hays travel agents complaints

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Hays Travel reviews

Hays Travel are rated Great in 519 reviews

UK’s Largest Independent Travel Agent Voted British Travel Awards 2023 favourite Foreign Exchange provider.

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Showing reviews 1-15 of 519

Andy Mcloughlin

Bought £800 worth of Euros

Excellent customer service at the Kirkby branch, staff were professional and customer friendly, provided a pleasant experience, coupled with the best online travel money exchange rates.

Hays Travel replied

Thank you for your feedback, we appreciate this.

Pleased to hear that you are happy with the service.

We value your custom and hope to see you again in the future.

Kind Regards

Manfred/Anja

Bought travel money

I am travelling frequently to Portugal for personal reasons after the passing of my husband.

I was now blocked from exchanging any Sterling into Euros unless I submit a copy of my bank statement with the source of income.

I wonder if Hays Travel is entitled to request this.I was a Sales Manager of a hotel and used to receive many Hays Travel guests and always supported this independant travel agent.

They will certainly never see me again not because I have anything to hide but its the way I was treated,like a criminal.

Good Afternoon,

Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review.

I am sorry to hear of the issues you have had. Your feedback will be passed onto the relevant departments to help us make improvements where necessary.

Kind regards,

Robert Sheardown

Bought £1,752 worth of Euros

Didn't read the small print but got a phone call to say it was a good rate but only valid for 24 hrs. So I collected earlier than I had booked for.

Only downside was that they were all low denomination notes.

Thank you for taking the time to leave a 5 star review we appreciate you custom and hope to see you in the future.

Mrs Jade Hardwicke

Bought £1,000 worth of Euros

I wouldn't go anywhere else. The ladies in the Hucknall branch are so friendly and helpful. This time we got moved to another hotel and Nicola was great throughout.

Thank you for taking the time to leave a 5* review we appreciate your custom.

Great service very happy will go back again

Bought £100 worth of Swedish kronor

Easy online ordering for currency. Staff always helpful and pleasant.

Bought £700 worth of Euros

Ordered online. Not long after I received a phone call to say money was ready to collect. Said I’d be in next day and everything was ready. Very friendly girls

Thank you for taking the time to leave a 5 star review we appreciate your lovely feedback and hope to see you in the future.

Brian Rafferty

Bought £500 worth of Euros

Everything overtime efficient will definitely use again

Look forward to see you again in the future!

Lorraine Richardson

Excellent very Happy with the service the staff were lovely

I am very pleased that you are happy with the service.

Hope to see you again in the future.

Bought £201 worth of Euros

Good speedy service,I love Hays Travel so welcoming staff always so nice always go there to get my euros or to book a holiday,well reccomend to all to go there ,never rushed best travel agents to go to :))))))

We appreciate your feedback.

Thank you for your custom, we value our customers.

Steven Dempsey

Bought £402 worth of Euros

Excellent service from ordering on line to picking up Currency.

A phone call asking what denomination of Currency I would like and what time pick up would be. When arriving at store was greeted with a smile and everything was ready.

Will definitely use Hayes Travel again.

Thank you so much for your feedback, we appreciate this.

I'm glad to hear you are happy with our service.

Look forward on seeing you again!

Mike carter

Bought £200 worth of Turkish lira

Staff were very polite and made me feel welcome at the nottingham branch explaining about the buy back guarantee on what you bring home lovely lady always smiling telling me that she loves her job

Margaret Brooks

30 April 2024

Bought Euros

Excellent service as always, with friendly helpful staff

I'm glad that you are happy with our service!

Mike Berrington

Bought £350 worth of US dollars

Purchased foreign currency, dealt with promptly and with good customer service. 10/10.

Bought £200 worth of Euros

Easy online experience will use again.

Hello there Orlando.

Thanks so much for the 5* review.

Thanks for taking the time to leave us feedback regarding your currency order.

We definitely appreciate your custom.

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Reviews 4.9.

130,414 total

Most relevant

Listened to what we wanted for our…

Listened to what we wanted for our holiday ,and gave us several choices which met our needs . Also ,another colleague was able to give us more personnel advice on the holiday we chose as she had recently visited the same place. Very polite service .

Date of experience : 03 May 2024

Reply from Hays Travel

Thanks so much for the positive review. Always happy to help. Lola :)

Thanks to all the staff at the Syston…

Thanks to all the staff at the Syston branch Who organise our Holidays from year to year without such help and dedicated staff would be impossible. They go the extra mile to make sure the accommodation and entertainment is all included dealing with my disability and family issues. And thanks to Shaun who have spent loads of time to make sure that everything suitable and booked. Many thanks Yhe Coe Famoly

Date of experience : 26 April 2024

Thank you so much for you feedback Kerry, we absolutely love booking your holidays for you :) - Team Syston

Cruise booking.

As usual, Hays' service was excellent. Amber was extremely helpful and we were particularly impressed by the ease with which she switched between multiple computer screens to explain and illustrate various elements of the cruise. She was totally on top of all elements and could answer all questions. Well done!

Date of experience : 30 April 2024

Thank you for the 5* feedback and lovely comments. I will share you amazing feedback with Amber and the team. Kind Regards Chris Keenan Store Manage

Booking experience with Hays

I found booking a holiday at Hays Travel Huyton branch, a really good experience. Roseanne the travel consultant was extremely helpful and cheerful, helping us to choose and secure the holiday we wanted, nothing was too much trouble for her, even phoning her colleagues to make sure we got the best deal. Would definitely recommend Hays Travel.

We went into Leeds White Rose branch to…

We went into Leeds White Rose branch to book a short notice cruise (5 weeks time). The agent was really great booking made within 5 mins and a discussion about cruise holidays. She also organised our car parking too. Got everything we needed and will be going in again to do the online check in. We always have a great experience at Hays. Your agents are very knowledgable.

Date of experience : 01 May 2024

What a great way to book your holiday…

What a great way to book your holiday using a local personal travel consultant, everything done online and over the phone, beats sitting in a travel shop for hours. I recently came across Ellouise on fb and I’m so pleased I have. Thank you Ellouise for sorting everything out for my wife and I offering me the best price and providing a great service, couldn’t ask for anything more and I will definitely be back to you again. Keeping my custom local with the backing of a great Local and National Tavel Company, Hays Travel who I have used many times over many years. 5 ⭐️

Professional Service

Fiona took the time to look through the details of the cruise answering some of my questions although it was nearly closing time - but a few, more have come to mind since. I'm sure they will be answered in the same professional manner. On the bottom of our confirmation was the number of days away.

Too notch booking experience

Communication was brilliant and we were given some great holiday options from our travel agent Janice which suited our families needs and wants within our budget. We have booked through Janice a few times and all our holidays have been great 😊

Thank you for your lovely feedback. I will pass it onto Janice. Thanks Hazel

As we have travel several times with…

As we have travel several times with Hays, we have fine Hays is a very good and trustworthy company. Specially the lady who dealt with us, her name is Amanda, she's very helpful easy to communicate, she answered all the questions we have ask, she's very kind, she will go out of her way to help you anyway she can, Thank you so much Amanda for all your help

Excellent service

Excellent service . The Flint branch offers a modern , well laid out and friendly environment . Our advisor , Emma , was knowledgeable , efficient , courteous and very helpful ! The whole process was an enjoyable experience . As I need assistance at the airports , it was so good to receive a telephone call a few days later to confirm that the assistance had all been arranged for me . Well done . Highly recommended .

Helpful and informative

Lorraine was very helpful and informative at our visit to Hays Travel , crook . Everything was explained very clearly and also advised of other products when we asked about currency. All staff in the company at crook were very pleasant made booking the holiday a very good experience.

Date of experience : 02 May 2024

The lady was very knowledgeable about…

The lady was very knowledgeable about cruising as she had worked on ships in the past, so she helped me in every way possible due to me being disabled, and the best cabin I would need, plus on what to wear. We are first time cruises, so we needed has much help as possible.

Thank you so so much for your lovely words and your time spent with me, it was my absolute pleasure in helping book your amazing holiday :) Kind Regards Amina

Talking to a human!

It’s a pleasure to talk to a human for a start! The person I spoke to was very efficient , knew what trip I wanted to book, informed me of any additional information I would need to know I.e visas being introduced to allow travel in Europe, gave quotes for travel insurance ect. She was also very polite and very nice to talk to!

The rep in the shop

The rep in the shop - Faith was very friendly, helpful and answered all our questions with a smile. Nothing was too much trouble and we will definitely be using the shop again when we book our next holiday for September this year when we plan to take our twin boys on holiday.

I literally walked in and said I wanted…

I literally walked in and said I wanted to book a family cruise, which is our first holiday abroad with the kids, and abi found us the perfect holiday within hours, and it was booked the next day! Outstanding service from the girls at this branch, can't thank them enough for such a quick and easy booking process!

Date of experience : 25 April 2024

Great Service

Karen was extremely helpful, we had specific requirements & she was also very patient. Once the location was decided, everything was easy to book, so easy, we booked another holiday for next year. We will definitely use Hays again.

Went into the office in Broughty ferry…

Went into the office in Broughty ferry to book two cruises back to back sailing from Dundee . The second one from London I thought it would be straight forward to get the same cabin . Anna was very professional and sorted it all out for me to get the same cabin well done thanks for everything

Thanks so much for the kind feedback on anna alexander! I hope you have a lovely cruise when this comes and will be sure to pass this onto anna! Thanks lewis

5 star service!

Jodie was extremely helpful in booking our holiday to Greece. The whole process was smooth and Jodie was so quick at replying to all of my questions and then booking our holiday once we had decided on our hotel. I would recommend Jodie to any of my friends or family. Thank you!

Unusual Blip

Unusual blip with booking our latest cruise. This was due to a head office promotion not being honoured on our booking but the Colne team reliable as ever managed to sort it out.

Excellent customer service

Excellent customer service. We were taken through all options to help us decide which cabin grade to go for and which deck best suited our requirements when booking our cruise.

Date of experience : 23 April 2024

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How to Write a Formal Complaint Against Hays Travel

How to File Hays Travel Complaints and Get the Compensation You Deserve

Since its beginnings in 1980, Hays Travel has grown substantially, but it's still focused on helping families and individuals plan exciting holidays. Unfortunately, from receiving inaccurate information to totally missing out on a holiday, customers have many complaints with Hays Travel . The company doesn't have the best reputation and many customers claim hays Travel doesn’t provide the services it promises.

If you've booked a holiday with Hays travel and you're unhappy with the behaviour of the staff, pricing of your holiday package, or another issue you don't have to stay quiet. In fact, Hays Travel, like most companies, provides avenues for customers to file complaints and request additional assistance. However, it may not be as easy as you may think to get in touch with someone who will actually help you.

Dealing with poor customer service on top of an issue you have with your holiday plans from Hays Travel is stressful. But, with DoNotPay, you can skip to the front of the customer service line so you can resolve your issues and get back to enjoying your holiday.

Reasons to Complain to Hays Travel

You don't like to complain, you'd rather just get on with your day. There are times, however, when you just can't stay silent and you must speak up. If you're experiencing any of the following problems with your holiday travel plans, you have every right to complain to Hays Travel :

• Poor Customer Service
• Incorrect Information
• Missing Tickets/Bookings
• Overcharges
• Any other issue you feel needs to be addressed

How to Contact Hays Travel to Make a Complaint

The first step in resolving an issue with Hays Travel, or any other company, is to communicate. The best way to do that is to contact the company and explain the problem that you are experiencing. Detail what you expect the company to do to resolve the issue and ask for the solution to happen within a set time frame.

Alternative Ways to File a Complaint Against Hays Travel

Unfortunately, Hays Travel is known for not managing customer complaints well. If you find yourself struggling to get the assistance you need from Hays, you may want to ramp up your efforts. Specifically, you may decide to pursue a remedy through an alternative dispute resolution, an Ombudsman, or you may have to take Hays Travel to small claims court:

• Alternative Dispute Resolutions: If you're unable to negotiate with Hays Travel on your own, you may choose an ADR scheme. This may involve mediation, where an independent third party helps the parties to come to a mutual agreement. Conversely, it may result in arbitration, where an independent third party considers the facts and makes a decision.
• Ombudsman : If you have already complained to Hays Travel and you haven't gotten a resolution, you may decide to file a complaint with an Ombudsman . You may also go through an Ombudsman if your complaint is taking too long to resolve (usually 8 weeks or so).
• Small Claims Court : As a last resort, you may have to take Hays Travel to small claims court to get compensation. Do keep in mind that small claims court limits amounts in England and Wales to £10,000 and £5,000 in Scotland, while in Northern Ireland it's £3,000.

Get Any Customer Service Issue Resolved With DoNotPay

When you book a holiday for your family, the last thing you expect is for the travel agent to treat you badly, mislead you or to otherwise make your experience painful. It's completely understandable for you to be upset at the situation and adamant that you get results.

Let DoNotPay help you get what you deserve. By using our unique system, you can skip the customer service queue and get help fast.

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Keep away from this company terrible customer service if they make a mistake with your booking they will try to blame it on you as the customer.

We went to see them in January 2015 to book what should of been our dream holiday of a lifetime to Hawaii , we showed their booking clerk the Hilton Hawaiian village on Waikiki beach where we wanted to be based on island of Oahu it's in their USA & Canada 2014/2015 hays faraway brochure could on get it mixed up with another hotel it has a large rainbow painted on the side of it( but Hays Travel did!) we had research that hotel & resort before visiting them so knew it would be perfect for us.

We talked with Their BC about been based on Waikiki beach, walking into Honolulu and going to see Pearl Harbour etc.

When we confirmed the booking & paid our deposit we were lead to believe we were booking the correct hotel as they did not show us or discuss any other hotels or going to The Big Island, the booking clerk did not discuss or issue us any terms and conditions or explain the need to arrange Esta visa waivers to travel to America both of which ABTA code of conduct states they must.

We discovered a few weeks before travel somehow the booking clerk had booked the Hilton Wiakoala village on the Big Island over 290 miles away? From correct Island of Oahu.

We rang to discuss this to politely ask for the mistake to be put right at no cost to us, they trying to blame it on us saying we asked for and showed them that other resort on the Big Island? it started with our word against the BC so to back her up the office manager states she was with the BC at the time and remembers us asking for that other hotel on the Big Island guess what 100% she was not there at the time so they will make things up and call the clients lairs to cover up their mistakes, other Hilton resort they booked us is not even in their brochure!, when we pointed that out they said we had another brochure from a company called the gold medal so we asked them to supply us a copy of that brochure , so far they cannot supply it with many excuses like it's out of stock, was last years(we were in their office Jan 2015?, went out of rotation in March 2015 so we asked for holiday to be cancelled & all our money back they refused , only option they gave was to go to the other island which we never wanted or pay to amend the holiday still saying it was all down to us asking for & showing them this other Hilton resort that is not even in a brochure they had on the shelves at the time of booking?

Compaint still on going with ABTA looking over , steer clear of Hays Travel they make things up as the go along & will try to put blame of their mistakes onto good paying customer, shame on you Hays Travel & shame on you John Hays MD for not even being bothered to reply to my letter we sent to him personally & request to meet up to discuss these mistakes & the horrible way your company has treat us since politely pointing out their mistakes!! on one of our visits to the local office we booked the holiday in to ask for this to be sorted or our money back before we travelled the office manager who likes to say she was with clients when she wasn't asked us to leave and said she would call the police we asked her to to give us more ammunition for our complaint, on the same visit when asked the BC about this other brochure and the mistake she had made mixing the Hilton resorts she could hardly look me in the eye and burst in tears and went out the back refusing to come out until we left the office was talking calmly and politely to her? guilt

as other have said in their reviews once they have your money they are not bothered about you, if they make mistakes they will try to blame you. DO NOT TRUST this company, save your Holiday and money and use another Travel company you have been warned,

Don't just take our word for it search for Hays Travel reviews in Google and take a look at the

Hays Travel Reviews - - Review Centre

Read 76 customer reviews of the Hays Travel & compare with other Travel Agents at Review Centre. .

Very sorry to see you being treated like this, on a personal note, I would contact Rogue traders on the TV " Watchdog " programme

Also get you solicitor involved!

Sometimes a letter threatening court action is all it takes....

Best of luck

Hope you get it sorted and manage to have a fab holiday

While this sounds like a very unpleasant situation for you, I'd like to sound a cautionary note. If your complaint is being investigated and ABTA are involved, you should wait for the conclusion. I don't think that visiting the local office is going to help, at best it will simply cause further frustration as the company clearly isn;t willing to do anything at that level, and, at worst, it could lead to Hays claiming that you're harrassing their staff members.

Ultimately, it does come down to an 'I said, they said' type of situation. I'd expect a good company to offer free cancellation as a gesture of goodwill in this kind of situation. If they did not agree to that, then based on the fact that I'd booked somewhere completely different, I'd contact my credit card provider and ask them to get my money back on the grounds of not getting what I'd paid for.

As always, the devil could be in proving that you did ask to be accommodated in a particular hotel. It might help your case if you have something in writing showing what you asked for, such as a handwritten quote.

Please don't think I'm unsympathetic at all, as you still have options to take this forward. However, this incident does remind me why I don't bother with travel agents any more and make my own holiday arrangements. Then I'm almost guaranteed to get exactly what I want.

Hays is a big concern . They have been in business a long time, and have many shops, homeworkers and members of their Independence group. If one shop has let you down there is no reason to avoid all their branches/members. They have 334 shops trading under their name, and most are independently managed businesses.

Did you sign anything in the agents eg a booking form with all the details on it, after it had been booked? What did your official confirmation have on it? Was it the correct hotel or not? It is always the customers responsibility to check all details as soon as received and inform the company straight away of any errors. Info about Estas would usually be in the information received as would a copy of the terms and conditions.

<<<<<Don't just take our word for it search for Hays Travel reviews in Google and take a look at the

If the reviews are so bad- why did you give them your money?

I expect they only read the reviews once they experienced a problem.

Sounds like a very unfortunate mistake which has caused you upset.

You mention that the mistake was picked up a few weeks before travel but that you booked in January 2015 - what hotel was shown on your Hays Travel invoice and confirmation paperwork?

What did you do in the end (I'm assuming you have travelled), did you stay in the booked hotel or manage to get into the Hilton Hawaiian Village?

I can't help thinking if the error had been picked up earlier it would have been a fairly simply case of Hays cancelling the hotel you did not want and booking the Hawaiian Village. At that point the bed bank that they would have used to secure the hotel would not have required payment and the amendment probably easily made.

I hope you get satisfaction with the out come you hope for.

Perhaps a good reminder for everyone to check confirmation paperwork/emails when received to ensure all travel plans booked as you wish. Leaving the checking to nearer departure and finding errors at this point will be more difficult to amend.

I think you are right that it would have been easier to sort this out had the different hotel been noticed soon after booking as opposed to a few weeks before travel.

As I said in my first reply, proving what the OP requested could be a real stumbling block without any evidence that they did book a completely different hotel to the one they got. I do get a strong impression that Hays position is that they got what they asked for, or at least what they agreed to while booking in the store.

There may have been a misunderstanding involved, but there should have been some paperwork at some point in the initial stages, as you say, showing what had been booked. If that confirms Hays version of events, in that it has the name of the hotel that the OP didn't want, it's hard to see how this can ever be resolved to the OP's satisfaction.

Will David C return?

If his OP is any indication, there may have been a communication problem with the TA...

We currently have a solicitor looking over paperwork to let us know if its a case they can take up if they say no we have another solicitor in mind

Sent my story to BBC Watchdog fingers crossed they decide to run with it as we would as a family love to see their MD be interviewed about how his company has treat us since we pointed out their mistakes.

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Given the very unusual circumstances we are now experiencing, we are receiving an extremely high level of contacts. Rest assured, we are doing all we can to answer your calls and emails as quickly as possible, so the fastest way for you to contact us is as follows..

If your enquiry is regarding a booking made in a branch please contact your branch where your booking was made either via telephone or by email. An agent will then be able to help you with your enquiry. Please  Click here  for the branch locator.

If you have made a booking over the telephone or on our website and have a pre travel query, please contact our Customer Services team on 0333 033 9985, please make sure you have your booking reference ready for your call to be answered.

To make a new booking please call: 0800 408 4048.

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To request special assistance at UK and resort airports, or to generally ensure that less mobile customers have a happy holiday, please call us on: 0333 033 9985.

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Biden-Harris Administration Announces Final Rule Requiring Automatic Refunds of Airline Tickets and Ancillary Service Fees

Rule makes it easy to get money back for cancelled or significantly changed flights, significantly delayed checked bags, and additional services not provided  

WASHINGTON – The Biden-Harris Administration today announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has issued a final rule that requires airlines to promptly provide passengers with automatic cash refunds when owed. The new rule makes it easy for passengers to obtain refunds when airlines cancel or significantly change their flights, significantly delay their checked bags, or fail to provide the extra services they purchased.

“Passengers deserve to get their money back when an airline owes them - without headaches or haggling,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg . “Our new rule sets a new standard to require airlines to promptly provide cash refunds to their passengers.”  

The final rule creates certainty for consumers by defining the specific circumstances in which airlines must provide refunds. Prior to this rule, airlines were permitted to set their own standards for what kind of flight changes warranted a refund. As a result, refund policies differed from airline to airline, which made it difficult for passengers to know or assert their refund rights. DOT also received complaints of some airlines revising and applying less consumer-friendly refund policies during spikes in flight cancellations and changes. 

Under the rule, passengers are entitled to a refund for:

• Canceled or significantly changed flights: Passengers will be entitled to a refund if their flight is canceled or significantly changed, and they do not accept alternative transportation or travel credits offered. For the first time, the rule defines “significant change.” Significant changes to a flight include departure or arrival times that are more than 3 hours domestically and 6 hours internationally; departures or arrivals from a different airport; increases in the number of connections; instances where passengers are downgraded to a lower class of service; or connections at different airports or flights on different planes that are less accessible or accommodating to a person with a disability.  
• Significantly delayed baggage return: Passengers who file a mishandled baggage report will be entitled to a refund of their checked bag fee if it is not delivered within 12 hours of their domestic flight arriving at the gate, or 15-30 hours of their international flight arriving at the gate, depending on the length of the flight.  
• Extra services not provided: Passengers will be entitled to a refund for the fee they paid for an extra service — such as Wi-Fi, seat selection, or inflight entertainment — if an airline fails to provide this service.

DOT’s final rule also makes it simple and straightforward for passengers to receive the money they are owed. Without this rule, consumers have to navigate a patchwork of cumbersome processes to request and receive a refund — searching through airline websites to figure out how make the request, filling out extra “digital paperwork,” or at times waiting for hours on the phone. In addition, passengers would receive a travel credit or voucher by default from some airlines instead of getting their money back, so they could not use their refund to rebook on another airline when their flight was changed or cancelled without navigating a cumbersome request process.  

The final rule improves the passenger experience by requiring refunds to be:

• Automatic: Airlines must automatically issue refunds without passengers having to explicitly request them or jump through hoops.   
• Prompt: Airlines and ticket agents must issue refunds within seven business days of refunds becoming due for credit card purchases and 20 calendar days for other payment methods.  
• Cash or original form of payment: Airlines and ticket agents must provide refunds in cash or whatever original payment method the individual used to make the purchase, such as credit card or airline miles. Airlines may not substitute vouchers, travel credits, or other forms of compensation unless the passenger affirmatively chooses to accept alternative compensation.    
• Full amount: Airlines and ticket agents must provide full refunds of the ticket purchase price, minus the value of any portion of transportation already used. The refunds must include all government-imposed taxes and fees and airline-imposed fees, regardless of whether the taxes or fees are refundable to airlines.

The final rule also requires airlines to provide prompt notifications to consumers affected by a cancelled or significantly changed flight of their right to a refund of the ticket and extra service fees, as well as any related policies.

In addition, in instances where consumers are restricted by a government or advised by a medical professional not to travel to, from, or within the United States due to a serious communicable disease, the final rule requires that airlines must provide travel credits or vouchers. Consumers may be required to provide documentary evidence to support their request. Travel vouchers or credits provided by airlines must be transferrable and valid for at least five years from the date of issuance.

The Department received a significant number of complaints against airlines and ticket agents for refusing to provide a refund or for delaying processing of refunds during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. At the height of the pandemic in 2020, refund complaints peaked at 87 percent of all air travel service complaints received by DOT. Refund problems continue to make up a substantial share of the complaints that DOT receives.

DOT’s Historic Record of Consumer Protection Under the Biden-Harris Administration

Under the Biden-Harris Administration and Secretary Buttigieg, DOT has advanced the largest expansion of airline passenger rights, issued the biggest fines against airlines for failing consumers, and returned more money to passengers in refunds and reimbursements than ever before in the Department’s history.

• Thanks to pressure from Secretary Buttigieg and DOT’s flightrights.gov dashboard, all 10 major U.S. airlines guarantee free rebooking and meals, and nine guarantee hotel accommodations when an airline issue causes a significant delay or cancellation. These are new commitments the airlines added to their customer service plans that DOT can legally ensure they adhere to and are displayed on flightrights.gov .  
• Since President Biden took office, DOT has helped return more than $3 billion in refunds and reimbursements owed to airline passengers – including over $600 million to passengers affected by the Southwest Airlines holiday meltdown in 2022.   
• Under Secretary Buttigieg, DOT has issued over $164 million in penalties against airlines for consumer protection violations. Between 1996 and 2020, DOT collectively issued less than $71 million in penalties against airlines for consumer protection violations.  
• DOT recently launched a new partnership with a bipartisan group of state attorneys general to fast-track the review of consumer complaints, hold airlines accountable, and protect the rights of the traveling public.  
• In 2023, the flight cancellation rate in the U.S. was a record low at under 1.2% — the lowest rate of flight cancellations in over 10 years despite a record amount of air travel.  
• DOT is undertaking its first ever industry-wide review of airline privacy practices and its first review of airline loyalty programs.

In addition to finalizing the rules to require automatic refunds and protect against surprise fees, DOT is also pursuing rulemakings that would:

• Propose to ban family seating junk fees and guarantee that parents can sit with their children for no extra charge when they fly. Before President Biden and Secretary Buttigieg pressed airlines last year, no airline committed to guaranteeing fee-free family seating. Now, four airlines guarantee fee-free family seating, and the Department is working on its family seating junk fee ban proposal.  
• Propose to make passenger compensation and amenities mandatory so that travelers are taken care of when airlines cause flight delays or cancellations.   
• Expand the rights for passengers who use wheelchairs and ensure that they can travel safely and with dignity . The comment period on this proposed rule closes on May 13, 2024.

The final rule on refunds can be found at https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer/latest-news and at regulations.gov , docket number DOT-OST-2022-0089. There are different implementation periods in this final rule ranging from six months for airlines to provide automatic refunds when owed to 12 months for airlines to provide transferable travel vouchers or credits when consumers are unable to travel for reasons related to a serious communicable disease. 

Information about airline passenger rights, as well as DOT’s rules, guidance and orders, can be found at   https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer .

N.L. plans to gradually reduce use of agency nurses by April 2026

N.l. health services says it wants to cut number of agency nurses from 340 to around 60.

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Newfoundland and Labrador's provincial health authority says it plans to gradually reduce its use of private agency nurses over the next two years.

Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services said in an emailed statement Thursday it aims to reduce the number of private health-care staff from around 340 today to around 60 people — which health authority CEO David Diamond says is the pre-pandemic level — by April 2026.

"We're trying to balance the need to remove agency nurses from our system in a systematic way over the next period of time, but also to maintain services, and recognize that it's not a static figure," Diamond told reporters Thursday.

"Some of those pressures are easing, we're happy to say. But, you know, we still do from time to time have challenges, and so the use of agency nurses is still part of our strategy."

The  number of agency nurses has dropped from 385 in February, and the health authority's goal is to lower that by 30 per cent by the end of the year.

Diamond said the health authority expects to spend $70 million this year on agency nurses.

• Furey says $36M for travel nurse contracts 'may be problematic,' province is investigating
• Auditor general to launch probe of N.L. health sector contracts

Health Minister Tom Osborne, who has called the use of agency nurses a necessary evil, says the provincial government has ramped up recruitment and retention measures.

Debbie Molloy, the health authority's vice-president of human resources, said agency nurses will continue to be in demand as new health services are developed — like the expansion of family-care teams and urgent care and the opening of the new Western Memorial Regional Hospital in Corner Brook.

Molloy said the province has recruited 156 internationally educated nurses who are now licensed and working in Newfoundland and Labrador, and 300 recently graduated nurses have also been hired, 93 per cent of whom have accepted full-time work.

"We're going to stay very close with hiring the maximum number of registered nurse graduates in the province that we can, and that strategy has been getting in [classrooms] as early as possible. We're in first-year classes, second- and third-year classes to talk to them already and to make job offers," Molloy said.

Number of travel nurses in N.L. will be cut to 60 from current 340, says health authority

The plan to phase out agency nurses includes encouraging casual nurses to move into full-time work, reducing barriers — like a lack of child care — that keep people from full-time work, promoting employee wellness, providing incentives and creating guidelines that dictate when an agency nurse should be used.

Diamond said work is also being done to explore more cost-effective contractual options, citing the province's contracts with agency nurse operation Canada Health Labs. The health authority's two contracts with the agency have now expired, and he said sourcing from other agencies will save the province $20 million alone.

Yvette Coffey, president of the Registered Nurses' Union Newfoundland and Labrador, said she's happy to see a plan to phase out agency nurses.

She was particularly surprised to see the volume of nursing graduates who have been offered jobs, she said, adding nurses who are hired have to be central to future planning.

"In order to keep people, we have to address issues in the workplace," Coffey said, citing an increase in the amount of violence health-care professionals face on the job.

"There's still a lot of issues to work out. We will continue to work with the employer and the government on strategies."

• No-poaching clause means travel nurses can't accept jobs in N.L.
• Travel nurse who left rural job says N.L. is pushing people out of public health system

Coffey said the $70 million the authority plans to spend on agency nurses this year would be better spent on recruitment and retention.

Download our  free CBC News app  to sign up for push alerts for CBC Newfoundland and Labrador.  Click here to visit our landing page .

With files from Mark Quinn

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Hays Travel - Glasgow   Reviews

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52 Gordon Street, G1 3PU Glasgow, GB

Reviews 4.9

Most relevant

Excellent service

I received excellent service from Siana and she offered to back it up by calling me when the boarding pass will be ready. I would normally do this myself online but, owing to the omnipresence of scammers plus the ridiculous habit of airline companies offering flights at £26 and then adding on a whole range of matters that used to be part of the deal, I thought it better to go to the professionals. I’ll be back to book a flight to Australia later in the year. Thanks, Siana.

Date of experience : 30 April 2024

Booked my mates stag do through the…

Booked my mates stag do through the Glasgow branch. Sarah was brilliant from start to finish. Looked at plenty of options and also made sure she found the right place that would accept a stag booking. Will definitely be using again. 😃

Date of experience : 01 May 2024

Super Duper Hay’s Travel Gordon Street Glasgow

Excellent service as always, Siana dealt with our holiday enquiry on the Thursday and we booked the holiday the next day. All the staff in this shop are excellent, no feeling of being rushed and they are polite and very efficient and nothing is too much bother for them. Would thoroughly recommend Hay’s Travel in Gordon Street to anyone looking to book a holiday.

Date of experience : 27 April 2024

Reply from Hays Travel - Glasgow

Thank you very much for taking time to write us a lovely review we really appreciate it and I will be sure to pass this onto Siana

Have used Glasgow branch for some time

Have used Glasgow branch for some time Ricky and his staff are always so helpful and friendly. Booked yesterday Ricky took time to search and find best deal to suit our requirements. Great result ,great team

Thank you both so much for the lovely review John we really do appreciate it

City Break To New York, USA

I visited Hays Travel, Gordon Street, Glasgow, before I finally decided to book a city break to New York. On each occasion, Travel Agent Karen was patient, interested, and good humoured. She was of great help to me in applying for my United States Visa, and without her help, I would have found the process very difficult. The Visa application, flight booking, and Hotel search took a long time. Karen's stamina, patience and good humour never faltered. She was genuinely interested in my holiday plans. In conclusion, I give Karen five Stars. Thankyou also Manager Ricky, for his New York travel advice, invaluable tips based on having been there many times, and his patience and courtesy.

Date of experience : 18 March 2024

Thank you so much for the lovely review Mr Austin we really do appreciate it. I will be sure to pass this over to Karen

Very helpful and good advice

Ricky was very helpful and definitely knew what he was doing, he gave great advice and I felt confident booking with Hays Glasgow because of him.

Date of experience : 25 April 2024

Thank you so much for taking time to write us a lovely review, we really do appreciate it

Personal service

Professional, friendly informative service as usual staff who know us so well now pleasures to vist Gordon St Glssgow branch

Date of experience : 26 April 2024

Thank you so much for taking time to write us a lovely review we really do appreciate it

Helpful Travel Rep

I was struggling to book a holiday to 'Benidorm' when I received an email from Hays Travel. I did not sleep that night because I thought I had been scammed and was wondering what had happened to my payment. I spoke to a gentleman called 'Graham' who was so very helpful throughout. Graham reassured me he would take care of everything for me which he did. I cannot express how relieved I was and he is an asset to your company. Please let him know I am so grateful. I am not sure where he was but it was in Glasgow. Regards Pauline Snowden

Date of experience : 17 April 2024

Thanks so much for the lovely review we really do appreciate it

Great customer service and excellent team

2nd time booking with Hays Always very helpful

Really good customer service and help…

Really good customer service and help from your person who sorted my holiday for me.

Date of experience : 18 April 2024

Thank you for your kind review!

Ricky was ver patient and so helpful…

Ricky was very patient and so helpful and took the time to find us a great package as we were unsure what we were looking for ,would highly recommend hays travel

Thank you very much for the lovely review we really do appreciate it

I found the experience very good and…

I found the experience very good and the sales rep Karen was very helpful ,I had a an idea of the holiday I wanted and Karen helped me look at different options before making a decision

Date of experience : 23 April 2024

Thank you very much for the review, we will be sure to pass this onto Karen

all my holidays with Hays…

I book all my holidays with Hays Travel. Professional and friendly staff who go out their way to help. Wouldnt go anywhere else.

Date of experience : 31 March 2024

Thank you or your kind review, we will be sure to pass this onto your travel consultant!

Our experience with Sarah was that she…

Our experience with Sarah was that she was very helpful, professional and very understanding of our needs as my sister and I are travelling with our elder mum.

Date of experience : 13 April 2024

Thank you very much for the lovely review I will be sure to pass this onto Sarah for you

Cruising with Hays.

Karen, in the Gordon Street in Glasgow shop, went above and beyond getting us our cruise booked for later on in the year, we visited the store two times, the first time she gave us all the relevant information to peruse, before we returned to make our decision to go ahead and book. She took us through every stage, visas, currency, flights etc, she was very professional in her job. We are now looking forward to the cruise. Thank you Karen.

Date of experience : 01 February 2024

Thanks for your review! We really appriciate it

Staff were very professional

Staff were very professional, friendly and helpful.

Date of experience : 20 April 2024

Thank you very much for the review we really appreciate it

Sophie was really helpful

Sophie was really helpful, explained everything to us and had looked up various dates for prices before we came in to book

Date of experience : 23 March 2024

Thank you for your kind review, I will pass this onto Sophie

It’s always a very friendly

It’s always a very friendly, happy environment. Karen, has a super team around her. She has created a fantastic atmosphere and staff awareness, they are all confident, approachable and professional. They are not frightened to ask or approach if there are some question. I deal normally with Sophie, great kid with a super friendly personality. Also comes up with the goods. Great service, great people, great team.

Date of experience : 03 February 2024

Thanks so much for the lovely review Gary we really do appreciate this

Found my perfect holiday.

Found my perfect holiday with Sarah at Hays Travel in Glasgow ♥️. She showed great patience and perseverance to make sure I got what I wanted. Would definitely book again xx

Date of experience : 14 March 2024

Thanks so much for the lovely reply, we really do appreciate it. I will be sure to pass this onto Sarah for you.

Just booked and very happy

Just booked and very happy, there were a few things we needed and wanted for our holiday and some of these things changed during the process, it took some time to get everything as we wanted but we got there in the end. Would like to say a big thank you to Sophie, this wasn’t a straightforward booking and she spent hours getting everything just as we wanted, we went in with a question and she has made it happen, thanks Sophie

Date of experience : 23 February 2024

Thank you so much for your kind review, we really appreciate it!

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Hays Travel - Yate   Reviews

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6 East Walk, BS37 4AS Yate, GB

Reviews 4.9

Most relevant

Very helpful Yate Branch

I used the Yate branch to book my last 2 holidays. They have been really helpful, researching hotels and prices for me, and holding my hand through the process when I hadn't flown for years. Great experience and highly recommend; thanks to Jo for all the help with my next holiday!

Date of experience : April 21, 2024

Reply from Hays Travel - Yate

Hi Jane.. Thank you for your lovely comments, it was a pleasure to be able to get this all booked for you..Regards Jo

Hayes Travel always demonstrate high…

Hayes Travel always demonstrate high quality Customer Service. I called with our specifics for our holiday and a short while later was called back with exactly what we want. We can not ask for more than that. We are looking forward to our trip to Torremolinos in 6 weeks time. Big thanks to Cat.

Date of experience : April 30, 2024

Thank you for the fabulous feedback its always my pleasure in helping, I hope you have an enjoyable trip. Cat

We were looking for a holiday abroad…

We were looking for a holiday abroad and allowed a day to do it.. we went in to hayes travel in Yate.. we’re made to feel very welcome.. asked what we were looking for and the lady came up with several choices to suit us.. so thank you.. we are very pleased with our holiday booked 😁 just hope the ☀️ shines 😎

Date of experience : April 28, 2024

Thank you very much for your nice review. Have a lovely holiday in Benalmadena! Kateryna

Cat is FAB always finds me the best…

Cat is FAB always finds me the best deal that works for me, nothing is to much problem, I'm sure I must be her worst nightmare but she never agrees 🤣 I've got every faith in her.

Date of experience : April 26, 2024

Aww thank you for the lovely comments you are not my worst nightmare always happy to help may need some padding for when I dart around Lol.x Cat

My wife and I went into Hays Travel as…

My wife and I went into Hays Travel as we wanted a company which could organise a trip to SE Asia with stays to and from plus hire cars and not just a holiday agent. We were very happy with the time and care taken to match our requirements. We'd certainly use them again.

Date of experience : April 23, 2024

Thank you so much Mr Dawkins for your kind review Sharon

Quick efficient service

Quick efficient service, friendly and patient travel agent. Nice to get personal face to face advice from a local branch.

Date of experience : April 20, 2024

Thank you for the lovely comments, Have a great time and I hope your granddaughter has a great birthday. Cat

Pleasant and very helpful agent…

Pleasant and very helpful agent -Rebecca. Able to find exact holiday we wanted Environment and whole shop needs revamping as it was quite loud with other agents and customers, not ideal for discussing things.

Date of experience : March 27, 2024

Thank you for your kind words and good feedback, Rebecca

Booking a flight and hotel for a disabled client !…

All staff were very helpful as it was difficult to ensure all my needs were met as I am disabled,recovering from a stroke and use a mobility scooter. One of your staff even rang the hotel in question thus ensuring the room and access was good. They were careful showing a lot of empathy to my wife and I thank you Eric Read

Date of experience : April 04, 2024

thank you for your great review we hope you have a fabulous time.

pleasant experience

as always Sharon is very helpful and went above an beyond

Date of experience : April 25, 2024

Thank you for the fabulous feed back have a great time.

Choosing a break/holiday is much better with a brochure, we don’t all use the internet.

Helpful. Understanding our requirements and getting us a holiday to look forward to. Lack of brochures was disappointing but photocopies of pages for future breaks were provided. Seniors / disabled need brochures though.

Date of experience : April 13, 2024

Thank you for your great feed back we hope you have an amazing trip.

Made welcome and relaxed followed by a…

Made welcome and relaxed followed by a very professional service throughout the whole cruise booking holiday.

Thank you for the lovely comments have a fabulous time. Cat

Went to two travel agents before you hopeless. Your lady was amazing helpful and we booked you have a very good member of staff there.

Date of experience : April 17, 2024

Thank you for your lovely comments. It was nice to meet you and I enjoyed helping you plan your holiday, Rebecca

The lady (Emily) in the Yate office was…

The lady (Emily) in the Yate office was very helpful to us when we made our booking for our holiday in Tunisia for us to spend our 56th wedding anniversary in June.

Date of experience : April 03, 2024

Thank you for your lovely comments, have a lovely time and congratulations on your 56th wedding anniversary, Emily :)

Favourite travel agent

I just love dealing with this branch of hays travel. The ladies in this branch are so helpful and nothing is too much of bother. 5 star 🌟 service all the time.

Date of experience : April 11, 2024

Thank you for the glowing review its always lovely to see you popping in and organizing your holidays. Cat

Looking forward to great family holidays

When we visit the Yate office, it is like visiting friends. As we have been going there for years all the staff know us and what we like on our holidays. They are helpful and make sure all our family is catered for within our budget. Kat is especially patient as my husband does like to joke with her, she is always a brilliant ambassador for your company. Looking forward to many holidays to come.

Date of experience : March 01, 2024

Thank you for the lovely comments. its lovely to see you as always and we like to see our friends return. Cat

Yate Branch, Bristol

Always go to Hays Yate Branch to book my holiday. I can always rely on Rebecca to give me her honest opinion, she wants the best for her customers and for that reason I will only ever book with Rebecca.

Date of experience : March 21, 2024

Thank you for your kind words and great feedback. I'm sure you will have a lovely holiday, Rebecca x

Emily was so patient

Emily was so patient, knowledgeable and helpful. We have been using Hays for our travel needs for ages and recommend you to everyone. Thank you everyone for being so wonderful.

Date of experience : March 24, 2024

Thank you for your lovely comments, have a fabulous holiday!! Emily :)

Brilliant Service

Popped into Hays Travel to get some advice on booking a cruise. Rebecca was so informative and knowledgeable and went through everything with us. We have never cruised before but by time we came out we were completely clued up on everything to do with cruising. We have now booked our cruise, can’t wait!

Date of experience : March 07, 2024

Thank you for your positive feedback! I am very excited for you, I'm sure you will love cruising! Rebecca

best in the business…

have used hays travel before,and have always found the staff friendlyand very helpful.the same person has sorted out my holiday the last two times,very efficiently and explained everything very precisely.Her name was Kateryna and definitely an asset to Hays Travel.

Date of experience : February 20, 2024

Anthony thank you so much for your lovely review. Have a fabulous holiday in Tunisia! Kateryna

Excellent knowlegeable friendly staff

Date of experience : April 24, 2024