A member of the Travel Gossip Facebook community has helped a family get a refund for flights after highlighting their plight on a post in the group.
Lisa Marshall posted in the Travel Gossip group after hearing about the family, who were travelling to Toronto to visit a sick relative.
The family – Annette Price, her husband Peter, and her sister Lesley – had booked return flights to Toronto to visit their nephew Nial, who had been diagnosed with stage four sarcoma cancer.
When Nial’s condition worsened, Peter offered to trade places with Annette’s mum, Sheila, so she could visit her great-nephew.
The family tried to change the passenger’s name but were told by Air Transat that this could not happen.
Instead, Sheila borrowed money and booked return flights to Toronto for £1,400, more than double what her daughters and son-in-law had paid.
Annette then posted about the family’s situation in a Facebook group called Family Lowdown Tips and Ideas, which is where Lisa spotted the post.
Lisa, a former independent travel agent with Hays Travel, who now works as a Talent Partner for Intuitive Interim & Executive Search, then posted in the Travel Gossip Facebook group. Her post attracted lots of comments among members who tagged in Air Transat. After seeing the post, Air Transat told Lisa the booking was being looked into by head office.
Two days later, Lisa updated her post to say Air Transat had agreed to change the passenger name and a refund for the additional flights Sheila had bought was being issued.
Annette told Travel Gossip: “When mum heard Nial’s life expectancy had been cut short, she was desperate to go.
“My husband came up with the idea of changing passenger names, which would have been perfect, but Air Transat said we couldn’t do it. I was just absolutely devastated.”
She said Lisa’s post on Travel Gossip, and the response from members ‘just restored my faith in humanity, with all the lovely comments’.
Lisa told Travel Gossip: “I wondered if I posted in Travel Gossip, someone from Air Transat would see it. It was just an absolute long shot.
“Then everyone just started commenting, really feeling for the situation and tagging Air Transat in the post.”
Lisa added: “It was the best feeling knowing the flights had been sorted because I know how much that will mean to them.
“Travel Gossip is a really great group, and it has helped me a good number of times, even when I’ve been looking for my own holiday or advice.”
Annette and her entire family have extended their thanks to Lisa and the Travel Gossip Facebook community for their help in getting Sheila to Canada to see Nial.
“Thank you everyone, and thank you Air Transat, for doing the right thing. I know there are policies and procedures, but getting to say goodbye to someone at such a young age means the absolute world to this family, and Annette is truly grateful,” Lisa added in her Facebook post.
The family have now received a refund from Air Transat.
Travel Gossip has approached Air Transat for comment.
Image shows, from left: Annette and her mum Sheila
