Flights changed to different date, but hotel remains same…

[Elerandooo]

Anyone have experience with WizzAir?! Booked to go to Budapest and logged onto WizzAir today to check exact dimensions of baggage allowance. Was greeted with a message stating my flights have changed. Not only by delaying my arrival 2 hours into the night, but by an entire day. So now due to arrive a day early, but when I log in to my LoveHolidays booking, I’m still booked for the day later arrival at the hotel.

Can’t speak to anyone tonight and there’s no option to change flights…guess I’m just having a bit of a panic. Also very annoyed that I haven’t had a single bit of communication regarding the changed flights!

I don’t follow exactly what’s happened - if your flight has moved to a later time (eg it’s now 10pm when it was 8pm) aren’t you arriving a day LATER not earlier?

Flight was supposed to arrive on the 18th at 20:55. Now arriving on the 17th at 22:50.

Did you book it all together as a package?

I did, yeah. Through Love Holidays. I’m sure they’ll be able to sort it with the hotel. Just annoying as there has been no contact about the change, if I hadn’t logged in to check the baggage allowance I wouldn’t have known until check in.

That is very annoying i imagine it can be sorted but you’ll need to pay up for an extra night

I’m not following at all. If the flight is delayed you can’t possibly be arriving a day earlier. That means you would have to be leaving a day earlier. It’s only a two hour flight so if you are now arriving at 22.50 on the 17th you must be leaving around 20.50 on the 17th?

The return date has changed too. So hopefully won’t have to pay any extra and they can just change the arrival/departure date for the hotel. Fingers crossed!!

The original departure was on the 18th at 17:05 which would get us there for 20:55.

They’ve changed the flights to the 17th. With a later departure which means we now get there at 22:50.

So we are travelling a day earlier than originally booked. (The two hours is just me grumbling as it’s a short trip as a present for my friends wedding so we’re losing 2 hours on our first night there)

Ah ok I get you now. They’ve brought the flight forward by a day but the departure is at a later time.

Hopefully Love Holidays will be able to sort it for you.

If they can't offer an alternative flight to suit the hotel arrangements or change the hotel to suit the new flights then you may be eligible for a full refund as it's not you who has changed it and it is now not as described.

Speak with live holidays and see what your options are.

Update-

Contacted Love Holidays today to change dates for hotel- hotel is no longer available on these dates so I have to find alternative accommodation and they will change it on the system. I asked what my position would be for cancelling and getting a refund should I not be able to find suitable alternative accommodation- we will give you a refund of £90 (I’ve paid almost 500 quid!!!) because this will fall under Voluntary Cancellation!!

So now I’m scrambling about trying to find a hotel within price range, that’s still close to the centre and isn’t an absolute shit hole.

Surely booking a package holiday through something like this, you should have more options than this 🤷🏻‍♀️

Will all be fine when I’m sitting in a bar drinking a cocktail but right now I’m pretty irritated and stressed!

I’m with you op, I’d be furious. This is surely part of the deal when you get a package.

Surely if you’ve booked a package it’s on them to find alternative accommodation? Never heard of people having to do it themselves (of course, the accommodation might not be exactly what you’d choose).

Thank you!! I thought I was going mad!

I’m phoning Monday to speak to someone and hopefully sort it all out. I have found another hotel that is central and very nice (not as nice as the original one, but that’s life) It’s more than I had originally paid, which of course I’ll have to cover.

I’m just really disappointed by how it’s all been handled. If I hadn’t gone on to check baggage allowance we would have been none the wiser until online check in opened!

This is poor. I'd not be happy and phoning Monday.

You should beable to get a refund on the holiday as it is classed as a significant change. Think they are pulling a fast one

Honestly, I’m thinking the person I spoke to just wanted to get home (had to contact at half 4 due to work) and was saying anything. Hopefully I’ll speak to someone on Monday and be told different. It seems wild to me that they can class this as voluntary cancellation when flight changes are out of my control.

What if I simply couldn’t make the new dates work, I have a toddler and full time job like many, many people do- not out of the realms of possibility that I can’t just change a trip!

This explains your rights

www.loveholidays.com/about-us/package-rights.html

Thank you, this is very informative.

I’m guessing by the below, they mean once the holiday commences rather than before (as is the situation at the moment)…

“If, after the start of the package, significant elements of the package cannot be provided as agreed, suitable alternative arrangements will have to be offered to the traveller at no extra cost. Travellers may terminate the contract without paying any termination fee, where services are not performed in accordance with the contract and this substantially affects the performance of the package and the organiser fails to remedy the problem.”

I’m more than happy to find another hotel (though I don’t see why it’s my responsibility but I suppose it means I can choose one I like) but I think there should be some limits on price and that should be covered by them- this entire situation is out of my control, seems unfair to be penalised for something I can’t do anything about.

I’d just book an airport hotel at that time of night, keep everything the same rather than messing about.

I would, but then I’m paying an extra night that I’m not staying. Doesn’t seem fair. Plus, we want to be out the first night, granted we won’t get to the hotel til about midnight now, but it’s the sort of place we can just throw our luggage in and go to a local bar.

@Elerandooo LoveHolidays are talking shit.

Under the Package Travel Regulations, THEY must provide you with the holiday you've booked. THEY have changed the arrangements, therefore THEY must find you an alternative hotel at no extra cost to yourself and like for like ie same star rating, board basis, which you can choose to accept or reject. If you reject, you are entitled to a FULL refund.

I work for a tour operator, 25 years experience, I know this law and I am so fed up of hearing how LoveHolidays play fast and loose with it. They were awful during Covid, and are still getting away with it.

They can put what they like in their T&C, it doesn't change the protection you have by law.

www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2018/634/regulation/11/made

Thank you so much for this! This is exactly why I posted here!

I can’t deny, I’ll probably be quoting most of your post on Monday 😂

Update- Called today and spoke to someone with a little more sense than the last. However, no real resolution that meant keeping the booking (couldn’t find us alternative flights and wouldn’t confirm whether I would have to cough up the extra money for change of accommodation)

So I just asked again for a full refund and was given one. Very disappointed that the whole things been cancelled but given the stress and the way they’ve handled it, I don’t particularly want them having my money.

Wizz air change flight times all the time they are not very reliable. We've had a similar issue in the past with them moving flight times earlier.