Flight booking error

[LeftTheWashingOut]

I booked a holiday this morning that I've been looking at for ages through on the beach. I clearly wasn't paying attention as somehow I've managed to book the flights from the wrong airport. I immediately contacted both on the beach and jet2 to try to stop the booking but jet2 aren't willing to cancel them. They are amending (for the price difference - a lot ) but say they don't have to do anything as it's a non refundable flight. The flights I needed to book from the other airport for the same price were with SunExpress

I've been begging, but apparently there's nothing they can do - I understand their terms but it just seems so unreasonable, I have clearly made a very expensive mistake. Has anyone ever done anything similarly silly and had any luck begging or should I just give up?

Why can’t you just fly from the airport you have booked?

Isn’t there something about distance selling and a purchase online meaning that you can automatically change your mind within a certain time? I might be making that up, but hopefully someone else will know more.

It's Leeds, and we live south so it's a really long drive and the flight is early morning - so it is doable but I'm just soooo cross with myself as the flights we needed are the same cost, and 45 minute drive from our house 😔

@Celestialmoods I thought that too but my googling suggests that flights don't count within that, so it's up to the airlines to be reasonable about correcting errors - BA for example give you 24hrs to amend/cancel. Turns out Jet2 are not so reasonable and even 15 minutes is too long

You might be better off cancelling the whole thing and rebook, everyone knows how much of a hassle it is and often costs more than the flights themselves if you need to change anything like outbound airport or names.

No, I know what you're thinking of but accommodation/transport/leisure services are specifically exempt from this protection.

Unfortunately this is why it's so important when booking travel to quadruple check you've got everything right. It's unbelievably difficult to get airlines and travel companies to bend in any way.

Would travelling up to Leeds the day before and staying in a nearby Travelodge/Premier Inn be cheaper than amending or rebooking the flights?

There is such a thing but unfortunately transport bookings are exempted from the rule.

You are entirely right I should absolutely have quadruple checked and I usually would but was just seizing the two minutes before the kids started next bugging me to get it booked and I think for whatever reasons the filters had reset on my search. And because the cost was the same I just cracked on....

Leeds here we come I think! 😭 The cost to cancel is £930 (the full cost of the flights) and the next best amendment is £650. I'm just so unbelievably cross with myself

Stay the night in Leeds and go for a nice meal out to get in the holiday mood

I don't understand the issue. You said jet2 are amending for the price difference, and the flights you wanted are the same price. How is this costing you anything extra?

Leeds is lovely. Stay two nights ahead of the holiday for a great start to your break!

@Greggsit sorry I'm being really unclear. I booked through on the beach, and the flights are with jet2. They are offering to amend the flights, but only to other jet2 flights which either don't work in terms of dates or cost an additional £650.

The flights I needed (and which cost the same) are with SunExpress and that would have cost the same which is why I didn't clock the issue until after paying.

Travel the day before to Leeds stay in a cheap hotel? Cheaper then canceling and rebooking.

Sorry, but of course jet2 will only amend to their own flights. It's one thing booking flights from the wrong airport, but you've actually booked with the wrong airline as well! Either cancel all the flights, pay extra, or travel on what you booked. It's annoying, but it's not on jet2 to fix this.

Is Sunexpress the name of the airline Jet2 use? I never heard of them but have you contacted them directly? Are there any reviews online where people have managed to change their flights/airport? Would staying the night beforehand in leeds near the airport be cheaper than changing airorts?

Sadly travel is exempt due to a lot of lobbying from the travel companies at the time.

However, I thought you could rectify errors within 24 hours? But maybe that's just things like saying Louise Hart when you meant Louis Harte.

Edited: obviously not the case if you've booked with the entirely wrong airline

@Greggsit yes I totally understand from their point of view and I'd get it if I just decided tomorrow id changed my mind - it's more just the fact I realised the error immediately and tried to stop them processing it. If I'd been in a shop and realised an error the second I handed over my cash then I'd have expected to be able to get it back!!

I know it seems ridiculous to have booked the wrong airline but it's the way you book through on the beach. They sort of build your package using multiple different airlines.

Could jet2 change your return flight only to your local airport? Might work out cheaper, but doesn’t solve the problem of how you’d get there (train?).

there’s no way I’d want to travel 4 hours + after a holiday to get home.

id seriously consider paying the £650 to change the flights to your local airport and write this off.
travelling to and from Leeds will costs you hundreds of £. Plus accommodation if you go the day before / stay the night after

For that price difference I'd travel up a day early and enjoy Leeds as a relaxed start to your holiday. I hate pressing the button to book stuff. I'm always paranoid I'll do something like this!