Priceline users?

[THRILLSEEKER]

Anyone know if it is Priceline's fine print policy to NOT guarentee airline tickets that they sell??:(

[Bomar76]

What's the whole story?
Let me guess.....someone was bumped?

BTW, I NEVER use priceline anymore.....I use Expedia, or just go to the paticular airline website for tickets, but 99.9% of the time it's Expedia....same price as everyone else (plus a $5 fee) and it keeps my multitude of itineraries in one easy to manage folder.

[THRILLSEEKER]

Donzichick bought airline tickets from Priceline back in June to fly into Key West today, about a month ago she got a call saying that the flight was cancelled and she would have to pick between some other (very inconvienent) options to get there. So she picks her best option and I am getting in my truck to go pick her up from the airport and she calls furious saying that theyre not letting on her in the plane today becase they overbooked WTF!?!?!?

Supposedly since she bought the tickets thru Priceline instead of direct from Delta then she was the first to get bumped once they found the flight to be overbooked, and all they could guarentee is that she would "eventually" get there maybe tomorrow, maybe next week.

Im no travel agent but am I the only one that sees this as a total crock of ****??

btw: Im pretty sure they said its the same with Expedia.

[Bomar76]

No, not the same w/ Expedia.
Overbooking is the way it is today, most flights are at capacity anyway, so simply buying a ticket does not guarantee a seat by any means.
When I buy my tickets on Expedia and see that there is no seat assignment I make darn certain that the second I can do the online checkin deal (24 hours prior to departure) I do it to secure a seat. She could have done that on the Delta website and most likely got a seat, all though you still could be bumped, but a hell of a lot less likely that not having a seat assignment.
The bumping deal can easily work to your advantage if you know how to play it....I volunteer and score many free round trip, $300, at at the least $250 travel vouchers good for a future flight that way...and they always fly me first class on the next available flight (sometimes a little out of the way, but I get more airmiles -with the first class premium- and more segments that way, so I move up the preferred flier ranks much more quickly that way, and air miles = free future flights).
The bumping critera are pretty straightforward, and someone on leisure travel with a heavily discounted fare (and they know by the fare code on ticket) is way low on the list to get on the plane when push comes to shove.

[Bomar76]

Could of had the thrill of being on this JetBlue flight today:

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/JBU244/history/20061226/1857Z/KLGB/KOAK

[DonziGirl]

The other woman that got stuck here with me booked with Expedia...

The thing is, I did have a seat assigment until they bumped me from my original flight. Then they told me I couldn't get one until I got here but wouldn't be a problem. Obviously it was...

[Sidewinder]

Could of had the thrill of being on this JetBlue flight today:

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/JBU244/history/20061226/1857Z/KLGB/KOAK
Why did one flight take 5 minutes and the other take 2-1/2 hours? to the same place.

[Bomar76]

Why did one flight take 5 minutes and the other take 2-1/2 hours? to the same place.


http://www.latimes.com/news/la-122606plane,0,4699653.story?track=mostviewed-homepage

[Sidewinder]

Wow, that flight would suck. It wasn't so good for the birds either.

[bajalion]

My frequent flyer staus gives seat assignments...if not I call

If you are not given a seat assignment then it is most likely the plane is overbooked.

It is best as Bomar say to call the day before to confirm (as it says on your ticket)

It is best to check in online before you get to the airport. Most airline sites have this on their sites.

Though I use expedia or travelocity to research. Most the time I book online at the listing carriers site....you can be almost guaranteed a flight cheaper.

Best of all....get there EARLY.

In case of problems where you get bumped I've found when you go through travelocity or expedia the airline refers you back to them. This normally wastes about 30 minutes or more on the phone in a queue. Since you are most likely to loose your phone signal or they give you the run. The other reason is if you have a reason to call them (weather, holidies etc) then everyone else is trying to call too.

[bajalion]

That reminds me....I took a bump where they paid me $100 to take by 1/16/07 the next fight form Tokyo to Taipei. They gave me a 1st class ticket (not business, not economy plus). You can lay completely horizontal on a UAL 777 1st class. Waited 2 hous in Tokyo and was given a $50 voucher for anthing there. Got a massage, noodle bowl (like really good beef noodle soup). Ate dinner on the 3.5 hour flight slept 2

Yes it is fun to play the bump game if you can.

[ITLLFLI]

Traveling sucks!

Kinda like boats......ya get what ya pay for....:(

Sorry for your luck Donzi!

I have traveled 70+thousand miles the past 2 years and Delta lost my luggage when I went to Cabos San Lucas a couple of weeks ago FOR THE FIRST TIME. I called the "mexican delta" to see when my luggage was to arrive. It was like "i know nothin about nothin!!!!" I finally called us 800 delta number. The lady said they would "probably" give me $25 per day for lost luggage but to call back when I get it!!!!.....I was like "LADY...THIS **** CALL PROBABLY COST $25!!!..IS YOUR VACATIONA DAY WORTH $25?????"

She never answered!!


TRAVEL..............:Drunk101:

[bajalion]

When international I only go over with a carry on. Loosing luggage international wher they:

1. Don't speak english
2. Don't have clothes your size
3. They don't use (not can you get) BO deoderant

SUCKS

If it doesn't fit in my carry on it doesn't go.

[DonziGirl]

I got $200, plus $21 in food vouchers and a night at the Hyatt

[THRILLSEEKER]

Try calling any airline and actually speaking to a human :yawn:

[ITLLFLI]

Try calling any airline and actually speaking to a human :yawn:


Whenever I call Delta I immediately ask if I have been connected to India. If so I request to speeak to aomeone in the U.S. :)

[bajalion]

That over book cost the airline about $300. I have tons of bad storys, good stories, and learning stories. At the end of the day I learn from all of them.

American F*cked me so bad on time I turned them in to the TSA. TSA even responded asking for further details. The story is very long on how I was screwed by one person after another. Where they made a legal mistake is my luggage had made it onto a connecting flight without me after 911.

I soon got a letter with a voucher. I never used American again.

[TEAMBAJA]

I think the biggest thing I have learned is dont check any luggage if you dont have to. I stuffed everything I needed into a carry-on when I went to California this year. That also prevented me from overpacking like I usually do.

When me and my brother went to Panama City last year, his luggage went to Alabama for a day or so. He was stuck in jeans and a long sleeve shirt on a hot ass day.

[Sidewinder]

Its like the old joke, when you go to the counter say, I want this bag to go to Buffalo, and this one to go to Cleveland, and this one to go to Denver.
Then they say, But sir, we can't do that.
Then you say, But you did it last week!!!

[Ironmanwb]

We flew Continental to Heustin out of Detroit last week and we had nooooooo problems. I used to do the carry on thing, but now it is a PITA because you can't take chit for liquids.(deordorant, shampoo, KY jelly, Anal lube, ect) and the last three time I have taken a carry on I have had the **** thing searched and had to wait about 30 minutes......Now I get there early, check my bag, and go to the bar until the plane is almost done boarding.........

[DonziGirl]

I had a problem too because I couldn't take 2 bags on the flight to Key West, only one. I had the extra one because of Christmas presents. Luckily the nice guy at the counter said my two small bags were still under the weight requirement for one bag and put them both in a box for me.

I guess it's my own fault that I didn't call to confirm my seat but I've never had a problem before and didn't even think about it.

[Bomar76]

When I was working in Minneapolis I always booked a fligt out of MSP on Northwwest that was the first nonstop flight of the day to CMH.
It was ALWAYS overbooked several seats.
I always do the online check in deal 24 hrs in advance, so I always had a seat.
As soon as I got to the gate I would ask if the flight was overbooked (I knew it was) and volunteer to be bumped.
I would get a free r/t ticket on any Northwest flight in the 48 states (unrestricted $), and 15 minutes later board a flight to LaGuardia in First Class. I'd have a nice breakfast on the flight, enjoy the seats, and collect the bonus miles for flying first class. In New York I'd wait about 30 minutes, then hop on a flight to CMH first class.
So out of this I'd get 2 extra segments toward my Platinum status, a free meal, nice seats, 1.5X miles (including the extra milage to NYC), and a free r/t ticket. In exchange I would get into CMH a little less 2 hours later. This went on almost every week.
On week I inquired about flying stand by on the Thurday night flight that was never over 40% capacity....absolutely no way they would let me do that w/o reticketing (at the current last minute fare), and chanted the corporate mantra that stand by is same day only. I politetly explained what happens every Friday AM, free ticket, meal, etc, and it really would be to their benefit to let me do this.
No way.
No problem, I'll see you fools tomorrow morning @ 6 AM....

[bajalion]

They really don't seem to learn do they.

Now their favorite trick for delays and cancellations is weather. They owe you absolutely nothing if they belame it on weather

They now have found ways to delay fights due to weather at the beginning of the flight....any stop...anywhere in between.

[Bomar76]

To the the airline's credit:
I was once stuck holding s seatless bording pass on a flight I KNEW was well overbooked. This was a situation where i had to be in CMH that AM due to a legal issue (settlement on the wreck I was in a few years back). Gate agaent was very helpful and I got a seat w/o any problem...she just called some poor shmuck up to the gate counter and told him he was SOL and a few minutes later callled my up to give me my seat assignment.
If you are really nice to the gate agents you can get just about anything you want as far as changing seats, squeezing on as a stand by, etc.....except standing by on a day earlier flight.

[bajalion]

Totally agreed on the kindness issue....totally.

[ROGUE]

That over book cost the airline about $300. I have tons of bad storys, good stories, and learning stories. At the end of the day I learn from all of them.

American F*cked me so bad on time I turned them in to the TSA. TSA even responded asking for further details. The story is very long on how I was screwed by one person after another. Where they made a legal mistake is my luggage had made it onto a connecting flight without me after 911.

I soon got a letter with a voucher. I never used American again.

Ditto, I have so many bad American and TWA stories I could write a book. United too. Oh and not to forget Delta.... and USAir...oh hell.... they all need a lession in customer relations....long before 911. I think the airlines did 911 just to get out the flyers bill of rights that was about to happen.

[ROGUE]

I also try to be as nice as possible but I reach my limit sometimes. Tell me the truth at least, they lie worse than politicians.

[Bomar76]

I love it when they annonce the flight will be 10 minutes late due to the inbound leg, and I look it up on
http://flightaware.com/
while sitting there in the terminal and see the stupid plane hasn't even left the prior airport.

[ROGUE]

Or the maintenance excuse. "The plane has to undergo scheduled maintenance" Whhaaaaat? In the middle of its dau schedule? Somebody should be fired. Of course, its all an excuse to cover the fact the flight crew is stuck somewhere else that has nothing to do with where you are or where you are going.

[bajalion]

I love it when they annonce the flight will be 10 minutes late due to the inbound leg, and I look it up on
http://flightaware.com/
while sitting there in the terminal and see the stupid plane hasn't even left the prior airport.

Classic...I get the routes from travelocity on my cell phone and have done this for about 6-7 years now. I'm already on standy for the next fight by the time the 10 minute announcement comes.

[ROGUE]

Classic...I get the routes from travelocity on my cell phone and have done this for about 6-7 years now. I'm already on standy for the next fight by the time the 10 minute announcement comes.

I used to do that too but when I have a checked bag it never catches up with me. I wish I knew a way to overcome the standby thing with checked bags (which I always have to do since I am carrying things of gross destruction).

[Bomar76]

Ouch.....I hate checking a bag, about the only time I ever do it is whne ferrying purchases home. Got a home theater system home that way, box by box.

[bajalion]

Your at their mercy when you check baggage...no real ways around it.