Travelocity Total lack of Customer care George Town Internet

My experience with Travelocity has been a saga of frustration and total lack of customer satisfaction which stretched ove a period of a month and involved times of up to 3 1/2 hrs on the telephone mainly on hold!

Briefly the arrangements were for flights fron Grand Cayman via Los Angles to Papette in Tahiti in time to board a cruise ship on the 15th. The original flights were for Nov. 13th. and the crucial flight from Los Angles to Papette was scheduled to leave at approx 10:30 pm in the evening. We had to pay for the tickets up front because they HAD to be paper tickets. The tickets duely arrived and all seemed OK.

I then started to recieve e-mails informing me of flight changes at the rate of 1 or 2 per week. Most had absolutley no effect on the travel arrangements at all and it got to the stage that I started to merely glance at them before deleting. Then one e-mail arrived which certainly got my attention as the flights that Travelocity had rearranged for us had us arriving in Los Angles 2 hours after our flight left for Papette......so began the saga.

First I rang the customer 1-800 line which is not toll free from Grand Cayman! I got through to the call center in India!! where a person gave me their very English sounding name ( a ploy as I found out later as these people invet a new name daily I believe). I gave them my trip ID number and was asked to hold. 10 minutes later they came back and asked what the problem was!! If they took ten minutes to retrive my information they could have at least read the itinerary and seen the problem.

I tried to explain the fact that they had booked me on a flight which arrived 2 hrs after my connecting flight had left. It was like trying to explain the oprinciples of Quantum Mechanics to a 3 year old (actually probably more difficult because of the language problems).

I tried to speak to a supervisor but was told "they" were all busy and I would receive a call back the next day. This of course did not happen. I called back the day after to be greeted by another representative (also with a very English name). I asked to speak to the first person I spoke to...a request I later learned was rather stupid as they change their names frequentl!! So we went through the whole trip id..hold..problem explanation...request for a supervisor proceedure again. This time I held for just over 1 hour and got to speak to a supervisor...wate of time.

As an aside every time I called I was asked to enter my trip ID on each occasion an automated voice told me they were experiencing "computer problems' and I would be transfered to.....yes the call center in India.

Another promise to call back (as the supervisor needed to talk to the Airlines) produced....yes you have gussed it...nothing. So next day I called back and immediately asked for a supervisor. The on hold time was much shorter this time only 45 minutes. I went through the whole explanation again, This person then started suggesting other flights to get us to Papeete on time, these all included leaving Grand Cayman a day eqrlier and some involved 12hr lay over in New York followed by a 12 Hr. layover in Los Angles. Any help with accomadation I asked....that was a laugh...no way I was told.

After a 2 hr telephone conversation I was told "We will work it out for you and We will call you back" Fat chance!!! Next day I called again, just over 1 hr. on hold, different supervisor, who told me they were having a long wait time trying to get through to the Airlines, just out of interest I called the two Airlines involved on another phone got through in 5 mins! More lies and another 1 1/2 hour hold (total 3 1/2 hours)

After spending so much time being lied to be the people in the call center in India I decide to try another route. I found out that a lady called Michelle Peluso is a VP at Travelocity and according to her bio online answers all her e-mails personally. so I e-mailed Michelleand guess what I got a reply! I was handed over immediately to the executive office.

By the way do not try to phone the numbers of Travelocity in Texas as all you get is voice mail. If you need the correct numbers or e-mail addresse e-mail me.

The cotacts at the executive office of course neede it all explained again.

THe outcome was as follows:
I have to travel a day later than planned, I have had no offer of using other Airlines, no offer of help (I am not looking for them to pay all of the costs) for accomadation so I could travel a day earlier. I loose a day on Tahiti, the original seats I had reserved are not available so I have had to accept ones in a poorer location. I was offered a voucher against future bookings with Travelocity but when I checked on their prices compared to booking with the hotel direct they (Travelocity) were more expensive!

As a final point I asked about the paper tickets I had been issued and was assured that the Airlines would endorse them at check-in. Now as I had been lied to constantly I decided to check with the Airlines and was told NO I had to return the tickets for re-issue. I caled the "Expert" at the executive office back and told hom. He insisted they would be endorsed...no they won't I told hiim so off he went to check with his travel department, he came back and told me that they would be endorsed so I told him to call the Airline. He finally came back and told me that I was right (no apology) and I would have to Fed-Ex the tickets back at my expense. They did re-imburse me that cost.

Up-date I have received several e-mails again from Travelocity informing me that I am now booked to leave Grand Cayman on two days running, fly to Los Angles on two days running, arrive 2 hrs too late to catch my flight on one day but ok on the next.

These people have no idea about customet satisfaction or indeed how to deal with customers.

Stephen
George Town
Cayman Islands