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Northwest’s pesky call center fee is refundable — if you know who to contact

July 17, 2008

Contrary to what your airline might tell you, those highly annoying “call center fees” it charges for buying your tickets by phone aren’t necessarily nonrefundable. Not if you know who to contact.

I mention this for two reasons. Call center fees are likely to rise as airlines look for new ways to raise money. And there’s still a sizable segment of the population that prefers to do business by phone, and that has no choice but to cough up the fee for each ticket.

Jim Larney thought Northwest Airlines should repay the $30 booking fee when he encountered a glitch while buying tickets from Hartford, Conn., to Cork, Ireland.

The only way I could book online was to create separate transactions from Hartford to Amsterdam round trip and Amsterdam to Cork round trip. So I called Northwest Airlines and they booked the entire itinerary. The reservation agent told me there would be a $30 call center ticketing fee for booking the flights.

When I explained that Northwest Airlines’ online booking system would not allow me to make one booking from Hartford-Amsterdam-Cork round trip, the agent replied that she would waive the $30 fee.

Promises, promises.

To make a long story short, one of his flights was canceled and the entire fare was refunded — minus the $30 booking fee.

“I believe that refusing to refund the call center ticketing fee is illegal, because Northwest canceled direct service between Hartford and Amsterdam,” he told me.

I believe he’s right. I gave Larney the executive contacts at Northwest and suggested he write a brief, polite email asking for the return of his fee.

A few days after sending a note to Andrew Roberts, Northwest’s executive vice president of operations, he had his $30 back.

Nice work, Northwest. Now, about that call center fee …

Christopher Elliott is the author of Scammed: How to Save Your Money and Find Better Service in a World of Schemes, Swindles, and Shady Deals. Critics have called it “eye-opening” and “inspiring” — it’ll “grab your attention and won’t let go.” Order your copy now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or iTunes.

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4 comments

  • Sebastian Okser

    These booking fees do make me mad. But I do have a larger grievance with airlines on the other side of the pond. Here in Finland if I have a question, problem or anything else wrong and I am forced to call Finnair’s call center I am charged over $5 per answered call plus my local network charges (This is whether or not they can answer my question or help me out).

    I did find a loophole with the charges some European Airlines charge with their call centers. I simply call their US numbers through Skype or another VoIP service. They don’t charge for answered calls in America and through skype the phone call is free.

  • Joe Farrell

    Everything is negotiable if you know who to talk to . . .

  • William Hope

    Similar(somewhat) problem w DL; tried to make areservation involving both econ and business class seats for different legs same trip. No means to do this as single itin, w single confirm code, online. Can be done by phone but involves fee, despite not being able to do it online. I wonder, if you are disabled in some way and unable to use a computer, does forcing you to pay to use phone res svc fall under ADA violation? Just wondering.

  • http://www.adventuretravel.com susan

    Call a travel agent. They can give you prices and availability for the most complex itineraries and we don’t charge anything until the tickets are issued. Quit going on-line or calling the airlines’ call-centers. You are getting minimum wage employees that don’t care. Make a friend with a travel agent and all your travel issues will be handled with a smile!

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