Changing a flight home from Europe
Jun 22nd, 2007, 05:44 AM
#1
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Changing a flight home from Europe
Looking for some airline help...I've booked a trip through Expedia to Istanbul. My return flight is through CDG. I land at 10PM, leave next day at 11AM. Hotel TBD at CDG.
Due to temporary lapse in thinking, I did not consider spending extra day in Paris.
So the question is..typically how/how hard/how much is changing my return flight from current day to next day? I'm assuming it would be preferable to call the airline rather than Expdedia?
One day in Paris is better than...(fill in the blank)
Due to temporary lapse in thinking, I did not consider spending extra day in Paris.
So the question is..typically how/how hard/how much is changing my return flight from current day to next day? I'm assuming it would be preferable to call the airline rather than Expdedia?
One day in Paris is better than...(fill in the blank)
Jun 22nd, 2007, 06:27 AM
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AAFF - are you sure? That's not how it worked the one time I was in this situation. Once Expedia sold the ticket all my dealing were with the airline directly. I did try Expedia first but when the (insert pejorative adjective of choice) agent was unable to offer any assistance I called the airline and got exactly what I wanted.
BTW Michel, I did exactly that - a one day in Paris buffer after Istanbul - and it was lovely. Since it was just for one night I booked a cheap hotel near Gare du Nord in order to be able to easily catch the RER to CDG. You could certainly choose any other neighborhood convenient to the RER B, but this worked for me.
BTW Michel, I did exactly that - a one day in Paris buffer after Istanbul - and it was lovely. Since it was just for one night I booked a cheap hotel near Gare du Nord in order to be able to easily catch the RER to CDG. You could certainly choose any other neighborhood convenient to the RER B, but this worked for me.
Jun 22nd, 2007, 06:32 AM
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When I used Expedia, I HAD to change my flight through them. The airline would NOT deal with me. It was a HORRIBLE nightmare, and I have never booked through Expedia again. I just book through the airline. This was 5 years ago, and I still remember the run around. Unbelievably incompetent company.
Jun 22nd, 2007, 06:33 AM
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Hi MP,
Try Expedia first. If they won't help call the airline.
If you call the airline first, they are more than likely to tell you to call Expedia.
If you have two phones, call them both at the same time.
Try Expedia first. If they won't help call the airline.
If you call the airline first, they are more than likely to tell you to call Expedia.
If you have two phones, call them both at the same time.
Jun 22nd, 2007, 07:11 AM
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Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but AFAIK the following is how the system works:
When a travel agency (Expedia, Travelocity, your local travel agent, etc) issues a ticket (paper or electronic) they basically issue a <b>reservation only</b>. Nothing more, nothing less. The money you paid is held in an escrow account and won't be released to the airline until you check in. It's possible to communicate with the airline as far as confirming the reservation, picking a seat, etc, but it's still not possible to change the itn <b>until</b> you check in. That's when the airline <i>takes over</i> the reservation and they get the money that was held by the middle man. From that point on the airline will work with you on any changes that are allowed under the fare code that applies to your ticket.
So, why would the airline take a chance and work with your itn change requests when they have not seen any money yet? As far as the airline is concerned your reservation is just that, a reservation ONLY, and until the airline collects the money, you have to work with the travel agent to make any changes.
A simple way of looking at the way the travel business works but I believe it's very much correct, but like I said, correct me if I'm wrong.
When a travel agency (Expedia, Travelocity, your local travel agent, etc) issues a ticket (paper or electronic) they basically issue a <b>reservation only</b>. Nothing more, nothing less. The money you paid is held in an escrow account and won't be released to the airline until you check in. It's possible to communicate with the airline as far as confirming the reservation, picking a seat, etc, but it's still not possible to change the itn <b>until</b> you check in. That's when the airline <i>takes over</i> the reservation and they get the money that was held by the middle man. From that point on the airline will work with you on any changes that are allowed under the fare code that applies to your ticket.
So, why would the airline take a chance and work with your itn change requests when they have not seen any money yet? As far as the airline is concerned your reservation is just that, a reservation ONLY, and until the airline collects the money, you have to work with the travel agent to make any changes.
A simple way of looking at the way the travel business works but I believe it's very much correct, but like I said, correct me if I'm wrong.
Jun 22nd, 2007, 07:20 AM
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let's exapnd this a little...
Does this same way of doing business apply to orbitz which is owned by an airline partnership (or has it been sold)?
Your knowledge is arcane, AA..if more people understood the system and cared about that lkind of thing as you do then there would be fewer surprises.
there is no reason to get any sort of agitated because a lot of people don't already know what you do.
Does this same way of doing business apply to orbitz which is owned by an airline partnership (or has it been sold)?
Your knowledge is arcane, AA..if more people understood the system and cared about that lkind of thing as you do then there would be fewer surprises.
there is no reason to get any sort of agitated because a lot of people don't already know what you do.
Jun 22nd, 2007, 07:55 AM
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I'm not sure where you got the idea that I got agitated? (btw, I didn't), I simply replied to a question that I have some knowledge about and when somebody else replied with a different idea I just tried to explain what I believe is the case. Are there any exceptions to every rule in this world? sure, but at the end of the day the majority of us get exactly what we buy and have to live with it.....
Isn't that what this or any forum is suppose to be about? Somebody asks, somebody answers....sometimes the answers are correct, sometimes not.
that said,
Orbitz, while owned by airlines, works the same way as any other on line travel agent, because it is just that.
Isn't that what this or any forum is suppose to be about? Somebody asks, somebody answers....sometimes the answers are correct, sometimes not.
that said,
Orbitz, while owned by airlines, works the same way as any other on line travel agent, because it is just that.
Jun 22nd, 2007, 08:27 AM
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I've heard so many reports of problems when dealing through Expedia, Orbitz and the like and most of them boil down to the TA and the airline trying to dump the problem on each other's shoulders.
A large number of people I know (self included) now use those online agencies to find flight schedules and compare prices. Then we book directly with the airline. It's rare that we find the TA to have a substantially lower fare than the airline when you add in all the extra fees at the end of the booking, i.e. taxes, surcharges, fuel etc.
A large number of people I know (self included) now use those online agencies to find flight schedules and compare prices. Then we book directly with the airline. It's rare that we find the TA to have a substantially lower fare than the airline when you add in all the extra fees at the end of the booking, i.e. taxes, surcharges, fuel etc.
Jun 22nd, 2007, 01:27 PM
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AAFF -
You know, I trust, that I am not doubting your word, just relating my different experience. It may have helped that I held elite status with the airline (not top tier at the time of this incident.)
I also did not know about the agency holding $ in escrow until travel check in. Again, not arguing, but how is is that the airline can issue a record locater # and show confirmed status? I know that there is sometimes a delay between completing the purchase with the online vendor and the rez actually getting in the airline system but did not know about the hold until check in.
You know, I trust, that I am not doubting your word, just relating my different experience. It may have helped that I held elite status with the airline (not top tier at the time of this incident.)
I also did not know about the agency holding $ in escrow until travel check in. Again, not arguing, but how is is that the airline can issue a record locater # and show confirmed status? I know that there is sometimes a delay between completing the purchase with the online vendor and the rez actually getting in the airline system but did not know about the hold until check in.
Jun 22nd, 2007, 01:38 PM
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I didn't think you were agitated AAFF, FWIW, I thought you were just giving information.
I would be amazed if you can do this with little or no fee, enough to make it even something worth considering -- however, my experience with flight changes with a ticket I booked through Travelocity was the same as what FF said. I had to make changes through Travelocity, because it was their ticket, not directly with the airline.
It would be like any travel agent, if you want a change in itinerary, you go through them, not the airline. I didn't even have a real ticket at that point, of course. Mine wasn't quite the same thing, but I had an open jaw and one carrier changed my flights times on the second leg to something I really didn't like (making me have about an 8-10 hour layover). Okay, I gather they did that because one flight was cancelled or something, but I knew that same airline had another flight at a time I preferred. So I called Travelocity to get the ticket changed from their "automatic" rerouting (to the flight no one wanted) to the one I wanted.
That worked great and I had no fee, of course, as they had cancelled my original flight, but I'm sure you'll have a fee for changing the date and extending the ticket one day (probably).
I would be amazed if you can do this with little or no fee, enough to make it even something worth considering -- however, my experience with flight changes with a ticket I booked through Travelocity was the same as what FF said. I had to make changes through Travelocity, because it was their ticket, not directly with the airline.
It would be like any travel agent, if you want a change in itinerary, you go through them, not the airline. I didn't even have a real ticket at that point, of course. Mine wasn't quite the same thing, but I had an open jaw and one carrier changed my flights times on the second leg to something I really didn't like (making me have about an 8-10 hour layover). Okay, I gather they did that because one flight was cancelled or something, but I knew that same airline had another flight at a time I preferred. So I called Travelocity to get the ticket changed from their "automatic" rerouting (to the flight no one wanted) to the one I wanted.
That worked great and I had no fee, of course, as they had cancelled my original flight, but I'm sure you'll have a fee for changing the date and extending the ticket one day (probably).
