Really Really Bummed Out!!

[Chellymouse]

So I spent 6 months planning a surprise trip to SWW for my DH. Surprised him on Christmas morning with the trip and found out today that DH has to be back to work the day we were to come home. No problem. Called MS, had to waitlist a night for BCV but they were absolutely awesome and booked us a night at SSR. Called airtran...I have nothing that's post-able to say about them right now. Those....bleeping bleeping bleepity bleep bleeps charged me $300 to either cancel or change our flights. After tons of discussion, DH said that while it's hard to lose that money, we have no choice but the cancel the trip. I just cancelled all of our dining ressies (BOG on 5/15 for dinner, 50's prime time on 5/17 for dinner, Ohana for breakfast on 5/17 ohana for dinner on 5/19 and cape may breakfast on 5/20) if anyone is looking for dining ressies. I will be calling MS in the am to cancel our studio at BCV if anyone is waitlisted. We are going to be stuck with airtran for one more flight so we don't lose the last $200 but I can honestly say, I've never seen an airline who won't give at least a little wiggle room. Maybe I need to learn how to go in the car better....I know someone makes drugs for that.... Thanks for listening to the rant...went from being super excited for 3 trips down to 1 trip for sure and that may be it because now DH doesn't know if he can get off in Dec.

 

[SSRmonkey]

No!!!!!!! I'm so sorry Chellymouse! After all your planning. Stupid work...stupid AirTran. The car ride down isn't so bad. Maybe you should drive sometime. Or ride with me! Hope your luck turns around and you will be able to go in December.

 

[dis-happy]

If I'm reading this right, you're trying to move your entire trip forward by one day? Why not keep the original reservation (minus the extra day waitlist) and only change your departure day. AT change fee would only be $150 then.

 

[jekjones1558]

Darn, darn, double darn. This is the other edge of the so-much-fun-to-plan-a-WDW-vacation sword: the let down if you have to cancel is totally depressing. Hope that there is some kind of happy silver lining down the road.

 

[Chellymouse]

No!!!!!!! I'm so sorry Chellymouse! After all your planning. Stupid work...stupid AirTran. The car ride down isn't so bad. Maybe you should drive sometime. Or ride with me! Hope your luck turns around and you will be able to go in December.

Thanks SSRMonkey! That would be fun...you, Koala, your parents, me and the Squatch! Oh my!! DH is calling his boss tomorrow about the Dec trip. If we can't go for 10 days, then it's not worth it to us to go. Now with the extra points we could have extended the Oct trip, but once again, DH has to be back because heaven forbid he miss a "fake" holiday that only people in OH celebrate...he was off last year that weekend and his boss nearly had a coronary! His boss could be the new villian!

If I'm reading this right, you're trying to move your entire trip forward by one day? Why not keep the original reservation (minus the extra day waitlist) and only change your departure day. AT change fee would only be $150 then.

That was our plan until we called AT. We weren't pleased about losing a day, but it would have been better than having to cancel. Called AT and not only were they going to charge us $150 to change the ressie, one of the tickets was booked on A+ rewards which they would not allow us to use on Sunday nor would they let us change our flight down and use the credits there instead. Long story short, it would have cost us nearly $700 to come home Sunday instead of Monday. The loss is hard, but we weren't willing to pay more than what the whole trip cost to come home 1 day sooner.

Darn, darn, double darn. This is the other edge of the so-much-fun-to-plan-a-WDW-vacation sword: the let down if you have to cancel is totally depressing. Hope that there is some kind of happy silver lining down the road.

Thanks...I do too. I keep hearing there are staterooms left for Member Cruise. I'm guessing it's the really expensive staterooms though and we won't have enough points to go. I really just feel like downing adult beverage and swearing but that won't solve anything either!

 

[kristenrice]

If your trip isn't (wasn't) until May, isn't there a possibility that AT would have changed your flight times before then? If they change the schedule, they will let you pick a different flight, up to one day before or after the original flight, at no charge, subject to availability. In 2009, I was able to switch flights because my original flight changed by 6 minutes. If it's not too late, I would hang on a little longer and hope AirTran changes their schedule before May.

So sorry this happend, especially after all the time, money and planning.

 

[mlittig]

Sorry for all the mess ups

 

[Chellymouse]

If your trip isn't (wasn't) until May, isn't there a possibility that AT would have changed your flight times before then? If they change the schedule, they will let you pick a different flight, up to one day before or after the original flight, at no charge, subject to availability. In 2009, I was able to switch flights because my original flight changed by 6 minutes. If it's not too late, I would hang on a little longer and hope AirTran changes their schedule before May.

So sorry this happend, especially after all the time, money and planning.

Unfortunately, I think they figured out that if they quit changing flight schedules, they can gouge people for more money. We were able to take advantage of that a few times. The problem is we had to come home a day early. I cancelled the remaining ressies this am and to add more bad news, since it was 88 borrowed points, we have until 9/30 to use them or lose them so now I'm trying to get these points rented. I did write an email to the customer service department at AT and voiced my disdain that we are frequent customers and we are very disappointed in our treatment. I know they work with people as we have friends who had to change their plans last year (2 adults and 3 kids) and didn't have anywhere near the gouging that we did.

Sorry for all the mess ups

Thank you!

 

[backyardponder]

This is the major reason I almost always fly Southwest.

 

[keishashadow]

It's unfortunate when plans go awry.

As for AirTran why not call the rewards line and ask to speak to a supervisor, explaining the issue again.

I recently booked AT rewards travel to cancun for an upcoming trip. Ran into issue that day I wanted to return (5/24) was a blackout day so I went with a 4 night trip just to grab the reward seats. Two days later the flight time home changed to a 20 minute later departure. I refused the change. Reward seats weren't listed on the website for 5/25 but they switched us to a connecting vs a direct flight and trip is now 6 nights...my point is don't take the 1st answer you receive.

Have you considered having DH fly home a day early to return to work and the rest of you keep the existing schedule?

 

[Happy Birthday Cat]

This is the major reason I almost always fly Southwest.

The truly strange thing is that AirTran is owned by Southwest. I fly Southwest too and they don't have change fees at all.

HBC

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

Sorry, but I think you have just learned the lesson. None of them give you this wiggle room you want

And no SW does not have change fees, but....

Recently I changed two flights. One was on Delta, fare difference and change fee totaled $188.50. One was on SW, fare change was $203.

 

[dis-happy]

Unfortunately, I think they figured out that if they quit changing flight schedules, they can gouge people for more money. We were able to take advantage of that a few times. !

This is more than a little unfair to AT. Their change fees are listed upfront. I thought earlier you weren't a FF but it sounds like you are Elite? We've been at that status for years with them and personally I would have tried several other things before canceling all and possibly losing 88 DVC points. You aren't mad at DVC for not being willing to put your points back (according to their rules) but you're mad at AT even though you have been able to take advantage of no penalty change loopholes in the past.

 

[BEASLYBOO]

This falls in the book of woulda, shoulda, coulda! People will come out with a myriad of things you could have done to salvage the vacation, however they aren't in your shoes, in the end it just sucks! Hopefully your next Disney vacation will work just the way you planned it!

 

[lawrenceFletcher]

We live on the other side of the Cuyahoga valley and always drive. My wife cannot understand. Perhaps she needs to read more of these type of trip reports. I love having a car on site. I love filling our DVC unit with food from the grocery store. I have stopped at Daytona beach on a nice day leaving or arriving. I dont feel I have missed anything and the kids catch up with the videos on the dvd player. Good luck!

 

[ccgirl]

How disappointing. But, to my knowledge the only airlines that don't have change fees are SW and JB. However, if the change in flight increases the price of the ticket you still have to pay the increased money.

I think the airlines are pretty up front with their fee structure.

Can your DH come back a day early and the rest of you stay so you do not incur extra charges for most?

 

[dis-happy]

...

 

[Disney Princess]

Sorry Chellymouse! I know you were looking forward to the trip. I hope you're able to work things out with your 88 points.

 

[rentayenta]

I'm sorry- that stinks.

 

[disney212]

I am so sorry. I know how excited you were to surprise DH with that trip! Hopefully you will get to the world soon. Good luck with renting your points and hoping the rest of 2013 is better for you!