Comments on: Hey, where’s my hotel room? http://www.elliott.org/the-troubleshooter/hey-wheres-my-hotel-room/ Consumer advocate Christopher Elliott's site. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:25:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Dana http://www.elliott.org/the-troubleshooter/hey-wheres-my-hotel-room/comment-page-1/#comment-13179 Dana Mon, 07 Jul 2008 16:09:45 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/?p=5034#comment-13179 As a frequent traveler, I've made it a habit to book everything on Expedia.com So far, over the last three years, everything has gone fine. This is in part due to my obsessive need to print out everything they send me after my booking in triplicate. Thus, the two times there has been a question, it has been quickly resolved. (Nothing gets a girl a hotel room faster than paperwork being shoved around.) I trust expedia...enough to use them repeatedly. With that said, rental car companies in Italy booked online are never ever to be paid for in advance because they will charge you again when you get there. Every time. That's where travel insurance comes in ;-) As a frequent traveler, I’ve made it a habit to book everything on Expedia.com
So far, over the last three years, everything has gone fine. This is in part due to my obsessive need to print out everything they send me after my booking in triplicate. Thus, the two times there has been a question, it has been quickly resolved. (Nothing gets a girl a hotel room faster than paperwork being shoved around.)
I trust expedia…enough to use them repeatedly.
With that said, rental car companies in Italy booked online are never ever to be paid for in advance because they will charge you again when you get there. Every time. That’s where travel insurance comes in ;-)

]]> By: Carver Farrow http://www.elliott.org/the-troubleshooter/hey-wheres-my-hotel-room/comment-page-1/#comment-12420 Carver Farrow Tue, 03 Jun 2008 18:19:41 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/?p=5034#comment-12420 I've long given up on 3rd party booking sites. Invariably, both in my personal experiences, and on every travel website I frequent, most problems with dishonored reservations come from 3rd party websites. In my opinion, the potential savings is not worth risking being stranded, homeless, or a pedestrian. I’ve long given up on 3rd party booking sites. Invariably, both in my personal experiences, and on every travel website I frequent, most problems with dishonored reservations come from 3rd party websites.

In my opinion, the potential savings is not worth risking being stranded, homeless, or a pedestrian.

]]> By: Mike Burrows http://www.elliott.org/the-troubleshooter/hey-wheres-my-hotel-room/comment-page-1/#comment-12339 Mike Burrows Thu, 29 May 2008 05:32:07 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/?p=5034#comment-12339 Chris makes a valid recommendation, "... not only contact your online travel agency to confirm your reservation, but also the hotel." That suggests then that you would be better served to book directly with the hotel. You would only need to confirm with one entity. A "contract" with a third party broker is of little use when something goes wrong. In travel the probability of something going wrong with a flight, car rental, or hotel, is extremely high. If the supplier of that service sold it directly to you they are far more likely to promptly find a satisfactory remedy. Chris makes a valid recommendation, “… not only contact your online travel agency to confirm your reservation, but also the hotel.” That suggests then that you would be better served to book directly with the hotel. You would only need to confirm with one entity. A “contract” with a third party broker is of little use when something goes wrong. In travel the probability of something going wrong with a flight, car rental, or hotel, is extremely high. If the supplier of that service sold it directly to you they are far more likely to promptly find a satisfactory remedy.

]]> By: Arizona Road Warrior http://www.elliott.org/the-troubleshooter/hey-wheres-my-hotel-room/comment-page-1/#comment-12336 Arizona Road Warrior Wed, 28 May 2008 23:31:00 +0000 http://www.elliott.org/?p=5034#comment-12336 That is why I booked my hotel reservatons directly with the hotel or with a brick & mortar travel agent and avoid companies such as Cheaptickets.com, hotels.com and etc. That is why I booked my hotel reservatons directly with the hotel or with a brick & mortar travel agent and avoid companies such as Cheaptickets.com, hotels.com and etc.

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