"GCSE Spanish language trip"

My children joined a pre-GCSE Spanish language immersion trip to Granada. The quality and organisation of the trip was at best exceptionally poor.

We still await a suitable response and compensation in relation to a host of serious safeguarding complaints including "bumping" 15 years old from their flight (resulting in the loss of the first half day of a 4 day trip) and the complete lack of vetting of host families.

Halsbury will not deal with individual parents ("GDPR reasons" apparently), but have also failed to respond to our school's representative with whom they do have a contract.

Halsbury provided details of the vetted host families only 3 days before the trip. On arrival, it was clear that our children's hosts were wholly unsuitable and clearly not vetted. Our school's students were hosted in groups of 3 with families that were also hosting other language students (5 students in one case, 6 in another, one of which was over 21 years). Serious safeguarding concerns were raised (including the absence of locks on doors, meals not being provided, hosts being absent, the host (female) entering a boys' bedroom at night; children told to stay out of the host's home until as late as possible) The whole trip was at best a waste of time, time which would have been much better (and more safely) spent with a Spanish tutor at home.

I would not allow my children to join a Halsbury Travel organised trip again.

"i hope you get sued"

i hope you get sued. you can not put a price on the disappointment on children’s faces. absolutely disgraceful. not just 1 but over 8 schools have been let down. HORRIBLE

"What’s the price of disappointment"

Trip for 90 students cancelled with less than 24 hours notice.
Notwithstanding the cost of ski gear, ski lessons and effort to organise by our schools teachers…..

How can you put a price on the look of disappointment on our 16 year olds.

Horrendous.

Acknowledged the offer of refund and compensation, equally someone will have to cover the cost of the hotels.

Nothing better than negligent…..

Hopefully the company manages its cash better than booking coaches, or there will be nothing coming back….

If you are booking a school trip, strongly recommend you look elsewhere.

"Absolutely astonishing"

What reputable company realises hours before that they haven’t booked coaches for a school trip that has been planned for over a year? There is no excuse in this day and age for it all sitting in one person’s email / spreadsheet / OneDrive or whatever it is that actually happened. What’s worse is the absolute tone deaf responses I’ve seen them give to other parents where they apologise for ‘having to disappoint a small number of schools’. In this language you really see the mindset the company has in response to the absolute emotional devastation they’ve caused to hundreds of children. That devastation caused by their outright negligence is reduced to a small issue (we’ve disappointed only a small number of schools). Essentially saying that we are insignificant in the grand scheme of things. I feel almost guilty that my child has actually been able to continue with their trip where hundreds of others haven’t, only because of the last minute actions of our ski trip leader and parents rallying around to find an alternative coach company with less than 24 hours to go.

I’ve just seen this response from Halsbury to one parent who has had their children let down:

‘Thank you for your review. We are very sorry to have disappointed a small number of schools that were due to travel with us this weekend. All customers will receive a 100% refund and additional compensation. The money will be paid in full into the bank accounts of affected schools prior to the Easter weekend holiday. Schools will then be able to distribute this to the parents. Best regards,’

How tone deaf is that? Thank you… Very sorry… Yes you’ll get money plus extra… money into bank accounts… money distributed… small number of schools affected… BEST REGARDS. Whoever is writing this has no concept of the emotional devastation their company has caused. It’s just pure business.

This business HAS ABSOLUTELY NO PLACE being involved in the welfare of children. Full stop.

"Poor showing"

Update *******
After more than 11 weeks of waiting for a refund, all the communication we have had is that it is in the insurance peoples hands. Still waiting on forms to claim for expenses such as extra food and drinks needed and unneeded ski equipment.


Poor showing. Daughter was going on a school ski trip with this company. After much deliberation between the teachers and the travel company it was decided that they would travel to Italy via Dover on the afternoon of the 1st, despite the well published delays and problems, as they need to make an attempt to travel to be able to claim on the insurance.!!!!

After 10 hours sat at a bus stop in Folkestone they got called to the port, and waited there for an hour and informed of 12 hour delays to board before the bus drivers said they wouldn’t be able to drive for another 12 hours after the ferry crossing. Harlsbury done nothing to provide food/drink of any kind to the teacher and children stuck on the coach. Awaiting to hear if Halsbury/ the insurance will refund the trip and hopefully as a goodwill gesture will reimburse people’s expenses for ski kit and refreshments during the delay.

"I am angry. Do the right thing, Halsbury."

Dear Halsbury Travel,

I'm a parent of a Year 10 student who was supposed to be travelling with you from Chulmleigh College in Devon to a week-long skiing trip in Italy.

Like the many, many other parents who have been in touch with you, I am angry. I'm angry because my daughter is not currently skiing in Sestriere. I'm angry with how the cancellation of her trip has affected her and her friends. I'm angry about all the money hundreds of families that have been let down by your company have paid for trips that have not happened.

But, most of all, I'm angry by the fact that you clearly don't get it.

From the various messages on social media channels and TrustPilot, it's clear that you've let down several schools this week. It looks like 300-400 children are currently sitting at home with broken hearts.

Here's the bit you don't seem to get. The children you have let down are 14, 15 and 16 year olds who, once again, find life experiences being torn from their grasp for reasons outside their control.

These are children who have spent a lot of the last three years sitting at home being deprived of life opportunities and social interaction. Unable to see their friends for six months during lockdown. Another six months wearing masks on school buses and in classrooms.

These are children who have missed out on school trip after school trip because of travel restrictions, social distancing, budget shortfalls and economic hardship.

These are children who had one chance before they leave secondary school to experience a week away from their parents, to travel a foreign country, to make new friends and to begin their journey from a disrupted childhood into young adulthood.

I'm sure you remember school trips like that. School trips that gave you experiences that you can recall today in an instant. Experiences that still influence your lives and life choices.

And yet, from the starchy messages you've been putting on social media and in reply to reviews on here, you actually don't seem to get any of that. Not one little bit.

Yes, we damn well want our money back. Yes we want compensation for the hidden costs you can't see. No, I'm not sure a discount on future bookings is realistically going to work out well for anyone. You've lost customers, but you still have time to win hearts and minds.

I know of families who have made huge sacrifices and gone without over the last year in order to give their children the opportunity to go on this trip. I know of children who have had to save their pocket money or get weekend jobs to help their parents cover the costs. I know of families buying ski jackets instead of Christmas presents, because they couldn't afford both. I know of parents who paid extra for ski lessons over the last few months so their kids could get the most out of their week.

Since you cancelled the trip, I also know of parents who have had to rearrange the holiday they'd booked this week because they cannot take their son or daughter with them at such short notice. I know of parents who have managed to find extra money to treat their disappointed children to something exciting during the Easter holidays - just to give them something to smile about. I know of parents having to hurriedly book time off work (with loss of pay) because they were unable to arrange childcare quickly enough.

So, yes, pay us back and pay us for all the extra stuff we've shelled out for over and above the cost of the trip itself.

But the thing is, money only goes so far.

As parents, we are hurting. Hurting for what our children have, once again, lost. We feel helpless.

Today, our children are sat, lethargic, unspeaking, upset, depressed. Nothing we do seems able to shake them from their gloom this weekend. They are staring at their phones and messaging their friends with that all-too-familiar feeling in their stomachs. That feeling they've felt so many times over the last three years. That overwhelming feeling that life really and truly isn't fair.

So, I think I speak for a lot of parents when I say it's time to wake up to what you've done, Halsbury Travel.

Turn off corporate speak. Be human.

Personally, here's what I want. I want you to be honest. Be honest about what's happened. Nobody believes what you've said so far.

I want you to demonstrate a genuine empathy and understanding of what your failings have done to all these children. You've potentially changed the direction of over 300 young lives.

And I think you should consider what suitable 'compensation' looks like. Getting our money back is the least we'll accept. But ask yourselves what more you can do to provide 300+ life-changing experiences that will go at least some way towards making up for the crushing disappointment you have delivered to hundreds of children and families.

The ball is very much in your court. Do the right thing, Halsbury.

"No words to describe how shocked &…"

No words to describe how shocked & upset I was to hear my grandson’s long awaited skiing school trip had been cancelled with less than 24hrs notice. And then to read your reply Halsbury that you had to cancel a small number of school trips. I’m not sure what constitutes a ‘ small number’ in your world, from what I have heard numerous schools up & down the country have been let down, with complete disregard for the upset you have caused to hundreds of children, parents & teachers. Not to mention the financial implication of all of this. I sincerely hope somebody will be held to account for this!!!

"Concerned Grandma"

With at least 4 schools affected by this last minute cancellation due to no coaches booked, has anyone checked to see if accommodation in Italy was booked ?

"The travel company that does not…"

The travel company that does not travel.

My friends kids were due to travel to Italy by coach on 1st April only to have it cancelled due to some clown not booking the coach!. On what planet can a travel company have the incompetence to fail at the very first basic hurdle? People have spent well over £1000 to get their kids the experience of a lifetime that you have Catastrophically naused up. I would not trust Halsbury Travel group to put their shoes on the right way let alone organise a trip.

"My child was due to travel on Saturday…"

My child was due to travel on Saturday 1st April with 60 other pupils from bristol who were all let down with only 24hours notice of cancelation of their ski trip which has been planned for almost 2 years. Very devastating for all involved.