If any of you guys out there are booking tickets on Expedia, be sure to check with airline about the reservation. I made a reservation from MIA to DEN on expedia and on going to airport I found out that there is no such flight (DL 462) from MIA airport and there is no flight leaving at all from MIA to ATL at 6:20pm. I got a printout of the reservation as well as email confirmation from Expedia to prove this reservation.

As usual, Expedia just ignores my emails and when I call the number, the standard answer that I get is that there is no phone number to the customer service and only email should be sent (to ignore????).

Any others with similar experiences?

I haven't had any problems with Expedia - in fact, the service that I have received has been outstanding. I have purchased over 30 tickets from them so far.

When I have called them with problems, they are quick, attentive and been very pleasant. Are you calling the right number? The number I have is: 1-800-936-4500 or 404-728-8787

Ditto with emails - I have experienced no problems there.

Flight DL462 departs from West Palm Beach (to Atlanta). I think someone else has posted this problem with Expedia before that MIA and PBI are both used if making reservations from Miami. Although this is a major problem with Expedia the best thing to do is check with the airline before you fly.

sorry mpotluri, I just found the original thread and see that you posted this problem before.

[This message has been edited by mijne (edited 05-03-99).]

I've had problems with Expedia my own self. Specifically, I go to book a hotel room, and it shows me 14 different rates, with no information as to how one would become eligible for each rate. An email to Expedia's customer "service" got a letter back explaining how to do what I'd done to get there in excruciating detail, without answering the question (and also saying they can't display hotel quotes in host currency--only in your currency).

The punchline on that was, I went to a real travel agent, who saw an even more nightmarish mess of 33 rates--and in reality, the hotel was booked solid!

Hmmm, that's interesting. The question is, did you put in MIA or Miami, FL, or something else when you did the search. If others have been having this problem, it might be the deal like if you put in CHI (ORD and MDW), WAS (BWI, DCA, and IAD), and NYC (EWR, JFK, and LGA), which in general I think is a great feature when you don't particularly care which airport you want to go into to go to a city. It makes sense that they might have a similar code for South Florida, to include MIA, FLL, and PBI, which are all relatively close, but I can't seem to find such a code ...

As for Expedia in general, I did have a problem one time with a ticket I bought and we called the 800 number, and without going into the details, the customer service was beyond excellent in my opinion, I even sent Expedia an e-mail commending it afterwards.

I have had nothing but superb customer service with Expedia. In fact, I just got a refund on a half-used Thai Airways ticket processed quickly and without any hassle. A similar refund I've been trying to get through Easy Sabre is dragging on forever...

As for hotel rates, all the online services post multiple rates. Unless the rate specifies government employees only, AARP, etc., just pick the lowest rate for the room you want.

If the Expedia confirmation shows that your flight was leaving from MIA and it was really leaving from PBI, that's a serious problem! I've never heard of that happening before, but it would certainly demand full compensation from Expedia and I would expect they would comply.

I did put MIA not miami. The reason I am confidant that expedia made this mistake is, I checked the existing reservation after I came back (buying another ticket) and the flight number and time that shows on the reservation are different. Some one later realized the mistake and made this change but did not inform me either by phone or by email.

That is something I have been trying to figure out for a while... what are all of the 'all airport' booking codes in general use on reservation systems? Most of us know WAS, LON, PAR, CHI and NYC, but do codes also exist for Los Angeles area, San Francisco area, Miami area, etc. If you know, please post exactly which airports are covered... it seems sometimes WAS covers only IAD and DCA, and sometimes also includes BWI.

Just as an update, Expedia's customer service representative called me few minutes back (8 days after my first email, if any one is counting) and asked me to fax them proof of my complaint. After I faxed it, she called me back and told me that my complaint makes sense to her and that she has to talk to her manager and see what can be done about it. Will you keep you guys posted.

QuietLion: I am a AARP member (you have to be past 50). I often choose the AARP-rate (with Marriott in USA it is often, prepaid 21-days, the cheapest rate, sometimes better than government-rates). Never did anyone so far ask for membership-identification at the hotel.

A good young friend of mine doesn't hesitate to ask for the AARP-rate - and has not have had any problem so far ...

Beckles:

The city code for Miami-Ft. Lauderdale is
MFL

Hope that works for you.

Also, for fare construction, Miami and Ft. Lauderdale are considered Co-Terminals but West Palm is not grouped with either of them.
I have noticed when I do an Itin request from ITN or Expedia and specify PBI as departure, I sometimes get FLL or MIA as well mixed in with the responses.

TW

[This message has been edited by Tolarian Wind (edited 05-04-99).]

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