When the top online travel agency in the Netherlands moves into the French market...
As the leader in Dutch online travel, the Travix group decided to expand into France by launching the BudgetAir.fr brand on March 1, 2011, acting as a service provider for the travel sector. The company, easily spotted by its signature green and purple branding, acts as an intermediary between the traveler and their chosen service provider. Despite what the name suggests, the offerings go beyond just airfare. You can also book rental cars, hotel rooms, and vacation packages. These are just a few of the services available through BudgetAir.fr.
Simplicity as a strategy for the French market...
The brand focuses on one core principle: simplicity. You place your order online, and BudgetAir.fr handles the rest by surfacing the best available rates based on your search criteria. By entering your departure city, destination, and travel dates, you can compare airfare from over 800 major and low-cost airlines flying to more than 9000 destinations worldwide, or browse over 120,000 hotel rooms across more than 12,500 locations.
It is difficult to make it any simpler, especially since a French-speaking customer service team is available 7 days a week to help you find and book your trip.
This straightforward booking process provides clear value. On top of that, the company offers tips for finding low-cost flights and charges no booking fees for any car or hotel reservation.
The Airline Ticket Guarantee as a competitive edge...
To round out its appeal, BudgetAir.fr offers one final advantage: the Airline Ticket Guarantee. For 6.50 EUR (about $7.10) per ticket, you can purchase coverage that protects you against the potential bankruptcy of the airline you are scheduled to fly with.
Reservation BFR-45***974. Cancellation was made within 24 hours and confirmed by Transavia, which issued a full refund of €548 (€332 + €216), with no fees withheld, on July 12. We have two written confirmations from Transavia to back this up. Every BudgetAir representative replies without taking previous exchanges into account, which gives the impression of a service that does not track its own files or is deliberately trying to stall. With every new exchange, BudgetAir changes its story: first the ticket is non-refundable, then a partial refund of €198 for a different reason, then a question about whether the flight was used, then a false claim that the flights already took place. Just this morning, yet another representative told us that the cancellation fees exceeded the value of the ticket, which directly contradicts the written confirmation from Transavia that states in black and white that no fees were withheld. BudgetAir's own help page also explains that when a refund is obtained from the airline, it is automatically passed on to the customer. You have therefore received this money from Transavia and you are refusing to give it back to us by changing your excuse with every message.
This kind of practice is akin to the abusive retention of funds that do not belong to you. Our case is currently in the hands of the Médiateur du Tourisme et du Voyage, the DGCCRF, and our bank. Please pay us back the money we are owed without further delay.