What now, lower airfare and Disney won't help

[michst8alum]

I booked our airfare through Disney and today I find that the price has gone down $600! I called Disney and was told that Airtran does not do price decreases, so I called Airtran and they said no problem that they would issue me a credit for future travel no additional fees, but that I would have to go through Disney. So, I call back Disney and their response was no way. I even suggested cancelling the reservation and eating the $75 per person fee and rebooking as it would still save me $300. Any suggestions on what my next steps should be? Lesson learned....BOOK YOUR AIRFARE YOURSELF!
Thank you for any help that you can give!


What a ugly reason for a first post!

 

[DebbieB]

I booked our airfare through Disney and today I find that the price has gone down $600! I called Disney and was told that Airtran does not do price decreases, so I called Airtran and they said no problem that they would issue me a credit for future travel no additional fees, but that I would have to go through Disney. So, I call back Disney and their response was no way. I even suggested cancelling the reservation and eating the $75 per person fee and rebooking as it would still save me $300. Any suggestions on what my next steps should be? Lesson learned....BOOK YOUR AIRFARE YOURSELF!
Thank you for any help that you can give!

What a ugly reason for a first post!

I would call back and ask for a superviser. If you can do it direct, you should be able to do it with them.

 

[Lewisc]

I agree with PP, call Disney back and ask for a supervisor. It's possible:

1. You have a consolidator fare and aren't entitled to "rebook" in order to get credit for lower fares.
2. Disney is unwilling to perform that service for you. Disney is your TA and may be unwilling to spend the time it takes to contact the airline and obtain credits.

 

[DonnaL]

This is exactly why I prefer to book all of my own reservations and refuse to book a "package deal" anywhere. I've had friends tell me I'm crazy for booking everything myself, however, it always seems I'm the one who manages to get the deals ........not my friends who use one travel agency or another.......or even books directly with Disney. I gave up on travel agencies years ago........however, I will say the one area I MAY use a travel agency would be for a cruise.......since I am very unfamiliar with the specifics and I feel I would need to do a lot of research to be comfortable with booking specifics. However, in so far as booking flights, car rentals, room reservations, etc. .......just give me my computer and internet access!!!

 

[ancestry]

Sorry - I agree...call back and ask for a supervisor. Although as a PP noted, Disney may have booked a special type of airfare where the refund wouldn't be possible but definitely worth trying again.

 

[ssawka]

This is exactly why I prefer to book all of my own reservations and refuse to book a "package deal" anywhere. I've had friends tell me I'm crazy for booking everything myself, however, it always seems I'm the one who manages to get the deals ........not my friends who use one travel agency or another.......or even books directly with Disney. I gave up on travel agencies years ago........however, I will say the one area I MAY use a travel agency would be for a cruise.......since I am very unfamiliar with the specifics and I feel I would need to do a lot of research to be comfortable with booking specifics. However, in so far as booking flights, car rentals, room reservations, etc. .......just give me my computer and internet access!!!

ITA, "package deals" are all about convenience, not about saving $. At one time you may have gotten a deal for booking everything together, but TAs and travel providers learned a long time ago that consumers were willing to pay a premium for the convenience of "one stop shopping".

 

[michst8alum]

Update. They were very helpful. I asked for the air department and they were able to help. Unfortunately, I was the one who made the mistake! But, they were very helpful. Getting the right department helps!

 

[Lewisc]

A few of the package deals are great deals. A few years ago fuel (and airline prices) were going up. Disney had negotiated consolidator fares, with Airtran, which were locked in. Some posters got great deals.

Sometimes a hotel (or airline) doesn't want their discounts to be visible. Some of the last minute air and hotel packages are cheaper then booking air only. Some smart customers booked the package but never even checked into the hotel.

I agree with the PP. Packages generally don't offer savings.

 

[NotUrsula]

Air-inclusive packages CAN be cheaper, but most of the time they are not, especially on domestic trips.

For intl travel they really can be a better deal -- you just have to do your homework and price it out yourself to find out. Part of the reason that they are sometimes better on foreign itineraries has to do with the fact that they can buy discounted inventory from bucket shops for the air on charter carriers; something that you cannot do as an individual.

The big reason that they are often not a good deal on domestic trips is that most US hotels charge by the room, not by the person. Once you have purchased the room you normally would not have to pay it again until you have more people in your party than the occupancy permits. In Europe, for instance, hotels charge by the person, so there is no savings in NOT booking the package in that case. Packages can be especially useful for so-called Fly/Drive packages in Europe; they usually discount the car so much that you barely pay for it, and you don't need to buy as much insurance, either -- the CDW is usually included in the rate at a reduced charge.

 

[n2mm]

Update. They were very helpful. I asked for the air department and they were able to help. Unfortunately, I was the one who made the mistake! But, they were very helpful. Getting the right department helps!

Glad it all worked out for you. Now on to happier posts and lots of planning.