A Travel and vacations forum. TravelBanter

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Go Back   Home » TravelBanter forum » Travelling Style » Air travel
Site Map Home Authors List Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read Web Partners

any tips to avoid reliving my recent nightmare ?



 
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old March 16th, 2004, 05:08 PM
Miss L. Toe
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default any tips to avoid reliving my recent nightmare ?

What are
travel tips to avoid such air ticket air travel problems?


Book directly with the airline concerned, not through a travel agent.


  #2  
Old March 16th, 2004, 05:11 PM
Beowulf
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default any tips to avoid reliving my recent nightmare ?

I just got home last night from Cabo San Lucas. I had an eTicket through
Orbitz (NorthWest Airline). So I go to the Cabo airport to return home,
flying Cabo to LAX on Alaska Airline (apparently subcontracted by NWA).
Long story short Alaska says I have a seat on their plane but NWA has not
paid them, so Alaska will not give me boarding pass, etc. I spent 90
minutes of pure hell on phone, talking to Alaska Air, etc. and barely got
on the plane. Oh and Alaska air also said that NWA had changed my
itinerary and had me leaving later in the day on Continental. Freaking
eticket bull****. How can they change my itinerary? I guess they can since
it is all electronic, but I was following my itinerary as booked and that
existed when I left for Cabo! What fricking good is an eTicket if it means
nothing when you go up to get your boarding pass and a connection
subcontracted airline says they have not been paid?!

PLEASE help me learn how to avoid this in the future. I seriously was on
the verge of a nervous breakdown, really. ALmost broke down crying. I had
checked out of my hotel, taxi had taken me 60 minutes to airport, was down
to almost no cash, my fricken VISA had a security block on it, and then
the language barriers, etc. I can not go through this again. What are
travel tips to avoid such air ticket air travel problems?

~Randy

  #3  
Old March 16th, 2004, 05:25 PM
Beowulf
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default any tips to avoid reliving my recent nightmare ?

On Tue, 16 Mar 2004 16:08:21 +0000, Miss L. Toe wrote:
...
Book directly with the airline concerned, not through a travel agent.


Isn't Orbitz the same as Northwest Airline? But to be honest now I can not
even recall if I actually booked via orbitz.com, i think it might have
been through travelocity.com (a travel agent). Good tip, thank you.


  #4  
Old March 16th, 2004, 06:10 PM
Not the Karl Orff
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default any tips to avoid reliving my recent nightmare ?

In article ,
Beowulf wrote:

On Tue, 16 Mar 2004 16:08:21 +0000, Miss L. Toe wrote:
..
Book directly with the airline concerned, not through a travel agent.


Isn't Orbitz the same as Northwest Airline? But to be honest now I can not


No. Orbitz is owned by a consortium of U.S. airlines. Not sure which.
  #5  
Old March 16th, 2004, 09:32 PM
Beowulf
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default any tips to avoid reliving my recent nightmare ?

On Tue, 16 Mar 2004 17:10:30 +0000, Not the Karl Orff wrote:

In article ,
Beowulf wrote:

On Tue, 16 Mar 2004 16:08:21 +0000, Miss L. Toe wrote:
..
Book directly with the airline concerned, not through a travel agent.


Isn't Orbitz the same as Northwest Airline? But to be honest now I can not


No. Orbitz is owned by a consortium of U.S. airlines. Not sure which.



So if I get an eticket direct from the airline I would be traveling on am
I ok? I just feel from this recent trip that an eticket is not as good as
actual tickets in hand -- with the eticket it seemed like Orbitz.com felt
they could just change my flight schedule on a whim (they did so just
before I left for my trip, and also just before returning), change
carriers (they did this too) -- fricken bull****, made my air travel a
fricking nightmare. There I am, standing at the Alaska Air check-in
counter with my eticket (a fricken paper printer from my printer), and
being told I can not board because NWA has not paid Alaska Air! I think
having actual tickets in hand, and I mean REAL tickets, might be better
than etickets which do not seem to be worth much more than the paper they
are printed on, at least for permanency regarding flight times/carriers.



  #6  
Old March 16th, 2004, 10:02 PM
Not the Karl Orff
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default any tips to avoid reliving my recent nightmare ?

In article ,
Beowulf wrote:


So if I get an eticket direct from the airline I would be traveling on am
I ok? I just feel from this recent trip that an eticket is not as good as
actual tickets in hand -- with the eticket it seemed like Orbitz.com felt
they could just change my flight schedule on a whim (they did so just
before I left for my trip, and also just before returning), change
carriers (they did this too) -- fricken bull****, made my air travel a
fricking nightmare. There I am, standing at the Alaska Air check-in


I feel the same. My only poor experience with e-tickets was CO asking
for a paper ticket when boarding (they had issued me a BP) for a flight
sold as a NW one.
  #7  
Old March 17th, 2004, 12:28 AM
mtravelkay
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default any tips to avoid reliving my recent nightmare ?

Beowulf wrote:
I just got home last night from Cabo San Lucas. I had an eTicket through
Orbitz (NorthWest Airline). So I go to the Cabo airport to return home,
flying Cabo to LAX on Alaska Airline (apparently subcontracted by NWA).
Long story short Alaska says I have a seat on their plane but NWA has not
paid them, so Alaska will not give me boarding pass, etc. I spent 90
minutes of pure hell on phone, talking to Alaska Air, etc. and barely got
on the plane. Oh and Alaska air also said that NWA had changed my
itinerary and had me leaving later in the day on Continental. Freaking
eticket bull****. How can they change my itinerary? I guess they can since
it is all electronic, but I was following my itinerary as booked and that
existed when I left for Cabo! What fricking good is an eTicket if it means
nothing when you go up to get your boarding pass and a connection
subcontracted airline says they have not been paid?!

PLEASE help me learn how to avoid this in the future. I seriously was on
the verge of a nervous breakdown, really. ALmost broke down crying. I had
checked out of my hotel, taxi had taken me 60 minutes to airport, was down
to almost no cash, my fricken VISA had a security block on it, and then
the language barriers, etc. I can not go through this again. What are
travel tips to avoid such air ticket air travel problems?


Orbitz is not NW Airlines. It sounds like you booked a codeshare flight
on Orbitz showing NW flight number, but actually using an Alaska
Airlinea plane. I think it might have been less likely to be a hassle if
you booked the flight with an AS flight number, but that fare might have
been higher (or lower). I assume you bought the NW one due to a lower
fare, as it doesn't sound like you have FF issues. Also, it isn't just
an E-Ticket issue. Having a paper ticket doesn't stop them from changing
the flights. I think the problem here is not with Orbitz, but with NW
apparenlty changing your codeshare to a CO flight, especially if Alaska
said the problem was with NW. It doesn't sound like Orbitz is at fault
here.


  #8  
Old March 18th, 2004, 10:24 AM
Ulf Kutzner
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default any tips to avoid reliving my recent nightmare ?

mtravelkay schrieb:

Beowulf wrote:
I just got home last night from Cabo San Lucas. I had an eTicket through
Orbitz (NorthWest Airline). So I go to the Cabo airport to return home,
flying Cabo to LAX on Alaska Airline (apparently subcontracted by NWA).
Long story short Alaska says I have a seat on their plane but NWA has not
paid them, so Alaska will not give me boarding pass, etc. I spent 90
minutes of pure hell on phone, talking to Alaska Air, etc. and barely got
on the plane. Oh and Alaska air also said that NWA had changed my
itinerary and had me leaving later in the day on Continental. Freaking
eticket bull****. How can they change my itinerary? I guess they can since
it is all electronic, but I was following my itinerary as booked and that
existed when I left for Cabo! What fricking good is an eTicket if it means
nothing when you go up to get your boarding pass and a connection
subcontracted airline says they have not been paid?!

PLEASE help me learn how to avoid this in the future. I seriously was on
the verge of a nervous breakdown, really. ALmost broke down crying. I had
checked out of my hotel, taxi had taken me 60 minutes to airport, was down
to almost no cash, my fricken VISA had a security block on it, and then
the language barriers, etc. I can not go through this again. What are
travel tips to avoid such air ticket air travel problems?


Orbitz is not NW Airlines. It sounds like you booked a codeshare flight
on Orbitz showing NW flight number, but actually using an Alaska
Airlinea plane. I think it might have been less likely to be a hassle if
you booked the flight with an AS flight number,


Why? If I have a NW ticket for a NW flight number, they should accept
it. Fullstop.
A ticket is a ticket is a ticket. True or false?

With a NW issued ticket for an AS flight number, the story *might* be
different.

but that fare might have
been higher (or lower). I assume you bought the NW one due to a lower
fare, as it doesn't sound like you have FF issues. Also, it isn't just
an E-Ticket issue. Having a paper ticket doesn't stop them from changing
the flights.


But makes it easier for the passenger to prove what was in the contract.

Regards, ULF
  #9  
Old March 18th, 2004, 09:58 PM
mtravelkay
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default any tips to avoid reliving my recent nightmare ?

Ulf Kutzner wrote:

Why? If I have a NW ticket for a NW flight number, they should accept
it. Fullstop.
A ticket is a ticket is a ticket. True or false?


It sounds like it was a NW ticket for an NW flight number on a AS code
share. This means it was probably an AS plane with an AS flight number,
that also had an NW flight number.

According to them, they said AS said there was no payment from NW for
the seat.


With a NW issued ticket for an AS flight number, the story *might* be
different.


The point is that it probably also had an AS number as it sounded like
this was an AS flight that AS let NW sell seats on. If they had bought
an AS ticket, it would be difficult for AS to say that AS didn't pay for
the seat.



but that fare might have
been higher (or lower). I assume you bought the NW one due to a lower
fare, as it doesn't sound like you have FF issues. Also, it isn't just
an E-Ticket issue. Having a paper ticket doesn't stop them from changing
the flights.



But makes it easier for the passenger to prove what was in the contract.


That depends. The NW ticket would have the NW flight number. It is
possible that NW changed the NW flight to another airline, as the
customer indicated they were told NW changed them to another airline.

  #10  
Old March 19th, 2004, 06:03 AM
Michael Graham
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default any tips to avoid reliving my recent nightmare ?

Beowulf wrote in message news:
So if I get an eticket direct from the airline I would be traveling on am
I ok? I just feel from this recent trip that an eticket is not as good as
actual tickets in hand -- with the eticket it seemed like Orbitz.com felt
they could just change my flight schedule on a whim (they did so just
before I left for my trip, and also just before returning), change
carriers (they did this too) -- fricken bull****, made my air travel a
fricking nightmare.

Not sure, but it sounds like the airline made the change, not Orbitz.
Just one question was the ticket norefundable/nonchangeable? If so
Orbitz could not have made any changes without charging you the
airline's change fee. That is why I think NWA made the change and not
Orbitz. Although Orbitz may have not made the change I think they
still should have communicated it to you. They did that for me today
on schedule change with United. Might have had no way to conact you
while you where in Mexico.

Just my 2 cents worth.
M. Graham
 




Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is Off
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 07:52 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 TravelBanter.
The comments are property of their posters.