Freaked out and need help!

[mapa2smjn]

Well sometimes planning ahead is just not helpful..........

We just found out that the 8 airline tickets we booked ages ago and had long since paid for are now worth bubkis because the airlines has closed its doors!
Money we paid for the tickets is now tied up in the bankruptcy courts and we have no flight....I have spent the last 3 days searching and came up with a flight with comparable times/cost (money we DON'T have to lay out again but our non refundable Villa says we go now) However we have to fly into Tampa instead of Orlando or Sanford. This of course messes up our reserved 12 passenger van (for the 8 of us and moms electric wheelchair) they don't have one at Tampa (ok so they have 1 for 2x the price but holy cow!

So I am pleading for any tips or ideas on ground transportation that won't break the bank! Also pleading for some good luck to float our way. hoping the genie can grant us some sanity to re-plan the whole trip now!
Thanks for letting me vent...

 

[summerrluvv]

What Airline is this?

 

[PlaneJoy1]

What Airline is this?

Maybe Trans Meridian????

Where city are you trying to travel from and when? Maybe someone could help you look for the deals?

 

[DebbieB]

Did you pay by credit card? You may be able to file a dispute with the credit card company to get your money back.

 

[debster812]

For your trans from Tampa to Orlando--look into renting a car (or 2 with the size of your group) one way, from Tampa to MCO, then 2 of you can taxi to your villa? Unless it's a WDW villa, then you can simply drop the car at MCO and take Magical Express.

More details would be helpful, but I am sure there are other options that some other posters will come up with.

Take a couple of deep breaths--it will work out.

 

[SB in KY]

I have 2 suggestions... well maybe 3....first, if you paid for your airline tickets with a credit card you can call them to see about disputed charges and may get your $$ back more quickly from them (some cards have a 60 or 90 day limit on disputes however and if you bought your tickest more than 90 days ago it may not help...just depends on the CC...worth a call to find out)

2. You might look into renting the high priced big van at Tampa for a 1 day, 1 way rental to drop off at MCO....then after you get to your villa and get settled someone could take the van back to MCO and drop it off and pick up the cheaper one you have rented there....have no idea how much they would charge for a 1 day, 1 way rental, but even if it was $100 that is not too bad to get 8 people and a scooter from Tampa to Orlando.

3. I don't know how big/heavy the ECV is, but if it could fit in a car trunk you could check into the cost of renting 2 cars (maybe a full or mid size and a compact)...we have done that several times when minivans were astronomically priced (group of 6 or 7)....2 cars were a lot cheaper and gave us more flexibility too if everyone did not want to be at the same place at the same time, etc. And it would be easier to get 8 peoples stuff into 2 cars I think than 1 van.

4. Another thought....if the ECV is the hang up and you could get a decent rate on 2 cars it might be cheaper to just have a rental company deliver one to you for the week you are there....they will deliver it to your villa and pick it up when you leave...not sure of the cost, but I am betting that 2 cars using a discount code and a rental ECV wouldn't cost much more than you are paying for a 12 passenger van for the week. You could let the rental company know you would need one that could go in a car trunk for getting to the parks and back.

 

[mapa2smjn]

Yes it was Trans Meridian....sigh...
such a good airline gone with the wind!


I am looking into the 1 day/one way option...I just may have a heart attack before I get this all smoothed over....hey guess what else happened? Our final payment on our villa got lost in the mail for 1+ months, I stopped payment and sent another THEN it turned up. I swear maybe someone is trying to tell me something!

I have put in a dispute with the CC company and called the attorney Generals office and they sent me some paperwork to fill out. I paid way back in April but the CC is the Disney Visa and they are being flexable with the TransMeridian passengers.
Thank Goodness!
I will update you all soon...thanks for all of your input!

 

[siobhan1997]

Not sure where you are from but if Jetblue is available where u are call them they are giving some TMA passengers seats of their flights for $50.00 plus taxes . They gave them to us for this price.

 

[Doctor P]

I have been told that TMA was not an airline, but rather a charter company. All the money for your tickets should be in escrow and should not be part of a bankruptcy proceeding as I understand it. Yes, it may take a little while to get it, but you WILL (according to what I have been told) get ALL of your money back.