Question about air tix: Can I dump TA?

[Waswo]

Hello,

I have planned many vacations to Europe and the USA on my own--getting airplane tickets, etc. We've gone to various European countries (via air) about once every two years in the past 20 years and all has gone well.

 

My question is this: I used a Travel Agent (an Internet one) to book a trans-Atlantic cruise (our first) and asked her to get us one-way tickets home to the USA. This was four weeks ago. I prepaid 50% of the cost for the cruise and the airline tickets and the final 50% is due on April 30.

 

The flight home is mid-September.

 

I have an issue: she won't tell me when the return flight is. I expected to receive some sort of emailed airline ticket documentation or at least a schedule. I gave her a range of 3 days so I don't even know what date we are returning.

 

I called and asked her and she said that she could tell I was anxious because I am a "Virgo" (sign of the zodiac) and that she's busy helping people who have travel plans for April, May, June, etc.

 

How do I proceed? They are a member of CLIA but have been in business for only 8 months. I don't want to give her more money unless I have some sort of firm airline reservation numbers, dates, flight numbers, etc.

 

Am I just being the persnickety Virgo? I also had to call her to get our Cruise Booking number and then again to establish a dinner seating.

 

So my question is: when I pay 100% for the cruise and the air flight home, what can I expect to have from this Travel Agency? Is it too late to just tell her that I'd like to book the flight on my own? What kind of documentation is reasonable to have? I know that if I went to Orbitz or Travelocity or other sites that I would get a firm verification of a flight.

 

Thank you in advance for any answers--and I don't believe that my sign of the zodiac is pertinent.

 

Can I demand that I get my own air tix and just go ahead and pay for the cruise portion of the package with her?

 

I do appreciate advice.

 

Thank you!

[MSMcDuffy]

WOW! No, you are not being a persnickety Virgo! I think she had a lot of nerve saying that to you. If it were me at the very least I would not book air with her. There is no reason she should not tell you exactly which flight you will be on - unless she's getting you air thru the cruiseline???, which I hear is not a good idea because it's usually very costly with the worst flight times/connections.

 

Was your down payment of 50% for the cruise refundable without a penalty if you cancel? If so, if it were me, I'd cancel and book with someone who has better customer service skills and tell her that it's in my horoscope to avoid travel agents who are too busy.

 

Unfortunately, it's hit or miss with a lot of online travel agents.

 

Good luck to you!

[Twickenham]

Three red flags stand out in your story:

-You paid half the cost up front

-The agency has been in business only 8 months

-The agent's lousy 'tude - no, make that abominable 'tude.

 

Did you pay with a credit card? If so, was the charge in the name of the cruise line, or the agency?

 

If I were you, I'd cancel the whole thing and demand my money back. And if they refuse, contest the charge with your credit card company.

[FlyerTalker]

My bet -- your TA is putting you on cruiseline air, and won't know your flights until the cruiseline assigns them, likely within 20-40 days before your flights. So you are getting the song and dance rather than the straight scoop.

[Keith1010]

I would try to find another TA. Once you make the final payment, you cannot switch TA's. Now you need to read the fine print to find out if their agency charges you any fees for moving the booking. Some will.

 

Normally, when you book a cruise though a TA you should put down a much smaller amount which is driven by what the cruise line requires for a deposit. There are exceptions but typically it should range from around 10-20 percent of the total cruise fare. Then the final payment is due around 90 days (it will vary) before the cruise.

 

Keith

[zebra36]

Have to agree about the attitude of the OP's TA. However one-way air can be quite expensive and sometimes the cruiseline air can be a bargin, the TA should just be up front about the air if that is what they are doing. I would check back with them and if they could not give a satisfactory answer I would shop elsewhere.

[Toto2Kansas]

My bet -- your TA is putting you on cruiseline air, and won't know your flights until the cruiseline assigns them, likely within 20-40 days before your flights. So you are getting the song and dance rather than the straight scoop.

 

Yep, that would be my bet also. The TA has arranged for cruise air, and they don't release those schedules/flights until about a month before your cruise. But I don't see why she charged you 50% for the cruise line air? Normally, the payment isn't due until you make final payment when going that route??????

[6rugrats]

Yep, that would be my bet also. The TA has arranged for cruise air, and they don't release those schedules/flights until about a month before your cruise. But I don't see why she charged you 50% for the cruise line air? Normally, the payment isn't due until you make final payment when going that route??????

 

I bet I can answer that in two words: cash flow

[Waswo]

Thank you everyone for your responses. I appreciate them. I just had a long and frustrating talk with her. She has to check and see if she can refund the "air portion" of my payment.

 

She insists that she has booked the flight but cannot and will not give me the flight information!

 

The 50% I paid, via debit card, was charged in the name of the travel agency. How is it possible to switch a TA without sacrificing the 50% and also the cruise health insurance which I also purchased through them?

 

I really am not a difficult person to deal with but I suspect that too many years of being in charge of making my own travel arrangements has made me too exacting.

 

Thank you again for all of your help here. I truly appreciate it.

[6rugrats]

In the future, if you have one, try and use a credit, not a debit card as it's much easier to dispute a charge on a credit card.

 

I agree with your actions and would think your TA is not telling you the truth. If she booked the flight, there's absolutely no reason why she couldn't tell you the flight numbers, etc. Of course, if she booked cruise air, in her mind she has booked the flight, she just doesn't have the information available to her yet.

 

If you change TAs, you simply transfer your booking over to the new TA.

[wrp96]

I'd also question why final payment for a cruise in September is due at the end of April. Typically final payment isn't due until 60-90 days before the cruise, depending on cruise line and length of cruise.

 

Even if the cruise is at the beginning of September, final payment at the end of April would be 120 days in advance. That combined with payment to the TA instead of directly to the cruiseline says they are using your money as a float.

[greatam]

Thank you everyone for your responses. I appreciate them. I just had a long and frustrating talk with her. She has to check and see if she can refund the "air portion" of my payment.

 

She insists that she has booked the flight but cannot and will not give me the flight information!

 

I, too, believe she booked cruise air and does not have flight info available. But she is omitting telling you this little detail.

 

The 50% I paid, via debit card, was charged in the name of the travel agency. How is it possible to switch a TA without sacrificing the 50% and also the cruise health insurance which I also purchased through them?

 

BIG, BIG, BIG RED FLAG. Reputable travel agencies have the cruise lines bill cruises to debit or credit cards and then get payment for commissions from the cruise lines. LOTS of people have gotten burned badly when travel agencies have billed the credit/debit card for

travel. The travel agency does not remit or does not remit in a timely manner and your cruise is canceled, either totally for non remittance or you are not given the cabin you originally booked due to late payment and your original cabin has been given away. BIG, big TA went out of business a few months ago and as the cruises were billed by the TA, NOT the cruise line, a lot of people were left without their vacation and lost their money.

 

I really am not a difficult person to deal with but I suspect that too many years of being in charge of making my own travel arrangements has made me too exacting.

 

Thank you again for all of your help here. I truly appreciate it.

 

I would contact another travel agency, preferably a bricks and mortar agency in your location. Explain that you want to CANCEL the entire trip with your current agent. BUT you want the same cabin and the same price. Allow a true professional to get involved. See what another agency says.

 

Even call the cruise line, explain the situation and that you are NOT comfortable, especially billing your debit card by the TA. Go up the food chain, WELL away from the first person that answers the phone.

 

DON'T worry about your insurance. The TA probably booked cruise line insurance and if she did, your new air won't be covered anyhow. If you rebook totally, the clock resets for "pre existing" conditions. If the clock doesn't reset (for whatever reason-stay with the same TA, transfer booking), there are a couple of policies that cover pre existing conditions even at the last minute. Granted, NOT as cheap as other policies, but they are available. CSA and HTH both have last minute policies.

 

GET AWAY from this agent. You could be setting yourself up for a VERY BAD experience.

[Waswo]

Thank you very much. I am, of course, concerned about everything that has been written. We do not have any "preexisting conditions" and the insurance is simply a small part of the overall cost.

 

Do you know if this forum or any other reliable forum maintains a list of agents who have proven trustworthy? I would love to have a "true professional" involved, but do not know how to make a good assessment.

 

Thank you again everyone; I will see if I can find a decent "brick and mortars" place in my hometown.

[Lookingforfacts]

I'll give you different advice. It's possible the "fine print" may allow the TA to charge you a cancellation fee or a fee if you transfer your reservation. You may also have an issue getting a refund, delays and run arounds. Read the "fine print" and compute how much of financial hit you'll take if you cancel.

 

Try to find out if your existing deposit was forwarded to the cruise line. Don't pay any more money until that's done. Tell the TA your final payment has to go directly to your cruise line.

 

I'll agree with the pp, the TA probably booked airfare in the sense they reserved cruise air. Exact flight details won't be provided until closer to your cruise.

 

edited to say I'd definitely change TA if your deposit wasn't $$$.

[greatam]

Thank you very much. I am, of course, concerned about everything that has been written. We do not have any "preexisting conditions" and the insurance is simply a small part of the overall cost.

 

Do you know if this forum or any other reliable forum maintains a list of agents who have proven trustworthy? I would love to have a "true professional" involved, but do not know how to make a good assessment.

 

Thank you again everyone; I will see if I can find a decent "brick and mortars" place in my hometown.

 

It is against the rules of this forum to post names of agents. But look at the headers on pages on this forum. Any of those TA's are reputable.

 

I am guessing that you are on one of 4 cruises-all out of London. Crystal, RCCL, Princess or Celebrity. LOTS of availability with all the MAJOR online TA's in most cabin categories. RCCL just dropped prices again AND Princess is offering OBC.

 

One way air from the USA to London is a piece of cake-use AerLingus through Dublin. And use JFK, BOS or possibly even ORD as your hub departure city (get to the hub any way you can). You can even stay over in Dublin for a couple of days without an upcharge on air. AerLingus sells TRUE one way pricing.

 

As Lookingforfacts posted, you MAY have a real hassle getting your money back. Check the fine print and look for any cancellation fees. Call your bank immediately and explain the situation-that you MAY have a problem. Since the TA already has your debit card number, final payment could be billed without you even knowing it. Get on this IMMEDIATELY. Good luck!!!

[greatam]

OP-I was wrong. Looking at your profile, you are taking the QM2 to London.

 

Air from London back to the US-same advice-AerLngus. And the real beauty of using AerLingus from Europe-you clear Immigration in Dublin, NOT the US. So when you arrive US, you just grab your bags, walk them through Customs and either go home or continue on to your next flight. NO long waiting in lines at US airports, passport in hand.

 

Let us know how your saga comes out.

[Waswo]

I would like to thank all of you for your advice and most particularly for the fact that nobody has made me feel foolish--although you have every right to do so.

 

I will probably lose money, but I think that the saga is working its way to a better ending. I have gone to a "bricks and mortar" TA in my town and she was able to verify that the line has received only a tiny bit of a down payment. They have not yet received any money for the air.

 

I have switched my booking to the people in town and I have changed my debit card number so that the original people cannot use it.

 

I wish I had come here and started to ask questions before I booked originally! My lesson is to do your homework!

 

 

 

I don't have a contract with the original TA; no paper work, nothing but a couple of very vague emails and I have never signed anything with them either on-line or with a pen. I assume that I have no legal obligation to them. How can I?

 

Again, my profoundest gratitude.

[6rugrats]

With my bank, I can dispute a debit card charge. I would investigate this possibility ASAP if your TA does not immediately refund your money.

[kenish]

The TA should forward your initial cruise deposit to the cruise line almost immediately. Upon receipt the cruise line will issue a booking or confirmation number. Call the cruise line (or original TA if you're still talking) right away and get the booking number. If the cruise line didn't receive the deposit or the original TA refuses to provide a booking number, this is another HUGE RED FLAG.

 

FYI, every cruise I've booked through online cruise agencies has encouraged me to call the cruise line for the booking number if I don't hear from them within 24 hours. I've never had to do that because the cruise line emailed me within an hour of paying the deposit.

 

If it's becoming clear the TA isn't acting in good faith or is showing signs of financial distress, you should contact CLIA. Also be sure to make note of the date, time, and nature of all conversations and contacts with the TA. Email works well because all this is documented in writing, especially if anything is promised.

 

Let us know your hopefully happy outcome!

[Lookingforfacts]

don't have a contract with the original TA; no paper work, nothing but a couple of very vague emails and I have never signed anything with them either on-line or with a pen. I assume that I have no legal obligation to them. How can I?

 

 

I must be missing something. Didn't you say you gave the TA 50% deposit of the both the cruise and air? You're asking the wrong question, with no paper work, only a couple of vague emails how much of your deposit is the TA legally obligated to refund? I'm sure the TA is willing to accept whatever part of your deposit they retained as a service fee.

 

I'd give the TA a limited period of time (24-48 hours) to issue a refund otherwise I'd complain to the cruise line, CLIA and possibly start a small claims court action. My concern would be if the TA closes shop.

[Waswo]

Thank you again, everyone. I do feel much better today. My new TA gave me a "real paper" "hard copy" Cunard catalogue for this season and it felt wondeful to have a map where I can point out the different places.

 

It set my imagination on fire in the best way possible.

 

This board is a fantastic resource. I've been reading the reviews of various cruises posted by members here and am impressed by the wonderfully vivid and descriptive writing.

[Waswo]

Thank you again, everyone. I do feel much better today. My new TA gave me a "real paper" "hard copy" Cunard catalogue for this season and it felt wondeful to have a map where I can point out the different places.

 

It set my imagination on fire in the best way possible.

 

This board is a fantastic resource. I've been reading the reviews of various cruises posted by members here and am impressed by the wonderfully vivid and descriptive writing.