Traveler complaints about airline refunds, cancellations, and agent fees
Consensus Summary
Both articles highlight traveler frustrations with airline refund policies, agent fees, and unexpected costs during disruptions. Yvonne Trevaskis from Tasmania faced a $1312 fee from her travel agent after Emirates canceled flights and offered a full refund, prompting her to book directly with airlines in the future. Steve Griffin from Victoria was charged over $6600 extra by Qantas to reroute a flight to Rome via Perth, despite DFAT warnings about the original route. Other readers shared experiences with canceled flights, such as Anne Matheson’s struggle to rebook in Sri Lanka due to Cyclone Ditwah and Telstra’s roaming call limits. Meanwhile, positive stories included praise for personal travel agents like Sue, who secured cruises during crises, and recommendations for destinations like MONA in Hobart and the ANZAC Memorial in Sydney. Both articles also feature travel tips and personal anecdotes, such as rediscovering the Lord Howe Island phasmid and cultural insights from Peru and Cambodia.
✓ Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Yvonne Trevaskis from Battery Point, Tasmania, booked an Emirates business class flight through a travel agent and faced a $1312 cancellation fee (15% of the cost) plus Emirates’ $600 fee. Emirates later offered a full refund due to cancellations, but the travel agent still deducted the $1312 fee.
- Steve Griffin from West Coburg, Victoria, booked a Qantas flight (operated by Emirates via Dubai) to Rome and was told by Qantas it would operate as scheduled despite DFAT warnings.
- Qantas offered Steve Griffin and his wife an alternative flight via Perth for over $6600 extra, increasing their total economy ticket cost to over $11,000.
- Anne Matheson from Gordon, NSW, experienced a cancelled connecting flight to Sri Lanka with SriLankan Airlines due to Cyclone Ditwah, with 300 flights cancelled on their website.
- Telstra’s Global Roaming charges $10 per day, which Anne Matheson found more expensive than alternatives, and includes call limits that disconnected her while trying to rebook flights.
- Lindsay Somerville from Lindfield, NSW, praised their travel agent Sue for securing a cruise during the Iran situation, finding cheaper fares than booking directly, and offering 24/7 emergency access.
- Robert Pallister from Punchbowl, NSW, recalled a honeymoon in Huancayo, Peru, describing the 11-hour Lima to Huancayo rail journey, altitude sickness (soroche), and local food like papa a la huancaia.
- Marjie Williamson from Blaxland, NSW, described traveling to Jungfraujoch (3454 meters) in Switzerland, experiencing nausea at altitude, and preferring the lower Kleine Scheidegg station (2061 meters).
- Roxanne Le Blanc from Croydon, Vic, recommended MONA in Hobart as a unique alternative to Tate Modern in London, highlighting its art, architecture, and luxury dens.
- Carol Horton from North Sydney, NSW, praised the free ANZAC Memorial guided tours in Sydney’s Hyde Park, which include displays, dioramas, and soldier stories.
- Kerrie Wehbe from Blacktown, NSW, criticized the $8390 cost of The Ghan’s luxury suite, arguing it removes the social experience of long-distance rail travel.
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- The article includes an editor’s note about a 'Happy Places' series where readers share cherished holiday destinations, with one contributor mentioning MacMasters Beach on the Central Coast of NSW.
- Shira Levine from Melbourne recalled visiting cenotes near Chichen Itza, Yucatan Peninsula, and hearing about Mayan sacrifices to the gods.
- Vicki Copping from Oatley, NSW, detailed a 15-day trip to Cambodia, including Irrawaddy dolphins in Kratie, Tonle Sap, and pre-Angkorian temple ruins.
- Ian Stevens from Little Forest, NSW, shared an anecdote about a guide’s loud phone call in Chitwan National Park, Nepal, disturbing rhinos while discussing milk purchases with his wife.
- Roland Persson from Caringbah South, NSW, described rediscovering the Lord Howe Island phasmid (declared extinct in 1920) on Ball’s Pyramid and the island’s hiking and fishing.
- The article includes an editor’s note about a 'Happy Places' series where readers share cherished holiday destinations, with one contributor mentioning MacMasters Beach on the Central Coast of NSW.
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- Both sources mention DFAT warnings about the Qantas flight to Rome via Dubai, but neither provides the specific warning details, making it impossible to verify consistency.
- The articles do not clarify whether the $1312 fee deducted by the travel agent was explicitly stated in the contract or discovered belatedly, as Yvonne Trevaskis claims.
- The articles do not specify whether the $600 Emirates fee was a cancellation charge or another type of fee, leading to ambiguity in the total cost breakdown.
Source Articles
Our airline offered a full refund. Our travel agent took $1312 of it
A caution to those booking flights through a travel agent. Read the fine print.
Our airline offered a full refund. Our travel agent took $1312 of it
A caution to those booking flights through a travel agent. Read the fine print.