Eurotunnel followup after the December problems - Dam you !!
Discussion
Not sure if this is the right section to place this in. Moderators, please feel free to move.
I was forced to abandon my three day break on the 21st of December traveling via Eurotunnel from UK to France.
Basically - I called the customer services on the day prior to our departure and the recorded message told me all was well. I made my way to Ashford and called again. Recorded message told me all was well. I checked in perfectly and was told to wait in the departure lounge area. Then we were called to board the train (all as normal) and then we were stacked in a car park for two hours.
We were told that only one train was working and it would be at least two further hours at least before we could board. Return journey couldn't be guaranteed either.
With young children who had already sat patiently for over four hours in the car, we thought it best to go home.
I complained to Eurotunnel who have today written and offered me a credit note (discount voucher) for the value of my original booking.....
This to me is very basic and doesn't even offer compensation. Is this all i can expect or should i push for more?
I was forced to abandon my three day break on the 21st of December traveling via Eurotunnel from UK to France.
Basically - I called the customer services on the day prior to our departure and the recorded message told me all was well. I made my way to Ashford and called again. Recorded message told me all was well. I checked in perfectly and was told to wait in the departure lounge area. Then we were called to board the train (all as normal) and then we were stacked in a car park for two hours.
We were told that only one train was working and it would be at least two further hours at least before we could board. Return journey couldn't be guaranteed either.
With young children who had already sat patiently for over four hours in the car, we thought it best to go home.
I complained to Eurotunnel who have today written and offered me a credit note (discount voucher) for the value of my original booking.....
This to me is very basic and doesn't even offer compensation. Is this all i can expect or should i push for more?
We got caught up in the so-called chaos at Gatwick on the 18th Dec. Aer Lingus sent us a txt at 4:03am (for a 6.20am flight) as we were in the Gatwick Courtyard hotel awaiting the bus to the terminal to say the flight was cancelled.
To be fair that's probably more than the pax got at Easyjet & Ryanair. Aer Lingus will be refunding, and we'll claim any other out-of-pocket expenses (first night hotel costs + Gatwick car parking) on insurance. Might try the fuel costs there and back too. But to claim for our wasted time is difficult IMO.
Am I happy? Not really for not going on an Xmas trip, but Aer Lingus had no option. The airport was closed. If you're going to go traveling, then I believe you need to be prepared for things going wrong, rather than expect people/companies to pay for every little inconvenience you encounter - because they're not going to.
To be fair that's probably more than the pax got at Easyjet & Ryanair. Aer Lingus will be refunding, and we'll claim any other out-of-pocket expenses (first night hotel costs + Gatwick car parking) on insurance. Might try the fuel costs there and back too. But to claim for our wasted time is difficult IMO.
Am I happy? Not really for not going on an Xmas trip, but Aer Lingus had no option. The airport was closed. If you're going to go traveling, then I believe you need to be prepared for things going wrong, rather than expect people/companies to pay for every little inconvenience you encounter - because they're not going to.
Edited by fatboy b on Tuesday 5th January 07:50
Ray Singh said:
Not sure if this is the right section to place this in. Moderators, please feel free to move.
I was forced to abandon my three day break on the 21st of December traveling via Eurotunnel from UK to France.
Basically - I called the customer services on the day prior to our departure and the recorded message told me all was well. I made my way to Ashford and called again. Recorded message told me all was well. I checked in perfectly and was told to wait in the departure lounge area. Then we were called to board the train (all as normal) and then we were stacked in a car park for two hours.
We were told that only one train was working and it would be at least two further hours at least before we could board. Return journey couldn't be guaranteed either.
With young children who had already sat patiently for over four hours in the car, we thought it best to go home.
I complained to Eurotunnel who have today written and offered me a credit note (discount voucher) for the value of my original booking.....
This to me is very basic and doesn't even offer compensation. Is this all i can expect or should i push for more?
I was going the other way on that monday morning (booked on the 0150 or around then) we got there, went through check in and passport control, then got turned back to the departures lounge and told that our train was cancelled, next was at 4am I was forced to abandon my three day break on the 21st of December traveling via Eurotunnel from UK to France.
Basically - I called the customer services on the day prior to our departure and the recorded message told me all was well. I made my way to Ashford and called again. Recorded message told me all was well. I checked in perfectly and was told to wait in the departure lounge area. Then we were called to board the train (all as normal) and then we were stacked in a car park for two hours.
We were told that only one train was working and it would be at least two further hours at least before we could board. Return journey couldn't be guaranteed either.
With young children who had already sat patiently for over four hours in the car, we thought it best to go home.
I complained to Eurotunnel who have today written and offered me a credit note (discount voucher) for the value of my original booking.....
This to me is very basic and doesn't even offer compensation. Is this all i can expect or should i push for more?
then suddenly at 2 they said there's another train at 250, go through passport control now
went through, got on the train at 3, sat in the train until 330, then set off
we got no info at all before we left, recorded message phone line is UK only - brilliant eh? - so I came on here and asked
Ray Singh said:
Thanks for the reply Fatboy b.
I see your point, but think that they could have mitigated the problems by describing the situation accurately on the automated telephone helpline.
Agreed - communication is always key in these situations. We were caught in Prague a couple of years back when BMI cancelled a flight back to the UK on us. No communication at all for 4 hours while we "waited in the lounge" as requested.I see your point, but think that they could have mitigated the problems by describing the situation accurately on the automated telephone helpline.
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