Booked flights from Birmingham Alabama instead of Birmigham UK - Cannot cancel

sky_rat

Ive just rang expedia again to say I want the tickets cancelled.

After spending 20 minutes on and off hold, I told them I want to speak to the airline direct.

I got the telephone number for Delta Airlines.

The European office was closed so I was diverted to the USA office.

The first women I spoke to said you can only cancel a ticket within 24 hours of booking it !

I rang Expedia less than nine hours after making the booking to try and cancel the tickets.

If the women at Expedia had been more helpful and contacted the airline when I first rang, then Delta may have been able to give a full refund.

The first person I spoke to a Delta Airlines was looking at the price difference between booking tickets direct with them and booking through Expedia, but then the phone line connection was lost.

So I rang back and spoke to someone else who told me there's nothing they can do from the USA end, I have to speak to the European office.

I asked about the 24 hour cancellation period and she said if I had booked directly with Delta there is a 24 hour cancellation period.

She couldnt confirm thats the case when booking through Expedia though.

I will be even more angry if I find out we could have cancelled, only when I rang Expedia 9 hours after making the booking they were of no help what so ever.

God knows how much this is all costing me in phone calls as well.

Expedia costs 10p / min.

polki

Which number are you using to ring Expedia?

I will find you a cheaper one on say no to 0870.

sky_rat

Sam_Bee wrote: »

Exactly! When I did work as a Travel Agent, and made a mistake (does happen - normally with a name) then I would sort it out with an airline direct. Most airlines were happy to do so if I said it was our error (they like to be friendly to us) but often would not make a change if we said it was a client error. After all, they have rules for a reason. Who are airlines most likely to help? An agent that books hundred of people, or an individual who may never book with them again...

Some airlines (Virgin if I remember) allowed us to have 5 errors a year they would assist with, so we would prioritise in terms of cost to us. It was a good system, but meant we would only fix a clients error if we had favours left at the end of the year...

And always, no matter what you are dealing with, it depends on the person you speak to and the mood they are in. I spoke to a friendly person at BT last week.....

Sam,

Could you (or anyone else who knows) please explain why it is so very, very difficult for an airline to make such simple changes ?

For example, to correct a spelling mistake - surely its just a simple matter of entering some kind of booking or reference number, scrolling around the screen a bit and pressing a few keys.

Are the computer systems so bad that it takes days and days of solid, hard work to make a minor change ?

And do they have to be highly qualified to do the job because its such a complicated task ?

This is my whole point exactly, why do the airlines make out its such an impossible task ?

The only answer I can see is because they want to make more money by having this attitude.

In my case, I think it would be perfectly fair to charge me an admisitraion fee (say £20) or something.

Or only charge me if they dont manage to sell the seats to someone else.

The airline has 6 months to sell these tickets, thats plenty of time.

sky_rat

polki wrote: »

Which number are you using to ring Expedia?

I will find you a cheaper one on say no to 0870.

The number I have been ringing is (0870) 050 0808

polki

Try this one. If it doesn't work, there are alternatives.

0116 2618217 Schedule change department (direct number)

GIRLPOWER_2

http://www.travelcitydirect.com/atopweb/live/en/inclusive/ATOPWeb.ASP?WCI=CWIExcursion&WCE=SelectExc

The above is the cost of flydrive with TCD from gatwick on your dates.

There site will not allow you to take off the car hire but if you ring tem they will do this but put the flights up a little more.

This would bring the cost for the 3 of you to about 900.

I personally would save and book lastminute with them.

They had 14 nights with car hire and hotel for £109.00 each advertised last week leaving April 12th.

Check out a site called thedibb.co.uk They normally keep you updated when the offers are about.

Good luck.

Sam_Bee

Sky_rat

It's not planned, it's historical, and airline booking systems are quite dated.

The first thing you should do is differentiate between scheduled airlines, and charter flights. Scheduled airlines don't really concern themselves with re-booking your seats, it's not a consideration.

They make most of their money (historically, less so now) from flexible tickets. Traditionally sold to business people, an economy return to New York, say, would cost £2000. When some people travel for £300.

For that £2000 they get fully flexible, date changeable, name changeable tickets with no cancellation charges. This is why airlines overbook - these people don't turn up, and receive no penalty.

To fill the plane, they fill the rest of the seats with non-flexible tickets. You pay £300, but you cause them no work at all, you book, you travel, and that's it. You see, it's the work that costs....

With the advent of low-cost airlines, competition, online booking, tighter margins, fewer customer services staff has seen them make fewer exceptions to the rules than they used to. Margins are less so contractual regulations are more tightly applied. Of course they could refund it to you if they want but that would have cost them money. Reselling the ticket doesn't come into it as they would overbook the flight anyway if they could.

However, the general public as a whole, gets cheaper air travel, which is nice.

sky_rat

GIRLPOWER wrote: »

http://www.travelcitydirect.com/atopweb/live/en/inclusive/ATOPWeb.ASP?WCI=CWIExcursion&WCE=SelectExc

The above is the cost of flydrive with TCD from gatwick on your dates.

There site will not allow you to take off the car hire but if you ring tem they will do this but put the flights up a little more.

This would bring the cost for the 3 of you to about 900.

I personally would save and book lastminute with them.

They had 14 nights with car hire and hotel for £109.00 each advertised last week leaving April 12th.

Check out a site called thedibb.co.uk They normally keep you updated when the offers are about.

Good luck.

Thanks GIRLPOWER,

The link you put doesnt work, it just says "time has expired".

Best deal ive found so far is on TravelBag flying with Virgin for £1096.

Non stop route and times close to the car hire pick up and drop off.

The pick up time for the car hire is 18:00 hours at Orlando MCO.

The drop off time for the car hire is 17:00 hours at Orlando MCO

CFC

MarkyMarkD wrote: »

With respect, sky_rat, it's not a stupid comment. What's stupid is booking flights from the wrong airport.

Nobody's life is going to come to an end because they don't have a holiday which they have paid for - and which they were willing to pay for. So saying that you are "worried sick" is either exaggeration or you getting things out of proportion.

You can follow other people's advice and write grovelling letters to Expedia and the airline. But, as I said before, neither of them has done anything wrong and I would predict that you won't get anywhere. You might save yourself a bit more "worrying yourself sick" by not bothering to hold out false hope.

As for your last post, the fact that you are now complaining about Expedia's behaviour is appalling. They DID NOT DO ANYTHING WRONG! You c**cked up, not them.

What a very unpleasant post. I can quite understand why Skyrat is worried sick over it - if my OH made the same kind of mistake with our hol of a lifetime he'd be worried sick too, at the thought of the heartbreak and disappointment it would cause me, and his burden of guilt would be enormous. I've never been in a position to pay £1700 for a trip either, but it doesn't stop me sympathising with this poor guy.

Skyrat, I would keep ringing Delta airlines but I would also write to the CEO or Customer Services Dept and throw yourself on their mercy in writing for a refund/credit note/change of flight booking that could be used with themselves or one of their codeshare or partner airlines, just in case you get no joy via the phone. It can't hurt to ask, and to keep on asking.

exel1966

sky_rat wrote: »

They have you over a barrel and the customer has no choice.
.

In this country we all have a choice ! Nobody puts a gun to their heads and says you must. They can say NO, but some CHOOSE to say YES !!

Those who don't have the choice, they are the hard done by !!

PS. Hope you sort the holiday and all parties are satisfied !!