To Whom It May Concern:

My wife and I have just returned home after two weeks in Greece with “Golden Sun Holidays”.
I know as I write this nothing will be done about the following points.

Point 1: The Saturday before our flight on Sunday 14th July, I phoned Manchester airport to confirm which terminal we were flying from, the recorded message told me that the flight number (SWL 748) on the ticket was invalid. I then phoned the handling agent’s for Transjet, it took 45 minutes for a reply. The person I spoke with told me the flight number was now MDI 771 (outward) MDI 772 (inward). He also informed me that the ticket was still valid. Saturday evening I spent an hour looking on the internet and I found what had happened, Yourselves knew about this on the 4th of July 02.At the airport we were telling other passengers that the flight details had been changed!!!!!

Point 2: The flight was not too bad the cabin crew pleasant and helpful. We arrived at Prevaza airport at 11-30hrs local time.
The aircraft taxied to the end of the runway opposite the terminal building. The pilot announced that we would have to wait ten minute’s before we could disembark. Two other aircraft landed after us and proceeded to the terminal apron and their passengers were disembarked ahead of us.
The passengers and crew of flight MDI 771 had to wait parked on the tarmac for one hour before being allowed to disembark.

Point 3: After collecting our luggage my wife and I went to find the coach for the transfer to the resort of Nidri. Outside we found a “Golden Sun” rep. This person was of an unkempt appearance, with his shirttail hanging out not what you would expect a holiday rep to look like, first impressions are all important no matter what the position anyone holds.my alarm bells are ringing. He told us that we were on coach “B” go look at the front of the buses, FRIENDLY? My foot.

We loaded our cases onto the coach, we had just got seated on the coach only to be told that we had to wait for another plane to land, as passengers on this aircraft had to board our coach. All in all from touchdown at Preveza to arriving in Nidri took longer than the flight from Manchester.

Point 4: At last we arrive in Nidri we are shown the way to Akti apartments. I suffer from severe rheumatoid arthritis so dragging two suitcases 300 metres down a Greek road was not any fun. The room though small was very clean. The view was excellent overlooking the coast, the gardens, and a small river that runs along side the apartments. We were told by the lady in charge that breakfast would be served until 10am, not bad we thought. After working for seven years in the catering trade I thought I had just about seen everything. I am fully aware of portion control and its need, but what was in front of us at Monday mornings breakfast was to begger belief.
Having been to Greece and other continental countries many many times we are both aware of the continental breakfast and were looking forward to it however what was on offer did not come close. We never went for this “breakfast” again. That, I know was our choice.

Point 5: Sunday 21st July a casual conversation with a couple who were flying home that day told us that their flight MDI 772 the time had been changed. So we went to the apartments to look at the notice board to see if ours had also changed for the following Sunday there was nothing visible. Went for lunch at the Delfni where my wife saw on their notice board our flight had been changed. We returned to Akti to have another look at the notice board there only to find it had placed behind run of the mill information A notice of this importance should have been placed in a permanent and prominent position or sent to each room.

Point 6: In conjunction with the previous point the pick up time was changed to 1700hrs 28th July. We had a word with our rep Elle about this we informed her of our displeasure of having our flight times changed as we book our holidays with daytime flights. We requested to keep our room until 16:30hrs. The reply was that we had to vacate the room at midday and that was Greek law. The only answers we could get from the rep were standard company answers. A courtesy room we were told would be made available, as had been done for the flight on 21st of July. The pick up time was changed once more it was now to be 16:00hrs due to check in changes. Sunday 28th July 11:30hrs we checked out of our room.

We had to put our luggage in the ground floor room where breakfasts were served. Then we were informed no courtesy room was available but we could sit under the lean to where breakfast was eaten, (no one is responsible for the weather) but it had rained all day Saturday and on Sunday the rain was torrential. We were given no consideration at all. The room the cases were in was locked and the apartment staff left saying they would return at 15:30hrs. None of the reps were at hand to assist all were on airport duty.

Point 7: My wife and I took a taxi to the airport (our choice and your reps were duly informed of this) at the airport there was no mention of any delays. We checked in and went through to the departure lounge. The flight time of 20:00hrs came and there was no sign of our aircraft. 21:00hrs and still no plane, no reasons and Golden Sun reps were conspicuous in their absence. At 21:45hrs we were informed that an aircraft would arrive at 22:20hrs. By this time people were visibly angry, as we had all been in the departure hall since 17:30hrs with other flights being boarded, that still no reasons had been given annoyed several passengers. I saw some people try to leave the departure hall to find golden sun reps but they were not allowed to leave. The plane came at 22:25hrs, we boarded it and took of at 23:20hrs local time landing at 00:15hrs GMT in Manchester. This was 12 hours past the landing time on the original tickets Small points they may be, but to make anything work well attention to even the smallest of details can make or break anything. We will now avoid booking another holiday with golden sun holidays.

Arthur F. Metcalf

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