Watch out for those fees!!

[wannabeBelle]

Hey everyone, Id like to share an experience I just had so hopefully no one else has to go through what I did. I called WDW on Saturday to inquire about a room for January 30th of this year. As my friend Rich, works for the travel industry, he gets a pretty great discount. I booked the room the same as I always have. Today I went into work and my boss asked me if I can postpone my trip as a project I Am working on is critical and I Am needed. OK not a huge issue right?? WRONG!!! I get home and there is a FedEx envelope under my door from Disney Travel Company. I called WDW immediately as I had never gotten this before because I had always booked through the Central Reservations area. It turns out that with 2003, more packages have become the exclusive domain of the WDW Travel Company and that eventually everyone will be WDW Travel Company!!! Well I know this option does carry some very hefty fines($100 to cancel or $50 to transfer your vacation to another date if the changes are made within 45 days of your arrival). I spoke to Guest Services and they were kind enough to work with me and transfer my dates with a smaller fee. When you book BE SURE to ask what is the cancellation policy...even if you are like me and think you have heard this 7 million times before!!! It could be a costly mistake!!! As I said Disney was wonderful about it, but I would have preferred to not have to go through this at all!!! Have a magical day!! Belle

 

[CAPTAIN HOOK]

Most tour operators work with a cancellation or alterations policy - nice of Disney to be so flexible

 

[wannabeBelle]

Oh I absolutely agree with you there Captain, however up until this year if you were booking through Central Reservations for a room only, not a package,you had up until 5 days before your arrival date to cancel with no penalty. I happen to like that!! And I do agree, Disney really was pretty good about it!! Just wanted to warn others not to book unless you KNOW you can go!! Belle

 

[Mitzer]

First Belle, sorry you have to postpone your trip...I know that in itself is upsetting...but then to be hit with fees you didn't expect... . I know how you feel. We had to cancel a trip for last November and although we got all the money back, we got hit by Delta for the airline tickets. I am not sure if people know the new rules with them either. Delta has not only changed their cancellation fees, but if you fly standby, they charge you to change the flight. Something that used to be a common curteousy. I suppose all of the travel industry is changing in some sort of way...and I am both sorry you had to cancel/postpone and you were surprise with the cancellation fee. Were you able to go later? and on a lighter note...pssst...send the bill to your boss :lol: .

 

[BRER STITCH]

There was a full page paid announcement from some Travel Industry Group in the paper here a few months ago warning about this.

Apparently Hotels and Airlines began charging travel aganets if they changed flights for their customers, so they had no choice but to pass them onto the consumer or something.

In short, with the travel industry still not recovered from the September 11th attack, they are scrambling to make up lost revenue at any opportunity.

Personally, I think the airlines stand-by rule is the biggest slap in the face, but fees of ANY kind will place a larger burden over the people the Industry is counting on to bring it back!

Talk about a Catch-22!

:hammer: :brick: :hammer: :brick:

 

[Yellow Shoes]

The stand -by rule is just plain stupid.

Here's what happened to my husband last summer.

He had flown to Chicago for a family reunion, and in order to make one trip to the airport, he was 3 hours early for his flight (which he didn't mind--he had a book).

He goes to check in for his flight and notices that there is a flight leaving in 30 minutes. He asks about getting on that one and is told there is plenty of space on the plane but it will cost him $100 (his round trip ticket cost less than that!).

So he waits for his original flight which is overbooked. They are paying people to get off and fly later.



grrrrrrrrrrrrr

 

[1goofyfamily]

Thanks for the warning! I changed my ressie 3 times last year w/ no problem~ But I will :lookaroun out next time I make my plans to travel to WDW.

I hope everything works out for you! And tell your boss you need a bonus in your paycheck for changing your plans!

 

[Mitzer]

Originally posted by Yellow Shoes
The stand -by rule is just plain stupid.

Here's what happened to my husband last summer.

He had flown to Chicago for a family reunion, and in order to make one trip to the airport, he was 3 hours early for his flight (which he didn't mind--he had a book).

He goes to check in for his flight and notices that there is a flight leaving in 30 minutes. He asks about getting on that one and is told there is plenty of space on the plane but it will cost him $100 (his round trip ticket cost less than that!).

So he waits for his original flight which is overbooked. They are paying people to get off and fly later.



grrrrrrrrrrrrr

I know exactly what you mean. My husband was bumped as a paying customer from Detriot to Atlanta recently with Delta. They had overbooked the plane and no one was willing to get off and take the next plane. My husband, since he was traveling alone, said he would gladly take the next plane...only maybe an hour later. Delta gave him a $450.00 voucher for future flights. The problem was when he went to the next flight, they wanted to charge him for the change ...which make absolutely NO SENSE! In the end, they didn't...but it does make you wonder about their abilities.

 

[mudogs]

I changed my room only reservations last week, didn't change the dates, just the resort I was staying at. (Going in March) They did not charge me anything, and I did specifically ask this. They transferred my whole deposit over to the new reservation and cancelled my old one. I even called back later and changed my view at the new resort, and I was not charged for that either. Did I get lucky?

 

[wannabeBelle]

Oh my God!!! Do you believe this!!!! I am telling you it is unreasonable as to what these travel companies are doing to the custmers in some cases!!
Well as far as my trip I have managed to move the dates to the end of May, which is a planned trip anyhow. I also let my boss know that I HAVE to go in May or the $100 cancellation fee will come back!! She was pretty good about that and said there should be no problem!
And above all I am glad that this post is doing what it was intended to, which is make more people aware of this new policy. I am also going to call again tonight so I can get a bit more information on which other groups have had the policies changed. Lets see if I can get an answer!! If so, Ill post it here!! Belle

 

[Pioneer Hall]

I had to book with the Travel Company too this year for my room because of the Travel Agent special. I agree that their policy is a little stupid. They now expect you to have everything finalized in a month and a half. If something unexpected happens within that time you are stuck.

They also changed the deposit system. You now have to give them a $200 deposit instead of a one night stay.

 

[wannabeBelle]

Yup exactly!!! Because I was coming in so soon, I actually had to pay for the whole thing up front. I had thought that was a bit odd, but just assumed that the person on the other end of my phone knew what they were doing!! That will teach me to double check when something sounds odd, now wont it!! Belle

 

[monorailmike]

I just booked through the central reservations for All Star Movies in February. A co-worker invited me to tag along with her family. They said I could cancel up to 5 days before arrival. I never thought to ask about fees. Now I am worried because the co-worker informed me that the trip might get canceled if her husband get sent off for some training. I'll call in a few and double check.

 

[Pioneer Hall]

Originally posted by monorailmike
I just booked through the central reservations for All Star Movies in February. A co-worker invited me to tag along with her family. They said I could cancel up to 5 days before arrival. I never thought to ask about fees. Now I am worried because the co-worker informed me that the trip might get canceled if her husband get sent off for some training. I'll call in a few and double check.

If they said that you have up until 5 days to cancel, then you do not have to worry about fees until you are in that time slot. The deposit is fully refundable up until that point.

 

[wannabeBelle]

I agree with Disney Insider!! If they specifically told you that the cancellation was for the 5 days before, then you booked through the Central Reservations office and you are fine!!!
I just spoke to Abagail at CRO. She was so wonderful!!!!! Basically almost all reservations have indeed gone over to Travel Company including the aforemetioned Travel Industry Discount. This would be the 45 day cancellation policy. As of today, she told me that the annual passholders rooms are still being booked thru CRO with the 5 day cancellation policy, but she knows that that is going to be moved to Travel Company SOON, she just couldn't swear for when, but it is just a matter of time.
Moral of the story: Double check your cancellation policy before you book your trip!!

 

[kennyj29]

WE BOOKED THE CRUISE NEXT YEAR BUT WE WOULD LIKE TO GO TO THE WORLD FOR A FEW DAYS BEFORE. WE WOULD LOVE TO MAKE IT A TWO WEEK TRIP BUT THERE ARE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT MIGHT PREVENT IT. IF WE BOOKED A ROOM FOR THE WEEK AND THEN HAD TO SHORTEN THE STAY, WOULD THERE BE PENALTIES FOR THAT? I'M JUST CURIOUS.

 

[dreamer]

Originally posted by Mitzer
I know exactly what you mean. My husband was bumped as a paying customer from Detriot to Atlanta recently with Delta. They had overbooked the plane and no one was willing to get off and take the next plane. My husband, since he was traveling alone, said he would gladly take the next plane...only maybe an hour later. Delta gave him a $450.00 voucher for future flights. The problem was when he went to the next flight, they wanted to charge him for the change ...which make absolutely NO SENSE! In the end, they didn't...but it does make you wonder about their abilities.

I bet there are millions of stories like this. The employees are so poorly trained and arrogant. I'm thankful for Southwest and the other airlines shaking up the industry.

Maybe Disney should start its own airline.

 

[Mitzer]

Originally posted by wannabeBelle
I agree with Disney Insider!! If they specifically told you that the cancellation was for the 5 days before, then you booked through the Central Reservations office and you are fine!!!
I just spoke to Abagail at CRO. She was so wonderful!!!!! Basically almost all reservations have indeed gone over to Travel Company including the aforemetioned Travel Industry Discount. This would be the 45 day cancellation policy. As of today, she told me that the annual passholders rooms are still being booked thru CRO with the 5 day cancellation policy, but she knows that that is going to be moved to Travel Company SOON, she just couldn't swear for when, but it is just a matter of time.
Moral of the story: Double check your cancellation policy before you book your trip!!

Queston Belle : If they already are doing the DC and packages through the travel dept and now they are moving the AP rates, then what is CRO going to be left with. Just plain rooms with no discounts? Why couldn't they just leave well enough alone. I think they keep it moving so we regulars have to keep on our toes. We had a reservations for November 2002 we had to cancel and luckily I called in Sept so I was fine. They said that between the time I made the reservations and cancelled it, the policies had changed, but I was still fine. I replied, I don't think so. If they were the policies that were in place when I made the reservations, then they should grandfather them over to my confirmation...she said they don't. So what is stopping them from changing them mid stream on you?

 

[wannabeBelle]

In answer to your first question, Mitzer, there will no longer be a CRO at all!!! All of the agents will be booking exclusively thru Travel Company.
In answer to your second question, The policy that was in force at the time of booking should ABSOLUTELY be the one that is adhered to. They cant switch that mid stream. They can (and probably will) start bookings witha new cancellation policy and just let the old one cycle thru. If that had happened to me I would've very calmly asked to speak to a manager and explain that these were the terms of the contract when I agreed to it. just because your current policy says something different means nothing. It is illegal to do that, and Disney as well as any other company knows that. I think you were just given misinformation. Belle

 

[dreamer]

Does the Travel Company allow rebooking a reservation without the same penalty as cancelling? Then you could've rebooked in May.