[Matthiesen]

Flights for two children Singapore-London-Singapore were booked on VS7318/7319. Online booking final confirmation OQCE4451. Airline booking reference: EK3JMA. Main booking reference 3ONYWA. E-tickets 9329011721835 Ms Alexandra Matthiesen and 9329011721836 Ms Takara Matthiesen. Cost £2055.90 . On the 23rd of November an e-mail was received saying that the flight had been cancelled. Omega Travel has not arranged an alternative flight schedule and has not offered any rebooking. This they are obliged to do under ABTA, IATA and EU consumer regulations. Attempts to talk to Virgin Airlines were met with total disinterest and we were referred back to the agent. Eventually we spoke to someone at Virgin and it turned out that the flight was not cancelled but that although their booking system still showed the seats booked and allocated at the end of November, their computer system had not passed the information on to Singapore Airlines with whom they were operating the flight and it was Singapore Airlines who were refusing the booking. The airlines are obligated to offer alternative transportation or compensation. It is now December 8th, one month after receiving the booking and no progress has been made and indeed Omega Travel is still holding £2055.90. When i asked Omega what the procedures were for filing a complaint they stated that if i wanted the money back i would have to cancel the flights and would then have no recourse but that if i filed a complaint they would hold the money indefinitely until the complaint was resolved. This runs counter to all consumer protection legislation. Please note that the children were travelling under a High Court ordered contact visit and that by abrogating the contract of carriage on the e-tickets, the carriers may be in contempt of Court. Virgin have offered no proper explanation or compensation or indeed made the slightest attempt to rebook the children for their Christmas visit. I did ascertain for instance that seats were freely available on Virgin leaving on the 19th of December and returning on the 29th.