Any experiences w /changing ticket w/flights.com ticketing agent elt-express?
 

Anyone have any dealings trying to change a ticket with elt-express out of Englewoood, NJ? Specifically, their customer service line and their computer being out of service the entire week of April 21?
Thanks,
Louise

ELT-Express NO Customer Service!
I guess I am the only one.
I searched and researched for a fare from Newark to Milan for end of April. Flights.com had lowest price even after checking the carrier (BA). I bought through Flights.com after reading on Fodors and Frommers they were great to work with, etc.
With the war and the carrier policies, we wanted to change our dates. I emailed ELT-Express; no reply. I called the customer service number on 4/7 asking them to explain my options. Customer service? Not even close. I was told no problem; my departure date made me eligible for a change w/out the change fee as long as I called back and re-booked within 72 hours of my flight for the same cities. I called 5 days before departure and I expected to pay more for the new dates but I did not expect to GET THE ROYAL RUN-AROUND FOR AN ENTIRE WEEK.
I have found ELT-Express to be a series of excuses for not returning calls, constantly saying the system is down (ALL WEEK except Tues. when they were told by BA I was ineligible; they did call me back to tell me the new tickets for new cities I requested would be $3800, then $2220); falsely saying BA changed their policy since 4/7; it's MY FAULT for not rebooking sooner, and just generally being a poor excuse for the agent that everyone has to deal with in the US for this online company. "Someone" called me Thurs. night after I became frustrated and requested to speak to a manager; said she'd call BA to get the 72 hours waived and would call me. Another put-off. I'm still waiting.
My departure date was April 26. I called BA myself and cancelled. Once ELT-Express found the tickets weren't eligible, they did not want to deal with me and I've gotten absolutely nothing from them, not even a price for the new tickets. They're okay I guess except when you need their help. LIVE AND LEARN.

Sorry to hear about your troubles, but consolidator tickets are very restricted regardles of the source from which you buy them; that is the tradeoff you make for getting the lowest fare. These days, non-refundable pretty much means just that.

I'm afraid I'm not understanding the connection between flights.com and elt-express. I've purchased directly from flights.com before and would do so again. Am not familiar with elt-express and don't believe there's any connection between the two.

Hi Leslie,

ELT-express is the travel agency that actually issues the tickets for flights.com and other consolidators.

I'm sorry to hear about your bad experience, lau.

Message: Ira and Lesli
Thanks for your reply. ELT-Express is the "customer service portion" in US and Canada for Flights.com which is in Germany. I first called to learn my options for getting new tickets and I could not even get them to call me back with a price. I was aware of the limitations of my ticket but was told that BA told ELt that the tickets were changeable. So, basically, I was being duped from the start.
BA cancelled through their customer service line and I now have a credit for BA but have to go through ELT to get new tickets. Couldn't even bribe the BA agent to just issue me tickets on the spot. Do I want to call them again? I think not. Once again, I am scouring the web but this time I will check consolidators and CALL the airlines direct.
I cannot understand what they were trying to prove by being so lousy.
Louise

Hi Louise,

Glad to hear that you got your money back.

Well, thanks but that is not exactly what happened. BA subtracted the change fee and I now have the remainder in the form of a credit on BA but only if booked through ELT-Express. We are still looking.
Louise

hrmm...i just reserved a r/t ticket to london through them tonight. i'm not changing my plans, so hopefully i don't have the same experience...sorry to hear that you had to go through this.