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Friederike B
1 reviews | Active since Jan 2014
29 Sept 2021, 11:34
So very very disappointing
A flight change I was told was made....wasn't actually made (I have evidence of a whatsapp message telling me it had been made). At a fee which the airline itself wouldn't have charged. A whatsapp chat line that wasn't answered. Just all round horrific experience. And all for a 72 year old woman (my mother) who was travelling to Europe for the first time in years. Not using Travelstart again.
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Replies (3)0
Replies (3)
Travelstart's replyOfficial
29 Sept 2021, 14:56Hi Friederike,
Thanks for reaching out and taking the time to share your concerns.
I've called up your booking and see there was a schedule change made to your return flight for travel in September. However the new option provide by the airline you are not happy with and requested to travel in October.
The agent emailed a quote as per the airlines directives. Should there be any difference in fare and taxes we need to quote this on behalf of the airline as these funds go directly to the airline and not Travelstart.
The quote was accepted on the 22nd September and a payment link emailed: | SENT # 14:05:20 Wed, 22 Sep 21 to the email address used to make the booking.
Our Fares team tried to process payment, and payment was declined. An email was sent the same day: SENT # 19:09:41 Wed, 22 Sep 21 advising this.
The following day our Fares team sent another email: | SENT # 14:41:14 Thu, 23 Sep 21 saying they are no longer able to guarantee the fare quoted for the new dates of travel you requested.
Should the airline decide to waiver their own fees, this is up to the airlines discretion. However they do not give us permission to do so and we need to quote as per their airline policy & directives they have provided to us.
I have contact you twice on the number provided but unable to reach you or leave a voice message. I've tried the other number showing in Christine's bookings and left a voice message.
Should you have any other queries you welcome to email our team direct at: help @ travelstart . com
Kind Regards,
Marcelle
Thanks for reaching out and taking the time to share your concerns.
I've called up your booking and see there was a schedule change made to your return flight for travel in September. However the new option provide by the airline you are not happy with and requested to travel in October.
The agent emailed a quote as per the airlines directives. Should there be any difference in fare and taxes we need to quote this on behalf of the airline as these funds go directly to the airline and not Travelstart.
The quote was accepted on the 22nd September and a payment link emailed: | SENT # 14:05:20 Wed, 22 Sep 21 to the email address used to make the booking.
Our Fares team tried to process payment, and payment was declined. An email was sent the same day: SENT # 19:09:41 Wed, 22 Sep 21 advising this.
The following day our Fares team sent another email: | SENT # 14:41:14 Thu, 23 Sep 21 saying they are no longer able to guarantee the fare quoted for the new dates of travel you requested.
Should the airline decide to waiver their own fees, this is up to the airlines discretion. However they do not give us permission to do so and we need to quote as per their airline policy & directives they have provided to us.
I have contact you twice on the number provided but unable to reach you or leave a voice message. I've tried the other number showing in Christine's bookings and left a voice message.
Should you have any other queries you welcome to email our team direct at: help @ travelstart . com
Kind Regards,
Marcelle
Travelstart's reply29 Sept 2021, 14:56
Official
Hi Friederike,
Thanks for reaching out and taking the time to share your concerns.
I've called up your booking and see there was a schedule change made to your return flight for travel in September. However the new option provide by the airline you are not happy with and requested to travel in October.
The agent emailed a quote as per the airlines directives. Should there be any difference in fare and taxes we need to quote this on behalf of the airline as these funds go directly to the airline and not Travelstart.
The quote was accepted on the 22nd September and a payment link emailed: | SENT # 14:05:20 Wed, 22 Sep 21 to the email address used to make the booking.
Our Fares team tried to process payment, and payment was declined. An email was sent the same day: SENT # 19:09:41 Wed, 22 Sep 21 advising this.
The following day our Fares team sent another email: | SENT # 14:41:14 Thu, 23 Sep 21 saying they are no longer able to guarantee the fare quoted for the new dates of travel you requested.
Should the airline decide to waiver their own fees, this is up to the airlines discretion. However they do not give us permission to do so and we need to quote as per their airline policy & directives they have provided to us.
I have contact you twice on the number provided but unable to reach you or leave a voice message. I've tried the other number showing in Christine's bookings and left a voice message.
Should you have any other queries you welcome to email our team direct at: help @ travelstart . com
Kind Regards,
Marcelle
Thanks for reaching out and taking the time to share your concerns.
I've called up your booking and see there was a schedule change made to your return flight for travel in September. However the new option provide by the airline you are not happy with and requested to travel in October.
The agent emailed a quote as per the airlines directives. Should there be any difference in fare and taxes we need to quote this on behalf of the airline as these funds go directly to the airline and not Travelstart.
The quote was accepted on the 22nd September and a payment link emailed: | SENT # 14:05:20 Wed, 22 Sep 21 to the email address used to make the booking.
Our Fares team tried to process payment, and payment was declined. An email was sent the same day: SENT # 19:09:41 Wed, 22 Sep 21 advising this.
The following day our Fares team sent another email: | SENT # 14:41:14 Thu, 23 Sep 21 saying they are no longer able to guarantee the fare quoted for the new dates of travel you requested.
Should the airline decide to waiver their own fees, this is up to the airlines discretion. However they do not give us permission to do so and we need to quote as per their airline policy & directives they have provided to us.
I have contact you twice on the number provided but unable to reach you or leave a voice message. I've tried the other number showing in Christine's bookings and left a voice message.
Should you have any other queries you welcome to email our team direct at: help @ travelstart . com
Kind Regards,
Marcelle
FB
Friederike B's updateReviewer Update
29 Sept 2021, 16:03Thanks Marcelle.
I appreciate your taking the time to get back to me. The emails went to my mother who had very sporadic access to her emails while she was travelling; she is 72 and on holiday here in Germany. When I made the payment and was told it was processed, I trusted that that was it and I did not bother to check her emails again-
A few days ago she got another email from you to which I responded by trying to contact your team on whatsapp; all of yesterday I got no response. I filled in an online form, that was not responded to either. Today I finally got an agent, by that stage I had already spoken to Emirates who rebooked the flight.
The latter part is what frustrates me most-that there is no number to call and the whatsapp chat function doesn't give a response, even after 4 hours of waiting. If this had been my holiday, I would have been really really angry for all the disruptions caused.
I appreciate your taking the time to get back to me. The emails went to my mother who had very sporadic access to her emails while she was travelling; she is 72 and on holiday here in Germany. When I made the payment and was told it was processed, I trusted that that was it and I did not bother to check her emails again-
A few days ago she got another email from you to which I responded by trying to contact your team on whatsapp; all of yesterday I got no response. I filled in an online form, that was not responded to either. Today I finally got an agent, by that stage I had already spoken to Emirates who rebooked the flight.
The latter part is what frustrates me most-that there is no number to call and the whatsapp chat function doesn't give a response, even after 4 hours of waiting. If this had been my holiday, I would have been really really angry for all the disruptions caused.
FB
Friederike B's update29 Sept 2021, 16:03
Reviewer Update
Thanks Marcelle.
I appreciate your taking the time to get back to me. The emails went to my mother who had very sporadic access to her emails while she was travelling; she is 72 and on holiday here in Germany. When I made the payment and was told it was processed, I trusted that that was it and I did not bother to check her emails again-
A few days ago she got another email from you to which I responded by trying to contact your team on whatsapp; all of yesterday I got no response. I filled in an online form, that was not responded to either. Today I finally got an agent, by that stage I had already spoken to Emirates who rebooked the flight.
The latter part is what frustrates me most-that there is no number to call and the whatsapp chat function doesn't give a response, even after 4 hours of waiting. If this had been my holiday, I would have been really really angry for all the disruptions caused.
I appreciate your taking the time to get back to me. The emails went to my mother who had very sporadic access to her emails while she was travelling; she is 72 and on holiday here in Germany. When I made the payment and was told it was processed, I trusted that that was it and I did not bother to check her emails again-
A few days ago she got another email from you to which I responded by trying to contact your team on whatsapp; all of yesterday I got no response. I filled in an online form, that was not responded to either. Today I finally got an agent, by that stage I had already spoken to Emirates who rebooked the flight.
The latter part is what frustrates me most-that there is no number to call and the whatsapp chat function doesn't give a response, even after 4 hours of waiting. If this had been my holiday, I would have been really really angry for all the disruptions caused.
Travelstart's replyOfficial
29 Sept 2021, 17:24Thank you for your reply.
I have gone through the correspondence via the online chat service and see the advise advised the following:
"As soon as the payment is received the ticket will be reissued. This will be by the latest this evening
1:15:20 PM
Customer: thanks so much, I've just made the payment
1:15:33 PM
I see the payment was entered I have already forwarded the booking to our Reissues team""
The agent advised the payment was entered but not processed. Once payment is entered by the customer the booking then goes to the reissues team to process the payment. Once the payment is successfully processed from their side they will reissue the ticket. If it is not, they send an email which is what was done.
Correct our Schedule Changes team emailed on the 27 September from a noreply email. In the body of the email they do provide the following:
""To confirm or decline the above schedule change please contact us via our contact form: https://www.travelstart.co.za/lp/contact-us
Category: Confirm schedule change or Decline schedule change.""
Our customers need to use the link the agents provide in the email and selet the relevant category and in the message box provide their booking query. The booking will then be queued directly to the relevant team for the agents to assist.
I do apologise for the frustration in trying to reach out team. Due to Covid we are receiving high volumes of booking queries, with many customers trying to get assistance, so there might be a delay in responding to our customers. Please be assured we have all hands on deck responding as quickly and efficiently as possible.
We have made the following options available to our customer to reach us:
1. Online contact form: https://www.travelstart.co.za/lp/contact-us
2. Via email: help @ travelstart . com
3. Whatsapp service which can also be found on our contact us page.
We have teams managing those platforms daily during the day and after hours.
Please feel free to reach out should you welcome to pop an email and our team will respond.
Kind Regards
Marcelle
I have gone through the correspondence via the online chat service and see the advise advised the following:
"As soon as the payment is received the ticket will be reissued. This will be by the latest this evening
1:15:20 PM
Customer: thanks so much, I've just made the payment
1:15:33 PM
I see the payment was entered I have already forwarded the booking to our Reissues team""
The agent advised the payment was entered but not processed. Once payment is entered by the customer the booking then goes to the reissues team to process the payment. Once the payment is successfully processed from their side they will reissue the ticket. If it is not, they send an email which is what was done.
Correct our Schedule Changes team emailed on the 27 September from a noreply email. In the body of the email they do provide the following:
""To confirm or decline the above schedule change please contact us via our contact form: https://www.travelstart.co.za/lp/contact-us
Category: Confirm schedule change or Decline schedule change.""
Our customers need to use the link the agents provide in the email and selet the relevant category and in the message box provide their booking query. The booking will then be queued directly to the relevant team for the agents to assist.
I do apologise for the frustration in trying to reach out team. Due to Covid we are receiving high volumes of booking queries, with many customers trying to get assistance, so there might be a delay in responding to our customers. Please be assured we have all hands on deck responding as quickly and efficiently as possible.
We have made the following options available to our customer to reach us:
1. Online contact form: https://www.travelstart.co.za/lp/contact-us
2. Via email: help @ travelstart . com
3. Whatsapp service which can also be found on our contact us page.
We have teams managing those platforms daily during the day and after hours.
Please feel free to reach out should you welcome to pop an email and our team will respond.
Kind Regards
Marcelle
Travelstart's reply29 Sept 2021, 17:24
Official
Thank you for your reply.
I have gone through the correspondence via the online chat service and see the advise advised the following:
"As soon as the payment is received the ticket will be reissued. This will be by the latest this evening
1:15:20 PM
Customer: thanks so much, I've just made the payment
1:15:33 PM
I see the payment was entered I have already forwarded the booking to our Reissues team""
The agent advised the payment was entered but not processed. Once payment is entered by the customer the booking then goes to the reissues team to process the payment. Once the payment is successfully processed from their side they will reissue the ticket. If it is not, they send an email which is what was done.
Correct our Schedule Changes team emailed on the 27 September from a noreply email. In the body of the email they do provide the following:
""To confirm or decline the above schedule change please contact us via our contact form: https://www.travelstart.co.za/lp/contact-us
Category: Confirm schedule change or Decline schedule change.""
Our customers need to use the link the agents provide in the email and selet the relevant category and in the message box provide their booking query. The booking will then be queued directly to the relevant team for the agents to assist.
I do apologise for the frustration in trying to reach out team. Due to Covid we are receiving high volumes of booking queries, with many customers trying to get assistance, so there might be a delay in responding to our customers. Please be assured we have all hands on deck responding as quickly and efficiently as possible.
We have made the following options available to our customer to reach us:
1. Online contact form: https://www.travelstart.co.za/lp/contact-us
2. Via email: help @ travelstart . com
3. Whatsapp service which can also be found on our contact us page.
We have teams managing those platforms daily during the day and after hours.
Please feel free to reach out should you welcome to pop an email and our team will respond.
Kind Regards
Marcelle
I have gone through the correspondence via the online chat service and see the advise advised the following:
"As soon as the payment is received the ticket will be reissued. This will be by the latest this evening
1:15:20 PM
Customer: thanks so much, I've just made the payment
1:15:33 PM
I see the payment was entered I have already forwarded the booking to our Reissues team""
The agent advised the payment was entered but not processed. Once payment is entered by the customer the booking then goes to the reissues team to process the payment. Once the payment is successfully processed from their side they will reissue the ticket. If it is not, they send an email which is what was done.
Correct our Schedule Changes team emailed on the 27 September from a noreply email. In the body of the email they do provide the following:
""To confirm or decline the above schedule change please contact us via our contact form: https://www.travelstart.co.za/lp/contact-us
Category: Confirm schedule change or Decline schedule change.""
Our customers need to use the link the agents provide in the email and selet the relevant category and in the message box provide their booking query. The booking will then be queued directly to the relevant team for the agents to assist.
I do apologise for the frustration in trying to reach out team. Due to Covid we are receiving high volumes of booking queries, with many customers trying to get assistance, so there might be a delay in responding to our customers. Please be assured we have all hands on deck responding as quickly and efficiently as possible.
We have made the following options available to our customer to reach us:
1. Online contact form: https://www.travelstart.co.za/lp/contact-us
2. Via email: help @ travelstart . com
3. Whatsapp service which can also be found on our contact us page.
We have teams managing those platforms daily during the day and after hours.
Please feel free to reach out should you welcome to pop an email and our team will respond.
Kind Regards
Marcelle