By Graeme Wearden, 10 September 2004 08:40
NEWS Rise Travel, the company handling BT's offer of free flights for new broadband customers, has blamed the postal system for the hassles experienced by some people who have tried to take up the deal.
BT admitted last week that hundreds of people have encountered difficulties getting their flights, but insisted this was a very small proportion of those who had applied for their free economy flight to parts of the US or Europe.
The situation has been compared to the infamous Hoover offer of the early 1990s when many people struggled to get a free flight to America. Rise Travel, though, denies that the two episodes are similar.
A Rise Travel spokesman said that just one person had called a "dedicated number" set up by the company to handle complaints about the BT offer.
The spokesman wouldn't confirm BT's estimate that hundreds of people have been affected, saying "I don't have the figures to hand," but added that "severe Post Office problems" had hampered the processing of application forms.
Several readers of silicon.com's sister site ZDNet UK, however, have complained they've not been able to get the flights they wanted, and have struggled to find out what is going on.
One reader says he ended up having to pay £400 for a flight to New York after being told that there were no more flights to the US available all year, even though he submitted his application in plenty of time. He now intends to complain to BT and consumer protection associations once he returns from the US.
One source close to Rise Travel has claimed that some customers have been waiting weeks to speak to the company, as the company's call centre staff were instructed just to pass details of complaints on to Rise.
The Rise Travel spokesman rejected this charge as "absolute nonsense". "We're not a fly-by-night company," he insisted.
Anyone seeking information from Rise Travel about a free flight promotion should contact the company on 01274 256058.
Graeme Wearden writes for ZDNet UK
Comments
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1. anonymous
Rise travel are also responsible for the ernest and gallo promotion for free flights to America. And it would appear as though once again history is repeating itself - failure to honour free flights, failure to keep me informed about what is happening and blaming the postal service for delays. 3 months on, and my application is still pending.
2. anonymous
Yes, E & J Gallo free flight promotion has proven to be a complete waste of (a lot of) time and a very stressful con. I am steaming over it. If anyone else is waiting for communications from Rise Travel, I advise you forget about it and move on before you end up as frustrated as me!
3. anonymous
*sigh*
chased rise in autumn 2004 for an update on the whereabouts of my gallo win free tickets
was told a letter was on its way
letter arrived in nov saying i'd got a ticket to new york 3rd march 2005
jan 2005 ... i chase to see who i'm flying with; times etc (0161 877 1113) ... to be told they're writing to everyone that week
beginning of feb (today) ... no letter so called 0161 877 1113 again ... to be told that all flights had been pushed back to nov 2005-march 2006
currently on hold to complaint line 0871 872 5222
JUST WHEN ARE THE DTI GOING TO LOOK INTO THIS MADNESS