CheapTickets.com Same tickets, directly from the airline cost $29.98 less Online Internet
Hearing so much about "Cheap" tickets, I went to their website to book a trip to Las Vegas to attend the Consumer Electronics Show in Feb 09.
After completing my transaction, I decided to check the airline website to see how much I had saved. To my surprise, I found the EXACT SAME flights for $30 less.
I called their customer care department @ 1-888-922-8849 and after going thru the options was connected to a rep in India. I explained the situation and they seemed baffled. It was obvious that they were reading a script. They eventually directed me to send an email to feedback@cheaptickets.com and explain the situation and provide my proof.
I went back to the airline website, printed out the trip details in PDF format showing the exact dates and flight numbers and the total for the trip, which was $30 less.
I then send an email with the details of my transaction and attached the pdf file showing the airline cost. I also cc-ed travelercare@cheaptickets.com, from whom I had received my trip itinerary.
I have had no contact from the company and the call center in India keeps reading me the same script.
Canceling my trip will cost me $100 per ticket. I will try to cancel the transaction via my credit card company of possible.
Vahram
North Hollywood, California
U.S.A.
2 Updates & Rebuttals
Cat
Hendersonville,Tennessee,
U.S.A.
CHEAP DOES NOT MEAN "CHEAPEST"
#3Consumer Suggestion
Thu, July 17, 2008
Always do lots of research on airline tickets because as you have discovered. cheap does not mean "cheapest" . Our daughter competed gymnastics at a very high level and I learned to shop and compare on alines and hotels . Just because it has "cheap" in the name or is on the internet does not mean it is the best deal and as you have found out, cancelling sometimes is more expensive! Sorry you had to learn the hard way, but I doubt you will get a call back on this one.
Robert
Irvine,California,
U.S.A.
Here's what happened....
#3Consumer Comment
Wed, July 16, 2008
The Airlines have basically gutted the commission system for Travel Agents. As a result the companies have to charge a Ticketing Fee. The $30 is about average for the industry and is probably what caused the higher price. By the way the price you got from the airline directly that was probably their internet price. If you had called up and had a Airline rep actually book the ticket you would have been charged extra as well.
Your problem was you assumed that you got the best deal. While they may be able to get you cheap tickets there is no way that one company will always have the best deal all of the time. So you have to shop around. Treat it like you would any other purchase, and check multiple companies for prices. If you checked out the airline before you bought the ticket you could have saved yourself some money. However, once you bought the ticket you are bound by the terms.
By the way disputing your charge will go no where. If you did make the purchase you agreed to the terms which stated the $100 change fee. Hopefully you didn't go ahead an purchase the cheaper tickets thinking you could cancel the other ones. If so you are going to be out even more money, because those tickets probably have the same policy.