Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Today Is A Better Day


A picture of me yesterday

Yesterday, I spent the better part of the day trying to get my flight reservation to England fixed. After I had already paid my credit card bill for the flight to England, I noticed, much too late, that another person's name was on my e-ticket. I checked the airport and flight information on the printout, but I did not check the name. Who would think that someone else's name would be on the ticket? Not I.

Into stress and panic mode and on the phone with the number punching and long waits. I thought it would be a simple matter of correcting the ticket, but no, the airline, which I would dearly like to name, but I won't, said that they would have to initiate a fraud investigation to make sure that no one stole my reservation. They let it slip that the person whose name was on the ticket was from California. If my credit card number had been stolen, it seems to me that I would have had other fraudulent charges on my bill, but I did not. What I believe happened is that someone typed in the wrong name to my reservation made with my credit card, but the airline would not admit that and their attitude was "take no responsibility and CYA". It's not as simple as I have stated, because I was passed from person to person, then to a supervisor, with long waits in between conversations.

The airline said that they would contact my credit card company after they had done their investigation, but I did not trust them, so I called the company myself. Their service was excellent. The person I talked to laughed when I said that the airline was doing a fraud investigation. The rep said, "This happens often. The airlines put in the wrong name." Ha! She said that they would proceed to challenge the charge and issue me a credit and give me a new card number "just in case".

So now I have no reservation, because the other was canceled. I checked around the internet and made a couple of calls, because I really, really did not want to fly with the same airline, but no other airline had flights which were equal in price and convenient flight times, so I booked again with the same airline, and I now have a ticket in my very own name, for which I had to pay, of course.

Part of this trouble was my own doing for not reading the information on the ticket carefully. I am not a detail person, but, nevertheless, I should have read every word on the ticket. I've learned a lesson - I hope.

Grandpère took my place in picking up the grandchildren from school and staying with them until I could get my affairs arranged and get myself together to go to my son's house to relieve him. I wanted to see my grandchildren, because it was their last day with their dad.

End of story.

15 comments:

  1. Steadfast Protectoress of the Unborn and the Pregnant
    Faithful Guide to Swimmers and Drivers.
    Having attained angelic life,
    Through your Martyrdom at Chappaquiddick.
    Make Haste to intercede for us, O Mary Jo Kopeckne!

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  2. So sorry you had this happen - just what you did not need -- I did not look at dates carefully once and had to pay the change fee - now I am super careful - arrggh.

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  3. Anon, I am neither unborn nor pregnant, neither swimming nor driving at the moment, but intercessory prayer is welcome.

    Ann, I've had other close calls with wrong departure times in my head, contrary to what was on the paper, so I really should know better. Let's hope that now I do.

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  4. Goodness, what an ordeal! Who would have thought the name was wrong on the ticket?!
    You are quite generous not to mention the name of the airline.

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  5. Catherine, who would have thought...? The airline sent me a survey to fill out today for TWO overseas flights purchased recently. I let them have it between the eyes. Not that I expect it will do any good.

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  6. And here I am helping people book travel every day - but only within the government agency I work for. So sorry I could not assist you.

    May it all go smoothly from here; you've paid your dues up front!

    ((((( Mimi )))))

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  7. Paul, I should have got in touch with you and let the government pay - especially for the second ticket. Thanks for the good wishes.

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  8. Sorry you had to go through that. But, isn't it sweet of Gpere to help you out?

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  9. With the wrong name on the ticket the Security people will get you Mimi.

    You better have your best underwear!

    Nowadays the Murcans are terrified of shadows...

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  10. A Deaconess friend of mine was searched at every change last year...

    Last year the Security even put our Prince Carl Philip in the bin for some hours ;=)

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  11. Congratulations on your great work of getting it straightened out, Mimi. Somehow airlines are always getting things screwed up. Do they care? Not really.

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  12. Now and then we will book travel on the Internet, but for the most part we rely on our very competent and extremely helpful travel agent who has worked minor miracles getting us in and our of strange places. His feats of extreme helpfulness are legendary around this town. Of course there is a fee to be paid, but it's worth every penny.

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  13. I'm often stopped and patted down and wanded, and I've had my suitcase searched quite a few times. What is it? I look harmless enough.

    Ann suggested long underwear, too. I've been in freezing weather before. The average temperatures in Leeds in March are in the high thirties and low forties Fahrenheit. I can handle that.

    Country Parson, we've had issues with travel agents, too. Maybe we haven't found the right agent.

    Airlines generally don't care, although I've found JetBlue to be quite good for domestic flights in the US.

    But, isn't it sweet of Gpere to help you out?

    Well, yes, Lindy, but they're his grandchildren, too. Let's not go overboard. ;o)

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