Isha Sesay
TUI has increased the number of flights to the Balearic Islands this summer due to a grow in demand from holidaymakers.
According to Sebastian Ebel, the Head of Holiday Experiences at the German tour operator, holiday reservations have increased considerably since the pilot tourism test was launched.
The revolutionary plan put the Balearics back on the international radar as the region became the first in Spain to welcome tourists since the state of alarm was enforced.
Ebel said the thousands of German citizens who joined the pilot plan gave ‘extremely positive feedback’ in regards to their experience upon their return home.
Specifically, an average score of 8.4 was given for overall satisfaction and a very respectable 8.7 for security and hygiene measures.
He said: “We were able to demonstrate to our clients together with the Balearic authorities and our hotel partners that safe vacations are possible in the era of COVID-19.”
For this reason, Ebel assured that TUI will significantly increase its flight offer this season, with 1,500 flights scheduled to Ibiza, Mallorca and Menorca in July.
It comes as Austria has begun negotiations with the Balearic Government on the possibility of joining the pilot tourism test.
The Austrian ambassador to Spain, Christian Ebner, jetted into Mallorca this week to discuss the sanitary measures implemented on the island with President Francina Armengol.
Here she explained how the autonomous community had ‘successfully overcome the health crisis’ and that ‘healthcare would be guaranteed to every visitor should they be diagnosed with COVID-19.’
Still waiting for a refund, for a holiday Tui cancelled in April.
We found Iberia would do nothing without persistent calls. Then instead of a full refund of our two tickets at once, Iberia gave a partial refund; we would call again; then another part; we would call again, then another part. This has taken us two months, and Iberia still owes us €85. The customer service is very polite, but can only read from the script, and cannot acknowledge your call with a follow-up email. So be persistent.
We were calling Tui. 70 times a day just getting a recorded message or cut off straight away.
They owe us £7000 for a family holiday.
According to EU law, if the carrier canceled the flight, the carrier must reimburse full amount in cash. If that is the case, VISA/Mastercard/other charge card has a form through your bank to fill out. Then VISA/Master card can charge back the money to your account. But you MUST maintain a notes ofeach contact you have made, the number you called, time and any responses – even recordings or hang-ups. If you don’t have this VISA/Master Card has no argument. It’s important to do this before there is a filing for bankruptcy or ‘re-organization.’ If it was a travel agency it should work the same way if you paid by VISA/Master Card.
Chas & tourist et al, we did what’s called a Section 75 through our Bank Cr Card as the useless travel agent Love Holidays is breaking the Package Travel Regulations & has loads of bad Press by WHICH etc. Excuses galore & blaming their middleman service provider & airlines. The Cr Card provider is jointly liable with whoever is the trader of goods. Customers can claim from both at the same time but the card provider is the best bet for speed. Bank Card Disputes Teams are inundated though but Banks won’t go bust like the Travel Agents!
Result, our Cr Card Disputes Team refunded our full deposit within days & can now legally take the money from the trader’s Bank account after 30 days or so to claim back from them.
If payment was by Debit Card then redress is sought via a chargeback but can take very much longer.
KarmaChameleon. It appears the process is perhaps the same between USA and IK. The difference may be that in order for the US equivalent of what you call ‘Section 75’ to be used, one must first document that direct communications with the supplier of service, ie, the airline, have yielded no positive results. Then, the bank who issued the credit card will process the chargeback which as you say, takes a few weeks. In our case just as we were going to request chargeback, Iberia processed one of four claims; then the second; then the third; then the last, no doubt doing this in order to ‘borrow’ our money for 5 months (as we paid interest on it).
We carried on without the chargeback request because. although slowly, Iberia were refunding. We are still awaiting the last $95, but nag them every two days.
Yes chas, seems a similar procedure in both countries. We did have to complete an online Declaration form and attach our correspondence with the holiday company who booked the flights and hotel etc. That form was the hardest part of it as attachments wouldn’t work so a kind Disputes Team manager in India did it by photographs of documents. People trying to claim refunds should and can claim jointly at the same time from the trader selling the goods/service and the Card Issuer.