Author Topic: flights to corfu 2008  (Read 50403 times)

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Offline Eileen

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Re: flights to corfu 2008
« Reply #30 on: August 06, 2007, 06:59:34 PM »
Aaarrghhh a few hours ago I received a letter from XL canceling the return leg of our journey!!!  We were due to fly home on Monday 8th October so I've been busy for the last few hours trying to make alternative arrangements.  After surviving the last round of cancellations I thought that we were o.k...well I was wrong and now it's going to cost even more precious money...less ouzos for me then!

Eileenx


Offline Smiffypink

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Re: flights to corfu 2008
« Reply #31 on: August 06, 2007, 07:10:10 PM »
Oh youre joking!

Looks like XL are going to lose alot of custom next year from the people on this forum what with all the cancellations theyre doing to you all, its not on is it!

I hope you get it all sorted Eileen, i know you'll find something hidden away somewhere :-) !



Offline Eggy

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Re: flights to corfu 2008
« Reply #32 on: August 06, 2007, 07:47:18 PM »
Excel certainly having a few "Gliches" recently. They certainly don't strike me a lot of confidence nowadays...... And yet, when we flew with them, last June, from Exeter Airport,everything was fine. No change to flight times,on time there & back and a reasonable cost for a daytime flight.
Poor Eileen - I promise to share my Ouzo with you. - Well one at least.
Negg

Offline vivian

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Re: flights to corfu 2008
« Reply #33 on: August 06, 2007, 08:44:44 PM »
O Eileen, after all that and you didnt go down like the rest of us, hope you get something sorted if anybody can you can. Im so pleased that after being tranferd between 3 XL flight that we got on a Thomas Cook flight and yet we still have that niggling feeling that we will get to the airport and find it changed or overbooked, so much so that Pete has deciced to go earlier then normal and be first to book in. Viv

Stay Nude it ante rude

Offline Eileen

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Re: flights to corfu 2008
« Reply #34 on: August 07, 2007, 10:45:25 AM »
Thanks Smiffy, Negg and Viv, it beggars belief that XL can get away with doing this to so many people on so many flights.  O.K I can understand the need to perhaps cancel a flight or two at the end of the season, but XL have gone way beyond that.

We are still flying out on the 24th September with XL who have promised to refund 50% of my ticket price...fingers crossed the refund does not take too long to arrive!  I've not booked my return yet, but it looks like it will be with Joe's outfit FlythomasCook who are showing the best times, availability AND prices.

We have travelled with XL at least 3 times per year for a four years and not even experienced as much as a delay.  This culling of flights has certainly dented my confidence in XL, at least for late season bookings.

Hey but the upside is it looks as though I might get an extra 4 days in Arillas into the bargain!!!...do you think I can live on wine, water and ouzo?!!!

Eileenxx

Offline Smiffypink

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Re: flights to corfu 2008
« Reply #35 on: August 07, 2007, 11:02:18 AM »
Well im glad youre getting a partial refund, thats the least they could do!

Yeah you can live on that no problem, survive, well thats a diiferent story altogether haha!! :-D !



Offline Joe

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Re: flights to corfu 2008
« Reply #36 on: August 07, 2007, 12:56:54 PM »
I just wanted to re-assure people who have booked flights that what has happened here it very rare. For whatever reason (and I will find out). Excel have pulled out of Corfu in October, even though this is only a very small amount of flights it has effected many people on this forum and this situation seems worse than it is.  For most people have booked your flight will be fine, what you are seeing here is the exception and not the norm so please don't worry if you have booked. Of course I understand how inconvenient it is to all who have suffered and you have my greatest sympathies.

Also Thomas Cook, My Travel, Monarch and First Choice simply can't cancel flights and leave you without any options. They are all charter airlines so the as soon as you pay your flights are confirmed, seat only bookings are still charter bookings to as you buy the seat from a Tour Operator via the airline. We can put you on a different plane but we have to get you there within a similar timeframe. If we do actively cancel it would cost us nearly €600 per passenger in Denied Boarding Compensation plus the original refund. It just never happens unless something unavoidable occurs. (Hurricanes, airport closures etc.)

I don't believe Excel is strictly a charter and your terms and conditions are different. I would suspect that if they do it with enough warning they can cancel much like scheduled flights. The big four above (soon to be 2) all have massive Tour Operator arms whereas I believe Excel is more strictly just an airline.

Offline Eileen

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Re: flights to corfu 2008
« Reply #37 on: August 07, 2007, 01:34:34 PM »
Joe, as you know I mostly always used XL for 'best' price and the fact that I had never had any delays. (this is from Newcastle).  In future it might be wiser for me to consider the companies you mentioned as they offer the safety net of a good number of alternative flights which could be re-allocated in event of cancellation.

I think this may have been mentioned on another topic, but this is what it says on the bottom of the letter informing me of my cancelled flight....

"As per our terms and conditions,  you are entitled to a free of charge cancellation or free amendment"   How big of them eh?!!!!

Please keep us informed if you find out what is happening with XL and the cancelled flights.

Eileenx

Offline Joe

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Re: flights to corfu 2008
« Reply #38 on: August 07, 2007, 01:41:20 PM »
I don't think its through low bookings so it an only be either that they have been denied permission to operate the route in October or they for whatever reason do not have the aircraft availabilty to operate it.

Offline alyvin

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Re: flights to corfu 2008
« Reply #39 on: August 07, 2007, 02:37:47 PM »
I have used XL in previous years with no problems. This year my sisters flight from manchester was delayed 23 hours and mine was delayed 5 hours from manchester and then 2 1/2 hours from corfu. Nearly all XL flights were showing delays on the departure screen. The reason we were given is that XL have expanded this year and are unable to cope with the extra capacity. The reason that my sisters flight was delayed for so long was that their plane had a fault and then the spare plane also had a fault. Worrying.

Offline Smiffypink

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Re: flights to corfu 2008
« Reply #40 on: August 07, 2007, 02:49:47 PM »
23 hour delay!!!!  Oh my goodness!  Not so bad if youre in Corfu waiting to go home, you get another night 'on holiday' as it were but when youre still in England waiting to go on holiday, well that must be just awful!

I hope she is getting some sort of compensation from them for missing a day of her holiday?!



Offline Mick and Jill

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Re: flights to corfu 2008
« Reply #41 on: August 07, 2007, 03:23:05 PM »
I'm in total panic again.

 As you know our out bound flight was cancelled about a month ago but they promised I could still get my flight home. We weren't informed of this only found out by reading the forum.  Well we sorted that and we are now flying on the 21st Sept from Bristol instead of Newcastle.  Been trying to phone XL to see if my home flight on the 1st October has been cancelled but due to a high amount of calls I have been on hold for ages.

Will keep trying.
Jill XXX




Offline Mick and Jill

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Re: flights to corfu 2008
« Reply #42 on: August 07, 2007, 03:56:49 PM »
Panic over Mick has just managed to speak to someone at XL and our flights are in place.  The flight number on the way out begins with XLA where as on the way back it begins with FJE does that mean it isn't an XL plane on return journey.  I did look on Fly Thomas Cook but one way flight cost as much as we paid for the return flight

Can now breath easily and look forward to 6wks time.

Jill
Jill XXX




Offline Joe

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Re: flights to corfu 2008
« Reply #43 on: August 07, 2007, 04:37:23 PM »
FJE is Flyjet.

I have just been asking around and there is a good chance most of the October cancellations are not Excel’s fault.

My Travel traditionally buys lots of seats on Excel flights in early and late season, this allows them to free up aircraft for use on busier routes. Not ideal but as winter approaches you need to keep the aircraft as busy as possible on the major routes. Well I’m sure you all know by know that My Travel will soon be no more and become part of Thomas Cook as the two companies merge. Even though we are operating independently at present under 2 brands the merger is happening now. This has given My Travel more capacity having both fleets now available allowing the seats to be brought back house on company aircraft. The fallout of this is the seats on Excel are no longer required, one of the main driving forces behind the merger is to consolidate the business and avoid using third parties.

With the bulk of there seats no longer sold at such a late date Excel will have been forced to cancel, they probably only made this decision late as they would be frantically trying to offer the seats out but with First Choice and Thompson also merging there would have been little hope. The Corfu flights have to be nearly full to make any sort of profit so Excel simply had no choice and pulled what was left of the October programme.

This is as much speculation as anything nothing is confirmed but it does make sense and also accounts for the issues in May to. I mentioned it is not normal for this many flights to disappear but mergers between the big players may be cause enough.

Offline Mick and Jill

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Re: flights to corfu 2008
« Reply #44 on: August 07, 2007, 04:44:20 PM »
Thanks for that Joe, do you think I will be safe with Flyjet, never heard of them before.

My son in law works for My Travel, they are closing the call centre and most of the staff are going to be working from home.  How nice would that be, my problem would be that I wouldn't have time to take calls as I would be on the forum all the time.  He is getting his equipment fitted sometime next week so hopefully I can leave all my flight searches to him in future.

Jill
Jill XXX





 

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