Norwegian Woman’s Holiday Ruined by Bravofly’s Flight Cancellation Failures

For several months Hege Broch Austvoll had been looking forward to the trip to Italy which was to take place in May 2023.

At home in Arendal, the fridge is covered with fridge magnets from various travel destinations, and she has a kitchen shelf full of Hard Rock Cafe glasses from destinations such as Sydney, Krakow and Jamaica.

Austvoll is disabled and saves as much as possible to be able to go on holiday.

– I live for those trips. I do everything I can to make it happen, says Hege Austvoll and adds that it is sometimes difficult to make the finances last.

This year the destination was set for Naples. The route was Kjevik – Amsterdam – Milan – Naples.

Hege booked the trip in January to secure a fairly decent price. The return flight came to NOK 5,200 in total for one person.

– There are wild prices for flights now. You have to be out in good time, she says.

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Used Bravofly

In January, she sat down at the PC and searched for her dream trip on Momondo, as she usually does. Then the website Bravofly came up. It is a platform or search engine where customers can search and book flights, travel activities and hotels. Bravofly sells airline tickets on their platform, acting as an intermediary.

– I didn’t think anything more about it. If they are allowed to be online, then it must be serious.

The departure was on 19 May. But four days before departure came what Austvoll describes as the big shock.

The last flight from Milan to Naples was canceled due to a transport strike in Italy.

The airline’s alternative was a longer journey with a stopover in Milan in 26 hours.

– I did not choose the bad option they put forward.

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– The entire trip was ruined

Hege looked around and found that she can take the train from Milan to Naples. She called KLM – the airline that was supposed to fly her from Amsterdam to Milan – to make sure this trip had not been cancelled. She was told that the flight would go as planned. But just before she ordered the train ticket, the counter notification arrived.

– Just before I bought the train ticket, I called KLM again. It was a good thing, because then the flight to Milan was cancelled.

She sent several emails to Bravofly and the airlines.

– The entire trip was ruined. Everything is destroyed, she says.

Austvoll then informed Bravofly that she wanted to agree to the flight which included a longer layover.

– But since I had been in contact with KLM, I was told that I cannot get help from them. They said it is the airlines that will help me.

At the same time, the message from the airlines was that Bravofly must contact them – and not Austvoll.

– I was so pissed off

Austvoll called Bravofly’s customer service center and was told again that she must contact the airlines.

– I have never scolded anyone before, but I was so angry.

The hotel at NOK 7,230 for a week could not be refunded.

– I have never had to cancel a holiday. Not in my wildest imagination did I imagine that I wouldn’t make it. Therefore, I had not paid extra for including free cancellation.

Refunds do not apply to all flights

The shuttle bus tickets from Naples to Sorrento could not be canceled either.

On top of this, Hege does not get a refund for the entire package of flights she has bought.

“Please note that you have purchased two one-way flights. Any refund request will only apply to the flight affected by the change,” writes Bravofly in an email.

– You think you are buying a package tour, but then it is not a package tour when things are cancelled. It’s absolutely sick. They disclaim all liability.

Hege Austvoll thinks this is completely hair-raising.

– Everything is ordered at the same time through Bravofly. The way they operate is absolutely terrible.

The company that owns Bravofly, Lastminute.com, has been submitted to the criticism from Hege Broch Austvoll at the email address Lastminute.com has posted on their website. Bravofly has not responded to Nettavisen’s inquiry.

Will warn others

Over NOK 13,000 and the holiday dream ran into the sand.

– It was impossible to get in. The prices are sky high now, and it wasn’t something I had the travel budget for, says Austvoll.

She couldn’t trust the journey home either.

– Because if something was canceled that way too, I would again be without help from Bravofly or the airline, says Austvoll.

Now she wants to warn other Norwegians.

– I wish no one else to experience the same as me. You search for cheap plane tickets and fall for it. It is easy to fall into that trap.

The incident has affected Austvoll’s mental health.

– I have been very low and in depression from this shocking experience.

Several cases annually at the Transport Complaints Board

The Transport Complaints Board informs Nettavisen that 11 cases have been reported against Bravofly in 2023. In 2022 there were 39 cases and 37 cases in 2021.

– The complaints relate to many different matters, but they can, for example, apply to claims in connection with reimbursement of flights, rebooking in the event of cancellations and lack of help from customer service to make changes to the journey, says general manager Cecilie Asak Oftedahl of the Norwegian Travel Forum, the secretariat of the Transport Complaints Board and The Package Travel Board.

At the same time, Oftedahl points out that it is common for the airline to be responsible.

– In many of our complaints, several service providers are involved. In general, it is often the airlines that become liable in the tribunal, because it is the airline that is the object of liability according to EU regulation 266/2004. Although complainants are successful in their claims in many cases where Bravofly is involved, it is to a large extent the airline that becomes responsible in the tribunal, not the travel agency such as Bravofly.

– Worse

Travel expert Odd Roar Lange knows the travel company Bravofly well.

– Bravofly is one of the worst in the industry. I get many inquiries a week from people who have problems with Bravofly, says Lange to Nettavisen.

Hege Broch Austvoll has been told that she will only be reimbursed for single trips and not the whole trip. Lange believes this is a reservation Bravofly takes when you book travel through them.

– It often says when you buy the tickets “transfer at your own risk”. It means exactly that – namely that if something happens, it is at your own risk. The customers accept that in the conditions, he says, referring to the terms of service we press yes to that we have read but rarely read.

Nevertheless, he fears that we will see more similar cases in the future and is surprised that Norwegians do not do better research before ordering:

– Norwegians must become better at checking themselves. There are many changes in aviation. Customers should either book directly with the airline or from an established travel agency.