I booked through Travelup a few times and little things have gone wrong (e.g. meal preference not going through to airline), but I kept booking due to price differences.
Due to my last experience I'll NEVER book through them again and STRONGLY advise others NOT to do so either. It cost an extra £165, and almost 2 hours on the phone to correct their mistakes.
Here's what happened for those interested.
Reason 1) The TECHNICAL ISSUES, which could've been forgiven:
- My partner booked a return for us
- The first card we used resulted in an 'error' page, with a link to 'try payment again'
- We had to complete ALL our details over again (although linked to the same flights) and tried again with the same card. The same thing happened
- We filled our details in for the third time with a different card (still on the same flights), which worked. We checked flight details and our own details every time we completed it again. However, when we checked our booking after payment, we found our flights were still on the same dates, but at different times
2) The HORRENDOUS customer service - what really ticked us off:
- CALL COST & TIME: I called Travelup to let them know what had happened and ask the flights to be corrected. I was put on hold a very long time, and with almost every question I asked I was put on hold again. This resulted in a 30-minute long phone call, on an extortionately expensive phoneline (0871 250 2510). In total, the day's calls cost over £15 and almost 2 hours on the phone (had to call back several times)
- LACK OF COOPERATION AND MANNERS: I was informed by the person, who spoke bad English, that we had to pay for THEIR technical glitch - a £75 admin fee to change the flights. It was this or paying £75 EACH to cancel the flights. I reluctantly agreed after trying to discuss other options, but being rudely interrupted or put on hold every time, until I agreed (this call took a whopping 30 min due to being put on hold).
- LACK OF STAFF KNOWLEDGE: I was told I could pay and change the flights over the phone. I was then told that no, I had to first send an email to Travelup confirming details of the flight corrections, so I did. I was then told that no, they would need to email ME with a payment link. They sent it to my partner's email, but he could not access his email as coincidentally had just left on another long-haul flight. When I asked them to send it to my email or accept payment over the phone, they refused (even though I was a named passenger). When I told them my partner could only check it later, they told me that if we did not make the payment before 23:30 UK time we would need to pay extra charges. Fortunately my partner was landing before that time so I let him know to make the payment
- INCONSISTENCY BETWEEN STAFF: When my partner checked his email, he noticed the 'new flights' they had booked and were charging us for were in fact the same (i.e. wrong) ones we were already on!!! Thankfully he noticed this before paying to 'change' the flights, and he called Travelup to tell them they had AGAIN booked us on the wrong flights. He was then told that they were too busy at that time and would call him back 'soon'. They didn't call back within two hours, when my partner had to go into a meeting, so he asked me to call. I called again, and the person I spoke to this time told me they were now charging us £75 EACH to change the flights!! I again agreed, and at least this person agreed to send the email to me rather than my partner this time around (inconsistent procedure).
- NOT FOLLOWING UP ON PROMISES: The person promised the confirmation email would be sent within one hour. It never arrived, so I had to call (again) to ask the email to be resent. I now finally have it, almost 12 hours after booking the original flights.
Travelup's unacceptable mistakes cost me £150+£15 calling costs, almost two hours on the phone, and a lot of stress. Probably don't have my vegetarian meal as usual either. Never again.