I am writing this letter for information regarding whom I should contact to resolve a problem I am having with Orbitz and Copa Airlines. I paid Orbitz (using Copa Airlines) for a roundtrip airline ticket from Baltimore, Md. to Bucaramanga, Colombia. But on the day of my return (Aug 22, 2009) at the Bucaramanga Airport, Aero Republic Airlines told me they could not board me because Copa had deleted the portion of my flight with Continental airlines from Houston to Baltimore. I contacted Orbitz and they contacted Copa by phone (22 Aug) and Copa told me that (maybe) they could get me flights on the Aug 28, but for now they had no flights they could board me. I told them that it was not possible for me to wait that long in Colombia.

I went back to the Bucaramanga Airport (23 Aug) and Aero Republic told me they could get me as far a Houston, but I must pay a $162.18 charge for a change of flight penalty fee (which of course I was not responsible). I paid the Penalty fee because I had no choice and flew from Bucaramanga to Panama City to Guatemala to Houston. In Houston, Continental told me on their computer showed I had purchased a ticket but that it was a paper ticket (which was not given to me) and Copa would need to change it to an electronic ticket in order for Continental to allow me to fly. I called Copa asking them to change the paper ticket to an Electronic Ticket, but Copa said they could not change a paper ticket already issued and that I should buy a new airline ticket. With no other choice I did buy an Airline Ticket from Southwest Airlines for $404 for a flight (24 Aug) from Houston to Baltimore which was a full fare ticket, because it was a next day flight.

My problem is neither Orbitz or Copa is taking responsibility for my airline flight problems. Each accuses the other and neither offers any help to reimburse me for my purchased airline tickets. I called Orbitz and they told me to write to Copa Customer Service for a refund which I did on July 31 and have not heard back from Copa. I again wrote to Orbitz customer service on their web site and told them they should be responsible for my refund, but Orbitz only sent back a standard "sorry for you flight problem" form letter saying to contact their customer Service by phone, which only leads to another run-around. I would like to be reimbursed for the $162.18 penalty Fee change of flight day (which was not my doing) and also to reimbursed for the $404 Southwest Airline ticket to return to Baltimore or at least a refund for not being able to use the Aug 22 Continental airline ticket (under Copa) I paid Orbitz for from Houston to Baltimore that I was not allowed to use.

I appreciate any help anyone could provide me or an address of a source that I could write to get some resolution action to my problem. Writing Copa Customer Service and calling Orbitz is not a strong enough action to get me some resolution.

Rob