RCI flight change and customer service

[gethin90]

We booked our RCI cruise, air travel, transfers and hotels last September all through RCI for a 9 night Greek isle cruise on the Jewel of the Seas, leaving on the 23/05/2016 and then a 2 night stay in Rome at the end of the cruise.

 

Our flight originally was with British Airways departing Gatwick on the 23/05/2016 at 07:30 a.m. I received a voicemail yesterday stating something has changed with our flights and to ring them back.

When I rang them back (on hold for 30 minutes) they stated that British Airways has cancelled the flight and they want to fly us out with EasyJet at 06:40 a.m. and back from Rome 3 hours later than what was originally planned.

 

My argument is that when I originally booked the flights, Easyjet was £100.00 in total cheaper than British Airways, RCI are refusing to give us the £100.00 difference on on board spending as they have stated the EasyJet flight is now £130.00 more expensive than the BA flight originally was and they are not going to charge the £130.

 

I feel like this is not my problem and I could have booked the cheaper flight originally and saved myself £100.00 so I would like it back in one way or another (on board spending).

 

To add to all this we have spent over 2 hours on the phone to them as they couldn’t find out 2 night post cruise hotel stay and also told us in the middle of all this we would be flying with Jet2 and have sent us three invoices without any new flight information attached every time.

 

This is the first cruise (booked by myself) with RCI and to say I am disappointed with the customer service before I leave is an understatement.

 

Has anyone else experienced this flight cancellation and also should I be entitled to some form of compensation to cover that £100 original difference.

 

Thanks.

[Biker19]

They are getting you/from the ship at an agreed price - like you don't get price drops on the cruise fare itself, I'm not sure why you think they should give you a price drop on the airfare.

 

Between the price issues and dealing with their phone support, you may want to think about using a TA next time and/or do some of the leg work yourself.

[Thoie]

When you were booking, did they say "you can fly with BA and the total cost of the trip will be £x, or you can fly with EasyJet and the total cost would be £x-100"?

 

Anytime I've booked air and cruise together, I was never offered an option like that - just told "the cost for air and cruise is £x".

 

If you were given two different options and went for the more expensive one, and can prove it, you may have a good argument, but you're still not "entitled" to anything other than them getting you onto a plane and onto the ship.

 

If it was the second scenario, then you don't really have a leg to stand on.

 

British Airways cancelling the flight is unfortunate, but out of Royal's control. If you have a strong preference for BA over EasyJet, would you be able to make any other airport? E.g. BA flies from Heathrow to FCO on May 23rd around 7am. If that was suitable for you, you could always ask Royal to move you to that flight instead. Remember all the information they have is that you need to get from Gatwick (your original airport) to Rome by a certain time.

 

TL;DR - as long as they get you on a plane and onto the ship, they don't owe you anything more than that.

 

You have my sympathies for the situation - I don't use Royal to book flights for me any more as I dislike the complete lack of control over the arrangements.

[gerif]

So, they booked your flights on one airline who later cancelled the flight forcing them to book with another airline who was now charging more for the flight than the first airline. Just because the second airline's price was less some time ago has absolutely nothing to do with what is now. I seriously don't understand your issue and why you feel you should get some imaginary refund. Seems you've wasted a lot of time for nothing.

[swoopy2110]

Seems very out of their hands that BA has cancelled the flght. They are doing their uttermost to accomodate you by arranging new flights. When you say "when you originally booked the flights", did you book it via the website and picked your own departure / arrival time? As if you book it via the phone they will pick the flights for you, but on the website you have more choice by booking your own flights. Flight prices are not static and change all the time. As it is only two months away I'd imagine that yes it is more expensive now than it was when you booked it.

 

If you really want to fly with BA as a poster above suggested ask them can they fly you from LHR for example. If not, I don't see what more they can do.

[uksimonusa]

If you had booked the flights yourself, and not as a Package with RCI, then BA would still have cancelled the flight and you would be spending your time looking for another airline whose schedule worked, and, as you have found out, paying more for those flights. As it is, Royal did all the work for you, and didn't charge you the additional fee, I don't see a problem there, and spending time on the phone trying to get compensation is just a waste of your time and effort. Right now, because of booking with Royal, you are the winner here