Online Travel Booking and Bidding Agencies - Orbitz Price Assurance and Delta ticket

Hello,

two months ago I purchased two tickets for my mom and my husband to Europe on orbitz for $995 each. (SNA_NAP returning AGP_SNA)This is booked on Delta. At the time I thought it was a good deal. At the Delta website was $100 more for each ticket

Today I find the same exact flight for $754. Now, I also have an award ticket on the same flight. If I buy a ticket on orbitz now for $754 would my family get 250 back each? It might be worth to drop my award ticket and get my miles back.

The $754 ticke is exact time/days/flight number. However I am not sure if is the same class. Does it matter what cabin category is in order to get the money back? or the fact that all are economy matters?

I am planning to call orbitz customer support, but I am not sure if they will help.

thank you
Iulia
PS if there is a theard where I can look about Orbitz price assurance pls let me know. I did a search and I did not find anything.

Hello,

PS if there is a theard where I can look about Orbitz price assurance pls let me know. I did a search and I did not find anything.

I believe this price assurance is an empty promise. It is not sufficient that the price drops. You only get reimbursed if someone else books the exact flight itinerary. I don't think that even booking the same days counts. The chances of booking the exact itinerary are remote.

Regarding the Orbitz price assurance here's the policy from their website,

How Orbitz Price AssuranceSM works
Once you book on Orbitz, we start tracking to see if another Orbitz customer subsequently books the same flight or hotel reservation on Orbitz at a lower price.

If that happens, we'll issue a refund for the difference. Amounts range from $5 to $250 per airline ticket or $5 to $500 per hotel reservation.

We'll continue tracking until the day you leave. So each time the price drops and another customer subsequently books your same itinerary for a lower amount, your refund amount will increase.

Expect to receive your refund check approximately 6-8 weeks after your trip is complete. We'll mail it to the billing address for the credit card used to make the booking. You'll have 90 days from the date the check is issued to cash it.

Air terms and conditions Hotel terms and conditions Refund Processing Air full terms & conditions
Orbitz Price AssuranceSM is available to any customer who makes a qualifying airfare booking through the Orbitz.com Web site. Qualifying booking must occur on Orbitz.com on/after June 6, 2008.
Orbitz Price Assurance applies only to airline tickets booked on Orbitz.com, and only for tickets booked using a valid credit card with a United States billing address.
Orbitz Price Assurance applies only to the total airfare (base plus taxes plus government fees plus airline imposed fuel and other surcharges) and does not apply to differences based on service, booking, processing, shipping, paper-ticket and other fees and other charges not collected on the airline ticket.
If Orbitz finds, after you have booked your flight, that another Orbitz customer subsequently books the same flight(s), meaning the same dates/times of travel, on the same airline, with the same flight numbers, for the same passenger type, itinerary, cabin, and subject to the same fare refundability, or other restrictions, that is at least $5 lower than the airfare you booked on Orbitz.com, Orbitz will refund you the difference up to a maximum of $250.00 per ticket.
The confirmed airfare and itinerary you booked on Orbitz.com will be compared to the same itineraries subsequently booked on Orbitz.com for drops in fare up until the day you fly. Fares are compared with like fare restrictions, so for example, if an unrestricted airfare is booked on Orbitz.com, it will not qualify for the Orbitz Price Assurance if compared to a restricted airfare found on the Orbitz Web site.
Orbitz Price Assurance does not apply to lower airfares that are available on other Web sites, flights you cancel or change, to itineraries booked prior to yours, or to refundable tickets that you choose to refund.
If your qualifying flight booked on Orbitz.com is for a refundable ticket and you later refund the ticket, prior to completing all travel, any refund you may be eligible to receive in connection with Orbitz Price Assurance will become void and invalid. If your qualifying flight is canceled or changed by you after booking, your claim or any potential refund will not be valid or issued.
If the airline refunds your flight Orbitz Price Assurance will not apply.
Orbitz Price Assurance does not apply to airfare rates that are not available to the general public. Rates not available to the general public include, but are not limited to, corporate discount airfares, private fares, government fares, military fares, meeting fares, wholesaler fares or consolidator fares (excluding webfares).
Fare decreases resulting from changes to an air carrier's fare filing policies or practices will not be eligible for Orbitz Price Assurance.
Orbitz Price Assurance is for individual flights booked on Orbitz.com and does not apply to package fares, such as airfares sold as part of a travel package.
Orbitz Price Assurance does not apply to total airfares booked on Orbitz.com that have been reduced as a result of promotional discounts, such as dollars off coupons, loyalty program discounts or fly free offers.
Orbitz reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to deny any claims that are suspected or deemed fraudulent.
Orbitz reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to modify, suspend, or terminate Orbitz Price Assurance for airfares booked on any air carrier which files for or becomes the subject of any bankruptcy proceeding, or becomes part of, or subject to a merger, acquisition, or other change in entity status.
Orbitz Price Assurance will not apply in the event of natural catastrophes, acts of terrorism, third party errors, technical failures, software or system malfunctions, governmental acts, transportation stoppages or slowdowns, or other events beyond its control.
Orbitz reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to modify, suspend, or terminate Orbitz Price Assurance for any reason at any time.
Orbitz reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to deny any claims that are suspected or deemed fraudulent.
Orbitz Price Assurance will not apply in the event of natural catastrophes, acts of terrorism, third party errors, technical failures, software or system malfunctions, governmental acts, transportation stoppages or slowdowns, or other events beyond its control.
Orbitz reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to modify, suspend, or terminate Orbitz Price Assurance for any reason at any time.
Refund Processing Back to top
Following qualification for a refund, the Orbitz Customer Service Team will notify you via e-mail.

Upon verification that another Orbitz customer has subsequently booked your same pre-paid hotel or flight on Orbitz.com for a lower rate, Orbitz will send you an e-mail notice to the e-mail address listed under "my account" on the Orbitz.com site, which will include the amount of the refund you may receive.
One refund will be issued per each qualifying reservation or flight itinerary. You will continue to receive e-mail notices from Orbitz up until the day you travel if the rate for your room or flight continues to drop and another Orbitz customer subsequently books at the lower price.
You can expect to receive your check refund in the mail, at the billing address used to book your reservation or flight itinerary, within 6-8 weeks after you complete your stay for the qualifying itinerary.
The refund will only be issued to the Orbitz member account under which the qualifying booking was made, and the refund will be sent to the corresponding billing address on file.
The check refund is the sole and exclusive compensation that will be provided to you for Orbitz Price Assurance.
All check refunds issued pursuant to Orbitz Price Assurance must be cashed within 90 days of the issuance date on the check; after 91 days the issued check is expired and void.
Void where prohibited by law. Orbitz reserves the right to modify or cancel Orbitz Price Assurance at any time without prior notice. Any modification will be effective upon posting of modified Orbitz Price Assurance Terms and Conditions on the Orbitz.com web site. Any cancellation will be effective upon removal of references to the Orbitz Price Assurance Program and the Orbitz Price Assurance Terms and Conditions from the Orbitz.com web site. If the Orbitz Price Assurance Program is canceled for any reason, the refund issued will continue to be valid until the expiration date on the refund check.

I have read all this on their website, a lot of terminology.

I am going to book the same ticket, since I found the same exact flights/times, but now the only worry I have is I am not sure how I can see what the booking class. They told me for the original flights was T

Maybe I need to call delta directly.

I have read all this on their website, a lot of terminology.

I am going to book the same ticket, since I found the same exact flights/times, but now the only worry I have is I am not sure how I can see what the booking class. They told me for the original flights was T

Maybe I need to call delta directly.

If your original Orbitz itin is in T, then odds are that the current itin is also in T as that is the lowest fare bucket. To be sure, when you are on the Orbitz site, look at the fare rules. You will see the fare code and it is usually 5 to 6 characters long. If it begins with a T, it is in T class. In reading the Orbitz terms it sounds like it just has to be same flights, not same fare bucket.

Also, don't forget that Delta will charge you $100 to redeposit your miles. That will eat away at whatever refund you would get from Orbitz.

Thank you. I figure it out. I cannot do price assurance on orbitz because the number of passangers do not match. Even if the trip matches you need to have the same number of passangers. I guess this sucks, because it's not really price assurance per ticket.

I just can't believe how low the fares to europe are right now for august/sept. I would have never thought that a ticket will go down to $650.

Iulia

Please continue to follow this thread in the FT Online Booking Forum. Lots of info re: Orbitz.
Thanks..
Obscure2k
DL Moderator

Thank you. I figure it out. I cannot do price assurance on orbitz because the number of passangers do not match
The terms don't say that, as far as I can tell. The terms speak of "passenger type", but I take that to mean adult/senior/child, etc.

The terms don't say that, as far as I can tell. The terms speak of "passenger type", but I take that to mean adult/senior/child, etc.
They have told me that because the number of passangers is different, they do honor the price assurance, which doesn't make sense.

I am upset:(

Just an update on my Orbitz claim. After posting here on this board, a customer rep from Orbitz has contacted me. They have told me that they will look into my claim and determine if I qualify or not. In 24 hours I got a phone call back and I was told that I do qualify, and that they will try to see why the system does not pick it up automaticaly. After exchanging couple of phone calls with the same rep they told me that after my trip takes place they will request a refund.

My trip took place, called the rep, who remembered who I was exactly. I was amazed!! 6 weeks later after my trip, got a refund for ~$480 for the two tickets that I purchased prior for my mom and my husband. I guess the price assurance does work. I was skeptical at first, but they proved me wrong.

Since I am a happy customer, I will buy directly from them, if they are cheaper. I do fly Delta, and I find that Orbitz has cheaper prices than Delta.com on most occasions. So, they get my business.

IuliA

That's an AMAZING story, IuliA, and I'm really happy this worked out for you. It also makes me a lot more inclined to use Orbitz (I never have before). Bravo!