Sunwing Travel Group review: Refund tickets

This is what we sent over to Sunwing...

We were supposed to be traveling on December 1st to the 8th from Toronto to Costa Rica on a family trip which included 22 of us including my brother that passed away recently. Unfortunately, my brother was admitted to ICU last week and he passed way unexpectedly. We had emailed Christina Hajja our agent if last week while my brother as in ICU if she could assist us in anyway but due to the fact that we had not purchased insurance she stated that Sunwing will not be refunded any of the $44,000 or change the dates.. I called several times asking if they could just simply move the booking to another during Sunwing's offseason and we would be happy to pay an additional charge but none of your representatives seemed to care or show any empathy for the unfortunate turn of events for my grieving family with the holiday season being around. I understand we did not purchase the insurance but most travel companies would extend the courtesy to at least let us push back the trip due to the untimely death of a loved one.

I am writing to bring to your attention a matter of great sensitivity and importance regarding Booking #[protected].

Approximately two weeks ago, we reached out to our advisor, Christine, to apprise her of a distressing situation: one of our family members was in the ICU. Regrettably, the subsequent week brought the devastating news of their passing. The trip we had meticulously planned for 23 individuals, valued at $44,200, suddenly became a somber affair.

Christine informed us that the trip was non-refundable, a policy we completely understood. However, given the gravity of our circumstances, we were hopeful that Sunwing could exhibit empathy and assist us in rescheduling our travel dates. Our intention was never to seek a refund, and we expressed our willingness to travel during off-peak months to accommodate Sunwing's schedule. We even offered to cover any associated change fees.

This journey had been years in the making, with several family members diligently saving for the occasion. Unfortunately, the passing of our loved one cast a shadow over the prospect of traveling with heavy hearts. Despite our pleas, Sunwing proceeded to charge eight members, whose credit card insurance did not cover the trip, a total of $3,500 for reasons that remain unclear.

While we acknowledge our oversight in not purchasing insurance, it is disheartening to witness Sunwing, especially during the holiday season, adhering strictly to a non-refundable policy. We find it difficult to comprehend how a company could, in essence, take $25,000 from a grieving family. Such actions are both unacceptable and lacking in compassion.

I implore you to consider our position. Would you find solace in vacationing on an island while grappling with the loss of a dear family member?

Bypassing the route of insurance claims, as it covers only a fraction of our losses, we are earnestly appealing to Sunwing's humanity. We kindly request that you extend your support by rescheduling the trip for the remaining 15 members, assuring you that we are prepared to cover any additional fees involved.

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