother purchased tickets to Ireland (via the online site) for my husband, my two boys and myself as a surprise for us to come over and see her.
We are supposed to leave on the 18th of December and return on the 11th of January.
In August, Ireland changed VISA stance for South Africans - we did not receive a curtesy mail from Flight Centre to inform us of these changes.
So after a rush and panic, we managed to sort our Irish VISAs out and received them two weeks ago. We were very relieved.
HOWEVER, a couple of days ago, someone mentioned to us that we would also need a UK Transit-VISA as we change planes in the UK. With less than two weeks to go before our trip, there is no way to get a VISA in time.
Not once did Flight Centre try to help, try to give any guidance or information. Only after we mailed them for assistance, we got a "You might need it. But we can't advise"... I'm sorry but as "Travel Experts" they should have advised us up front what may be required. Under their Ts and Cs, they state that VISAs are the responsibility of the client and I fully understand that, however they go on to say "We may assist you to obtain such information". No information was ever supp**** and every time we contacted the team for information it was like pulling teeth.
Now we need to cancel our tickets, and they want to charge us R680 per person as the Flight Centre fee? Absolutely ridiculous - Flight Centre are supposed to be the Travel Experts and should have advised us that as we are transitioning through the UK, we might need the VISA. How are people who have never traveled abroad supposed to know that even though they are not leaving the airport, and will be in the UK under two hours while changing planes that they need a transit VISA.
Sooo absolutely shocking that I am too upset to get my thoughts together.
Thank you for taking the time to raise your concerns with us and for outlining your frustrations. We're truly sorry that your interaction with our team left you feeling this way and will certainly address this with them.
Booking travel can be tricky and very complex at times and this is why we offer the option of either booking online on our website which is a self-service option or by getting in touch with our team of experts. When booking online there is no expert assistance provided for visa advice which is highly dependent on a lot of conditions and this is why during the process a link is provided to check visa requirements before finalising the booking.
Our Customer Experience team will reach out to you to discuss your concerns further.
~A.D
Thank you for taking the time to raise your concerns with us and for outlining your frustrations. We're truly sorry that your interaction with our team left you feeling this way and will certainly address this with them.
Booking travel can be tricky and very complex at times and this is why we offer the option of either booking online on our website which is a self-service option or by getting in touch with our team of experts. When booking online there is no expert assistance provided for visa advice which is highly dependent on a lot of conditions and this is why during the process a link is provided to check visa requirements before finalising the booking.
Our Customer Experience team will reach out to you to discuss your concerns further.
~A.D
Thank you for reaching out to us and for giving us the opportunity to address your concerns. We sincerely regret the distress caused by the challenges you have experienced in preparing for your upcoming travel.
After reviewing your booking and corresponding documentation, we acknowledge the frustration caused by the visa requirements. While we empathize with your situation, we would like to provide clarity regarding bookings made on our self-help online platform.
Additionally, before finalizing a transaction, customers must accept a disclaimer that explicitly outlines the importance of confirming visa requirements for their itinerary, including transits. We have included a screenshot of the notice in our direct communication for ease of reference.
Your booking was made in March 2024, for travel commencing in December 2024. While there was significant time to confirm visa needs, we recognize that there was a change in Ireland’s visa requirements in July. Unfortunately, transit visa requirements for the UK remain separate and were unaffected by those changes. Based on your itinerary a visa would have always been required of a transit in the UK.
We are mindful our Online Support team is actively assisting you with options regarding your travel arrangements. We appreciate your feedback, which will help us further enhance customer experiences.
We remain at your disposal for any further queries or assistance.
Kind Regards
T.M
Thank you for reaching out to us and for giving us the opportunity to address your concerns. We sincerely regret the distress caused by the challenges you have experienced in preparing for your upcoming travel.
After reviewing your booking and corresponding documentation, we acknowledge the frustration caused by the visa requirements. While we empathize with your situation, we would like to provide clarity regarding bookings made on our self-help online platform.
Additionally, before finalizing a transaction, customers must accept a disclaimer that explicitly outlines the importance of confirming visa requirements for their itinerary, including transits. We have included a screenshot of the notice in our direct communication for ease of reference.
Your booking was made in March 2024, for travel commencing in December 2024. While there was significant time to confirm visa needs, we recognize that there was a change in Ireland’s visa requirements in July. Unfortunately, transit visa requirements for the UK remain separate and were unaffected by those changes. Based on your itinerary a visa would have always been required of a transit in the UK.
We are mindful our Online Support team is actively assisting you with options regarding your travel arrangements. We appreciate your feedback, which will help us further enhance customer experiences.
We remain at your disposal for any further queries or assistance.
Kind Regards
T.M