Airline Ticket Websites - CAUTION - Jamaica Talk

JamCan · #1 (**permalink**) 06-10-2008, 02:34 PM

So far I've experienced this with 2 different online ticket sites....cheaptickets.com and orbitz.com

I was trying to book flights for my next trip and every time you hit "submit", if you didn't fill out EVERYTHING exactly correct it gives you an error to go back and fix it....BUT THE CATCH IS every time you hit submit they are charging you between $6-7!!! So I got 6 different errors and was charged a total of $43 in fees!!!

Luckily my Mastercard company phoned the booking site for me and fought for my money back.

Anyone else have online booking nightmares?

ShyCutieGirl · #2 (**permalink**) 06-10-2008, 02:39 PM

Sounds like a programming error, refreshing the form post shouldnt add the fees again. i wonder how many people are not catching it!!

JamCan · #3 (**permalink**) 06-10-2008, 02:51 PM

Well it was telling me my credit card was invalid. Thank goodness Mastercard was willing to step up.

Yah I wonder too, how many people don't catch it til after the fact.

Lillywight · #4 (**permalink**) 06-10-2008, 04:23 PM

Online booking nightmares? Did Shy and I ever tell you about the time we thought we were gonna be staying at Rooms on the Beach, but when we hit submit, the response came back that we were staying at CRYSTAL RIPPLE BEACH LODGE???? DWL!!!

javesgirl · #5 (**permalink**) 06-10-2008, 04:25 PM

it's a good thing you used your credit card and not your bank debit card. because most banks will wait until the payment posts and then you have to do most of the fighting to get your money back since in my experiences, banks don't fight for their customers.

but i've never experienced being charged fees for errors like you're talking about. that sux.

Lilrosey · #6 (**permalink**) 06-10-2008, 04:54 PM

The only crappy thing i have had to deal with lately on airline sites is when booking my ticket to JA thru Spirit, i read or so i thought i read the fine print about paying to check my bags. So i went ahead and paid to check my bags after i click submit payment, come to find out the fee i was charged to check the bag was one way, so in essence they will fly my bags to JA, but i gotta pay them again, to fly them back home. Pisses me off, i have to pay another fee for my return trip, when the damn ticket was $583.00. SHouldnt that include something!!!! hell if i offered to load my own luggage on the plane, would they be willing to shave off a few dollars....that is almost as bad as northwest refusing to give me kleenex on my return flight from JA. We need to start our own airline on ETJ!!!!!

JamCan · #7 (**permalink**) 06-10-2008, 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lillywight

Online booking nightmares? Did Shy and I ever tell you about the time we thought we were gonna be staying at Rooms on the Beach, but when we hit submit, the response came back that we were staying at CRYSTAL RIPPLE BEACH LODGE???? DWL!!!

I did read about that in your trip report I think. Wasn't it Hotwire though? I thought they dont tell you the name of the hotel til you hit submit.

Quote:

Originally Posted by javesgirl

it's a good thing you used your credit card and not your bank debit card. because most banks will wait until the payment posts and then you have to do most of the fighting to get your money back since in my experiences, banks don't fight for their customers.

but i've never experienced being charged fees for errors like you're talking about. that sux.

In Canada we don't have debit cards with the visa logo so we cant' shop online with them

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lilrosey

The only crappy thing i have had to deal with lately on airline sites is when booking my ticket to JA thru Spirit, i read or so i thought i read the fine print about paying to check my bags. So i went ahead and paid to check my bags after i click submit payment, come to find out the fee i was charged to check the bag was one way, so in essence they will fly my bags to JA, but i gotta pay them again, to fly them back home. Pisses me off, i have to pay another fee for my return trip, when the damn ticket was $583.00. SHouldnt that include something!!!! hell if i offered to load my own luggage on the plane, would they be willing to shave off a few dollars....that is almost as bad as northwest refusing to give me kleenex on my return flight from JA. We need to start our own airline on ETJ!!!!!

I made sure to check the fine print. As it turns out one of the airlines charges for the baggage, the other doesn't.

Reggaediva · #8 (**permalink**) 06-10-2008, 07:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lilrosey

The only crappy thing i have had to deal with lately on airline sites is when booking my ticket to JA thru Spirit, i read or so i thought i read the fine print about paying to check my bags. So i went ahead and paid to check my bags after i click submit payment, come to find out the fee i was charged to check the bag was one way, so in essence they will fly my bags to JA, but i gotta pay them again, to fly them back home. Pisses me off, i have to pay another fee for my return trip, when the damn ticket was $583.00. SHouldnt that include something!!!! hell if i offered to load my own luggage on the plane, would they be willing to shave off a few dollars....that is almost as bad as northwest refusing to give me kleenex on my return flight from JA. We need to start our own airline on ETJ!!!!!

Good luck with Spirit - I would not jump to fly them to JA again - About the only way I would would be if I got a direct flight, which ain't gonna happen from NY!

GhettoGurl · #9 (**permalink**) 06-10-2008, 07:29 PM

The people at continental are biatches that all I have to say, I love the airline itself but the people suck!!!!!!!!!!

MissB · #10 (**permalink**) 06-10-2008, 07:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lillywight

Online booking nightmares? Did Shy and I ever tell you about the time we thought we were gonna be staying at Rooms on the Beach, but when we hit submit, the response came back that we were staying at CRYSTAL RIPPLE BEACH LODGE???? DWL!!!

LMFAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

JamCan · #11 (**permalink**) 06-10-2008, 08:28 PM

Well depending on which day and which person at cheaptickets.com, you can have a good or horrible time! I'm talking to them right now for the 83rd time today, hopefully will come out of it with a ticket. If not, this will be the last lightening bolt I will take today.

JamCan · #12 (**permalink**) 06-10-2008, 08:31 PM

OH and IMO, Continental has great booking service! They are the only airline I've found where you can find the fare online, phone them and reserve it for 24 hours without paying. Most other airlines don't offer the same fares online as over the phone.

Jamaica Miss · #13 (**permalink**) 06-11-2008, 01:49 AM

I use Continental most of the time but directly on their website. I have not encountered and biatches working with them. I have encountered a real biatch on my recent trip back from Fourt Lauderdale after a cruise. She was really nasty to me, but I held up the line then, transferred stuff to my carry on so I didn't have to pay $80 extra because my 1 luggage was 2 lbs over the limit of 50. They still had to take the same stuff for me and for nothing.

JamCan · #14 (**permalink**) 06-16-2008, 06:02 PM

Okay so this online booking thing is ****in OVERWHELMING!!!!!!!!

Last week I couldn't buy a ticket because these stupid sites wouldn't take my Canadian credit card LOL. SO now I have my American husband's credit card and STILL getting an error! Man........WTF!

Anyone ever have this much grief tryna book a damn ticket? I have to phone them tonight and try again with his card.

JamCan · #15 (**permalink**) 06-16-2008, 08:46 PM

So now I was on hold with them for 37 minutes when the call dropped. I'm just on hold the 2nd time....5:44 and counting.

ugh.