Online Travel Booking and Bidding Agencies - Orbitz issues

I was hoping you could offer some advice or suggestions on a situation I have had booking through Orbit and puchasing insurance through Access America. We purchased tickets on Orbitz back in May of 2008 for a cruise next week (March 7th 2009). In October my contract job in San Antonio, TX came to an end and I had to relocate my family to Dallas, TX to remain employed. In the process of that move my children's spring break week changed from the week of March 7th to the week of March 14th. The reservation flight times have changed as well but according to all parties not by enough to warrant a refund. The insurance we purchased has so many loopholes in it to make sure NO one can actually get a refund - to me it is false advertising as well. Additionally, with all of the relocation expenses involved we decided not to take the cruise. The cruise company (Royal Carribean) was more than gracious and refunded us our money. However, Orbitz, Access America and Delta all said too bad and now in the dissmal ecomony we are out over $1,200. We can't even rebook the flights through Orbitz without incurring at least $600 in additional expenses. It is cheaper to buy the tickets outright from an airline. I am feeling ripped off and frusted.

I assume the trip insurance covered things like illness, weather/airline-related travel disruptions, etc. Travel insurance tends not to cover "I decided not to take the trip," which is essentially what you've got here. So I'm not sure your claim of false advertising is legitimate. You haven't been prevented from traveling by a covered reason--you basically just decided that you didn't want to go. If you bought a non-refundable ticket, it's hard to argue that you didn't know that going in. There are very plain statements of that fact when you buy the tickets.

Had you bought the tickets direct from the airline instead of through Orbitz, it is very likely that the outcome would have been identical. I'm assuming Orbitz would charge you a $150 change fee per ticket, which most airlines would also.

I assume the trip insurance covered things like illness, weather/airline-related travel disruptions, etc. Travel insurance tends not to cover "I decided not to take the trip," which is essentially what you've got here. So I'm not sure your claim of false advertising is legitimate. You haven't been prevented from traveling by a covered reason--you basically just decided that you didn't want to go. If you bought a non-refundable ticket, it's hard to argue that you didn't know that going in. There are very plain statements of that fact when you buy the tickets.

Had you bought the tickets direct from the airline instead of through Orbitz, it is very likely that the outcome would have been identical. I'm assuming Orbitz would charge you a $150 change fee per ticket, which most airlines would also.

+1. Your claim doesn't warrant a refund.

"Insurance", no matter which variety, is purchased to protect you from the acts of God and other folks, except when you or your kid wrecks the car or burns down the house. Instead of "false advertising", you've been gulled by self-interested interpretation, that whether it's Access America, GEICO and it chameleons, or Midnight Hub Cap Reinsurers, PLC, your own voluntary decisions aren't subject to much compensation.

One possible choice. If your kids are enrolled in the DISD, a week out of school would unlikely to penalize them much, given the performance levels of the District's students. Don't worry about TAKS. If the Legislature doesn't dilute it, the schools will be forced to continue "teaching the test" or cheating, previously the popular alternative in a noticeable number of DISD schools.

Some travel insurance does offer 'change of mind' coverage (subject to additional premiums and a copay of sorts if used) and some insurance does cover job loss as a covered reason, but death, illness, bankruptcy of carrier, strike, natural disaster, etc. are the most common covered events. You need to read your policy to see what is covered.

As an example, Access America's Deluxe Comprehensive plan covers:
Attending immediate family members birth
Company merger or acquisition
Company unsuitable for business
Complete cessation of services - FAA
Covered Travel Delay - loss of 50%
Death of Family Member
Death of Insured
Death of Traveling Companion
Destination uninhabitable
Employer Termination
Felonious Assault
Financial Default
Foreign and Domestic Terrorism
Hijacking
Home uninhabitable
Illness of Family Member
Illness of Insured
Illness of Traveling Companion
Injury of Family Member
Injury of Insured
Injury of Traveling Companion
Involved in a traffic accident
Jury/Subpoena
Legal separation or divorce
Loss of accommodations abroad
Military Obligations
Normal Pregnancy
Quarantine
Required to work during trip http://www.accessamerica.com/AA/SelectAPlan.aspx?001002056&Product=001002055

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