Last week’s story about how the Transportation Department has adopted a more pro-consumer attitude didn’t include the recent fine against United Airlines and news of its new Web site.
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Orbitz
When you buy a travel package through an online travel agency, you expect the price to be significantly less than if you booked each item separately, right?
Looks like British Airways may be shut down by a strike — just in time for the holidays. I’ll let the beat reporters dissect this story, but there’s one angle that appears to be getting overlooked: What’s going to happen to passengers with “codeshare” reservations?
If you’re confused about the online travel agencies’ service and price guarantees, take a number. So am I.
Here’s a cautionary tale for anyone buying an airline ticket for the holidays, and a little advice: Pay attention your bank account balance. And be patient.
Some things are just too good to be true. Like a British Airways flight to Mumbai for $40, offered briefly yesterday. Such a deal!
Picture this: You’re on your honeymoon in Morocco. When you check in for your flight back to the States, a gate agent insists there’s something wrong with your reservation — and forces you to buy a new set of tickets.
Travel companies routinely use collection agencies as tools to enrich themselves at their customers’ expense. That’s what seemed to be happening to Gabrielle Durana when her online travel agency tried to strong-arm her into paying $1,700 for an airline ticket it lost. But looks can be deceiving.
Two to three billing cycles. That’s the formula answer you’ll get from a travel company when you ask how long your refund will take. But the formula doesn’t always work.
If you’re under 25, you’re in for an unpleasant surprise when you check into the Oasis Cancun, a pyramid-like, all-inclusive resort on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula: a mandatory “under 25″ fee of $54. And they don’t take “no” for an answer. When Ryan Plaxsun, 24, recently checked into the hotel, he was told to pony up the cash — or leave.
Wendell Mrugala makes a hotel reservation through Orbitz. But when he contacts the online agency to confirm his room, he’s told there’s no reservation. Mrugala makes another reservation, but is surprised when he learns the first reservation has gone through. Is there any hope for a refund?
Unpleasant surprises are part of almost every check-out process. There are extras like resort fees, taxes and previously undisclosed surcharges that are invariably tacked on to your hotel bill. So when Bithi Chatterjee discovered her invoice was lower than she’d expected, she thought it was a fluke. She was right.
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