Costa Rica Cock-Up Hits
Holidaymaker
A woman who booked a three-week holiday ended up 1,300 miles away
from her chosen destination after travel agents mixed up her
flights.
Samantha Lazzaris booked the trip of a lifetime to Costa Rica, in
Central America. But ended up in the US territory of Puerto Rico
instead.
The 33-year-old from Bristol, did not realize she was in Puerto Rico
until she landed on the island last month and jumped into a cab.
She said: "I asked the taxi driver to take me to this hotel I'd
pre-booked, he looked in amazement, speechless, then laughed and
said, 'This is not Costa Rica. It's Puerto Rico'.
"I didn't believe him. I was in shock. I looked around the airport,
saw posters of Puerto Rico everywhere, and thought: What am I going
to do? Where is Puerto Rico? Where am I?"
Miss Lazzaris had to fork out £800 on three extra flights - losing
four days of her holiday - to get to her intended destination.
It appears that travel agent Thomas Cook used the booking code for
San Juan, capital of Puerto Rico, instead of San Jose, capital of
Costa Rica, when Ms Lazzaris bought the return ticket last November.
The airport codes are similar, with just one letter between them -
SJO for San Jose and SJU for the airport in San Juan.
Miss Lazzaris added: "I am wanting to share my experience with the
general public to alert them of the potential appalling treatment
they would receive from Thomas Cook. I have never been treated so
appallingly in my entire travel life."
A Thomas Cook spokesman said it would fully investigate the
complaint as soon as possible. |
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