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CTrip tickets and travel

CTrip tickets and travel

Old Jun 10, 2009, 3:42 pm
  #31  
 
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Originally Posted by moondog
With full fare tickets, you can do anything you want (including refund). In fact, most discounted fares permit a limited number of free schedule changes and the option of refunding for a modest fee. I suggest you call ctrip and tell them what you want to do. If you stick with the same city pairs, you can switch to any open flight, regardless of carrier (a new ticket might get issued if you change airlines, but that will happen behind the scenes insofar as you're concerned). What's more, you might get some money back if lower fare classes are available.

The same goes for changing routings. In essence you have cash locked up in the tickets you already booked, which can be applied to new bookings. If the new tickets cost more, you'll need to figure out a way to give ctrip more money (worry not about this; they will offer suggestions).
Thanks for the quick re-post. I never knew the so called "cash locked up in the tickets" concept and practice.
I will call them as soon as they wake up.
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Old Jun 10, 2009, 3:50 pm
  #32  
 
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Originally Posted by jiejie
With Y (full fare tickets), my domestic experience is that you can get refund, make changes without penalty, or get endorsed over to other airlines (the latter is useful if your flight has irregular ops and you don't want to wait around). One of the big advantages of Y ticket over a deep discounted one. C-trip is usually pretty good about changes. However, it sounds like you've got too many moving parts with changing both dates and cities. You may be better off getting a refund for this ticket and rebooking a completely new ticket, as two separate transactions. If you have time, try emailing C-trip--if you get no response within 72 hours, use the phone but from outside China you'll need to use the non-toll free international number. If you look on their website homepage in English, you'll see this number and also one for North America, if that's where you are now. If you have Skype or other VOIP ability from your computer, you could also try that. Just keep in mind the time differential China vs Wherever you are.
About the Y fare. My US-based knowledge tells me it is full fare. When I booked it online, it was the lowest fare and was listed in the column that suggests to me as a discounted fare. I am confused, but will treat it as full fare when I call them.
I have emailed to ctrip within last 36 hours. No reply yet. I do plan to call them. Their office in Beijing at 7am local time.

Thanks for the suggestion of getting a refund and re-book new tickets. Great idea.

I don't use Skype but will try voip.

Thanks for chipping in. Really helps.
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Old Jun 10, 2009, 3:53 pm
  #33  
 
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Originally Posted by RichardInSF
My first experience using Ctrip is my upcoming overnight jaunt to Putuoshan from Shanghai. Ctrip seemed very professional but I noted that there was in the small print a 5% fee for refunding "fully refundable" tickets. Curiously, the discounted version of the same ticket (which turned out not to be available when I went to buy it) only carried a 10% penalty for refund.
Did you call or email them?
Where did you see the T/C about 5% or 10% penalty for refund? I looked over my confirmation email, and found nothing to that effect. Was this on the web site?

Thanks.
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Old Jun 10, 2009, 5:38 pm
  #34  
 
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Called ctrip Beijing office early in their morning. By the way, there is a new (at least to me) USA toll free number 866-992-8747 that connects to Beijing. A lady spoke very good English received my call. She pretty much confirmed that with my fare (Y), I can switch to any flight with the same carrier and between same city-pair without charge if new fare does not exceed the original. If I cancel, a 5% fees apply.

I took the advise of canceling all flights and will rebook when I sort things out.

I am pleasantly surprised by the ease at which the entire process went. Having a USA-tool-free # and an English speaker on the other end facilitate matter dramatically.

Thanks to all those who chimed in. ^^

Oh one more thing: the refund to the credit card takes 3 to 4 weeks.

Last edited by allset2travel; Jun 10, 2009 at 5:40 pm Reason: Add last sentence
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Old Jun 10, 2009, 7:22 pm
  #35  
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Originally Posted by allset2travel
Did you call or email them?
Where did you see the T/C about 5% or 10% penalty for refund? I looked over my confirmation email, and found nothing to that effect. Was this on the web site?

Thanks.
I saw it on the website, when I clicked on the conditions next to the fare.

I found the person who answered the 866 number rather good too, the one time I tried it. Way better than any U.S. airline's Indian res center!
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Old Jun 11, 2009, 12:35 am
  #36  
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Originally Posted by allset2travel
Did you call or email them?
Where did you see the T/C about 5% or 10% penalty for refund? I looked over my confirmation email, and found nothing to that effect. Was this on the web site?

Thanks.
My guess: If you paid with a foreign Visa/MC, they were hit with a ~5% charge, most of which they passed on to you. They are unwilling to refund this extra money, whether or not they can recoup it. But, since your money has already been converted to RMB, I suggest you try to use it towards the purchase of your new tickets (as opposed to refunding and starting over). Like I said upthread, just tell them what you want to do and let them handle the details.
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Old Jun 11, 2009, 9:42 pm
  #37  
 
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Originally Posted by RichardInSF
I saw it on the website, when I clicked on the conditions next to the fare.

I found the person who answered the 866 number rather good too, the one time I tried it. Way better than any U.S. airline's Indian res center!
Thanks. I will look just o know where it is.

Yes, the 866 number was good. I called early Beijing time. It got picked up after 1 ring and the lady spoke fluent English. 5 minutes after I hung up, email arrived.

Now, I am planning my new itin and will book through ctrip again.
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Old Jun 11, 2009, 10:56 pm
  #38  
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Just tried the 866 number again to change to a hotel room type. When I asked about room sizes and they didn't know, they put me on hold and called the hotel -- and got the answer in about 90 secs.

I am impressed with how well trained and helpful the ctrip agents have been both times I've called, and although their English isn't perfect, it's been readily understandable.

I'm turning into a fan of ctrip for China travel.
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Old Jun 12, 2009, 4:56 pm
  #39  
 
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Originally Posted by RichardInSF
Just tried the 866 number again to change to a hotel room type. When I asked about room sizes and they didn't know, they put me on hold and called the hotel -- and got the answer in about 90 secs.

I am impressed with how well trained and helpful the ctrip agents have been both times I've called, and although their English isn't perfect, it's been readily understandable.

I'm turning into a fan of ctrip for China travel.
Having a direct line to a CSR (English speaking) makes a different; having a CSR who is willing to take extra steps to serve is quite remarkable. Hope they keep it up.
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Old Jun 23, 2009, 2:49 am
  #40  
 
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Double 3% charge on Ctrip?

So I booked my 2 tickets SZX-SHA on a 52% fare on Ctrip English. I read that there would be a 3% surcharge for foreign credit cards. At the last screen it says it would be CNY 1607 (tickets are CNY 780 each, surcharge is CNY 47).

Today I see a charge on my credit card from "SH HUACHENG S-W TRAVEL SHANGHAI CHN" for US$242.63. I found that "Shanghai Huacheng Southwest Travel" is a subsidiary of Ctrip.

However, $242.63 is equivalent to about CNY 1659. And of course when the statement comes, my bank would charge another 3%. This would be a total of 9%!

Is this right or is there something I didn't know?
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Old Jun 23, 2009, 9:15 am
  #41  
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Originally Posted by HkCaGu
However, $242.63 is equivalent to about CNY 1659. And of course when the statement comes, my bank would charge another 3%. This would be a total of 9%!

Is this right or is there something I didn't know?
My guess is that the exchange rate you received was not quite as favorable as the official rate (you should be able to verify this by looking at your credit card statement).
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Old Jun 23, 2009, 10:23 am
  #42  
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Originally Posted by HkCaGu

However, $242.63 is equivalent to about CNY 1659. And of course when the statement comes, my bank would charge another 3%. This would be a total of 9%!
Not sure if it's gonna make you feel any better but two 3% charges would total close to 6% not 9%
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Old Jun 23, 2009, 11:31 am
  #43  
 
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Originally Posted by azepine00
Not sure if it's gonna make you feel any better but two 3% charges would total close to 6% not 9%
To clarify, $242.63 is 6% above Y1560, and then when the statement comes, there'll be a 3% foreign transaction finance charge!

And as a comparison, I charged a couple hotels last fall on this same CC and the rate came out to be around 6.83, and some recent HK charges at 7.75. That's why I'm suspecting my CC bank is fine but they're charging way more than Y1607.
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Old Jun 23, 2009, 11:41 am
  #44  
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Originally Posted by HkCaGu
That's why I'm suspecting my CC bank is fine but they're charging way more than Y1607.
If they charge you more (in RMB) than the total they quoted you, then just contest the difference. (BTW, I've never had a similar experience, though it wouldn't surprise me if they made clerical mistakes from time to time.)

Last edited by moondog; Jun 23, 2009 at 2:13 pm
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Old Jun 23, 2009, 6:03 pm
  #45  
 
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Also, am I supposed to get a ticket number of record locator? I only got 2 emails about "order being processed" and then 10 minutes later another 2 emails about "flight reservation/ticket confirmation".
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