Tips for travelling:
I have just had to cancel a trip to travel on the Rocky Mountaineer that I booked through FlightCentre. You would not believe how much money organisations pocket when they book something for you! I am grateful however for the employee who was the 'go betweener' for myself and the organisation.
I paid $2375 pp (total $4750) for this trip through FlightCentre. Yesterday they told me they would only refund me $1412 pp (Total $2824 refund) in which I will be losing $1926 total from this cancellation through them. There was still over 80 days to go before this trip was to be had. But you would not believe this so read on...
I have just finished speaking direct with the Rocky Mountaineer Consultants (trip that I had booked) in Canada including the Wholesaler Department at 2.11am yesterday morning. They have informed me:
1. If I had of booked directly through them they would only be charging $133 per person per ticket cancelling today, and I could cancel direct through them.
2. That their cancellation fee is only $133 per person cancelling today, and that is all they will charge FlightCentre, however as I booked through a wholesaler I need to cancel through them. The Wholesaler Department stated that they can only tell me their fees, but I may also be applicable for cancellation fees direct through the wholesaler and they could not tell me these as it was the wholesaler who set these.
3. The Wholesaler conditions is completely different to the cancellation fee from Rocky Mountaineer, that is, Rocky Mountaineer has their cancellation fee of $133 per person, plus the Wholesaler would then probably have their cancellation fees with me direct.
4. in the future to save difficutlies book directly through them via phone or online and if I cancel or change the ticket it will not be so expensive as going through a travel agent / wholesaler
5. As the ticket is not booked directly through them I have to advise the travel agent and they need to cancel it.
I am somewhat disappointed that firstly I was told by FlightCentre that it was only $600 per person to cancel if done outside the 60 days (email 13 January), then to discover yesterday that I will lose half of each ticket because the Wholesalers (btw their wholesaler is Infinity Rail which is owned and operated as a part of the Flight Centre Limited Group) quoted the wrong cancellation pricing to me. It is also disappointing to know that it only costs to cancel direct through the Rocky Mountaineer $133 per person, which leaves me with the thought of who is pocketing all the money from cancellation? This means that someone pockets $1926!
So if you are travelling, be wise. I have learnt this - do your own bookings if you dont want to lose money, ask if they are booking through a Wholesaler and what the Wholesalers cancellation fees are because they can be different to who you are directly booking through and they can be added on - ask for the Wholesaler cancellation policy. The rest of the trip to Canada I had booked myself and wola, I got all my money refunded back to me for that as there was still over 80 days to go!
FlightCentre, please stop changing your cancellation policy and telling a customer one thing only to tell them a couple of weeks later 'sorry we made a mistake about our cancellation policy. It is actually this much more expensive!'
0 comments