Package Holiday Hell - Need advice...

[SLS1990]

I wanted to post the below situation we have just experienced. I am unsure how to post this for other people to respond.

We were travelling away on a planned package holiday over Christmas 2023 to the Caribbean. We arrived at the airport to discover 1/5 of the passports were 4.5 months near the expired date, when it has to be 6 months minimum or more, which was a complete oversight on our part. 1 adult and 1 child did not board the plane and we made arrangements to get a fast track passport and rebook direct flights at our expense to join the rest of the family and be together over the main christmas days. This happened and we were together from the day before christmas eve.
Before they joined, I called the flight operators and the travel agents to look to change the flights home.
The flight operators agreed this could be done but had to be arranged by the travel agent, although the travel agent advised it was against their company policy.
I accepted the reply and just tried to enjoy the rest of the trip and make Christmas the best I could for the children. Unfortunately, soon after their arrival, one of my children got sickness and diarrhea and was really unwell for days after even when we got back from home and lost a lot of weight.
On the date we were due to leave to go home, I contacted the travel agent to confirm that 5/5 travel arrangements are fine to go ahead and no issues - to which I have written evidence 'rest assured everything in place will go ahead for a smooth journey home'. When we got to the check in desk 3 hours before the flight departure time - we were advised by the airline that 2/5 of the flights were cancelled. The check in staff was limited to their help and just handed me a phone to a reservation team of the flight operator who advised the flights was cancelled because the 2/5 passengers did not board the first flights, I was offered a price of 12,000 dollars to get seats on the same flight which I had already paid for within my package with the UK holiday operator, I did not accept this price when online it was £940.00 per person. Out of desperation we tried to purchase these tickets ourselves on the skyscanner website, but the website would not accept payment of over 6 cards - we phoned VISA / Barclays and Barclaycard, none of them were blocking our cards, therefore it was the website.
I found a flight on a different platform which accepted my payment on their site that was departing 13 hours after our one was and was in a panic to book this for my husband and child, before my own check in closed and I missed the flight with our other 2 boys.
My husband and child booked a temporary hotel nearby and took a taxi whilst I boarded the plane with my 2 other children.

Whilst on the flight I kept looking for another flight and found another one which landed 40 minutes after the original flight we had booked at the same airport. I booked and paid for this one also out of desperation to get my family home.

Upon getting home, one of the hand luggages taken off me was lost which contained ipads and my home keys.

We had to have a locksmith get into our home, incurring more expense.

We got the luggage 36 hours after we got home.

We were not told by the travel agent or the flight operator this flight was cancelled and had extremely high costs incurred and stress.

The travel agent has not been accountable for this and just said to discuss this with the flight operator.

Please help me and advise what my options are?

I would think you need to speak to the travel agent. Although you have stated that when you asked about the return flights the travel agent told you that was not in their terms and conditions - but you went anyway. However they did confirm by email that your return flights were sorted - so I can see why you believed there would be no issue. Good luck !

I lost the will to live somewhere in the middle... but if I have grasped the essence of the story, you had some passports that didn't meet the immigration rules, and as a result your flights were lost. You booked multiple alternatives, which were your choice. And luggage being lost is tough, but that's what insurance is for.

Sorry, this seems to be down to you... what do you think is someone else's fault?

'rest assured everything in place will go ahead for a smooth journey home'

Is rather ambiguous and doesn't actually state that the flights have been rebooked. It just says that everything in place at that time will happen. It is not quantified.

The flight operator is responsible for the cancellation, not a travel agent. It's common for return flights to be cancelled due to no shows, the flight operator would need to retract the cancellation or reschedule the flight.

It may be possible to get the cost of the original return flight back but you'd probably have to go via small claims.

Sickness and you not having house keys is irrelevant unfortunately.

Most return flights require you to fly the first leg otherwise return is cancelled

It is normal for charter flights to cancel return flight for those who "no show" on the outward one. Were they all booked as a package? If the flight was not full why did you not pay the extra and argue later?

If you have insurance use it. They will reclaim if they can.

Not only for charter flight, any return flight will be cancelled if part of the first trip is missed. A return flight is not two flights, it is a single flight having different legs. Your travel agency should have known.

I am sorry but you have no legal recourse for the reimbursement of flights. Concerning the delayed bag and the lack of keys, your travel insurance might cover the expense.

I got confused as there is a lot of erroneous detail in your post.

But put simply if you asked the travel agent specifically if your flights home were confirmed for all of you and they replied that they were, then some responsibility may lie with them.

I'd suggest you get someone else to sense check any email or correspondence you want to send. Children being sick and lost luggage seem somewhat of sidebars to the main issue - you had to buy new flights to get home when you had been assured that everything was fine for your return flights.