Changing Advance Purchase booking [merged]
 

thanks

If you mean a prepaid reservation, generally, the answer is no. Exceptions might be made on a case-by-case basis.

Be sure always to read the cancellation policy before booking any reservation!

Most if not all online confirmations are quite explicit in the terms & conditions about when or if you are allowed to cancel which depending on the room rate you booked. Doesn't it indicate the rate rules on your confirmation?

Depending on whether or not the advanced payment has come from your account may influence their decision. If you do have to cancel with the hotel as opposed to central reservation they may give you a credit as has been mentioned before.

Cancellation
 

In my experience, the only way to solve the situation is to call the hotel. Most times, they will be willing to give you a credit for future stay. The next best thing, if it is an option, is to go directly to the hotel and speak with the manager. I have had this happen many times where I thought I was staying over, but at the last minute had to take off. If you explain to them that it is business that is forcing you to leave early, they are most times generous enough to cancel and give a refund to you.

If you have a non cancel rate but the hotel has not yet taken the money and you cancel the reservation will they still take it after you cancel ?

any experiences

the same situation here

Changing Advance Purchase booking
 

On ichotelsgroup.com and holidayinn.com it gives me the option to change both the date and rate of my advance purchase bookings. Has anyone actually used this and can confirm what happens?

Can I change the rate to best flexible and then cancel?

Can I change the date (and just pay the difference)?

My card has yet to be charged if that makes any difference.

See here:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/inter...-purchase.html

Cancel, no
change (and pay difference), yes.

The trick of changing to best flex first and then cancel - sometimes may work. But ymmv....

Another, similar, recent thread (of literally dozens on this/related topic):

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/inter...k-advance.html

Found these threads within a minute by using "Search this forum" (NOT Search), Advanced Search, keyword "advance", "Search titles only". (Or to narrow the search, "advance purchase" as the keyword, but in this case that narrows the search a bit too much.)

Saw both threads (and understand the concept of searching), but am asking if anyone has actually used the change date/rate functionality on ichotelsgroup.com and holidayinn.com.

What I don't want is to change the booking and still end up paying for the original room (as per T&C's)

any updating here?

I've asked the same question here as it appears the website will let you change the booking rate to flexible.

Yet to have any confirmation on this.

The rules are clearly stated in your reservation confirmation. Most advance purchase rates allow:
1) changing of dates.
2) no cancellation.
3) no modification - whatever it may mean.


a) Whether it is allowed to change to best flex and subsequently cancel, depends solely on the hotel. I doubt you will get one single "binding regulation" here on FT how hotels handles such "tricks" (yes it's a trick, imo... :p). If you have nothing to lose, give it a try. It usually says "reservation cannot be modified" - which may mean that a (rate) modification to best flex is not allowed.

b) Cancelling an advance purchase rate is against the T&Cs you agreed to when making the reservation. Period. If the hotel hasn't charged you yet, you can try to cancel and hope for mercy. Sometimes it may slip, sometimes they will agree to cancel your reservation due to special circumstances, and sometimes they just simply will charge your credit card.

c) The website lets you do anything with your reservation, including cancelling an adv. purchase - but also advises that "cancellation penalties may apply".

If you see no possibility to change dates, you can either hope for mercy or the hotel looking over it. Or you try to contact the hotel directly and explain your situation and see what they can do for you. :)


Experiences:
1) I once tried the trick of changing the best flex and then cancelling. It worked.

2) I once tried to change a friends & family rate to a way more expensive best flex rate (better room) a few days before arrival, and neither the hotel nor the service center allowed me to do so. (Apparently didn't want my additional revnue :))

how can you change the prepaid rate to the best flex rate?