Expedia’s waiting game

Q: I’m never booking another ticket on Expedia. On a recent flight, the Web site failed to alert me to a flight time change on my outgoing and return flights. I had to sit at the airport four extra hours.

When I called from the airport to see what had happened, Expedia said it never got the change information from my airline. Then, when I wrote a letter of complaint, Expedia had the nerve to send me a canned response.

Whose fault is it that I wasn’t notified? Can I get any compensation for my wait?

– Peter Shankman

A: It’s Expedia’s fault. But strictly speaking, you aren’t entitled to any kind of compensation, because even though you had to endure a long wait at the airport, you still made your flight.

The real issue here is the breakdown in communication – first between the airline and Expedia, and then between Expedia and you.

After I brought your grievance to Expedia’s attention, it looked into the matter and discovered that your airline had sent Expedia the schedule change in a timely manner. The Web schedule change department failed to pass the word along to you. “We work through hundreds of reservations each day and unfortunately your itinerary was one that was mishandled,” explained Cydney Peterson, an Expedia customer service manager. “Had we successfully contacted you, this situation would not have occurred. It is never our intent to inconvenience our customers and we are sorry that we have done so.”

The second slip-up came when you complained and Expedia didn’t bother to read your note.

A customer service representative named Chad shot back an e-mail saying, “Thank you for contacting Expedia.com with feedback on your recent experience using our services. Your comments are important to us, and we regret that your experience using Expedia.com was not to your satisfaction.” But based on his non-response, it’s pretty clear that he was neither grateful that you had contacted Expedia nor regretful that your experience wasn’t to your satisfaction. In the overall scheme of things, the way in which your initial complaint was handled was the greater of the two transgressions.

But even though Expedia owed you nothing, it agreed to offer you compensation for your wait. The online agency deposited $200 in hotel coupons and $200 in air coupons in to your account as “a gesture of good will.” I think that’s more than adequate and that Expedia deserves a second chance at your business.

While it’s true that a competent travel agent should notify a client when a flight schedule changes, it’s important to remember that it isn’t obligated to do so. The responsibility for verifying your schedule rests with you. Call the airline before you leave for the airport or check the schedule online. This is particularly important at a time like this, when many flight schedules are in a state of flux.

If you fail to do that, you have no one to blame but yourself.

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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