Online Travel Booking and Bidding Agencies - Expedia bait and switch




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glgarretson
Oct 23, 03, 8:50 am
While searching First class fares to London from Washington, Expedia displayed an unbelievable price on BA for $438 roundtrip and yes I specified First class travel.

I hopped on it and booked with my card.
I called BA reservations to request seating as Expedia website did not assign. The BA agent said I was not in First Class and booked in economy. I told the agent that how it was booked via Expedia and was to contact then to resolve the issue.

I spoke with one agent,whom transfered me to another whom said that when booking Expedia the class of service and fares are only requested not a confirmation. I told the agent that I inputed the first class request and it was displayed to back to me as this fare. I then demanded to be put in first class as I booked the fare in first class. She refused, then I demanded a refund on my ticket, again she refused as it was a nonrefundable ticket. Again I told her that I had booked first class for the fare that was displayed for first class and expected first class. She went round and round with me about its only a request. After a few more minutes she transfered me to a customer care rep who did a "courtesy void" of the ticket, but kept the $5.00 booking fee as its nonrefundable. I demanded that this be refunded as well as expedia did not keep its word in booking my first class fare. I will be fighting this booking fee with my credit card for services not rendered

So, beware of even the "best" travel websites may offer the best for fare for the class of service in which you desire to travel in but will not honor it.

I refuse to book with travel websites again and only book directly with airlines.


YVR Cockroach
Oct 23, 03, 11:44 am
Neither supporting nor opposing your PoV but here is what I think happened:

With Concorde flights recently/imminently ending BA is reassigning (or has already done so) the Concorde/SST fare code, R, to be reused as for deeply-discounted economy fares. Expedia probably offered this fare thinking that R class was still FC but offering discounted economy instead. You should always check the fare code. If it isn't F, A or P, it probaly isn't FC.

Sweet Willie
Oct 23, 03, 12:37 pm
dup

[This message has been edited by Sweet Willie (edited 10-23-2003).]


Sweet Willie
Oct 23, 03, 12:39 pm
Welcome to Flyertalk glgarretson http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttravel_forum/smile.gif

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