All travel tips from The Women’s Travel Group are based on real experiences.
Reason One You booked on line. Your credit card was declined. This snafu can happen with a valid credit card if booking an unusual airline, or paying via a third party agent. On a real site like kayak.com you might see cheap fares. Kayak lists all kinds of tickets. I bought a one way ticket Mexico City to JFK on Kayak. The ticket was issued by a consolidator in Canada; rules were different. The ticket was valid; however it had no ff mile benefit, and no seat choice.
Reason Two Your computer crashes while booking the flight. Airline sites take time to load. If you have clicked on Purchase, the wifi is weak, and you do not see the word BOOKED, you probably lost the ticket. If your head is clear and you are not crying, call the airline. It might too soon for the credit card to show the purchase, but call them next. 99% of the time you lost your reservation.
That brings us to what you should have in travel records: 1. Record Locator 2. Ticket Number 3. list of flights 4. Seating chart of the aircraft. 5. Phone number of your airline in the foreign countries you are visiting.
Record Locator is a 6 letter code on your booking. It is also called Confirmation Number. The ticket number is a 13 digit number on other paperwork. The ticket number is a must keep especially if connecting to a foreign airline. In experience the locator changes airline to connecting airline not the ticket number. Now have a list of flights and connection times at each airport. Also bring the aircraft seating chart showing your seat. Recently my Delta seat was double booked; the chart and not screaming were the solution. Finally if you have to call from overseas, it can be quicker to call a local office. A snow storm on the East coast can create havoc with Delta’s 800 number. It will be faster to call Delta in the country where you are. When the US border closed on March 17 2020, I was unable to get thru to Delta in Paris but not in the US.
Reason Three If you change or miss one leg of a trip, you might lose the rest of your ticket. If this is due to a delay or cancellation, get the airline to confirm your other flights. O check on the airline app; there you can see the rest of your confirmed flights. If you lose a paper boarding pass, ask for a replacement from check in. The gate cannot always reprint an old pass. If you lose a baggage tag, don’t panic, some airlines now show you movement of checked baggage. Nagging here: remember to have your ticket number somewhere.
That brings us to the airline app. So you are not electronically savvy. If you like to travel, you should add the app to your phone. Then spend a few minutes learning it. Now fill it in. The app is the quickest way to double everything. The app retains your information: like ‘window seat’ or ‘ veggie meal’, passport information, ff numbers, trusted traveler number. Also use the app seating chart, and check it often if you need a better seat.
Reason Four The aircraft was changed. You did not lose your reservation but you are no longer in the same seat. Airlines have the right to change aircraft with no recourse or refund, if you have still a seat in the same class. If forced into a lower class, ask for a refund of your upgrade $$. If you accept a better downgraded seat, you get zero refund.
Reason Five Missing a flight when your fault (traffic ie), might be worth a mini whine at the airport. As my mother advised: honey gets you further than vinegar. You most likely will not get honey but try.
Travel tips from award winning The Women’s Travel Group. We are offering special rates on river cruises for singles. Call us for more information 646 309 5607. Or email us here.
