Beware - SouthWest Vacations ripoff
 

BEWARE - I made air & hotel reservations on SWA back in June from Tampa to LV with a 3 night stay at the Luxor for my son's wedding. A the time the Luxor's rate with SWA was $139.99 +tax a night. Now the rate is $79.99 +tax a night.
SWA states they can not adjust the rate of give us credit becuase when you book a hotel it goes through SWA Vacations. THis is not stated on their website until after you book the ticket. SWA Vacations says even though they can't show me anything in writing why they can not issue a credit or make any adjustments in the rates.
OF course the Luxor says they can't do anything becuase they can pull up the contracted rate on our reservations.
I would NOT recommend going through SWA Vacations at all. Because now the cost is $196.20 difference.


:mad: :mad:

"Hearts and Flowers" playing in Chaplain's Office
 

"Hearts and Flowers" playing in Chaplain's Office
Let me ask some quick questions.....

Would you buy an airline ticket from a hotel without checking to see that it might be cheaper from another source(especially the airline)?

Why would you then "buy" a hotel room for an airline, knowing that the airline and the travel agent with whom the airline had contracted were both planning to make a profit from your transaction?

Did you contact the hotel or one of the crowd of hotel sites looking for a cheaper room?

Consider that the roocky-doing you've received is a modest one, little more than a rude slap, worthy of filing away for future reference in the drawer labeled: "Bad Deals from the Past :p

I imagine Southwest contracted for a block of rooms at some undisclosed rate and then sold them to the public at a rate that would give them a profit. They can't go back and re-negotiate the rate. They took the risk that they might not be able to sell the rooms; you were also able to lock in the cost and know it wouldn't go up.

I got stung similarly once- booked a room in London on Orbitz at a "buy-it-now" non-cancellable instant purchase rate and found out later I could have done much better on my own booking directly with the hotel- didn't do my usual research because it was only one night. I considered it a lesson learned.

Southwest Airlines is most likely a separate entity from Southwest Vacations. So, the following exists:

1. You are complaining to the wrong party.
2. And, most importantly, vacation packages bought thru whatever are NOT obligated to match lower prices found elsewhere when you book.
3. #2 above is the standard of the industry. It doesn't need to be in writing.


By booking early, you protect yourself when airfares and hotel rates go up. The rates change all the time, going higher or lower.

Would be it be fair for the tour company to ask you pay more if the rates go up instead when you have booked already?

Aren't you the same person that booked a tight international to domestic connection at LAX this past summer? As I recall, you only allowed 50 minutes in transit between airlines that are 4 terminals apart. How did that work out in the end? Looks like you're batting .000 on your travel plans.

Try to be pro-active and post your travel plans here on FT before you actually purchase something. Many of us would be more that happy to give you helpful advice.

Also, goingsomewhere is correct, Southwest Vacations is a separate entity from Southwest Airlines, they are run by MARK TRAVEL CORP., which also handles United Vacations, Funjet Vacations, Continental Vacations, ATA Vacations, & US Airways Vacations, among other companies.

I am sure that the airfare portion of your package increased since you first booked it, especially to Las Vegas. Would you pay the adjustment to the higher airfare?

You can always call your credit card company and cancel the whole thing before or after. Most airlines add on to they discounted rate they get. I'm a corporate pilot and sometimes when we fly into FBOs they will make a cut on a rental car along with hotel stays. We always double check for rates of both.

Steven

On what basis?

Because you don't have a legitimate excuse to get your credit card company to dispute the charges.

Lemme see here - they ripped you off by offering you a price, having you voluntarily agree to the offer in the form of a binding contract, and now they are delivering what you agreed to at the agreed upon price. How dare they!! :confused:

Every component of travel - air, hotel, car rental - has prices that fluctuate constantly. You are responsible for researching your options and only agreeing to a deal when it is satisfactory to you. Prices go up and they go down. If you are satisfied with a deal, making it cheaper later shouldn't change your satisfaction - you exchanged the certaintly of locking in a reservation in exchange for the risk of higher or lower prices in the future.

What would your response be if they called you and said the price had gone up - please forward $200 to make up the difference?

Why would you expect the Luxor to "do anything"? :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

in general, i have found that when i get hotel and car rates from the united site and compare them to direct online bookings, the initial (without fees and taxes) rate looks lower. but, when it gets to the bottom line, booking directly is cheaper. this has been true for at least hertz and hilton. don't know about other letters of the alphabet.

Your son is getting married. I'd say - see if you can upgrade to a suite. Get tickets for a top show. Bring a couple of bottles of champagne - and enjoy, Life is short enough to worry about a thing like this.

Would you be willing to pay more?
 

Just out of curiosity, if the rate on the hotel room had gone up, would you be calling and demanding the right to pay more money? You can't have it both ways on these packages, and they do fluctuate in price.