Quote:
Originally Posted by Ilagam
Avoid Air Transat! What you buy is not what you get. I recently purchased a 7 day package to Mexico from Vancouver. Less than 3 weeks before departure, Air Transat changed the flight times such that our holiday was changed from a 7 day package to a 6 day package. On top of that, instead of leaving Mexico at 3pm, we were now going to leave at midnight. We have 4 children under 8 years old and that would not have worked, especially returning 4 days before Christmas. Plus, it is not what we purchased! We wanted a 7 day trip to Mexico. We found Air Transat staff completely unhelpful and at time down right rude. It really feels that they have little concern for their customers! They would not honour our reservation at any other time and basically stated that if we were unhappy, we could just cancel. This did not take into account the 400 dollars in insurance we lost. We were also quite surprised to realize that although we would not be using the 2 rooms on the 7th night, Air Transat offered no reduction in the price of our package. I have contacted the president of Air Transat directly and would encourage any one having problems with Air Transat to do so as well. His email address is jean-marc.eustache@transat.com . I will also make a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. I have contacted a Canadian federal agency which deals with complaints about companies whose business practices are questionable. The contact number for this agency is 1-800-348-5358 (ask for the complaints department). We, as consumers, need to be more vocal in order to make airline companies more accountable. |
TO the OP:
Silent Bob Jerkero and I have looked at your case too. We think it is just wasting time to complain to Federal agencies and so on, unless in Canada you have something like the DOT in the US that is ready and willing to fine the airline. There is no need to embarrass Air Transat much as you as an aggrieved customer would like to. What I think you want is to be compensated for your losses - this is the $400 insurance you lost (not sure how) and a pro rata adjustment to the cost of your package for loss of a day's holiday.
YOur remedy is to go to small claims court in Vancouver. It is easy. Help in filling out forms (but not legal advice) is freely given by court clerks.
Silent Bob Jerkero and I have been consumer advocates for a long time. Consumer rights is not trying to make others boycott a merchant unless it is for a temporary purpose for a specific reason - say to force the merchant to reverse an unjustified price increase. Consumer rights is also not to force a merchant to close down. This will hurt you as well, as when a merchant goes out of business you reduce competition and the remaining merchant(s) are freeier to do as they please. As in your case, Air Transat must get the message that they cannot after the conclusion of a contract of carriage, reduce the passenger's holiday. And they get this message when you use the small claims court to force them to compensate you. The more people do it, the less they will think they can get away with things like this.