doc_

We just booked a quick trip to Orlando for our family and all went well except for one major problem. We purchased a seat for my son who will be two in two weeks. Since he is still an"infant" by booking standards, Expedia charged us for a seat but Airtran did not issue a ticket. Of course, the flights were full and we had him on our laps. Expedia said this is an issue that has just come up and will reimburse our money. They advise that if we do the same in the future to purchase all tickets for passengers under two from the airline to avoid any problems.

I had an idea there was a problem from the tickets early. Every time I called Expedia or the Airline, they said everything was fine. My bad.

placeu2

Interesting story doc but what did Expedia do wrong?

I have found Expedia to be well designed, easy to use, reasonably priced, etc.

Apparently they are reimbursing you.

The title of your post does Expedia an injustice IMHO.

Kath

The OP did what everyone on this board is always screaming that parents need to do ... he/she bought a ticket for an infant rather than carrying the infant in a lap. I personally would have been unhappy that I had made the safe decision to purchase a seat for my infant and then showed up and due to a snafu between Expedia and Airtran, I didn't have the ticket I paid for thereby putting my child in an unsafe position. That aside, it may be that the best thing you can do when booking a ticket for an infant on Expedia is to say the child is at least three, so that they have no choice but to issue the ticket that you pay for. I think it is a problem with Expedia because when the OP called, they were aware of the issue and it had come up before. In fact, they advised her not to purchase tickets on their website for children under two so they shouldn't even offer the option IMO.

doc_

This is a problem with Expedia because it is their code the airline does not recognize. The person I spoke with last night said she was unaware of the new problem, but when she mentioned it to the manager, he knew all about the issue.

Kath, The title of my post is to inform people buying tickets for infants thru Expedia of this problem. The fact that they are reimbursing me is not the point. If I wanted the money, I would have not bought the ticket. This is a safety issue.

Expedia charged me for a seat that was not available, that is what they did wrong.

MikeT

But if the airline said there was no problem, than this really isn't anyone's fault. Unless you've never been in an airplane, you should have assumed there would be a problem and maybe been more insistant with the airline.

doc_

Wrong Mike. Expedia accepted responsibility for the problem and are working to inform all agents to make customers aware of it.

SAnParis

Although I use Expedia to research flights, they seldom offer anything I can't buy directly from the airline for $5 less. Why wouldn't just book directly w/the airline anyway ?

lcuy

And doc didn't title this post" Don't ever use Expedia!!!!!!!" I think 'be careful with Expedia' is a fair title.

And this is the type of posting that will probably help other fodorites.

jlm_mi

I too think it's a fair title and warning to post. Thanks, doc, for letting us know.

SAnParis - The key word in your post is "seldom". That does not mean the same thing as "never". I recently booked travel with travelocity because they could save me $40 over booking directly with the airline. A couple years ago I booked a hotel room with expedia for an excellent rate even though the hotel itself was telling me they were sold out (and I did have a room when I arrived). Sometimes it does pay to use a 3rd-party seller for travel rather than go directly through the airline/hotel/etc.

SAnParis

No argument here jlm, but I have used Expedia exactly once & I travel frequently. As far as hotels go, I often change plans on the fly & don't like the idea of having to pay in advance in case my plans change. A few extra dollars (in those cases) is well worth the added flexibility. For others I am sure it is a time & convenience issue as well. I just don't mind seeking out deals myself. Point taken.

Gretchen

The answer seems to be that the OP gave the age as "1" and not "2".

Kath

Actually Doc if you read my post, you'll see I was agreeing with you.

doc_

I know Kath. I meant to respond to placeu2. No offense. You understanding and support is appreciated.

And this is not intended to be a debatable issue. Just an FYI if you purchase a ticket for an infant.

jlm_mi

Gretchen - How so? The child is 1, and the trip has already been taken. I don't understand your point.