More victims exposing EXPEDIA
So….here’s my story!
We booked a round trip flight to Kona, Hawaii in January 2008 through Expedia.com. We got a pretty good price, seeing as we weren’t leaving until June 21, 2008. My wife and I were excited because neither one of us had ever been to Hawaii, and this was going to be our 1st Anniversary present to each other! As the months grew closer, I periodically checked my Expedia.com account to make sure everything was still a go! So far so good! I heard on the news that ALOHA Airlines had filed for bankruptcy, and I wasn’t sure what we were flying to Hawaii so i checked my Expedia.com account and I was relieved it was ATA we were flying into Kona on. (So I thought) Anyway, I still checked my itenerary online periodically to make sure nothing had changed on our trip…….still nothing! So, approximately 3 days prior to our departure I went on the ATA Airlines website, and to my dismay…..I realized they were Bankrupt! Holy $&!?, WTF? On their website it stated that other airlines were taking up their flights and I noticed Continental Airlines was on the list. So I called Continental and gave them my information, etc…and I asked them if they were flying us to Kona. They said we would be taken care of! No problem, I was relieved!
We arrived in Houston, TX and checked our bags in with Continental Airlines and were told our bags were checked through to Kona, Hawaii. We got on the flight and headed for Oakland, Ca, which was where we were suppose to get on our connecting flight to Kona. We arrived in Oakland, Ca and looked on the flight board to see what gate we were leaving out of…….and NOTHING was there! Our flight didn’t exist! Hmmm…….Houston, we have a problem!
I immediately jumped on my cell phone and called Expedia.com, who we booked our flight with, to ask for assistance. Well, this is where the NIGHTMARE began! I was on the phone with their customer service for approximately 45 minutes, when they got the bright idea how to get me off the phone! They told me to call my flight insurance and make a claim and the insurance would take care of us! So, I called the flight insurance I purchased through Expedia.com and they immediately informed me that insurance doesn’t cover an Airline Going Bankrupt! OMG! Why did I buy insurance????
So, at this point I’m pretty hot……..my wife is FREAKING OUT, and I’m not sure what to do. I call Expedia.com back and this time I’m on the phone probably for an hour. Expedia.com pointed the blame at ATA, Continental, and myself. They said, “didn’t you know they were bankrupt?” They told me they sent an email out saying I needed to change my flight! The only problem was I NEVER received that email! We were also traveling with my wife’s sister who also used Expedia.com, on another acoount, and she did not receive the email either! My wife’s sister and her fiance were on the other side of the airport calling Expedia.com as well……and they were told pretty much the same thing. One thing of note, they could not produce a copy of the email at the time to prove it was sent to us!
So, basically what we got from Expedia.com was we were S.O.L.! Both of us each had spent over 2 hours each on the phone with Expedia….and the whole time they were pointing fingers saying it wasn’t their fault! Where they should have been trying to help us find a way to our destination!
Anyway, no help from Expedia we are stranded in Oakland, CA……we have to book another flight to get out of there……$1,971.60 a piece later! That’s right, we each had to pay $1,971.60! That was TOTAL B.S.
We had to take a Taxi to San Francisco, get a hotel room because our new flight wasn’t going to leave til the following day. What a Nightmare!
We finally got to Kona, with NO HELP FROM EXPEDIA.COM! I called them multiple times during our trip, and each time it was the same song an dance! I recorded most of the conversations with them, which I’ll post here soon for your viewing. On the final day of our trip I talked to another Expedia.com Rep who FINALLY informed us that our tickets were cancelled in APRIL! APRIL??? OMG, Expedia is a Multi-Million Dollar Company with enough technology to inform their customers of any changes! Don’t you think?
Anyway, we came back home and I wrote a letter to as many people I could find their email address to at Expedia.com letting them know the horrible service I received from Expedia.com. They responded with an email stating to call their Travel Advocacy Board to help with the situation! Well, they were NO HELP! I was on hold for approximately 35 minutes before I even spoke to a HUMAN! Yes, I have that taped as well and you’ll be able to view it soon! They said it was ATA’s fault, and Continental Airlines fault for putting us on the plane knowing that we didn’t have a connecting flight!
So, to make a VERY LONG story short, Expedia.com cost me close to $6,000, and they feel like they are not at fault! My original flight I booked was $1,700! Go figure?? Expedia.com has blamed everyone but themselves!
So, this story is NOT over by any means………I am seeking legal advice and will hopefully get this resolved soon!
