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Cheaptickets.com Complaint - Do not patronize this service!! - airline bookings
airline bookings - Complaint
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE -- My husband and I booked a round trip from to Laos, and I subsequently learned that I had to delay my departure until three days. I called the cheaptickets 888 number to change my departure. I spent 3 hours on the telephone with several of their agents. They continually handed me off to someone else and I had to start over again with each of these individuals. I was put on hold for long periods of time. In the end, it was determined that China Airlines had no available seats on my new departure date, so I had to cancel my departure ticket and buy a new one-way ticket to Laos. While I was prepared to pay the extra cost for a new departure ticket, I was very clear with each of these agents that I needed to retain my return ticket.
When I checked my booking the next day, it became apparent that they had cancelled my return ticket, with no authority from me to do so. I spent another three hours on the phone with your agents the next evening, once again being passed from one person to another and placed on lengthy holds. I ended up at someone named Jerry from Orbitz.com, who told me that they had made a mistake and they would fix it the next morning because the China Airlines office was closed and they could not re-book my return flight at that time. All I had to do, he said, was call in and ask for the Resolution Department supervisor, leave a return phone number, and they would fix it and call me back with the confirmation.
Instead, I spent a very disagreeable 2 hours+ on the telephone the next morning, accused of agreeing that my entire flight should be cancelled. That conversation with the fourth cheaptickets.com agent was entirely with regard to the departure ticket, never with regard to my entire reservation. She refused to rectify the situation.
I am disgusted with their service. If you think that you can buy a cheap ticket and not have to make ANY change, you might be OK with this service. Otherwise their "customer service" is geared to make you give up and buy a new, more expensive ticket through them. Stay away.
When I checked my booking the next day, it became apparent that they had cancelled my return ticket, with no authority from me to do so. I spent another three hours on the phone with your agents the next evening, once again being passed from one person to another and placed on lengthy holds. I ended up at someone named Jerry from Orbitz.com, who told me that they had made a mistake and they would fix it the next morning because the China Airlines office was closed and they could not re-book my return flight at that time. All I had to do, he said, was call in and ask for the Resolution Department supervisor, leave a return phone number, and they would fix it and call me back with the confirmation.
Instead, I spent a very disagreeable 2 hours+ on the telephone the next morning, accused of agreeing that my entire flight should be cancelled. That conversation with the fourth cheaptickets.com agent was entirely with regard to the departure ticket, never with regard to my entire reservation. She refused to rectify the situation.
I am disgusted with their service. If you think that you can buy a cheap ticket and not have to make ANY change, you might be OK with this service. Otherwise their "customer service" is geared to make you give up and buy a new, more expensive ticket through them. Stay away.
Comments:
Posted by Anonymous on 2007-12-12:
Next time buy direct from the airline or use a travel agent.
Posted by Hugh_Jorgen on 2007-12-12:
It still amazes me that folks want to buy from a place called "cheaptickets", yet they expect the services of a local full service travel agent. Going from Chicago to New York it might be OK - but Laos? That's not a run of the mill trip - find a good local agent - and buy trip insurance.
Posted by FoggyOne on 2007-12-12:
Any time, repeat, any time you cancel even 1 leg of your journey the entire ticket is canceled. I traveled many 'legs' from the Middle East back to the States and I wanted to just drop one leg (I was going to drive it) and I was told that would cancel my entire ticket. They couldn't just keep the return portion, you would have to buy another 1-way ticket back from Laos.
The only time these online agencies may be of any use at all is when you travel exactly when your ticket says - no changes, no problems (like canceled flights), no excuses (I got up late or my spouse died - the agencies don't care). The only possibility would be to buy travel insurance - now you're paying more for the ticket again.
I've been checking for air fares for a vacation and several of the online agencies came out with a HIGHER fare than when I went directly to USAir even though the agencies tickets were for USAir.
The only time these online agencies may be of any use at all is when you travel exactly when your ticket says - no changes, no problems (like canceled flights), no excuses (I got up late or my spouse died - the agencies don't care). The only possibility would be to buy travel insurance - now you're paying more for the ticket again.
I've been checking for air fares for a vacation and several of the online agencies came out with a HIGHER fare than when I went directly to USAir even though the agencies tickets were for USAir.
Posted by GothicSmurf on 2007-12-12:
Well said everyone.
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