WHY NOT TO TRAVEL WITH CANTERBURY TRAVEL LONDON LTD

After hearing tv personalities talking about how great lapland is, reading the web site and related brochures we decided at considerable expense (Ł2300 for a 1 night trip for 2 adults and 1 child) to book our place on this ONCE in a life time dream experience with Canterbury Travel.

To put it lightly we were less than impressed and wrote a letter of complaint within an hour of getting home (even after 2 days with close to no sleep, it really was that bad an experience!). A copy of this and the response from this 'dream' making company is below. I will leave it up to yourselves to decide if it's worth the gamble. There are plenty of other companies offering similar trips!

Dear Sir/Madam,

As I write this letter my family and I have been back on the island for less than an hour after returning from our ‘dream’ trip to Lapland.

Never in all my life have I known such abysmal travel service on both the out going and return flights. Where to start is hard but I’ll start with our flight out. There was absolutely no entertainment whatsoever, no TV, no music no Santa hats, absolutely nothing to distinguish our dream trip from any other flight. In all fairness the airplane staff were as surprised and disgusted as us. They were not shy in mentioning the fact that they had been on recent similar trips (in the past week) where the crew had been instructed to sing songs (including the captain) and children’s packs and silly hats were provided. After landing in Dublin most of the Manx passengers then had to move seats. Why you might ask? Please remember this point for afterwards as its very important (as the Irish ground staff told us Manxies) but this was because there had been a mix up with boarding at the IOM and in order for ALL FAMILIES to sit as groups we would have to move. As these seats would be the same for the return flight this was doubly important. My family moved all of our hand luggage and ourselves from row 2 to row 28 as instructed, unfortunately about 3 other families had been instructed to move to the same seats which caused even more confusion. Obviously a bit annoyed but without complaint after all it was nobody’s fault we moved. This shuffle to allow ALL FAMILIES to sit together caused us an hour delay on our short 1 night trip. The odd comment was passed (not by ourselves) but at least ALL FAMILIES would be together. After leaving Dublin we then found out that un-like what was promised (meals as appropraite) no breakfast would be served, as there were none on board, not a nice surprise for us Manx passengers who had been up since 5 o’clock in the morning to be ready to check in for 6:30. Never mind, I’m sure the Christmas themed lunch would make up for it? Apparently not, the crew had tried to get the Christmas dinner we were supposed to have but there would have been a further delay so we had to make to with a cottage pie. On a flight so full of children surely something (anything) else would have been more appropriate. Luckily though the helpful cabin staff decided to try and sell expensive chocolate and crisps BEFORE dishing out lunch, to a bunch of by now very hungry children. By this point a number of comments about entertainment had been made to the staff and a 10-minute sing along was organised by the most helpful of the staff. All in all though not much of a start to our dream trip and not much entertainment on a plane for which we had been on for 6 hours. So far I think you would agree this all sounds like a bit of a nightmare but this flight gets worse. Although there was no noticeable turbulence the crew felt fit to leave the seat belt signs on for over 90% of the flight. Once again please bear in mind the number of children on this very special trip and those people who were brave enough to go to the toilet were either reprimanded over the intercom or had the toiled door banged on and were told to get back to their seats. A nice touch on such a special trip. Other than the above the flight there was ok, far far better than the flight back.

Our reps at approximately 4:15 local time dropped us of at the airport ready to check in for our 5:30 flight home. As first 5:00 and then 5:15 passed it became very clear that there was no way our flight was going to leave on time, eventually all passengers were checked in by about 5:45. As I and my family got to the check in desk I noticed that we were being given different boarding passes to the ones we had been told to hold on too. I raised this with the girl behind the desk who simply ‘shrugged’ at me as if I was simple. My family had been allocated row 13 which I know to be an emergency exit row and thus must have no children on it. I tried to explain to no avail. By this point I was at best very very annoyed as we finally got on the plane at approximately 6 o’clock local time. My family had no sooner sat down than a very agitated member of cabin staff came over and announced ‘you have a problem’, not the crew but us. Our 8-year-old daughter was ‘our’ problem and she would not be allowed to sit in the seat we had been allocated. There were no mentions of ALL FAMILIES together now. We explained to the staff in a firm but not rude manner that the problem was with them and that if they could find us seats together we would happily move (bearing in mind the move we had on the flight out). My wife asked where should we go to sit now seeing as it was our problem , the stewardess simply raised her arms and said she didn’t know to which my wife then suggested she find a solution and come back to us (although not said, we were after all the paying customers and not airline workers), to which the member of staff shrugged and stormed off. She then went and got her superior who came over and asked what ‘our’ problem was? Once again we explained it was not our problem and after some shuffling we were told we could all sit together. As we went to sit in our new seats I was told I could no longer move, I was needed to be by the emergency exit window and so once again my family was split up during all take-offs and landings, causing considerable distress to my 8-year-old daughter. During flight we were allowed to sit in our original seats (row 13) but this is of no use to wife and daughter who are not the best of fliers anyway. As mentioned above no more indication of this ‘very very’ special trip and ALL FAMILIES together. I would very much like to hear your explanation of how this mix up in seating occurred as all documentation makes a point of mentioning this same pre-allocated seating for both flights? Things do get worse though. As if being made a complete show of by a very ignorant member of staff was not enough we then had to endure her snidy looks (as noticed by other passengers) and complete lack of service on the flight back. Tea and coffee served with not so much as a single word but plenty of scowls. How we were to blame for this I have no idea? We arrived at Dublin and all of our companion Irish sufferers left the plain. We were asked to help allocate remaining hand luggage, which I did but was then napped at (by the same member of staff) and shouted at to sit down and get out of the way. Everybody was also up at this point helping staff allocate hand luggage and I was getting to my limit by now. I sat down, again without complaint.

After a short trip back to the Island and feeling very much as though things could get no worse my family managed to relax and at least talk about some of the great times we had just experienced. This was until we went to pick up our luggage. Although no great surprise to most passengers (A good indication of the quality of service provided) about 90% of the luggage for manxpassengers had been unloaded in Dublin. By now we were not the only ones spitting feathers. So as things stand we are without our 2 cases which have in them every photograph which we have taken while in Lapland. We have had our whole ‘dream trip’ taken away from us and words fail me to describe how I, my wife and my daughter feel. I believe in good faith that our bags will eventually get to us but it will not ease the memories of these 2 flights in any way. When people ask us how it was I wouldn’t know how to answer!

Having never written a letter of complaint before I hope you can appreciate the feeling behind this, a copy will be sent to both Thompson Travel (Port Erin), Canterbury Travel. I will leave you to apportion blame.

I would not expect this service on a last minute bargain basement holiday but all in all this 24-hour trip cost conservatively in excess of Ł2300. I would be most interested to hear an explanation for all of the points raised and would like to register an official complaint and request for compensation. Our trip as we see it has had a massive shadow cast upon it. I would also suggest that we would not be the only ones making such a complaint, not least of all the 40 or so passengers whose luggage has been lost.

For reference purposes our trip was booked via Thompson Travel (Port Erin) and departed 08:00 on Friday the 5th December returning on a 5:30 flight from Finland on the 6th December (Lapland Melody). We are the Barlow family Mr, Mrs and Laura who were sitted on seats 2A,B,C / 28A,B,C on the outward flight and 13A,B,C / Various others on the return flight.

Once again I look forward to hearing your views on the above as a matter of urgency.

Sincerely,

Paul Barlow

This is the official response received from Canterbury Travel OVER 1 month later:-

Dear Mr Thompson,

We would appreciate your supplying this reply to our mutual customer Barlow who travelled on 05 December to Lapland with Canterbury Travel. We are in receipt of your email in connection with your visit to Lapland and would provide the following observations.

It is noted that the time spent in Lapland met with your approval and that your concerns apply to the provision of your air transportation to and from Lapland In this connection we would advise you the following.

Canterbury Travel secure air transportation for their flights via an air charter brokerage service who secured a flight with Azzura on our behalf using a 180 seater Airbus 320. Furthermore as part of their service to us they undertake to seat the aircraft and try and keep families together whilst bearing in mind constraints of the airline concerned, as to regards seating patterns and restricted seating arrangements meeting with emergency exit requirements etc. In addition catering in accordance with the time of day is arranged. The airline receive the passenger listing in advance of the flight.

As we have no specific control over the actions of the airline it's staff and it's ground handling agents, we limit our liability to you as is permitted under European Legislation to the relevant conditions of carriage of the carrier in this case Azzurra who have been asked to respond to you directly concerning the standards of service provided. The relevant factors are that the airline did provide the transportation as specified although from the comments made in a somewhat haphazard manner. It should be further specified that we do not guarantee seating together and therefore the airline has no specific requirement or obligation to you in this respect. As to videos, we do not feature the Isle of Man Tour on any website and your expectancy is that specified within the booking information sheet. We have asked that the airline respond directly to you in respect of the services provided. Any such compensation that you require would be in accordance with their booking conditions. However our understanding is that they have met with their contractual obligations to you by providing the transport.

As to operating such tours from the Isle of Man in the future we have decided not to offer tours of similar nature in the foreseeable future.

Naturally we do apologise if the service provided did not meet with your satisfaction but all arrangements were provided from our side in a professional manner The airline once again has been asked to respond to you directly.

Yours sincerely,

For Canterbury Travel London Ltd

We have now recieved a response from the airline which was a bit of a joke really.

On the 15th of February we made a request to Canterbury Travel to go to independent arbitration and have now received a reply.

Having seaked the advice of an airline consultant it turns out Canterbury's contract (This contract has now been removed from their website?)is so non-specific and generalised as to be worthless. Thus making them not liable or responsible in any way for the trip you being promised not being the actual trip you get! Not very fair but it's quite legal for them to imply one thing in their brochure while delivering something else! One final thing, they have added this page to their website which if you read to the bottom actually ridicules any complaints they receive as people having "false expectations" and "a failure to understand what has been purchased". WTF. For people selling a high end luxury experience that's nice, not even a hint of remorse! Of our 36 hour trip we spent more than half of that time apparantely out of the responsibility and accountability of the company we had paid Ł2300.

SO FOR YOUR Ł1000, Ł2000, Ł3000+ DO YOU REALLY THINK IT'S WORTH THE GAMBLE? HERE ARE SOME ALTERNATIVES TO CANTERBURY TRAVEL:-

Santa Days
EMagine Travel
Transun

It looks as though somebody else was less than impressed with their Canterbury Travel holiday. I received this via e-mail, you can see their opinions on the same trip here. Apparantely as far as the company are concerned their complaint is a "closed" issue as well!

If you've got an opinion on Canterbury Travel why not leave it on our guestbook?

Complaint and Response Airline Reply Canterbury Travel Arbitartion Request Another Canterbury Travel Complaint

Disclaimer - The above is a true account of our (The Barlow family) experiences with Canterbury Travel, other peoples experiences may be different. The views expressed on the Guest Book are those of each respective author, if you post on the forum you are responsible for your own words!