Expedia Plane Reservations - Be Wary
 

Although I generally prefer to reserve from an airline's website, sometimes Expedia (or another like site) is the only way to get from A to B. However, I'm getting an ongoing confirmation that one needs to be vigilant and keep an eye on those reservations.

A few months ago I booked a trip from the DC area to Cat Island (TBI) using Expedia. The routing got me to FLL via USAirways, from FLL to TBI (and back) via Continental/Gulfstream, and then back home via Delta. Convoluted, to be sure.

Last month, I got a schedule change notification from Expedia. As a result, the Delta flights on the return departed FLL before my flight arrived to FLL from TBI. When I called Expedia to rectify it, they did, and put me on United flights (operated by USAirways, just to make things more confusing) with acceptable times. Since Continental was the "host" of my reservation, they issued a new e-ticket with the changes.

This morning, I get another message from Expedia informing me of schedule changes. My information on Expedia showed me again on return Delta flights which leave FLL before my flight from TBI arrives. I called Expedia, and they basically threw up their hands and told me to contact my host, Continental, directly.

As it turned out, there had been no change to the flights I'd re-booked with Continental last month. But Expedia had not updated its records, so I was getting automated notifications about flights I was no longer booked on. Continental had "taken over" my reservation, and Expedia was now completely out of the loop.

But, just to make things more challenging, Continental could not confirm that I was actually booked on the outbound USAirways flights, nor the return United flight, and I needed to confirm directly with EACH of the airlines that they had my reservations. I did just that, and now have several record locators to track.

I'm generally quite compulsive about checking flights, but this experience has been an eye-opener. Two take away points from this (so far): First, if you are using Expedia to book flights, you've ultimately got to check with the actual airlines you're scheduled on, as they are the only ones whose records matter. And second, when you're doing code-shared flights, you've got to check with each carrier.

I just spent 1.5 hours correcting a problem with Expedia that was probably partly my fault, but I thought I'd share some of the complications.

Now my mistake--when I got married I simply added my husband's surname and kept my maiden name as a middle name. This seemed to help people recognize my old name as still being there. But all kinds of glitches appeared--some firms decided to hyphenate the two names, making it one surname. Others did not hyphenate but made both surnames. Others saw the middle name and changed it to an initial. When talking to credit card companies, frequent flyer programs, etc. I was often told they had to fit names into their programs so they made judgement calls. So, I'm used to being addressed and seeing greetings as Kay, Kay M., Kay Maiden, Kay Maiden Surname, Kay M. Surname, Kay Maiden-Surname. It has been a problem with the FF programs as they want names to match exactly and now I am conscious of heightened name matching at security checkpoints in airports.

I usually book directly with airlines when possible, but I am traveling where two airlines needed. I prefer Travelocity for online booking agent as I have always gotten good customer service there. However, they did not seem to provide tickets using many of the airlines serving my final destination, so I shopped around and found Orbitz and Expedia with the flights. When clicking through to purchase the $700 ticket on Orbitz, the final page price went up to $1,200, so I backed out of that and went to Expedia. Expedia allowed me to pick the specific segments and again get the $700 price. So I used my profile (that I don't know how long ago I accessed and updated) and it booked a ticket, greeting me as Kay Maiden.

When I got the confirmation email I noticed it indeed said itinerary for Kay Maiden, not Kay Maiden Surname. I immediately telephone Expedia at the local number and get someone inernationally who can only read the rules of no name changes on tickets. I explained my uncertainty over how the profile did not contain my new (for several years) name, but that we probably could work something out. She had no idea, only reading rules of name changes. Eventually she told me to telephone the airline through which they issued the ticket, the first leg.

I telephoned United and the rep tried to help. She and support desk said they wanted to make the change/correction to add the surname, but Expedia had made a very complicated ticket as they issued it all on United, but even their segment was operated by LH, so they were having trouble changing the record with LH. They put a note in the record that I also go by the surname and sent me to LH. I telephoned LH and got an international agent who again could only quote the name change rules and said I had to talk to United because they were the airline issuing the ticket even though they were operating the first leg aircraft. Been there, done that. She suggested either I just travel on the ticket with the notation that I also go by surname since both appear on passport. Airline maybe OK, but TSA? Otherwise, she said Expedia should just cancel the itinerary and rebook in correct surname.

So, back to telephoning Expedia. This time I tried the 800 number and got someone much easier to understand and also willing to try to solve the problem. He told me again that only United could change the ticket record even though United tried and could not. He then offered the option to cancel the ticket (refund $700, they keep $5 booking fee) with a $30 cancellation fee and either I rebook online or he do it for me. At this point, despite my profile showing my correct surname, I ask him to handle the entire transaction. We negotiated that he would give me one of their $50 credits toward a future hotel booking with them (I don't think I'll book another airline ticket with them) to offset the $30 cancellation fee.

So, it took awhile, but I got it settled. One Expedia agent was totally useless but the other was very helpful and informative. United rep was great. Lufthansa agent OK, but again rather by the book.

The difficulty (besides my changing my name when getting married) really was created by the multiple airlines on one ticket and especially Expedia booking the ticket through a partner airline though the initial flight was operated by another. I ran into an operated by problem before when a flight was changed and I had to be rebooked. So that appears to be a complication to keep an eye out for.

At least you're getting some notifications from Expedia. From reading other posts, not every agency does even that!

Well, I just got back from Goa and booked everything through Expedia UK . Flights from London to Mumbai and Mumbai to Goa and return. I also booked my hotel in Goa.
Everything went great and I had no problems at all with Expedia. I would surely book with them again!

what i usually do lately is use expedia and pricegrabber to find the flights that are cheapest and then I go directly to the airline site and book directly from the airline. and i usually end up saving the 5 dollar surchage that expedia charges.

Just an update on my story that I added to Callaloo's thread.

Expedia agent put my ticket in the name: Kaymaiden Surname, combining my first and middle names. I don't think this is going to be a problem with airline or TSA as all three names appear on my passport, just separated by a space between first and maiden. At least at this point I'm going to try rather than cancel again and rebook.

Getting my frequent flyer miles might be another story. (Even more fun is I've listed my USAirways number as that is my account with the most miles from the OneWorld group).

The Expedia agent said refund on airline ticket within 30-60 days. It appeared on credit card within 7 days. No sign of the credit toward hotel.