An airfare bait-and-switch?

Q: My husband recently found a $644 fare on a one-way airline ticket from Boston to Moscow through OneTravel.com. After several unsuccessful attempts to make a reservation with his credit card, he called the online agency and was told there was a problem completing the transaction.

Our bank said the credit card was working just fine. But with only three seats left on the plane, we had to find a way of paying for the flight quickly. A company representative suggested we wire the money by Western Union, and we did.

Later that day, we received e-mail from OneTravel saying that the fare we had been quoted wasn’t available, and that the flight would actually cost us $2,000. Meanwhile, the $644 fare was still being advertised on the Web site.

We asked for our money back, but OneTravel told us that it needed to do some “research” to find out if we are eligible for a refund. If we were, we would get the money back in a couple of months.

I don’t think we should have to wait that long. Can you help us?

— Paulina Maguire, Moscow

A: Your money should be refunded immediately, no questions asked.

What is there to research? Your husband’s record should leave no doubt that he tried to pay for a ticket that wasn’t available. Case closed.

The reason OneTravel.com can offer cheaper tickets is that it is a “ticket consolidator,” i.e., it buys tickets in bulk from airlines in order to take advantage of volume discounts. Ticket consolidators sometimes handle their inventory differently than do travel agents, who buy their tickets one at a time, and they do sometimes run out of tickets that are still being advertised on the Web.

In other words, while this certainly looks like a bait-and-switch from your perspective, I don’t think OneTravel was deliberately leading your husband on. Any company that did that wouldn’t stay in business for long.

You and your husband made two mistakes.

First, you allowed yourselves to be seduced by a deal. Did you really think you couldn’t find a comparable price, or at least a competitive price, on a ticket through an agency that could accept your credit card? When you make a major purchase like an airline ticket, you have to be clear-headed. If someone tells you there are only three tickets left, then warning bells should be going off. If someone tells you that you have to wire money, you shouldn’t walk away — you should run.

Your second mistake was sending cash. Let me be perfectly clear about this: When it comes to travel, never, ever, pay in cash. Your credit card can protect you in case something goes wrong, but once the cash is out the door, you are at the company’s mercy for a refund.

I contacted OneTravel.com on your behalf, and it wired the money back to you almost immediately.

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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