Online Travel Booking and Bidding Agencies - Orbitz Ticket question

Hello fellow FTers I am here with a question that I'm sure you can answer.

I booked a trip from CDG-TLV and return as part of a European/Israel trip this summer. When I booked the ticket I was given the PNR and Ticketing number. The credit card was charged without an issue. I understand that it takes 3 days for the charge to post. After 5 days the charge went away on the credit card minus the $21 fee. I called Orbitz and the airline that operates the flight and everything is in order. Orbitz has been paid by the bank. The credit card issuer never called about any fraud or unusual charge. The reservation is clearly not canceled.

It looks as if the ticket is free. I am not complaining just wondering how this happened as this never happened to me before. Whenever I book the trip the charge posts within 3 days after the pending period. The funny thing is that the $21 service fee has been charged to the CC and the rest has been credit back to the card. I know banks sometimes make errors but nothing of this sort that I have seen.

Thanks in advance for your responses. Has this ever happened to you with Orbitz or other online booking agencies and if so what happened?

I booked a trip from CDG-TLV and return as part of a European/Israel trip this summer. When I booked the ticket I was given the PNR and Ticketing number. The credit card was charged without an issue. I understand that it takes 3 days for the charge to post. After 5 days the charge went away on the credit card minus the $21 fee. I called Orbitz and the airline that operates the flight and everything is in order. Orbitz has been paid by the bank. The credit card issuer never called about any fraud or unusual charge. The reservation is clearly not canceled.

You can have a reservation without paying. The key is that it must be ticketed (which you indicate that it is).

This is the most amazing thing that I have had happened to me in my years of booking my trips online. I was one of the early adopters of online booking. But I guess there is a first for everything right? Any more insight to this would be most appreciate. I don't want to have any issues later down the road. It is not my responsibility for the bank's error. They paid the agency and I filled out the information correctly. It should not come back to the customer having to pay a more expensive airfare. I was confirmed at the quoted airfare. Orbitz says everything is Kosher and so does AF and Atalia.

If the fare is refundable (perhaps with penalty) you could ask for a refund. :D