Help me not lose $1400!
January 3, 2012 10:23 PM Subscribe
(How) can I avoid losing almost $1400 on a plane ticket I can't use right now?
I'll try to keep this short. I did something stupid:
- I bought a ticket about three months ago not being sure when I would use it or not. Let it suffice to say that it was for visa reasons (I live and work in Japan). It's a round trip ticket from NRT to Newark, back via JFK. It leaves Friday. I can't use it now because I...well, I didn't plan a vacation, I am working. I thought I could use it some other time, so I was lax about it once my visa was confirmed.
- I purchased it on Orbitz. Apparently the flight is a Continental flight, but other than a leg from SF to Newark, all of it appears to be a codeshare with ANA.
- I bought it with my Discover Escape card, so there may be some travel related benefits that could help me cover some of the cost. I'll call them later today to see.
Anyways, to tie these facts all together: after I bought it, I assumed I could push the time ahead without too much trouble, but I called Continental yesterday, they told me I had to call Orbitz, who told me they couldn't change it because it was non-refundable/non-alterable or something, according to Continental. I called Continental back again, and they verified that I was SOL. Use it or lose it. I must have missed this somehow when I bought the ticket on Orbitz. For the record, the person I talked to had to call someone else at Continental to verify that I was not able to change it (they were apparently confused the first time I called...grr).
So, travel geniuses of Ask MeFi, is this the final word? Does anyone have any experience with working around this sort of thing?
I suppose I could try to convince my higher-ups to take a week vacation on incredibly short notice but...it may be quite tough. And for a number of other reasons I'd rather not.
I'll try to keep this short. I did something stupid:
- I bought a ticket about three months ago not being sure when I would use it or not. Let it suffice to say that it was for visa reasons (I live and work in Japan). It's a round trip ticket from NRT to Newark, back via JFK. It leaves Friday. I can't use it now because I...well, I didn't plan a vacation, I am working. I thought I could use it some other time, so I was lax about it once my visa was confirmed.
- I purchased it on Orbitz. Apparently the flight is a Continental flight, but other than a leg from SF to Newark, all of it appears to be a codeshare with ANA.
- I bought it with my Discover Escape card, so there may be some travel related benefits that could help me cover some of the cost. I'll call them later today to see.
Anyways, to tie these facts all together: after I bought it, I assumed I could push the time ahead without too much trouble, but I called Continental yesterday, they told me I had to call Orbitz, who told me they couldn't change it because it was non-refundable/non-alterable or something, according to Continental. I called Continental back again, and they verified that I was SOL. Use it or lose it. I must have missed this somehow when I bought the ticket on Orbitz. For the record, the person I talked to had to call someone else at Continental to verify that I was not able to change it (they were apparently confused the first time I called...grr).
So, travel geniuses of Ask MeFi, is this the final word? Does anyone have any experience with working around this sort of thing?
I suppose I could try to convince my higher-ups to take a week vacation on incredibly short notice but...it may be quite tough. And for a number of other reasons I'd rather not.
I hope you get better advice but if you do call and get an agent with no sympathy do a polite "omg there's a fire on the stove", hang up quick and keep trying until you get one with some sympathy.
posted by sammyo at 10:33 PM on January 3, 2012 [6 favorites]
posted by sammyo at 10:33 PM on January 3, 2012 [6 favorites]
It would be unusual to have a ticket that simply can't be changed at all
Some international fare codes are pretty much use-it-or-lose-it, especially when sold through third parties. FlyerTalk might be a better forum to ask specifics; it's focused on award stuff, but there are posters who can map the fare codes on your tickets very exactly to the plain-language explanation. Orbitz tends to sell tickets in classes that are either non-refundable or have high change fees -- and don't count much (or at all) towards rewards mileage -- and offers insurance in lieu.*
This isn't going to help you much right now, but for situations where you're genuinely unsure whether you're going to take a flight, it really makes sense to pay extra up-front for tickets that are either fully refundable or have a manageable change/cancellation fee. It's one area where old-school travel agents were truly useful, and the best online equivalent is usually to buy direct from the airline.
* I suppose you could possibly buy travel insurance now and claim against it, as Discover Escape's Trip Cancellation coverage seems to be limited to medical emergencies, but that's a bit of an ethical grey area.
posted by holgate at 11:07 PM on January 3, 2012
Some international fare codes are pretty much use-it-or-lose-it, especially when sold through third parties. FlyerTalk might be a better forum to ask specifics; it's focused on award stuff, but there are posters who can map the fare codes on your tickets very exactly to the plain-language explanation. Orbitz tends to sell tickets in classes that are either non-refundable or have high change fees -- and don't count much (or at all) towards rewards mileage -- and offers insurance in lieu.*
This isn't going to help you much right now, but for situations where you're genuinely unsure whether you're going to take a flight, it really makes sense to pay extra up-front for tickets that are either fully refundable or have a manageable change/cancellation fee. It's one area where old-school travel agents were truly useful, and the best online equivalent is usually to buy direct from the airline.
* I suppose you could possibly buy travel insurance now and claim against it, as Discover Escape's Trip Cancellation coverage seems to be limited to medical emergencies, but that's a bit of an ethical grey area.
posted by holgate at 11:07 PM on January 3, 2012
Something very similar happened to me 1,5 years ago. I booked a Continental flight over Orbitz (but the flight was US domestic). When I had problems with my visa, I called up Orbitz to see what I could do in terms of cancelling/refund. What they did was to give me Continental credit, but to use the credit I needed to spend $170, and I had a year to do it. I don't know if your flight being international has any bearing on this.
Good luck!
posted by kuju at 12:04 AM on January 4, 2012
Good luck!
posted by kuju at 12:04 AM on January 4, 2012
If all else fails, you can try to just get the taxes refunded. My husband had an international ticket that was non-refundable (starting from the EU headed to the US), but by EU law, they must refund the taxes, which turned out to be about half the ticket price. I am not sure if Japan has a similar law, but it is worth a try.
But, absolutely go to FlyerTalk for help--that was how we discovered the tax refund angle.
posted by chiefthe at 12:26 AM on January 4, 2012 [1 favorite]
But, absolutely go to FlyerTalk for help--that was how we discovered the tax refund angle.
posted by chiefthe at 12:26 AM on January 4, 2012 [1 favorite]
Sometimes with these non-refundable tickets, you can pay a smallish fee to change the name on the ticket, even when you can't change the date.
If that's the case, you could resell the ticket on your local Craiglist equivalent.
posted by emilyw at 2:05 AM on January 4, 2012
If that's the case, you could resell the ticket on your local Craiglist equivalent.
posted by emilyw at 2:05 AM on January 4, 2012
Response by poster: Hi folks, thanks for the responses so far.
mr_roboto and kuju, yeah, I was thinking that too--that was my plan actually, because I've been able to do that before with tix I bought on Orbitz, and in fact the second time I talked to Continental the rep was all set to do that until she read the fine-print and had to call someone else--I guess within the company--to confirm that I was screwed. Doh.
speaking of, sammyo, the last agent I spoke with was quite sympathetic. Actually, I gotta say, everyone I talked to (at both Continental and Orbitz) was super nice, and the last woman I spoke with actually sounded sad she couldn't help me! I don't remember American service being that nice. Although, the last woman I spoke with had a strong Indian accent...hmm...
holgate and chiefthe, I've taken your advice and posted a new thread on FlyerTalk, we'll see what happens. In addition I'll investigate the tax refund thing and see what I can get. If I recall a reasonable chunk of the cost was taxes--something like a quarter to a third of the price. Of course, it's conspicuously absent from my email receipt and I can't find it when I log into Orbitz. Hmm.
holgate, definitely point taken about being clear up-front next about what I'm purchasing, and spending a bit extra to be able to refund/change the ticket...whew!
emilyw I'll see if that's possible too.
If I end up losing the money I won't be insanely upset but I just wish I could have it re-routed to a charity or something...it eats me up that an airline will keep my money, and get to put someone else on the flight anyways as it suits them. Bah.
posted by dubitable at 2:30 AM on January 4, 2012 [1 favorite]
mr_roboto and kuju, yeah, I was thinking that too--that was my plan actually, because I've been able to do that before with tix I bought on Orbitz, and in fact the second time I talked to Continental the rep was all set to do that until she read the fine-print and had to call someone else--I guess within the company--to confirm that I was screwed. Doh.
speaking of, sammyo, the last agent I spoke with was quite sympathetic. Actually, I gotta say, everyone I talked to (at both Continental and Orbitz) was super nice, and the last woman I spoke with actually sounded sad she couldn't help me! I don't remember American service being that nice. Although, the last woman I spoke with had a strong Indian accent...hmm...
holgate and chiefthe, I've taken your advice and posted a new thread on FlyerTalk, we'll see what happens. In addition I'll investigate the tax refund thing and see what I can get. If I recall a reasonable chunk of the cost was taxes--something like a quarter to a third of the price. Of course, it's conspicuously absent from my email receipt and I can't find it when I log into Orbitz. Hmm.
holgate, definitely point taken about being clear up-front next about what I'm purchasing, and spending a bit extra to be able to refund/change the ticket...whew!
emilyw I'll see if that's possible too.
If I end up losing the money I won't be insanely upset but I just wish I could have it re-routed to a charity or something...it eats me up that an airline will keep my money, and get to put someone else on the flight anyways as it suits them. Bah.
posted by dubitable at 2:30 AM on January 4, 2012 [1 favorite]
You didn't mention what the visa issue was, but I got a $900 Japan-China ticket - similarly restrictive - refunded because I was could not receive a visa for my final destination (not China). Can you use that angle? (This was 3 years ago on Korean Air purchased directly from the airline, though. Orbitz puts everything up in the air.)
posted by whatzit at 3:11 AM on January 4, 2012
posted by whatzit at 3:11 AM on January 4, 2012
My experience was exactly the same as kuju's. Start planning to use it now!
posted by two lights above the sea at 5:19 AM on January 4, 2012
posted by two lights above the sea at 5:19 AM on January 4, 2012
« Older Killer Recommendation for a Teacher | how to set up kids business selling homemade... Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by mr_roboto at 10:32 PM on January 3, 2012