booking flights

[CanadianMAG]

Can someone clarify this for me.

 

If I book a flight through an online agency or the actual airline, is it any different when booking with a physical travel agent in person? lets say for example, an airline goes under and you have a flight booked. If you booked with the airline or online company you are out of luck getting your money back (even if you booked with your credit card), however if you booked with an actual TA then there is some sort of insurance (this might not be the correct word) that if something like this happens you can file a claim with someone (gov't I think) and you can get your money back.

 

My aunt owns a TA in Canada and had told me this a few years ago, I know it holds true in Canada and wonder if it is the same in the USA since I live here now. We experienced this when Canada3000 went under as well as the other low cost airline last year.

 

This is only a question out of curiosity, not speculation that an airline is going under anytime soon.

[jkrislc]

I've never had a problem booking with any of the main online agencies. However, if you're worried, you can always book directly with the airline. The rules and protections should be the same.

[AFT_LOVER]

which is liquidation, not Chapter 11 which is reorganization, usually another airline buys their assets and some will allow ticketed passengers to still fly. Me? I call my credit card, they know if they are Chapter 7 aka Out of Business, and they will charge them back crediting your account.

 

A personal TA has no insurance on air, as she just has the cruiseline book your air or you to do it, very few do it for you.

[CanadianMAG]

I have no problems booking my tickets online I normally do, I was curious on the differences in the countries thats all.

[alicia68]

This protection is only in certain provinces. I am in Ontario and we have an organization here that governs TA's. It is called TICO. If you book with an airline, tour operator or any travel supplier and they go out of business then you are fully covered. TA's pay into TICO and this is how you get your money back. This is totally different from insurance. Even if you haven't purchased insurance you are still protected. This holds true even if it's the TA itself that shuts down. Other provinces have differntly named governing bodies but not all provinces offer this protection. Even a person living in the US is protected if they buy from aTA in a protected province. When Jetsgo went out of business in March of this year there were a lot of people who booked over their website who lost their trip at March break and lost their money too.

[goodml]

When Jetsgo went out of business in March of this year there were a lot of people who booked over their website who lost their trip at March break and lost their money too.

 

I disagree. We booked tickets direct through the Jetsgo website in January for June flights using our Mastercard. When Jetsgo shut down both Mastercard and Visa announced that they would refund for tickets booked and paid for using those cards. All we had to do was wait until after the date of the flights and then fax in our itinerary and state that we did not receive what we had paid for. The credit was on the statement following the date I sent the fax. So while we did have to wait a few months, we did receive a refund.

 

The people who unfortunately were traveling when they went under, did lose their trips but if they paid with a credit card they were eligible to get their money back.

[CanadianMAG]

alicia68 thanks I think was I was referring to was TICO, we must also have that in BC since this seems to be what my Aunt was referring to. Just curious if the same thing exsists in the USA.

[alicia68]

I disagree. We booked tickets direct through the Jetsgo website in January for June flights using our Mastercard. When Jetsgo shut down both Mastercard and Visa announced that they would refund for tickets booked and paid for using those cards. All we had to do was wait until after the date of the flights and then fax in our itinerary and state that we did not receive what we had paid for. The credit was on the statement following the date I sent the fax. So while we did have to wait a few months, we did receive a refund.

 

The people who unfortunately were traveling when they went under, did lose their trips but if they paid with a credit card they were eligible to get their money back.

What you are speaking about is different than what I was referring to actually. Yes mastercard and visa will sometimes let you do a charge back if you didn;t receive goods or services purchased. That was not a good will gesture from Jetsgo, that was solely your credit card. Jetsgo was still selling tickets via their website an hour after they announced they were closed down.

[goodml]

What you are speaking about is different than what I was referring to actually. Yes mastercard and visa will sometimes let you do a charge back if you didn;t receive goods or services purchased. That was not a good will gesture from Jetsgo, that was solely your credit card. Jetsgo was still selling tickets via their website an hour after they announced they were closed down.

 

I never said it was a goodwill gesture from Jetsgo. By morning there wasn't even a website anymore. There is protection offered when you purchase your tickets using a credit card even on the web. You said that people who booked on the website "lost their trip and lost their money too." That's what I disagreed with.

[alicia68]

I never said it was a goodwill gesture from Jetsgo. By morning there wasn't even a website anymore. There is protection offered when you purchase your tickets using a credit card even on the web. You said that people who booked on the website "lost their trip and lost their money too." That's what I disagreed with.

Maybe that is what you disagreed with but I also didn't say that EVERYONE lost their money. Some did, others, like you were able to do a charge back to their credit card company. I am very happy for you that you were able.