help advice needed :(

[finbar.taylor]

Right have a little problem.........

2-3 weeks ago Fiance and I booked what was going to be our (more her's than mine it's not truck) dream honeymoon which is in 4 weeks time.

just over 2 weeks in Kenya - 8 days in masai mara Masai Mara - Kenya Safari -: Kenya Beach Travel. and then 7 days in gazi bay

Then the dream holiday bit started going south slowly first then at mach 4!

having been in contact with Thomson who the holiday is booked we can transfer to a diferent destination losing us 1400. we can cancel completely costing us 1800 or we can await them to phone me 2-3 days before departure and they will refund or try and offer an alternative problem is 2 days before is the day of the wedding and we don't really want to be waiting till then to try and reorganise a holiday and to be perfectly honest even if the mess clears up we don't really want to spend the first 2 weeks of married life worried as to weather it's going to blow up again and we have to be evacuated out of the country or end up stuck hiding in a building awaiting escort out of the country!.

Thomson are being particulary unhelpful about it and am hoping you lot might be able to help.


Any suggestions on how to get out of this holiday now rater than waiting till the day of the wedding as to be honest we've enough on our plate at the moment doing most of the things for the wedding our selves and were both really busy at work so can't afford (time and extortionate phone cost) pestering the travel agent every 5 minutes.

Any one know a secret tacktic that makes them hold their hands up and accept our reasonable request?


Thanks in advance


Fin

[Okeanos]

Have you spoken to your holiday insurance company? They might decide it's cheaper to send you elsewhere.

[Reikimaster]

first step would be to check what the foreign office (bound to be a website for them, are saying about travel to kenya, my understanding was they were saying dont go.

if they are saying dont go then, an email / call to thompson to the effect, 'the foreign office has advised me not to go, therefore i want my money back / different destination with no loss to me'

2nd step would be similar converstion with the credit card company (hopefully you paid by cc)

not much but hopefully some help

steve

found the link
Don't Go To... Foreign & Commonwealth Office
Travel Advice by Country Foreign & Commonwealth Office

[uwila]

Originally Posted by Okeanos

Have you spoken to your holiday insurance company? They might decide it's cheaper to send you elsewhere.

Almost certainly won't cover it as acts of war/civil disobedience are almost always excluded.

[Jules77]

Check the terms and conditions under both your holiday and holiday insurance cover and see what they say. It may be that it is excluded (very likely with your insurance) but what is the cancellation policy on your holiday? They should have provided you with T&Cs at the time of booking? That might give you a way out.

[Fiona]

The problem is the travel agencies take their lead from the FCO and they take decisions on a day to day basis. They might advise against all but essential travel today and in a few days time it will all be OK or still the same.

I know last Thursday the tour operators had canceled all the trips for the next couple of days up to Saturday, don't know what is happening now.

I am willing to bet Thomson won't take a decision on your dates until a week before at the earliest.

[Adrian Kelland]

The FCO are currently advising against non-essential travel to Kenya. It looks like Thompson are sticking to their booking conditions and only making a go/no-go call within 72 hours of departure. Thomson Holidays - Important Information - Security Advice Not necessarily unreasonable if the situation settles down over the next few days. If...

Not a nice situation to be in - we were in a similar situation as a result of the boxing day tsunami. Not a threatening issue there though.

Adrian

[wilbo]

fin,
also give ABTA a ring and see where you stand on it.. <a href="http://www.abta.com/whychooseabta.shtml" />

[colinpjenkins2]

According to the BBC news thinks are starting to settled down a little with the ruling party making geustures about power sharing and the opposition calling off the next protest so the picture is changing rapidly hence the position Thompson's are taking. I visit a holiday advise site which has a bit of a tie in with as solicitor as below. A call there my clear thing up for you.

Ros Fernihough, Travel Law Solicitor, to provide the best information available. Ros has offered our members free impartial legal advice. Please contact to her made via :-
Tel :- 01922 621114

Note the cut and paste says members but I think its anybody or you could just register. heres the site URL
Index page &bull; holidaytruths.co.uk

[finbar.taylor]

Firstly thanks all for your offersw of help and sypathy.

Still looks like Thompson are going to stick to the 48-72 hours notice but on the plus side thing look to be calming down in Kenya, I've been speaking to a few people based in mombassa and they are to quote "blissfully unaware of any trouble" and that's from some distant reklated family I did not even know I had!

So any way looks like I'm holding on till the big day and hopefully going to Kenya after all. (can you all do me a favor and cross somthing for me please)


Fin