Cheaptickets.com Orbitz.com ********Lost Thousands Due to Mismanagement by Cheaptickets.com********* No Refund !! Chicago, Illinois

My flight VS#24 was scheduled for 8:55pm May 6,2011 as per the Cheaptickets.com confirmation email as well as the Virgin Atlantic website.

When I reach LAX at 6:15pm I find the VA counter empty. I hear from some LAX staff that the flight "has left early" and the VA staff had left for the day.
Completely clueless I called VA. The customer service rep said that the Travel Agent/Booking party was supposed to have informed me. As far as they are concerned I was a "no show" and would have to re-book at FULL COST plus additional fees.

I then called Cheaptickets to find what they could do. On calling, the "incompetent" customer rep said she would need to call VA (Virgin Atlantic) to see what could be done. After having been kept me on "hold" for 2 HOURS, I tell her that my cell was running out of battery so if she could call me back but she said I would have to hold.

She finally came back with an answer - "The Airline considere me as a no show and that she could not do anything".

I asked for her supervisor but the supervisor had left.
I told her I needed to get to London as soon as possible. I later had an onward flight to India and needed to procure immigration documents there which I needed for my return journey back to LAX (US). She said he could "rebook" a new flight from LAX to LHR for me and that I would have to pay for the new airfare. I rebooked the new flight and later had to rebook ALL remaining flights on my route as all had been cancelled. This incurred additional costs of $3500 at least.

I was waiting for them to get back to me if my forward flight bookings can be resurrected but they never did. They left me virtually stranded in London.

After lots of email correspondance, and waiting..they finally agreed to the fact that it was NOT MY FAULT and I should be re-imbursed (I have emails from them). That they had NOT INFORMED ME of the flight change or rescheduled me per their responsibility.  But when it came to giving my money back...they STOPPED RESPONDING.
 
Consumer's Desired Resolution:
It is reasonable to expect the Travel Agent/Website to rebook me at no cost - given that I was not informed about the rescheduling. I missed the flight through no fault of mine ! Not to mention the inconvenience caused and having to spend the whole night at an LAX food court with all my luggage by my side. I also had to repurchase tickets end moment for the entire route. All this cost me an additional $3500.