Last December, Caesar Ho booked a night at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport Hotel through Expedia. But when he couldn’t reach the hotel because of inclement weather — snow on the 5 Freeway and dangerous winds on the 101 — he phoned the hotel to see if he could cancel his room.
Expedia
Is travel insurance a waste of money, as some commenters suggested in yesterday’s post? Meet Heidi Larson, whose vacation has been put on hold by an unexpected but common medical condition. She’ll give you an earful about insurance.
When Linda Foy checks in for her flight, she’s told she has no airline tickets. But wait! Didn’t her online travel agent, Expedia, just confirm her flights? And will Expedia now refund the new tickets she must buy?
When Cecilia Tanaka tried to buy tickets to Japan on Expedia, she was charged twice. She filed a dispute with her credit card, thinking it was a simple misunderstanding. It wasn’t.
Lizelle Figueroa calls Expedia to hold her ticket to California. But shortly after that, she’s rushed to the hospital, where she spends five weeks. When she’s released, she finds out that her online agency has bought the ticket. Now it won’t give her a refund. Did Expedia misunderstand her request? And will she get her money back?
Since the Icelandic volcano with an unpronounceable name erupted last month, I’ve covered the questions and the resulting fallout on this site.
Nine months isn’t the longest someone has had to wait for an airline ticket refund, but for Chris Dich, it was long enough, thanks very much. (I’ve had cases that took two years.)
Here’s a tip that’s worth repeating: If you’re waiting for an airfare refund, don’t cancel your credit card.
Remember the “America-only” provision in Expedia’s Best Price Guarantee? Earlier this week, I wrote about reader Craig Simpson’s efforts to persuade the online agency to adjust his rate at a hotel in Antigua after he found a lower rate on the property’s Web site.
After Craig Simpson booked a six-night stay at the Cocos Hotel on Antigua, he wondered if the $312 rate was the lowest available. It’s a good thing Expedia offers a “Best Price Guarantee” so you customers like him can “always book your trip with confidence.” The identical room was $293 a night through the hotel’s Web site.
Nallan Chari’s flight is canceled, but his online agency is dragging its feet on a refund. The reason? The airlines involved, including Continental Airlines and Jet Airways, haven’t sent the money to the agency yet. How much longer should Chari wait?
It takes only a few seconds for an airline to take the money from your credit card. Why does it take forever and a day to get a refund?
Regular readers of this site are familiar with car rental companies’ no-rent lists. But did you know that there are other instances in which a company might refuse you a car — even if you have a completely legitimate reservation?
Get ready for round two of the online travel agency fee-cutting wars. This spring, the major online travel agencies eliminated their online booking fees. This morning, Expedia will announce that it will do away with its fee to book by phone.
If you’re confused about the online travel agencies’ service and price guarantees, take a number. So am I.
Elliott is consumer advocate 
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