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Becca Monaghan
Nov 17, 2023
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An elderly couple were told not to return to the travel agents after forking out thousands for what should have been the trip of a lifetime that was filled with problems.
Mary Johnson, 79, and Cliff Johnson, 81, booked three world tours with the company across Canada, the US and Turkey. Two of which were cancelled, as the travel company rushed to find alternative routes.
The couple reportedly found themselves in areas they didn't want to stay.
According to AU News, the company said the couple had opted for "non-guaranteed departures" which meant "accepting the risk of the tour being cancelled by the tour company".
Despite the claims, the couple were adamant they were never informed about this.
The four-month trip was described by Johnson as "a very big disappointment," and went on to describe the stress of trying to get a refund.
They were issued a $1,000 credit voucher, but were told in an email to use a different branch in the best interest "of all parties".
When the news outlet reached out to the company for comment, it was suggested the couple received a separate email shortly after.
It read: "I’m sorry if there was any confusion on you being able to book in store with us – we thought that you would prefer to deal with another store but we would love the opportunity to help you with your next booking."
In a statement, the travel company said they "value them as customers and would love the opportunity to book their next holiday".
"We have sincerely apologised on behalf of the staff member who had directed them to book their future travel with another Flight Centre store," he said.
"This is not our company policy, Flight Centre would only bar people from a store in exceptional circumstances. We regret that this communication was made and the hurt that it understandably caused the Johnsons."
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