umguy

Hmm will they only talk to selling travel agent? Or any travel agent?

JMR

I called, got the same story as from CheapTickets and Orbitz -- there is a special department working on this, if you have tickets they will be honored, please wait a few days, maybe a few weeks.

I regret having made the call - AZ and the web travel agents have a process in place and us screaming at them/taking up their time over the phone is not going to help.

MapleLeaf

CT is an absolute lying bunch of jerks. I just completed my 4th call with them, trying to get my ticket reinstated. Now the story is that AZ isn't taking calls from CT or anyone else involved with this matter and that I have to sit tight and wait for AZ to "magically" reinstate my flights. They know they have been issued and will work to reinstate them. Apparently CT sent over a list of what has been issued and AZ is going through that list. Bull Droppings!

The CSR even refused to put me through to a supervisor. Ugh! How the hell do I actually get through to these people and have an informed conversation with someone so I can get my damn ticket reinstated.

JMR

Where is CT lying?

The story you are relaying is exactly the one I have heard for three days, and is the same as the one others have reported. I think CT has been remarkably consistent: they have a special department, it is working on these, it will take some time, please wait.

No magic involved, just a process. CT and Orbitz pushed back on AZ and worked out a means for all of us to get the great fare we bargained for by using their sites. Why punish them for their good deeds by calling, and calling, and calling, and calling?

coolw12

Try calling 888-378-9638

MapleLeaf

Everyday for the last 3 days I have tried to talk to CT and they have said we will reinstate the ticket for you, please hold while we transfer you to a supervisor. Then I get a supervisor on the line (international) and they say absolutely - let's get AZ on the line so we can do this right now.

After being on hold with CT, we get AZ on the line and as soon as they try to conference all 3 of us in the call, I get disconnected.

The story changed this morning aka they lied.

fyi I spoke with someone at AZ yesterday afternoon, he said to call CT have them conference in AZ and it will be done with all parties on the phone.

coolw12

Just got off the phone with AZ rez. Was told by Palermo that they have no fare rules. ...??!! How can there be no fare rules? Then was told that I'd have to call back next week to wait for the Roma office to (apparently) make up fare rules. This seems to be a breach of contract, but I'm not a lawyer/law student nor am I a travel agent, so I can't make this determination.

Was told I was "lucky" to have the tickets honored at all. Not sure if they actually had a choice in the matter legally speaking, but I suppose that I am lucky to have gotten the fare.

But when I booked the ticket, I was under the impression, based on the fare rules at the time, that I could change the dates on the ticket. As I originally just planned these as MRs and not full blown vacations, and not looking into what it actually costs to get to YYZ, as I wanted to get some bookings in not knowing when the availability would end/fare would disappear, I just booked whatever dates I could get. For one of the bookings, I actually wouldn't be that upset if I couldn't change it, as it gives me almost a week in Italy. I am graduating in December, however, and wanted to use this as a springboard to travel around Europe for 2 or 3 weeks (at least) as a graduation present.

As for my other rez, I basically have two days in Italy and a night in Cyprus and that's it. On neither of these bookings did I have more than a night in Cyprus, which I would like to spend at least a day or two on one of the trips. At this point, if I can't change the latter rez, I might just ask for some sort of compensation, as it was done through TLC and they seem like they're going to have to do something about this "non-refundable" nonsense (considering I have a stopover when the rules they e-mailed said no stopovers allowed), as it would cost me too much money to get to YYZ to be worth it, even for the EQMs. I'm going to be Elite this year anyway, and that trip wouldn't push me far enough to reach gold, so there's no point in taking it. That's my rant. I feel better now.

fti

I went through a brick and mortar TA, had my original flights cancelled by AZ, was rebooked the next day by my TA, have both tickets in hand and matching reservation, all D class.

coolw12

Man, I wish I had gone through a small B + M travel agency. No lines would be fed to me over and over. Things would get done. Speaking of which, do we have any Licensed Travel Agents around to clarify this rule change stuff? It seems like most of what's been posted is heresay and speculation. I'd like to hear from a reputable source what exactly having tickets in hands means legally for AZ, who's responsible for making date changes, and if AZ can create and apply new rules. So any LTA's out there, please respond. I know there are some of you. Also, is it possible to take my tix to a B + M travel angency and have them handle, for a fee of course, any rule changes/date changes, or am I stuck with CT and TLC? Grazie mille.

- Andy

LapLap

Compensation???

For what?

coolw12

Well, TLC has "The Travelocity Guarantee" that basically says that they'll honor the rez as booked. This should include fare rules. If they can't abide by the original fare rules, they have reneged on their guarantee. Hence, alternative arrangements would have to be made. If they were to give me some hotel stays or a travel voucher for airfare, I would probably be satisfied, if it was reasonable. I'm not expecting them to give me $3000 worth of goodies, but I want what at least this fare would cost in Y. It's not like they're a mom and pop operation and this isn't going to make them sell the farm. I don't feel guilty of getting as much out of this as I can because of that.

umguy

Wow now I'm not licensed ouch. Remind me not to pay my errors and omission insurance next year. Anyway way. If you had gone to a traditional travel agency you wouldn't be going if you had tickets or not. Because any ticket that requires human intervention it's a totally different ballgame. We would get a debit memo because we are supposed to know if it's a reasonable fare. Now for tickets that there is no manual intervention this rule does not apply. And these are rules are coming directly out of IATA.

PHLDividends

Not to get too technical or rehash old points, but this isn't exactly true: not all of us got the fare we bargained for by using their sites - many of us had confirmed flights, with seat assignments, etc., and had our reservations cancelled because of AZ and Orbitz's (incorrect, in my opinion) view that no bargain exists until you receive ticket numbers.

LapLap

I don't think there is anything in their small print that includes the fare rules, and you should be getting your rez 'as booked'.

Best of luck to you. If you delve further into their guarantee, you will find that their limit for damages is only $100.

All I’m saying is, hold back a little. You are getting far too worked up over this far too quickly.

umguy

You can bash Orbitz and AZ all you want to on this. But you would have run into this problem from ANY TA or Airline. Fares are not guaranteed until ticketed.