“Costly mistake we made by booking with Southall travels
This review is a bit late, but after hearing Southhall Travel advert on the radio again, I felt compelled to share my experience to help others avoid a very costly mistake.
In 2023, we urgently booked a flight through Southall Travel following the passing of my husband’s sister in Pakistan. They arranged an itinerary from Islamabad to London via Karachi. However, this involved a self-transfer, which was never clearly explained to us, and the connection time was far too short.
Due to a delay on the first flight, my husband missed his onward connection and was stranded in Karachi for over 12 hours. Given the circumstances, this added significant stress to an already difficult situation.
I contacted Southall Travel to request assistance in arranging an alternative flight, but they refused, stating it was the airline’s responsibility. This was despite the fact that:
- We were not informed that the connection required a self-transfer
- The layover time was insufficient to collect baggage and check in again
In the end, I had to book a new one-way ticket from Karachi to London at a cost of approximately £1600. The only refund we received was just over £100 for the unused portion of the original ticket.
Overall, this was an extremely disappointing experience. We received no followup, no apology, and no support. It felt as though once payment was taken, customer care was no longer a priority.
I would strongly advise others to be cautious. Booking directly with an airline even it means a slightly higher cost and upfront payment - may save you from significant stress and unexpected expenses.”
“This company advertises everywhere — constantly on TV and across multiple channels — and they’re very quick to take your money. Unfortunately, when something goes wrong, their customer service is one of the worst I have ever experienced.
I made two flight bookings with Southall Travel in May 2025 from London Gatwick to Amritsar. Six months later they changed the flights, including my disabled, wheelchair-bound mother’s return journey to a nearly 24-hour stopover in Doha instead of the original 2-hour transit. Had this been shown at the time of booking, we would never have agreed.
We contacted them immediately. We were told to reply “OK” to an email so they could call us to discuss options — not to accept the change. After doing so, they later refused to help, claiming the “OK” meant we accepted the new flights and now had to either pay £250 per passenger to cancel or pay extra to change them.
After days of trying to resolve it and being unable to reach anyone helpful, we were left with no choice but to cancel the flights and pay a £500 cancellation fee.
Trying to resolve this was impossible:
• Advisers refuse to give surnames
• You cannot get through to a complaints team
• Managers never call back despite promises
• They do not follow up or escalate cases
• Staff are dismissive and rude
The treatment has been shocking — especially considering a disabled passenger is involved. They are excellent at selling flights, but if the airline changes your schedule you are left completely on your own.
I will never book with Southall Travel again and would strongly advise others to think twice. Everything is fine if your trip runs perfectly — but if your flight is cancelled or changed, be prepared to spend days chasing them with no resolution.”
“Thank you kunal advisor for helping me book the right ticket. The guidance was clear, helpful, and made the whole process stress-free. Really appreciate the support.”
“Not even 1 star- should be zero stars. Extremely disappointing experience and total lack of accountability from Southall Travel.
We booked a 3-bedroom en-suite room for a family trip including a minor. On arrival, the hotel said the room was unavailable and kept us waiting over 2.5 hours to show alternatives. We were offered unsafe and unacceptable options, including separate rooms for a minor, downgraded rooms without the paid-for Burj Khalifa view, and rooms with serious issues such as black mould, stained carpets, damp smells, and even bed bugs (acknowledged by hotel management).
A refund was refused. Only after escalating were we given a “refurbished” room, still downgraded and without the view.
For the entire 6-day stay, we were given only 2 rooms instead of 3. One room had just one bed, which 2 adults and a minor had to share for all 6 nights. An extra mattress was promised daily but never provided.
Housekeeping was almost non-existent, rooms were not cleaned properly, basic items like water and toilet paper had to be requested repeatedly, and maintenance issues (including flooding bathrooms) were never properly fixed. Reception and room service were unresponsive throughout.
Southall Travel offered no real support or resolution despite this being a clear failure to deliver what was sold. A stressful, exhausting, and unacceptable experience. Would not recommend”
“Absolute crooks! They say they only sell flex tickets but every time you try and change anything- they say there will be a charge, I have spent well over £15k in the last year! Never again will they get a penny from me.
There prices are always much higher!”
