Nothing but nighmares

[greatam]

The rate issue also sometimes happens the other way (not with a message, but getting hte lower price on travelocity). For our next cruise, I'd found a price on travelocity, then tried booking it through the airline. I could find the price on the airline's website, but it wouldn't let me book it. Next fare was much more. Back on travelocity's site, no problem booking said fare.

 

When this situation occurs, Travelocity actually OWNS the tickets generally. The airline has sold out the block of tickets at a particular price to Travelocity.

[greatam]

Greatam, I find your comments very interesting. How do you know so much? I use travelocity to get an overview of fares. If something looks good I go directly to the airline site. We are booked on Jetblue (starting routes to JFK and Long Beach from O'Hare in January). Initially I saw $267 RT fares for the needed 4 tickets (O'hare--LGB). However the next morning the tickets were $317. I played with the number of tickets--and found that I could get 2 for the original lower price, one for inbetween the two prices and I would have to get the 4th ticket at the $317 fare. If I tried to book all 4 at the same time--all 4 were the highest price eventhough cheaper seats were still left. I landed up doing 3 bookings. Got the seats, 4 for $1168--which I think is good for direct flights to California. (Would have saved $100 if I had booked the night before--Oh Well!)

 

I own an international logistics company specializing in perishable freight. We move freight (and people) all over the world. Since most highly perishable freight (fruits and vegetables specifically) move on the same aircraft as people, I HAVE to know this stuff. I also have databases in my office unavailable to the public which tie into the airline's database.

 

I, myself, just passed 107,000 AA flying miles in 2006 and still have two trips to go before the end of 2006 (I leave again Monday for NYC). We fly a lot of employees to food trade shows mostly in the US, but some international and I send at least 4 employees to Alaska every summer for salmon season.

 

In my position, I have been invited to various conferences and trade shows. Travelocity had a conference three years ago, when they changed CEO's. Michelle Peluso changed the business model to a "customer oriented-we want to work with you" idea. Travelocity is MUCH better than it used to be. Still occasional problems, still occasional glitches, but customer service to me is how they work with you when a problem occurs.

 

In my own business, we have kept customers even though we are more expensive than others, just because I get things fixed immediately. Sometimes we only break even, sometimes we even loose money (a lot). But we have kept our customers and in turn those customers have referred us to other customers. That to me is how to grow a business. And Travelocity also operates on the same principles. Maybe it's a a women thing???

[arf2005]

As much as I hate having to wait on Southwest to post their schedules, they do seem to have fewer changes than the other airlines once they do post. I also agree with the previous poster - use Travelocity to check rates and then go directly to the airlines site to book.

[LUCY55]

Also, play with the number of tickets. Start with one and see what you can get. Then check whether you can get the fare for the number you really need. On the regular airline sites there is no extra fee for booking several reservations if you need to.

[broberts]

Any flight on any airline is always subject to change.

 

But its really frustrating for consumers. It seems to me that since the airlines often charge a fee when people with pre-paid tickets elect to change their booking they should have to pay the same fee to those holding pre-paid tickets when they elect (i.e. not weather related) to change a scheduled flight. This would be in addition to making sure that the passengers were put on flights that suited and had the option of canceling without penalty. So long as there is no significant cost to airlines for rescheduling without concern for passengers, the practice will continue to become more frequent. That is, unless passengers vote heavily with their wallets, i.e. pay a few bucks more to the airlines that reschedule less often.

[jander]

Northwest for a while seemed to have a reputation for cancelling flights that were half full. In general this was a cancellation that was while you were at the airport, and they'd have you running around to different gates. Obviously they weren't exactly advertising this, but sometimes you can read between the lines and realize that the only mechanical problem with the plane was that half the seats weren't going to be filled.

 

That said, it's definitely not as common these days, because planes are tending to fly fuller. It does seem to happen sometimes on flights from small airports to hubs though.

 

You are making observations, that you imagine, but they are not factual. Consider this, most aircraft and planned for another flight at the next down line airport. Would they cancel a half full flight, and leave the next flight without an aircraft? That next flight may be fulll. The operations are complex and flights are not cancelled just because the aircraft is not full. That is fact.

[RoofingPrincess]

My "favorite" Delta experience:

was booked R/T from Hartford CT to Reno NV (to visit my brother, obviously there are no cruises in Reno LOL), directly from Delta's website. The flight had one stop each way. Chose Delta because the price was good and the return flight didn't leave till early afternoon. Hey, I don't want to be getting up at 5 to be at the airport at 6 for an 8:00 flight when I'm coming home from vacation!

while browsing the major travel sites (Travelocity, Expedia, etc) to book another trip, I entered in my trip to Reno, just to see if I still had a good deal (after all, unlike cruises, you don't get a refund if the price goes down).

Couldn't find my particular flights for the return trip anywhere.

Went to Delta's website -- it wasn't there, either.

Entered the same flight numbers in the portion of the site where you can check the status of today's flight -- the flight numbers didn't even correspond to the same cities any more, nor did the cities match up to get me home!

STRIKE ONE: cancelling my flights with no notification to me.

SO - I sent them an email. Got a pair of e-mails back. The first, oh, so sorry, we don't run that flight any more, here is your new itinerary, and your new e-ticket info will come in a separate e-mail.

Looked at the new itinerary. Reno to Salt Lake City to Cleveland to Hartford. An extra stop. Not good. Even less good when you consider that the flight taking me from Salt Lake City to Cleveland left an hour and a half before my flight from Reno got me to Salt Lake City!

STRIKE TWO: bad replacement plan.

Looked at the new e-ticket info. Had exactly the same information as my original flights -- you know, the ones that don't exist any more???

STRIKE THREE: bad e-ticket info.

Well, by this point I am beyond p!ssed. So I call Delta's customer service number and after waiting for the next representative (!!!) I calmly explain I have a problem. He calls up my reservation and starts methodically reading the outbound flight to me. No, no, I say, the outbound flight is fine, look at my return flight and tell me what the problem is.

Oh, now I see, says he. And proceeds to tell me he can put me on the 8 AM flight.

No, no, I say, I don't want to take an early flight. I'm sorry, says he, that's the only way to get you from Reno to Hartford.

AARGH!! I booked Delta so I wouldn't have to get up early! I'd cancel this flight if I could do it without losing my money!

Let me check with my supervisor, ma'am, I think we can do that.

AND WE DID!

Unfortunately, by this point in time, all the other airlines were over $100 more in price (and it wasn't just me travelling), and many of them were just as bad in terms of departure time.

SO - no trip to Reno for me this year. AND - it's made me EXTREMELY reluctant to trust Delta for any of my travel arrangements.

[gizmo]

Greatam has posted some valuable information. I was aware of this but many others are not.

 

Airlines change times constantly. Delta is not unique in doing this. As far as the airline notifying you it is hit or miss.

 

I always book through the airline and never use any other agencies. I have heard stories of the airline telling people to go back to who they booked with to handle the problem.

[Jeanie821]

I use Kayak.com... it researches all of the airline sites for you, then directs you to their site to book. They don't do the booking.

[traveler/]

Since I do my own bookings after much research, I will only book air direct with airline. I sign up for frequent flyer program and know I'm getting some perks that way, and charge it on CC that gives me miles/points. If I am going on a cruise that I fly to, I plan for delays by flying in at least 1 day early. I have never flown out a day late, so far so good. Also, read threads at FlyerTalk for some good tips. I once had a flight scheduled that changed, called airline, and they let me cancel with no penalty because it was their change. But I had booked myself. I think those sites like Travelocity are like dealing with a middleman. Even on hotels I will usually book direct because I can cancel, and don't pay all $ up front, etc. Can you cancel a paid reservation with travelocity, orbitz, expedia, etc. Also, are they charging you a fee for the booking?

Just my observations. Travel is getting more difficult. Research. Be in more control of your vacation.

[marving9999]

I'm going to make a statement here.

 

When you are looking for a cheap airline fare, go directly the the individual airline reservation systems. You CANNOT trust Orbitz, Travelocity.

 

Sure, sometimes people get good deals on them, but there are more problems with these agencies than dealing directly with an airline.

 

You have much more control over your flight and schedule changes when dealing directly with an airline. And, if you look carefully enough and are willing to spend the time, you can find good bargains on the airline web sites.

 

In Oct, 05, we found airfare on American from Washington to Anchorage and Returning from Seattle for an Alaskan Cruise for $280

 

Just recently, we found flights from Richmond, VA to Ft Lauderdale in January for another cruise for $178.

 

They are out there, and you will find them if you are willing to spend the time looking for them

[Jeanie821]

Also, if something goes awry, you will be able to get help with rebooking or rerouting.

 

I had booked my own air for a cruise in February 2006. Wouldn't you know it, the night before I was due to fly down, New York was hit by a blizzard. Every time American re-booked me for a flight, the flight was subsequently cancelled - three times. Finally, they got me onto a flight departing from another airport. No, it wasn't a direct flight, and I wound up in Miami the day of the cruise instead of the day before, but I made it to the cruise! I assure you, had I booked through one of the better-known flight aggregators (or, as my dad calls them, flight "aggravators"), I would not have made it at all.

[alphakitty]

I find that using Travelocity or Orbitz, etc are a good tool for finding the least expensive flight....but if you then go to the airline's website directly, you get the same price and save the $5.00 per person service fee Travelocity charges and all the headaches a third party booking can cause. But remember too that these sites don't cover all the airlines, Southwest, for example. They dont' use these sites. I check the airport I want to fly out of for a list of airlines using that airport.

 

I've had my flight to FLL in Feb changed 3 times so far. Only one change didn't work for me. I usually check out the schedule first, find a flight that does work for me and then call the airline to request it. I've never had a problem doing this, they make the change no charge since they are the ones changing the schedule.