moondog

I have refunded many intra-China tickets (ctrip and other). Since you canceled before flight time, you have nothing to worry about, but here are some key
points:

-you will probably get refunded in cash (less the penalty)
-you have a year from your flight date to complete the transaction
-on the off chance you plan on doing the exact same itinerary within 2 years, you could probably change for free (i.e. without losing the penalty)
-hopefully, you saved your receipt; it's possible to get refunds without receipts (I'm proof of this), but the process can be mind-numbing

I would definitely wait until you or someone you know goes to China to perform the refund transaction because asking Chinese companies to do things in unconventional ways (e.g. wiring funds to your bank account in the US) can be a recipe for disaster.

SYM

Thanks. I just assumed they would reverse the credit card charge, which is why I waited a couple of weeks. I'm a bit surprised neither agent at CTRIP asked me how I wanted to receive my refund. I'll be back in China in a month or so. How exactly do I 'complete the transaction'? I don't have a Chinese bank account, so will I have to go to a CTRIP office in person and pick up my money? By the way, was my mistake in asking to 取消 rather than 退票?

moondog

No, there is no functional difference between cancellation and rebooking in their eyes (in fact, you still have the option of rebooking until you hand over the receipt). Regarding how to proceed, you have a number of options, the easiest of which might be to leave your receipt with your hotel concierge (or your secretary) and let ctrip deliver your cash. Alternatively, you could probably pick up the cash the next time you pass through an airport with a ctrip desk (though some desks don't handle cash). In any case, you should call ctrip before or during your next trip to China and arrange a plan with them.

SYM

Thanks for the prompt and thorough help!

allset2travel

I read the post thread titled Ctrip, I have a question regarding ctrip but of a different nature than OP's. Hope it's ok.
I tried to book intra China flights on Ctrip for travel in July, I noticed many flights (from different airlines) were not even listed by Ctrip, and those listed did not show availability. I also went to individual airline sites for info, they too did not show price but did show flight #s.
Question: When do airlines refesh (or load) their new rates and schedule? Considering my travel date is less than 90 days away, hard to believe that schedule & price not loaded. My experience in recent past seemed different and did not recall to have this problem.
Can you shed some light on this? Suggestions welcome. Thx

moondog

6 weeks out in most cases, iirc.

allset2travel

Thanks, moondog. The Chinese airlines don't look ahead too much, do they?

jaimemayo

Thanks. This explains why nothing comes up when I use Safari.

azepine00

Some of the cheapest (50-80% off) fares on ctrip are listed as paper tickets.

Aside from the obvious "why", do I just book them as any other ticket online and pick up at check in?
I will still be in US at the time so I can't do local hotel delivery option.

moondog

I've never heard of this issue before, but wouldn't waste too much time/energy dwelling over it (things often don't make sense in China). As a practical matter, even if you go with e-tickets, you should still plan on stopping by the ctrip counter to pick up your receipts (assuming you're booking a number of segments); just trust me on this (or search for my 18-month long refund thread). I also strongly advise you to book each segment on a separate ticket because this makes refunds/changes a lot easier, and doesn't cost any more. And, for the stuff that's going to be full fare (or close to it) anyway, just wait until you arrive at the origin city and book through your hotel.

moondog

AFIK, the majority of ctrip counters are located on the arrivals' level. Lines aren't usually an issue, but I would allow an extra 10 minutes (5 minutes walking plus 5 minutes for them to find your tickets/receipts).

allset2travel

Calling moondog and all the China frequent flyers:

I have 2 confirmed reservations for travel within China, all booked through ctrip online. Both are Y class.
Now due to circumstances outside of my control, I need to make some changes (first the date of travel; second and if possible, the departure & arrival city).

With Y-class fare, is itin change allowed & any charges involved? If so, how much? No T/C were printed on my confirmation (via email).

How do I go about requesting for such change(s) to my itin? By email, or by phone? There was a toll free # for within China 400-619-9999, none in USA.

How effective is ctrip's CSR in handling matter like this?

Any advice and suggestions are appreciated. Thanks.

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).

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.

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.