Travelocity

Travelocity Ripped me off when wife had stroke during trip San Antonio, Texas

20th of Mar, 2011 by User931212

I retired from the military back in November, wanted to take my wife and daughter on a trip since I've been too busy defending our nation against terrorists and didn't have the time before. My wife and I wanted to take a last minute trip with our daughter when I got some time off of my new job. We decided to go to Las Vegas and celebrate my retirement in the same place I proposed to my wife, Caesars Palace. These were last minute travel plans, for 3 of us, so we went thru Travelocity to organize everything. We paid $1100 for airfare and 6 days hotel at Circus Circus, not including taxes and fee's. Our airfare was thru American Airlines leaving the 9th of March, returning the 15th of March. We hadn't even spent 1 day in Vegas when my wife had a stroke and was taken to the hospital. She spent the night in the emergency room, 2 days in ICU and the rest of the time in acute care and rehab. She is still in the hospital, the doctors are not sure when they are going to release her since she is paralyzed on one side and needs help getting around. Additionally they have not completed their diagnoses on her exact neurological condition and don't want to release her until they do. Even then she will have to live in a rehab center or have rehab done in the home with the possibility of a caregiver spending time with her in our home. I purchased travel insurance through Travelguard, but the problem started when Travelguard told me Travelocity claimed the insurance wasn't paid. I had contacted both Travelocity and Travelguard after my wife went into the hospital and informed them that there was the possibility our travel arrangements would need to be changed. I was under the impression I was going to have to pay for new tickets when Travelguard called me up again and said Travelocity found the insurance payment and there was an issue with their accounting process. I was told by Travelguard that I would have to cancel the return flight prior to the 15th of March so I would get credit for any value still on the ticket. I attempted to do this on the 14th of March but Travelocity told me American Airlines told them there was no value on the ticket so they didn't cancel it. The travel agent from Travelocity told me not to worry that I would have to pay $150 per ticket to get them changed since this was the policy of the airline and that since I paid the insurance it would be refunded by Travelguard. Travelguard told me the same thing, that they were a reimbursement company. They do not pay for tickets upfront, they only pay after the fact when everything is verified by their medical department which was a surprise to me. Guess I should have read the fine print before I paid for it. It is now the 20th of March, my wife is still in the hospital and the doctors still do not know when they will be able to release her to fly home. I am now looking at using up the last of my vacation time and need to get home before I lose the new job I have. Having nightmares over having to look for a new one. I call up Travelocity and they verify there is a flight from Las Vegas to Chicago on Monday 21 March. However they change their story on the cost. Before it was $150 for the change fee. Now they want me to book a new flight and pay $150 change fee thru American Airlines. I felt this didn't sound right so I call Travelguard. Travelguard of course tells me I can either book with Travelocity or thru Travelguards agents, or I can book it myself and they will reimburse later. Either way I'm out of pocket for the tickets, good thing I received a bonus the day prior or I would have been stuck in Vegas. Do you like how I almost got sucker punched there? I thought the insurance was supposed to cover in case of emergencies, well Travelguard wasn't going to help out in anyway, they were only going to reimburse later. So to the meat of my complaint. Travelocity then attempts to find airfare home for me and my daughter. I am quoted $1300 for TWO tickets, one way Vegas to Chicago. I again sensed a problem. I asked the agent if that was for Three tickets or Two and requested a 3-way conversation with the airline. While the agent was getting the airline on the phone I began surfing for better deals on the internet, including Travelocity's website. I found that all the websites had typical one way fares of $440 to $500 a ticket. When I questioned the agent about this I was told that was because there were no seats available on those fares. I told him I felt like he was attempting to defraud me and the insurance company. I also informed him that American Airlines told me I could pay just the $150 per ticket change fee but that the change had to come from Travelocity since it was a bulk fare fee. Travelocity refused to honor the return fare on my trip and demanded I pay $1300 for TWO tickets. I also researched the original trip I just took and could have gotten 3 round trip tickets and 6 nights in Vegas for the same price as the TWO one way fares back home. I ended up paying $900 for two one way tickets Vegas to Chicago while on the phone arguing with Travelocity's agent and American Airlines about their policies of screwing over a family going through this miserable time. I was telling the agent their website had cheaper fares than he was offering me and he refused to budge from his $1300 pricetag. My wife is suffering in the hospital, me and my daughter are suffering worried about her and worried how we are all going to get back home so we can start healing. American Airlines, Travelocity and Travelguard are all THREE taking advantage of our misery to make more money. Now if someone paid me $200 to take them to the airport and pick them up when they got back and they had to go thru what I just went thru with my wife. I'd be a little more understanding, and just because they had to change their return time by a few days I don't see how it could be legal, right or justified to charge them more then they originally paid me to travel. And then lied to me about it. I mean I already paid for the return flight, why should have to pay more for 2 tickets one way than it cost for 3 tickets roundtrip and 6 days hotel stay? Travelocity and it's FOREIGN travel agents are disgusting human beings. I will never use their services again and I'd suggest everyone did the same.

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