TA charges to make price adjustment

[swifty]

Noticing that the price of my cruise went down $6 per person, I emailed my on-line agent to make the appropriate adjustment. She informed me that I may want to reconsider my request because the agency will only adjust the price once for free and thereafter each adjustment would be $25. My cruise isn't until next April. Who knows how many times the price might go down. Needless to say, I will never use this agency again. Has this sort of thing happened to anyone else?

[Clarea]

Noticing that the price of my cruise went down $6 per person, I emailed my on-line agent to make the appropriate adjustment. She informed me that I may want to reconsider my request because the agency will only adjust the price once for free and thereafter each adjustment would be $25. My cruise isn't until next April. Who knows how many times the price might go down. Needless to say, I will never use this agency again. Has this sort of thing happened to anyone else?

Happens all the time. It's important to ask the TA what their fees are before you book. Many don't charge any fees.

[xxbrowns]

I haven't had any experience with this sort of thing, but this is really out of hand with these companies that charge for this sort of thing. Just chiming in to say sorry.

[Papa T]

What other services might they charge for in the future? Time to look for a TA that wants your business!!!

[lvtotrvl1]

Cheap prices don't equate to good customer service. So many times you pay for what you think you get. The majority of agents/agencies would not charge for a change, but those that only care about the first and only booking, don't care what happens afterward.

[PhoenixCruiser]

Just think how mad you would be if the discount was $60 or even $200 per person :o

 

We like to book with the cruise line directly.

 

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[JanineM]

I'm sorry - I don't want to sound mean, but did you say $6 ... as in six hundred cents????

 

You've already booked with this TA so the comments that you need to find out about charges before you book are moot at this point. They're helpful for the next cruise ...

 

But given that you've agreed to this arrangement with the TA, I agree with them. Are you sure you want to use your one free price drop over $6?? I didn't notice when you're sailing, but unless it's very soon or over a holiday, I guess I'd probably wait.

 

JMHO ... good luck!

[amybeth4]

It's not unheard of at all for a TA to charge revision fees. I know one that charges $25 for every revision you make. I'm not a fan of it, but many do it and it's not really unethical.

 

We allow the airlines to make the most MINOR of changes for $150! THAT'S outrageous. Especially when we can make the changes ourselves on the airlines' websites!

[X]

My TA has a $9.99 surcharge if you ask about what their fees are.

[PhoenixCruiser]

My TA has a $9.99 surcharge if you ask about what their fees are.

 

Classic :D

 

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[Wilcoam]

I'd inform the TA that at any point you can contact the cruiseline and fax in a request to have the booking CHANGED from that TA to any other you choose or direct with the line

 

I do this ALL THE TIME, usually booking direct with the line and changing it to the TA when I find the right price

 

Ask them if it's worth the $25.00 they were going to charge to lose the entire booking altogether?

 

lol

 

jc

toronto

[Parkay]

I'd inform the TA that at any point you can contact the cruiseline and fax in a request to have the booking CHANGED from that TA to any other you choose or direct with the line

 

I do this ALL THE TIME, usually booking direct with the line and changing it to the TA when I find the right price

 

Ask them if it's worth the $25.00 they were going to charge to lose the entire booking altogether?

 

lol

 

jc

toronto

 

That is actually not true. The TA owns the booking, and it can not be transfered to the cruise line or another TA unless the original TA agrees to it. The only way to can transfer to a TA is if you originally booked direct with the cruise line. If you originally booked direct with a TA, that TA would have to agree to relinquish the booking, and that is HIGHLY unlikely.

[beachlovergirl]

As long as you are before final payment, why not cancel the booking with the TA if you are not happy with them. Then rebook directly with RCI. Does that TA charge a cancellation fee?

[Rancher Dave]

That is actually not true. The TA owns the booking, and it can not be transfered to the cruise line or another TA unless the original TA agrees to it. The only way to can transfer to a TA is if you originally booked direct with the cruise line. If you originally booked direct with a TA, that TA would have to agree to relinquish the booking, and that is HIGHLY unlikely.

 

Agree with that statement. Further it that RCCL likely would not force a transfer back to RCCL over the TA charging to process a price reduction.

 

OP, depending on how big of a fare you are on, i.e. the actual cruise fare minus port charges and taxes etc... you can back into an estimate of what the TA is getting paid...if it is a low price cruise and they are not getting much, it would not be reasonable to expect them to jump every time you want something...since at some point they are working for virtually nothing per hour. On the other hand, if you got the Royal Suite on a long cruise, the agent should offer more help and bend the charge per change rule some if the amount of requests are reasonable.

 

I've seen people complain about not getting enough help on a 3 night cruise making all kinds of extra changes etc...for an inside sale priced cabin, the TA gets almost nada anyhow so how can folks expect the agent to spend hours of time on a booking that makes a few dollars...how many folks here want to work for sub min wage...and at that the TA is providing a service where specific knowledge is needed to provide the service...its not a ship porter working for tons of tips on top of a high union wage.

[Davey Interweb]

Heh, six bucks. I don't mean to sound snarky here either, but if I were your discount/call-center TA I'd also want to charge you simply for calling me to save six bucks a head.

[patseacruiser]

I'd guess that if the TA charges to make a change then they charge to cancel also. But if you want to be able to get price drops while the cruise is still cheaper than you paid it would behoove you to use this time to cancel and rebook with someone who does not charge fees. You don't want to cancel and rebook when the fare goes up so if you're going to do it - do it now and make sure they pay the cruise line direct and don't charge for change fees that the cruise line isn't charging them.

[kernow]

Count yourselves lucky that you are in the US and you have a choice. Here in the UK, RCCL themselves now charge £35pp for every change after the first one and if we cancel we lose our deposit!

 

Julie

[silentbob007]

I have a feeling that many online TAs (especially on competing sites) do not work with a repeat customer model ... they know that some people will always book with the cheapest/most incentives so once they have your business, they don't expect future loyalty anyway, hence the fees.

[Ocean Boy]

It's not unheard of at all for a TA to charge revision fees. I know one that charges $25 for every revision you make. I'm not a fan of it, but many do it and it's not really unethical.

 

We allow the airlines to make the most MINOR of changes for $150! THAT'S outrageous. Especially when we can make the changes ourselves on the airlines' websites!

 

Sorry Amy, I have to disagree. The word "allow" implies, in my mind, that we have an option. The airlines, in fact, cram the $150.00 fee down your throat. Our only opions are don't make the change or pay the fee. Of course, you also have the option of not flying... but you ain't gettin your money back.

[1lovehols]

I was about to say we get a charge over in the UK for any amendments. whether booked thru the TA or RC.

[amybeth4]

Sorry Amy, I have to disagree. The word "allow" implies, in my mind, that we have an option. The airlines, in fact, cram the $150.00 fee down your throat. Our only opions are don't make the change or pay the fee. Of course, you also have the option of not flying... but you ain't gettin your money back.

 

By saying "we allow," I meant we "accept" it (begrudgingly). There's a huge uproar if someone has to pay a TA a revision fee but when it comes to the airlines we just accept it.

 

I guess it's because almost all the airlines do it so we just don't have a choice. I'm sure we all find it maddening, the way airlines treat us.

 

But believe me I'm not saying, "Shut up and pay the TA's fee." I'm just making an observation. I wouldn't want to use a TA that charged fees either! :)

[eddiesgal]

I have a feeling that many online TAs (especially on competing sites) do not work with a repeat customer model ... they know that some people will always book with the cheapest/most incentives so once they have your business, they don't expect future loyalty anyway, hence the fees.

 

Totally agree with that statement. Some agencies(certainly not all) I feel are all about the quantity of their bookings and very little about the quality of their bookings:(

[Ocean Boy]

By saying "we allow," I meant we "accept" it (begrudgingly). There's a huge uproar if someone has to pay a TA a revision fee but when it comes to the airlines we just accept it.

 

I guess it's because almost all the airlines do it so we just don't have a choice. I'm sure we all find it maddening, the way airlines treat us.

 

But believe me I'm not saying, "Shut up and pay the TA's fee." I'm just making an observation. I wouldn't want to use a TA that charged fees either! :)

 

I understand what you are saying. I think the reason that airlines get away with what they do is because they know that they have us on the hook. We all have the option of going on vacation or not. But the airlines know that for many of us, if we want to get to the destination of our vacations or business meetings, we have no choice but to use their services. So they tend to have a "take it or leave it attitude." Sure, on the plane they always thank you for choosing them and say that they know we have choices. Unfortunately, the choice is usually just the airline name. The fees and amenities are not much different from airline to airline.... and they know it.

 

With so many booking options available for travel I would think TAs would not be so cavalier about their fees for changes. We do have choices in TAs. And the cruise experience will be pretty much the same no matter which TA you buy the cruise from. I know that for some customers TAs have to put in a lot of time and effort and earn their money. But for many of us we call and tell them exactly what we want. The entire process takes about 10 minutes of their time. We tend to be the same group that could easily book directly with a cruiseline. And we are the group that I think the TAs would most want to hold on to and not annoy with their "fees". But we all learn as we go along. And I think the customer that gets "surprised" with one of these fees that they were too naive to enquire about will most likely not end up being a repeat customer. That is not a good business model... in my mind anyway.

[steponboard]

I would cancel and rebook directly with the cruise line and then keep control of your reservation.

[mafig]

I'm sure they charge a cancellation fee also.