To never book an 'un' package holiday again. Furious!!!

[Halle71]

So, last year we went to Sri Lanka at Easter and found out 3 days before we were due to fly that our airline had changed our flight to leave a day earlier and return two days later (WTF?) and our travel agent forgot to tell us. This was a massive ballache - extra time off work, time off school and 3 nights extra accommodation. Not to mention the stress.

Must be unusual right? Airlines can't just do that can they?

Anyway, had the January blues a couple of weeks ago and booked our summer holiday. Booked Ryanair flights to Girona, an airport hotel, a villa for the first week and Eurocamp for the second week. Great deal because we booked so early. I thought.

Just had an email from Ryanair saying they have made significant changes to our flights. Now, instead of leaving for Spain at 6am we leave in the evening (and don't therefore need the airport hotel). But worst of all, they have changed the date of our flight. Instead of coming back on SUNDAY 3 Sept, we are coming back on MONDAY 4th Sept. A FUCKING SCHOOL DAY, WORK DAY (we have booked all our holiday for the year). CUNTS.

I literally don't know what to do 😥😥😥😥😥

That's true maddie but the alternative is either expensive or limiting.

Just found out they have another flight on the same day from Girona that didn't come up on Skyscanner and I was so stressed at work that I didn't think check their own site. Doh.

So they moved my flight from 6pm on Sunday to 10 am on Monday when they could have moved it to 1pm on Sunday. Fuckers.

I raise you this, our family booked a holiday to Africa, the flight was supposed to leave at 12:35 from London City Airport, so we would have 3hrs transfer in Madrid. We already went to check in our luggage when the people working there told us that the flight doesnt exist anymore and we have to fly from Heathrow. Hence, British Airways booking a cab for us, almost missing our flight and leaving just 20 min for transfer in Madrid. Just because the travel agent forgot to tell us about the changes.
It doesn't end there though.
When we were flying back, same thing happened. Even though we checked with tje agent that the flight is when it is supposed to be.

Midnight - didn't you check in online before going to the airport? Even for flights that don't permit online check-in I try to go online and check the booking (and sometimes change the seat reservations etc), if only for the comfort of knowing that the flight I am expecting to get at X time, on Y day from Z airport actually exists...

Ok, here is an example. Last fortnight. I stayed overnight for two days making sure our guests from The Gambia got home. We followed GOV advice. I was sworn at, threatened etc. All our guests were repatriated. It has cost the company a lot of money.

I have been travelling my entire life and I can honestly say that in those 27 years, beyond delays when already at the airport, I have never had a flight moved to another day ... it just sounds like you're incredibly unlucky OP.

Also, this is the reason why I have always made sure to have buffer days before/after holidays, just in case. So if I go back to work on the Monday, I will try to book a return flight for the Friday night/Saturday, a) so that if there are any delays I don't have to stress about work on top of everything else but mostly b) so that I have a day for all those little post-holiday jobs like thinking about unpacking, going grocery shopping, getting stuff sorted for going back to work etc

I've had flights moved twice on package holidays, one of which was moved to a completely different airport at 2 weeks notice.

if, after you make your reservation, but before the date of travel, we change the scheduled departure time by more than three hours and this is unacceptable to you and we are unable to book you on an alternative flight which is acceptable to you, you will be entitled to a refund for all monies paid in respect of the time changed flight.

Ryanair terms above - is there an alternative flight that you can ask to change to?

If nothing from Girona, could you try from Barcelona instead?

We never book package holidays and have never had this happen to us. Sounds awful!!

Happens to us every time we book with BA. We only book with them if they are the only carrier for that route. Insurance won't cover it.