Friday, July 19, 2013

Morning Thoughts---Dealing with the airlines


This morning I had to change my flight back to Guadalajara. I don't have a phone so I have to use my skype to make the call. I can't think of many things I hate more than talking to machines. I have a high voice and half the time the machine doesn't pick it up. I end up yelling into the computer. I must scare the neighbors.

This morning I waited for ten minutes to finally talk to a real person. Sounded like she was in India. She insisted that it would cost me an extra FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS for the next ticket plus the TWO HUNDRED DOLLAR change fee. SEVEN HUNDRED DOLLARS more... I was shocked. I kept asking her to try other days because yesterday I found a flight that was only fifty dollars more than what I had paid.

Finally she realized that she was looking in the wrong month. July instead of August. So we got that all cleared up. I told her that the day before the agent had told me the change fee was only a hundred and fifty dollars. She insisted that it was two hundred dollars.

I resigned myself to paying an extra two hundred and sixty four dollars for this ticket. That is as much as I paid for it in the first place. And just when I was about to say YES, we got disconnected. So all over again, calling and waiting and yelling into the computer. I was swearing under my breath. I wonder if the machine picked that up.  I hope so....

When I finally got the next agent and rescheduled, she said the change fee was a hundred and fifty dollars. I wasn't going to argue with that. It was FINALLY completed. I return August 27th. A twelve hour trip. Twice what it took me to get here. Oh yes, there is that two hour time difference so the trip is only ten hours. Lucky me.

The reason I am writing about all this frustration is to warn others. If you are talking to one agent online and she or he is charging you more money to change your ticket or whatever, hang up and start over........

2 comments:

  1. Few things provoke greater anxiety for me than a.) researching and booking air travel online, or b.) calling for an agent to explore/make changes. Except for Southwest - bless their hearts! No change fees, and so friendly in every respect in my experience. If only they flew to where I want to go in Mexico...

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    1. Hi Stan, Thanks for writing. I have been on their planes too. And they were very good. Too bad they don't go to Mexico. P

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