Flight changes--- (un)fair warning

[Bamaman]

Last time we went to Maine, we flew into Manchester, NH. It is only 50 mi. North of the Boston Airport--minus the big rush hour.

I avoid those big city airports whenever there are options.

 

[bUU]

My most salient point is that they are beyond understanding.

I suspect just about everyone in this thread is capable of understanding if they are so inclined. The problem is generally lack of will, lack of discipline and lack of accountability for their own satisfaction, on the part of the consumer.

Note that when these matters come up for discussion somebody points out the portion of the terms and conditions that pertains to the situation. They would be unable to do so if what you had said was accurate.

IMO, John Q. Public shops for the cheapest airfare, ignores the details of the purchase, and purchases based on that lowest price. Then, if things go a bit astray, expects the airlines to provide 1st class customer service.

Precisely. It's often simply lack of accountability on the part of the consumer combined with a craven inclination toward blaming others instead of admitting one's own responsibility.

 

[MichaelB]

Let's disagree without being disagreeable, please?

 

[OHjosh]

I was meaning to check back in. Initial responses on this forum encouraged me to go back to United directly. It's the old language problem of service reps, now with two companies. (Grrrr...) It is a two hour window for the change in flight time, not two hours to respond to the change in flight.

The change was 15 minutes shy of that but for some unknown reason, the rep gave me a break and approved a cancel and refunded all my money to my credit card. I got a flight on another airline in the time window i wanted.

If you use the same airline for both legs of the trip, I will book with that airline in future. But if I choose to use multiple airlines, plus rent a car and hotel, there are some savings to be had from Expedia. What say the forum.. yes or no?

 

[bUU]

The change was 15 minutes shy of that but for some unknown reason, the rep gave me a break and approved a cancel and refunded all my money to my credit card.

Sometimes it costs less to bend the rules than to enforce them. The customer for whom you're bending the rules (should) perceive it as the gift it is, which is the best advertising you could ever direct toward that customer. This is one reason why people say, "You catch my flies with honey than with vinegar." If the customer sounds like they're dead-set against ever doing business with you again, there's no much sense in offering them a gift as incentive to do so.

If you use the same airline for both legs of the trip, I will book with that airline in future. But if I choose to use multiple airlines, plus rent a car and hotel, there are some savings to be had from Expedia. What say the forum.. yes or no?

No. Savings from Expedia far too often "come with a price" and generally one that is not evident until that price manifests. Sure, some large percentage of the time you'll never get to that point, but when you do and the price bites you, you end up regretting ever doing business with Expedia (Orbitz, Priceline, Booking, etc.)

 

[OHjosh]

As a new retiree, I haven't done much travel (beyond day trips). So what resources are you using to search out your airline(s), car agency and hotel, not using these sites?

 

[bUU]

There's a difference between "using these sites" and making purchases from those sites. I'll always use these sites as comparison, and then figure out what's getting in the way of getting that fare directly from the airline. (Generally, the difference ends up surfacing that potential "bite" I referred to.)

Having said that, I have found the best source for researching flights to be ita Software (by Google) Matrix Airfare Search. You cannot purchase airfare that way - it's just a research tool - and it requires a little learning to use particularly well, but it is well worth the investment. It really affords you a rich source of insights into the options available.

For a simpler research tool, I like Google Flights. Again, my intent is to find what I want to purchase, and then purchase it directly from the airline at that fare (or lower).

For hotels, I like to get direct input from previous guests. I get that from comments on the hotels' Facebook pages and from Trip Advisor, the latter of which is where I generally start my search (again, without booking through them - going to the hotel's own booking engine to get the same rate, or better).

As I have gotten older, I'm pulling back from renting a car more and more often, except when driving is the point of the trip (something which actually hasn't happened yet - we do road trips starting from home, not after flying to some other city). Otherwise, I prefer car services. I'm on vacation; let someone else struggle their way through the traffic.