Warning: Cheapoair.com

[Anna C. 4]

Hi guys,

I would like to share my experience with this company to warn you never to make the mistake and book a flight with that company. It all started yesterday morning when I learned that my grandmother had deceased and I was looking for a reasonable ticket to fly to attend the funeral on Saturday.

I checked the internet for bereavement fares and also called some airlines, but $1000 was the best they could do. So I checked online and stumbled across the website. I found a flight with United Airlines for incredible $600. When I clicked to confirm the price, at the bottom of the page I could enter my credit card info and traveler's info. So I did that and hit the book button. After 10 seconds the confirmation window popped up and I had my first close heart attack: instead of my chosen United flight a Delta flight for $1700 was confirmed on totally different dates. That flight wasn't even an option on the search results page. Right away I called their hotline. After 10 minutes I was redirected to an answering machine where I left a message. I also sent an online inquiry to their customer service. I checked my credit card which had a temp authorization of the outrageous amount. I called Bank of America but they told me they cannot dispute a charge until it becomes a charge, also Delta, who supposedly was my airline, knew nothing of the charge. After 130 minutes on the phone (there goes 130 minutes of free minutes for March), they finally called back. The woman didn't say sorry but agreed on changing the flight. The $600 couldn't be found, so we agreed on a flight for $772, which should have left today at 2pm for Frankfurt. It took one hour to clarify what she needs to make these changes. During the phone call we exchanged emails. Hubbie and I printed out what she needed (cancellation of expensive flight, cc auth for new flight) and faxed it to the number she asked us to. She said after an 1 or 2 we will receive via email the confirmation and e-ticket number as well as that the charges were taken off the cc.

After 90 minutes I sent her an email if the flight was confirmed, and she answered YES. I felt uneasy about it while I packed and started to call their hotline again. After 2.5 hours trying to reach someone (hubbie on his phone, me on mine) my mother in law simultaneously tried to call them from CA. Their hotline closes at 9pm. It was 8:50pm when she got through and helped us to talk to them. After quite some time, 20 minutes on the phone, my MIL learned that the ticket never was confirmed. The airline only issues paper tickets if the ticket is booked less than 48 hours prior to departure, and obviously there is no time to get the ticket to us on time, and that is why it never was confirmed. The person on the phone assured MIL that the temp authorization was taken back.

After that we still called around but couldn't find any acceptable fare.

I checked my cc online and the temp auth is still there. 10 minutes ago the woman who "sold" us the ticket yesterday called me that she had the ticket now and I could fly. After asking her if this is true, the flight she has turned out to be tomorrow (which is too late since I would arrive after the funeral), and after I said that it was too late, the flight she offered me suddenly would leave tonight at 7pm. I said I don't want to fly anymore and don't appreciate getting my hopes up, and I really hope the charges on my cc will disappear.

I really feel very sad and angry, since they knew right from the beginning that I was purchasing a bereavement fare. I spent so much time on the phone just to be lied at and still no money refund. I am very anxious about that.

Please never ever book through that company, it will just give you grief.

[Nessa 23]

wow. Can't you sue them?

[DeadPoolX 9]

wow. Can't you sue them?

There's probably some sort of clause in the fine print that exempts them (or partially exempts them) from a lawsuit in such a case.

Thanks for the warning. I don't think I would've booked with an agent called "Cheapoair.com" but just the same, it's good to know about the bad companies out there.

[Nanusia & Lukaszek 0]

You can dispute the charge with your credit card, and they'll battle it out with cheapoair.com. It takes a while, but I think this will help you.

[Mags 112]

Sorry you had to deal with so much sh!t straight after hearing about your grandmother. You just don't need stress at a time like that. If you do get charged for the fare (s) make sure you dispute it with your credit card company, as stated above. You are protected to some extent with CC so they should sort it out.

Sorry again about your grandmother.

[Savanphil 3]

My God! What an awful experience you had. What you went through is just ridiculous and unaccptable. I hope you never have a crappy experience like this again.

I am sorry about your grandmother

[Saddle Bronc 124]

I tried cheapoair (and a few other sites) for hypothetical (not planning on taking) flights BWI-MAA for 2007/12/26 - 2008/01/23.

On Orbitz, I was able to find one (including fees) of $1,400. THE LOWEST price I got on cheapoair was $4,362 (NOT including fees)--rather reminiscent of my 1997 call experience with Delta, United, AA and NWA for Atlanta-Calgary (where United stood out like a sore thumb--I could easily have booked on the others a trip to India, returned and THEN flown to London for United's price).

THE MOST MISNAMED SITE ON THE PLANET!!!!

[MaydayDas 1]

Sorry about your grandmother, may rest in peace.

Something similar happened to my husband, they sold him some tickets online for a flight that didn't exist. we switched to another flight but it is so frustrating to see things like that happening.

[Fuzzness 2]

I almost always get my booking done directly with the airline itself. Only other way I've done it is expedia.

sorry to hear about your grandma

[Ban Hammer 13,345]

sorry to hear that your grandmother has passed on, god bless her soul.

you need to follow this incident up with a strongly worded letter to the better business bureau.

[eap620 0]

I'm so so sorry that you had to go through this. I hope it won't take long to get your cc situation fixed so you don't have that stress on your mind as well. What a horrible company!!! Hopefully you will never have to experience anything like this again.

Please accept my prayers for you and your family for the loss of your grandmother. That has to be very hard. I wish you the best.