Do you re-confirm your hotel reservation before traveling?
Mar 9th, 2003, 05:55 AM
#21
Join Date: Feb 2003
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A cautionary tale for the wary!
When I travelled to NYC in 2001, I was slightly concerned when my travel agent told me that they operated a non-voucher scheme, and I would not have anything for presentation at the hotel. I faxed the hotel a week before I was due to travel to confirm my reservation and they told me that I didn't have one. I rang the travel agency (Travelbag, London) and they told me that my name would be on an agency list and not as an individual. I faxed the hotel back and they replied for me not to worry.
When I arrived at the hotel, there was no reservation for me - and I was 2500 miles from home (I had paid for hotel, sightseeing, helicopter ride etc all up front). When I showed them my fax, they agreed to provide me with a room as long as I left a credit card imprint until it was sorted. Travelbag didn't want to know, but the agency in the US were fantastic and sorted it out. Apparently Travelbag had not passed my money on! They dealt with everything and I sued for compensation on my return to the UK.
The moral of the story is always check, and thank goodness I took the fax copy to show that the hotel itself had said that everything would be OK.
The other moral - Don't use Travelbag.
When I travelled to NYC in 2001, I was slightly concerned when my travel agent told me that they operated a non-voucher scheme, and I would not have anything for presentation at the hotel. I faxed the hotel a week before I was due to travel to confirm my reservation and they told me that I didn't have one. I rang the travel agency (Travelbag, London) and they told me that my name would be on an agency list and not as an individual. I faxed the hotel back and they replied for me not to worry.
When I arrived at the hotel, there was no reservation for me - and I was 2500 miles from home (I had paid for hotel, sightseeing, helicopter ride etc all up front). When I showed them my fax, they agreed to provide me with a room as long as I left a credit card imprint until it was sorted. Travelbag didn't want to know, but the agency in the US were fantastic and sorted it out. Apparently Travelbag had not passed my money on! They dealt with everything and I sued for compensation on my return to the UK.
The moral of the story is always check, and thank goodness I took the fax copy to show that the hotel itself had said that everything would be OK.
The other moral - Don't use Travelbag.
