- Joined
- Nov 12, 2002
- Location
- Rootstown, OH
In changing flight and hotel reservations booked through Orbitz, I was a bit unhappy with all parties. In total, I was being asked to pay an additional $385 altogether to change my reservations, until I put some work in to understand my options. In the end I ended up paying an extra $150 to Continental Airlines. That's $235 dollars I didn't have to pay but I was asked for it anyways, which was blinked away with a couple phone calls - thats a lot of money for the average american and this is crazy!
Overall, my experience with Orbitz was good, but experience with both Ramada Inn and Continental Airlines was bad.
Summary:
- Orbitz was going to charge me $50 extra for the change, but waived the fee when I asked nicely.
- Ramada Inn was going to charge me an extra ~$160 for the change, told me they couldn't possibly waive the fee, then customer service waived the fee without any problem.
- Continental Airlines was going to charge me $150+$25 for the change, but when doing it through Orbitz the fee was only $150.
Details:
Ramada Inn - I was paying about $180 for 3 days 2 nights. Orbitz informed me that changing the reservation would cost me an additional ~$160 in penalty charges, unless the hotel agreed to waive the fee. I called the Ramada Inn and requested they waive the fee, and was informed by the agent they could not do that. I politely asked to speak with a manager, to which she asked me to hold. I waited 30 seconds until she came back on the line to explain that she spoke with the manager and he confirmed they cannot waive the fee. I told her if the fee cannot be waived, I'll make reservations elsewhere rather than pay the fee as well as advise of different accomodations for the rest of my group who is traveling with me (10-20 people). She said it could not be changed.
I then called Ramada customer service and asked for the fee to be waived, they called Orbitz for me and confirmed that I could change the reservation without any penalty charges.
Customer service waived the penalty charges without any problem and all I had to do was ask - I'm not sure why customer service was able to do it so easily, while the staff stated this was not possible. They did not even suggest I call customer service to see if there are any other possibilities. I'm also not sure why they charge such high penalty charges and allowing people to get out of it by calling customer service, rather than treating their customers fairly and charging a small penalty. For $20 to change my reservation, I would have just paid it rather than make the extra phone calls.
Bad experience overall. A waste of time, and frustrating treatment as a customer. I've never experienced a change fee on hotel reservations in my past travels.
Continental Airlines - I'm paying about $300 round trip to fly from CLE to DFW leaving Friday and returning Sunday. The fee to change my flight is $150 from Continental, plus $25 "service fee" from Continental to make the change. Despite changing my reservation well in advance, there is no option to waive these fees. Not ideal, but maybe thats how every airline is.
Orbitz - Overall my experience was good. They were patient and helpful. However, to change my flight I was informed it would cost $150 from Continental, and $50 from Orbitz to complete the change. I asked if we could just forget the $50 from Orbitz, and they waived the fee without an issue. Again, I was happy to have the fee waived, but why are they charging people for this unless customers ask to not be charged for it? A large $50 fee for something which can just be waived if you ask nicely is bad customer policy - the poor suckers who don't bother asking are out the $50. It'd make more sense if they charged a smaller fee to everyone who changes reservations which is more in line with the actual service costs involved with making the change, rather than an exorbitant fee which doesn't reflect their costs and they are readily willing to waive because they know its crazy.
Overall, my experience with Orbitz was good, but experience with both Ramada Inn and Continental Airlines was bad.
Summary:
- Orbitz was going to charge me $50 extra for the change, but waived the fee when I asked nicely.
- Ramada Inn was going to charge me an extra ~$160 for the change, told me they couldn't possibly waive the fee, then customer service waived the fee without any problem.
- Continental Airlines was going to charge me $150+$25 for the change, but when doing it through Orbitz the fee was only $150.
Details:
Ramada Inn - I was paying about $180 for 3 days 2 nights. Orbitz informed me that changing the reservation would cost me an additional ~$160 in penalty charges, unless the hotel agreed to waive the fee. I called the Ramada Inn and requested they waive the fee, and was informed by the agent they could not do that. I politely asked to speak with a manager, to which she asked me to hold. I waited 30 seconds until she came back on the line to explain that she spoke with the manager and he confirmed they cannot waive the fee. I told her if the fee cannot be waived, I'll make reservations elsewhere rather than pay the fee as well as advise of different accomodations for the rest of my group who is traveling with me (10-20 people). She said it could not be changed.
I then called Ramada customer service and asked for the fee to be waived, they called Orbitz for me and confirmed that I could change the reservation without any penalty charges.
Customer service waived the penalty charges without any problem and all I had to do was ask - I'm not sure why customer service was able to do it so easily, while the staff stated this was not possible. They did not even suggest I call customer service to see if there are any other possibilities. I'm also not sure why they charge such high penalty charges and allowing people to get out of it by calling customer service, rather than treating their customers fairly and charging a small penalty. For $20 to change my reservation, I would have just paid it rather than make the extra phone calls.
Bad experience overall. A waste of time, and frustrating treatment as a customer. I've never experienced a change fee on hotel reservations in my past travels.
Continental Airlines - I'm paying about $300 round trip to fly from CLE to DFW leaving Friday and returning Sunday. The fee to change my flight is $150 from Continental, plus $25 "service fee" from Continental to make the change. Despite changing my reservation well in advance, there is no option to waive these fees. Not ideal, but maybe thats how every airline is.
Orbitz - Overall my experience was good. They were patient and helpful. However, to change my flight I was informed it would cost $150 from Continental, and $50 from Orbitz to complete the change. I asked if we could just forget the $50 from Orbitz, and they waived the fee without an issue. Again, I was happy to have the fee waived, but why are they charging people for this unless customers ask to not be charged for it? A large $50 fee for something which can just be waived if you ask nicely is bad customer policy - the poor suckers who don't bother asking are out the $50. It'd make more sense if they charged a smaller fee to everyone who changes reservations which is more in line with the actual service costs involved with making the change, rather than an exorbitant fee which doesn't reflect their costs and they are readily willing to waive because they know its crazy.
