Ref : Maldives Holiday 0202/016203679/TRV

On 11^th November 2004 I booked a holiday to Lily Beach (Huvahendoo Island) in the Maldives. The first date I could request and confirm an upgraded (premium) seat on the outward and return direct flight was 14^th & 28^th March respectively, so I booked the holiday for 2 weeks on this basis which included a seaplane transfer. Due to the disastrous events of the tsunami in December 2004, I wasn’t surprised to be contacted in January by Thomas Cook in Fareham to explain that I would have to change the outward date and time to 13^th March with respect to the flights, but was confirmed that my husband and I still had premium seats and 2 weeks at Lily Beach with seaplane transfers. I agreed without question.

In February I was contacted again by Fareham to say that the premium seats had been overbooked, and that I could cancel my holiday if I wished with no penalty. I was mortified. I was also advised that an alternative direct scheduled airline (no seat upgrade) was available on those dates and I could fly to the Maldives and back from London Heathrow direct with Sri Lanka Airways. I asked for 48 hours to discuss things with my husband. I also I wanted to find out if there was an alternative tour operator that could either get me to the Caribbean or on another island in the Maldives, as Lily Beach was fully booked. Hayes & Jarvis explained that they could get me to another island but the problem was the flights. They could get me there with a direct flight through Sri Lanka Airways from London Heathrow but they couldn’t get a direct flight back from Male to LHR. In the end I asked The Thomas Cook Retail in Fareham to double check the flights that they were direct as discussed, as was confirmed same, so presumed Hayes &Jarvis couldn’t book it as it was full. I opted to stay with Thomas Cook as our tour operator as I felt they had worked very hard to ensure I had the holiday I had booked in November 2004. We left for the Maldives from Heathrow on 13^th March at approximately 21:00 and arrived in Male 9 ½ hours later having had a pleasant flight. The seaplane transfer was 25 minutes, smooth and enjoyable. Lily Beach is a beautiful resort and was everything I had expected and more. My husband at this point was particularly impressed with the whole package.

Preparing for our return, we were scheduled to catch the seaplane after a leisurely breakfast at around 0930 on Monday 28^th from Male to LHR, flying at 13:15 (Maldives time) and arriving at approximately 20:30 local time, a flight duration of some 9-10 hours.

On Saturday 26^th March 2005 we received a note (attached) in our room that evening that the flights had changed and we no longer had a direct flight from Male to London Heathrow. I thought of my conversation with Hayes and Jarvis. I am also interested to know exactly when Thomas Cook knew the flight was pulled, as I am checking with the airline if that direct flight from Male to LHR even exists. UL502 flies direct from LHR to Male and then on to Columbo in Sri Lanka. I saw UL502 landing from LHR and taking off again to Columbo whilst in Male airport that Monday 28th, it is the same flight we came out on. It must then turn into UL501 at Columbo and back to LHR. I know how these flight numbers operate.

I telephoned the Thomas Cook Tour Representative, Jenny, to try and find out what had happened. She was very sorry but could not explain why the change had taken place, and no other alternatives were on offer. On Monday 28^th we now had to arise at 04:45 local time and have our bags packed by 05:00. This cheated us out of 4 hours longer at the resort and getting up in the middle of the night was not something I relished. My husband was not happy. We had a rushed and hurried breakfast whilst half asleep and caught the first seaplane to Male at around 06:00, which stopped at another island to collect more guests so did not arrive in the 25 minutes’ transfer time as scheduled. We were destined for flight UL102 from Male to Columbo in Sri Lanka leaving at 09:20. Our tickets had to be changed. We met Jenny outside Male airport who took us through a confusing ticket changing system. We left her to tend to other guests outside the airport and found the checking-in desk. We checked in our baggage. I realised afterwards we were checked in as groups of 6, and I had the original ticket manifest and was asked by the airport staff to “ensure these other 2 couples got on the flight safely”as technically I had their tickets. The flight wasn’t UL102 as described in the note left on Saturday, but an Emirates flight EK 771 or something similar, but I had to find that out myself and explain to the other guests in the departure lounge. We all arrived in Columbo at lunchtime where it wasn’t clear where we had to check in to the transfer desk, as the signs are not very clear. It felt as though we were lost in an airport where everywhere seemed to be a building site and no-one spoke much English. What was even more confusing was the clock change. I took the bull by the horns and managed to sort things out, as we had our boarding cards for the flight home on UL501 at 13:45 issued at Male. I noticed other groups of 6 aimlessly walked around the airport standing out like sore thumbs trying to find out what was going on, so we all made a pact. Luckily I am a seasoned traveller, but my colleagues weren’t so confident, and a certain amount of panic set in. I felt very stressed and that that a burden of responsibility had suddenly been put on me in the middle of the day in unbearable heat in an unfamiliar airport with no tour representatives, and the other guests needed pacifying. Why me ? I had now been up for some 7+ hours and had travelled further east, so facing the truth, I had my suspicions that the flight from Columbo to LHR was going to be a long one. I tried to keep in good spirits for the sake of my colleagues and my husband, but was getting more angry by the minute. In 38 degrees of heat we were taken to a very cramped room to depart for the flight home. The plane was full. The Captain, at nearly 14:30, some ¾ hour later than scheduled, said we were ready for take off and the flight would be 11 ½ hours.

It took longer than 12 hours. We were not mentally prepared for such a long flight. I would have packed sedation or sleeping tablets. We arrived in LHR exhausted at 21:45 local time. If you calculate the actual travelling time from the seaplane journey to touchdown at LHR we had been travelling for some 22 hours. I could have come back from Australia in the same time ! It has now taken a further 24 hours to recover from the stress, as I could not go to work on 29^th March.

Considering all the above, I find the whole return journey a complete and utter disorganised farce. We paid for a direct flight in good faith and have been considerably let down. I await with interest as to your comments on the above, and how you feel that you can compensate for my knowledge and confidence in ensuring my husband and our fellow colleagues did not break down, as we all nearly did, as I intend to take this much further unless a satisfactory solution is agreed upon.

Yours faithfully

Chrystianne Hayes

cc: R Townsend, Saulet & Co Solicitors, Portsmouth