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National Geographic Traveler journalist Christopher Elliott has offered shrewd, straightforward travel advice in the Wall Street Journal, on MSNBC,...
Read more about By Christopher Elliott, Tribune Media Services.
National Geographic Traveler journalist Christopher Elliott has offered shrewd, straightforward travel advice in the Wall Street Journal, on MSNBC,...
Read more about By Christopher Elliott, Tribune Media Services.
One Airline Ticket for the Price of Two
By Christopher Elliott, Tribune Media Services
Q: I need your help untangling a flight problem that involves Hotwire,
We checked in at the
My family and I live three hours away from LAX. We arrived at the airport using a rental car. We had to pay another $130 for a hotel room that night. The next day, when we tried to check in, the system couldn't find our tickets.
Our only option was to buy new tickets, which cost us $235 each. Since then, we've been trying to get our money back from Hotwire and the airlines. But so far, nothing. Can you help? -- Llouellynde Orahood, Lompoc, Calif.
A: So you bought a round-trip ticket from Los Angeles to Dallas through an online travel agency, but ended up dealing with three different airlines? No wonder your refund is missing in action. I don't think anyone knows where your money is.
This sounds like a Murphy's Law kind of trip. Let's talk about what happened to you, first. Going to the wrong terminal was probably avoidable. Your itinerary should have clearly showed which airline was operating your first flight. That means you check in at that terminal. (If you have questions, call your travel agent or airline.)
The weather was beyond your airline's control, so unfortunately, it was under no obligation to reimburse you for your hotel stay in Los Angeles.
But what happened after that was completely preventable. Instead of appealing your case to a ticket agent in person, you should have called your online agency and your airline -- in that order. Hotwire should have rebooked you on another flight at no additional charge.
Let me pause for a moment to admire the maddening complexity of your schedule, codeshare flights and all. Hotwire had no business giving you such a wacky itinerary. I mean, how many airlines does it take to fly from Los Angeles to Dallas? That's not the opening line of a joke. You should have been on a nonstop flight with just one airline.
Instead, Hotwire cobbled together a schedule that, though it saved you a little money, meant changing planes in Las Vegas. Each airline you add to a schedule raises the chance of a problem cropping up, including a delay, losing your luggage or a flight cancellation. Under a best-case scenario, your flights run on time but you still lose a day of your vacation because of the stopovers. Is it really worth it?
I contacted Hotwire on your behalf. A representative assured me the company would "definitely do our best to help them navigate these partners' processes and work on their behalf." A few weeks later, with no resolution, I asked
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Christopher Elliott is the ombudsman for National Geographic Traveler magazine. You can read more travel tips on his blog, elliott.org or e-mail him at celliott@ngs.org.
This news arrived on: 11/03/2009
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Posted Comments:
11-05-2009 08:34
Tom wrote:
Lompoc CA
Unless it was an emergency, or you just HAD to be there at a certain time, you could have saved at least $275 by driving. Nowadays, in most cases, it really is cheaper to drive, than to put up with the airlines' garbage. You'll feel better, too, by commanding your own schedule, than by putting up with the abuse the airport, and the airlines dish out.....
11-05-2009 08:33
Tom wrote:
Lompoc CA
Unless it was an emergency, or you just HAD to be there at a certain time, you could have saved at least $275 by driving. Nowadays, in most cases, it really is cheaper to drive, than to put up with the airlines' c***. You'll feel better, too, by commanding your own schedule, than by putting up with the abuse the airport, and the airlines dish out.....
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