I recently had to change an airline ticket.  The original ticket, from Greensboro to Seattle with a layover in Houston, was about $230.  A pretty good price, really.

The ticket was booked through Orbitz.  The airline used to get to Seattle was Continental, and USAir was to be used on the way back to Greensboro.  I called Orbitz to change the ticket and I was told they couldn’t help me because Continental “owned” the ticket or somesuch – I forget the exact term they used.  I called Continental and was able to get the ticket changed without much hassle.

Now, the fees.

There was a $25 fee for Orbitz, a $150 change fee, and a “difference in price” charge of $177, for a total of $352.  Recall that the original ticket was only $230.

The “difference in price” charge? Can’t really dispute that.  But the Orbitz fee?  They’d already made their money on the original purchase, and they couldn’t help me with changing the ticket.  What makes them entitled to any kind of extra fee?

And the $150 change fee?  Highway robbery, plain and simple.

If we, as passengers, have to change our ticket, doesn’t that by definition imply circumstances beyond our control?  When was the last time you were compensated by an airline for a delayed flight? No, airlines can’t control weather.  Weather is a circumstance beyond their control, just like with passengers needing to change their ticket.  If passengers have to pay for altered circumstances, isn’t it only fair that airlines do the same?

Why is the relationship between airlines and customers so lopsided?  Is there any better collective example of companies that get customer service so completely wrong than airlines?

I want to get from Greensboro, NC to Seattle, WA on X date.  I’m willing to leave GSO as early as Y am and I want to arrive at SEA no later than Z pm with no more than two plane changes along the way, otherwise hit as many airports as you want or need to.  Guarantee me a “no later than” arrival time.  If you have reroute me through a different city to meet that guarantee, I’m all for it.  A window seat would be nice, but it’s ok if I can’t get one.

Make this happen. Fedex and UPS do it for boxes. Well, except for the window seat thing.

Picture courtesy thejonoakley

I saw an article on MSNBC.com yesterday that really raised my eyebrows.  A traveler had reserved a car from Alamo for three days and paid the $390 reservation in advance.  His flight was canceled and he had to delay picking up the car by a day.  He contacted Alamo and they said they’d hold the car for him.  The traveler ended up only using the car for two days, meaning the time he was supposed to return the car had not changed.  Alamo, since he’d essentially changed his reservation, charged him an additional $1116.

The traveler apparently contacted Christopher Elliott, a Travel columnist for Tribune Media Services, who wrote the article on MSNBC.com.

Mr. Elliott writes:

I suggested you write a brief, polite e-mail to Alamo, asking it to reverse the charges. The response? A snippy note that said, “Any changes to the basis of the reservation makes the rate subject to change,” and adding, “We are disappointed that this policy is a source of dissatisfaction for you.” Alamo denied your request.

Let’s take those quotes one at a time.

“Any changes to the basis of the reservation makes the rate subject to change”

This policy is far too black and white to be considered fair.  After all, in this case, the car simply sat on the lot for a day – which was still paid for – and returned at the time originally agreed upon.  This situation cost Alamo absolutely nothing.

Allow me to state the obvious: Policies like these are used to justify fleecing customers, most of whom won’t put up a fight. Also, black and white policies like this strongly indicate how lazy a company will be when it comes to customer service.

“We are disappointed that this policy is a source of dissatisfaction for you.”

Who on Earth would actually be satisfied by this policy?  How is it reasonable to charge someone over $1000 for picking up a car a day late, especially when the return time hadn’t changed?

The travel industry in particular is absolutely rife with these ridiculous policies.  (Example: Airline change fees.  You have to pay the airline a fee if you want to change your ticket.  Do airlines ever reimburse you for delays or cancellations that change your schedule?  No.)

After Mr. Elliot contacted Alamo on the traveler’s behalf, they refunded the extra charge.

It shouldn’t take a consumer advocate contacting you with a complaint to get you to simply be reasonable.  What Alamo should have done in the first place is obvious – merely let the original charges stand.  If they’d done that, there would have been no problem at all.