Comments on: Now that’s a change fee!

By: noah

noah — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 20:59:19 +0000

What, they couldn’t go on the trip without their daughter? The whole thing probably would have been easier to swallow if they’d only canceled one ticket.

By: Mike

Mike — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 19:46:05 +0000

If someone tells you there will be fees, they should clearly state what those fees will be in writing. It should not take a call from a customer to get a verbal communication of what the fees *might* be. Considering that the airline gave a full refund, it is crazy to expect that someone pay a $400 fee per ticket to an agent.

By: David Z

David Z — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 05:37:28 +0000

I also think the Cheapoair representative with whom you spoke should have warned you about the change fees before you bought the tickets.

I probably overlooked what you wrote here, Chris, but did Ms. Ellis really say if the tickets were bought online or over the phone? If over the phone, did the booking agent really didn’t state the change fees and what not?

You know, folks, we can argue all eternity whose onus or burden it is to inform who of what. But is anyone obligated, required, forced, etc. to do anything for anyone unless obligated, required, forced, etc. maybe by some cosmic law or any agreement between two or more parties?

At the end of the day, it boils down to knowing what you’re doing and what you’re potentially getting yourself into. Unless you ask, though, no one’s likely going to answer.

Still, kudos anyway to Cheapoair for refunding in full, even if they’re not necessarily required to do that. Other vendors might not have been as…kind?

By: Robert Culp

Robert Culp — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 20:38:22 +0000

Frontier Airlines charged me $20 per person to change the return date from Wed to Tues on my “fully refundable” tickets. I am awaiting an explanation from Frontier.

By: Carver

Carver — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 18:52:42 +0000

Why is the onus on the buyer? That’s a completely arbitrary determination. Why isn’t the onus on the seller, the one who set the rules, who set the change fee, and has far greater knowledge and sophistication that any buyer of the product.

By: Diane Lebel

Diane Lebel — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 16:48:35 +0000

I agree completely with RegularGuy. What ever happened to the concept of personal responsibility???

By: RegularGuy

RegularGuy — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 17:28:46 +0000

” But I was never told how much the penalty would be.”

Translation: I didn’t bother to ask how much the penalty would be, and now I want someone else to pay for my lack of basic common sense.

“I also think the Cheapoair representative with whom you spoke should have warned you about the change fees before you bought the tickets.”

The onus is on the buyer, not the seller. The representative told her there would be a fee (not might be, WOULD be), and it was at that point that Ms. Ellis should have pressed for details. She did not, and now wants to whine that “nobody told me, someone fix this for me.”

I don’t think Cheapoair should have refunded her one cent of the penalty. Granted, it may be steep, but that’s their right and if you don’t like it… take your business elsewhere.