Audley Travel - do not touch
I would give this company zero, but one star is the least I can do on here. I booked a holiday with them to India last year which was a brilliant trip, so when I wanted to book another trip I had no hesitation in using them. That decision has destroyed me. They put undue pressure on you to make booking and payment claiming it’s all booked up when it isn’t, which in any other industry would be mis-selling. They can just get away with it. I enquired about the trip then went down with Covid where I could barely get out of bed and couldn’t speak on the phone due to the cough, but was still being pestered to make full payment immediately. They claim tailor made travel. India was. This trip to Costa Rica was anything but. They send reams of information claiming they’ve arranged this and that for you. Then you realise there’s some small print telling you none of it is included, by which time due to pestering you have signed up and paid. You can do these things they talk about, but they’re all to book yourself at extra cost when there. It’s like they’ve just copied and pasted a guide book and sent it to you. If you’re sorting it out yourself what are Audley being paid for other than sending a copy and paste guide book at great expense. They couldn’t even book the flights - which admittedly is more American Airlines incapability (do not touch them either), but Audley were at fault in many areas. American airlines are so useless they couldn’t even manage to put our passport numbers on the documents or provide the correct transition documents. This was repeatedly raised by me. Audley eventually realised it was an issue and apparently spoke directly with AA and I was informed all the issues were definitely sorted. I seemed the only one concerned about this. On trying to check in online the transition documents were still incorrect and passport numbers still missing. So we couldn’t check in. As this issue was happening repeatedly and we were repeatedly told it was sorted and it wasn’t we couldn’t see how we were able to travel. We couldn’t. Apparently even though Audley spoke twice to AA directly to solve the issues that couldn’t seem to be solved it’s our fault for not travelling because apparently if we’d gone to the airport they would then miraculously have sorted the continuously missing passport numbers and faulty transition documents that a flight team at Audley and representatives at AA couldn’t sort directly. Ummmm I think not. I have battled for months for compensation. Both companies are as bad as each other and the whole experience has pretty much destroyed me. We’re vastly out of pocket and got no trip. I’d waited to go to India and Costa Rica for years. I can’t afford lots of big trips and they were paid for by inheritance from my late mother. I wanted to make those memories with my son before he grows up and leaves home, with the view I wouldn’t be able to holiday again for some years if ever, due to the expense, but it wouldn’t matter because I’d have had two dream trips. I was due to celebrate my 50th there and fulfill a dream of seeing amazing wildlife and conservation. American Airlines and Audley destroyed that and have just pocketed my money. They charge so much for their trips but it transpired the Costa Rica one actually only included basic accommodation with only the odd breakfast included, flights that didn’t function - seat bookings disappeared on them too!, transfers and two guided walks. Everything else was to pay more for and book yourself when there. Other companies provide much better trips for a few thousand less to include much more, I’ve since realised on investigating and I’m only sorry - mainly due to being pressured to book after enquiring and having Covid and having had a great trip to India that I didn’t do more research. Do your research of companies. Don’t feel pressured to book. The flights were all virtually empty when we booked our seats that we were led to believe we’d struggle to get on because apparently everything was so booked up! Look out for the small print telling you this is what you can do but you’ll be booking it yourself and paying a lot more, even though you’ve already given your top budget for the trip and when because of those companies your trip falls apart expect that they will take zero responsibility and offer zero compensation or reimbursement even though it’s entirely their fault. Sheer greed. Then when you’ve been without a trip of a lifetime you’ll never afford again that you’ve dreamed of for years you can be delighted to receive a flyer from Audley’s CEO about the wonderful trip he’s just had to Malaysia - presumably with my money. Thanks for that. Incompetent is an understatement. So please don’t touch Audley Travel or American Airlines in any circumstance.
June 30, 2025
Unprompted review
