Family left heartbroken as snow vanishes from Lapland during £3,5000 dream holiday

A family have won a six-month battle for a refund on their dream holiday to Lapland after the snow was a no show. Lisa O'Neil and husband Wayne spent their life savings on the £3,500 trip of a lifetime but were left "stressed and disappointed".

Their holiday misery saw their son’s husky ride, snowmobile trip and reindeer encounter, cancelled because of a lack of snow. The family contacted TUI 72 hours before they left with their son, now eight, to raise concerns about the weather forecast.

They were expecting TUI to cancel or reschedule the trip under its "no snow you don't have to go" policy. But instead they were told there was snow at their resort and were told if they chose to cancel the holiday they would lose the money.

READ MORE: 'I tried The Ivy's £15 Dubai Chocolate dessert to see if it's worth it'

READ MORE: 'Agonising Greece holiday from hell changed my life - I was howling and just wanted to go home'

TUI initially only offered a 50% refund, but Mrs O'Neil's successful appeal means she has received full compensation, including legal fees.

"We were absolutely elated," Mrs O'Neil, 40, from Gosforth in Cumbria told the BBC. "You think all of the time ‘have you done the right thing?’ Is it worth the hassle to push through? But when you know that you're in the right and you're just being forced into a situation by a corporate company, (the outcome) just validated all of the hard work that we put in."

The couple have told how on arrival last December, they were greeted with a "magical" winter wonderland scene. But overnight the snow vanished after some rain and they were grounded as all snow activities for their trip were cancelled, leaving them to arrange and pay for alternatives.

Their case was referred to an independent adjudicator by ABTA, an association of travel companies which helps mediate disputes, who found in favour of the O'Neils. "The family's essential purpose in taking the trip, to enjoy snow-based activities, was defeated," the final adjudication read.

It added TUI had not complied with its own "no snow" policy and the family would not have set off for their trip had TUI let them cancel or reschedule it.

Mrs O'Neil said the family's fight for a refund seemed daunting at times but they were helped by a couple who read about their plight on the BBC and contacted them. "This couple had been on a cruise that cost them £20,000," Mrs O'Neil explained.

"It was for a big anniversary but, because of the weather, they couldn't do all the stops that they were supposed to do." The couple had been successful in securing their claim after a six-year legal battle and shared their knowledge with the O'Neils.

Mrs O'Neil said: "They gave me loads of advice and the inspiration to keep going, so I am really grateful to them."

On TUI's website, the travel company offers holidays that are a "real winter wonderland...think lashings of bright white snow, the smell of pine trees and more wild reindeer than people."

Their website says: “If we think there’s not enough snow to run the itinerary... you’ll have the opportunity to amend to something else or choose not to travel.”