Chapter 15. Traveling About
Complaint about travel arrangements
Martin Shore
Go Away Travel Agency
Dear Mr. Shore,
We recently returned from a cruise package arranged by Shirley Glover of your agency.
Although the cruise was for the most part enjoyable, we feel that we received poor advice from Ms. Glover.
When we first spoke with Ms. Glover, we said we had never gone on a cruise before. We asked for advice in selecting a good cruise line with an itinerary and activities that would be appropriate for our entire family, which includes my wife and I plus our eight- and ten-year-old daughters.
The cruise ship from Miami to the Caribbean was filled almost entirely with senior citizens. The relatively few events included things like napkin folding and wine tastings. There were no activities for children at all, and our children were all but ignored by the staff.
We ended up paying dearly for our children to be miserable the entire time.
Since returning I have inquired among my friends and I have found there are a number of cruise lines that make a special effort to accommodate and entertain children. We are certain Ms. Glover could have done a much better job in choosing one of those cruises for us.
I am writing to bring this to your attention and to tell you that we feel we are entitled to a substantial refund or credit from your agency. We plan to cruise again, and we will make our choice of travel agency based on your response to this letter.
Sincerely,
Kay Maddow
Asking travel agency to reduce price
Laura Butler
Go-Away Travel Agency
Rolling Meadow
Dear Laura,
Three months ago my husband and I booked a cruise to Alaska in July with your agency. We paid our deposit, and the remaining money is due in two months.
The cost for this cruise was $2,600 per person for a suite with a balcony.
In recent days we have seen ads from the cruise line indicating significant discounts on upcoming Alaskan cruises, including the trip we have booked. The sale rate is $1,900 per person.
Please adjust our reservation to reflect the new price; if necessary, we are willing to cancel our first plan and rebook at the new rate. Even with a penalty the price would be lower, but we fully expect your agency will be able to renegotiate the price with the cruise line without a penalty being assessed.
Please call me as soon as possible to advise us of the new price.
Sincerely,
Karen Cart
Asking refund from travel agency
Laura Butler
Go-Away Travel Agency
Rolling Meadow
Dear Laura,
I received your letter in which you inform us that we are not entitled to the $400 per person savings you are now offering on cruises to Alaska in July.
We are not satisfied with your explanation. If you are not able to obtain a reduction in the price of our trip by dealing directly with the cruise line, there is one other way for you to keep our business: pay us from the commission you earn on the sale.
We have used your agency for many years and have been happy with the arrangements you have made. However, there are many other agencies we could use. To put it bluntly, we’re sure we can find someone who wants our business enough to always be on our side in any disagreement with a travel provider.
At this time we expect either a reduction in the price of our cruise to reflect the new price or a full refund of our deposit so that we can make a booking with another agency.
I look forward to hearing from you within the next seven days.
Thank you.
Karen Cart
Complaint to travel agency about unexpected fee
Mildred Swain
Atlantic Travel Agency
Dear Ms. Swain,
As you know, my husband and I have booked a fourteen-day Mediterranean cruise on the MS Puddle of the Seas through your agency.
We have made all payments as required and are ready to leave in just two weeks. However, in today’s mail we received a $300 invoice from the cruise line for a fuel surcharge.
This is unacceptable. We have a contract with your agency and the cruise line at an agreed-upon price. We do not intend to be forced to pay this additional amount.
As our travel agent, we feel it is your responsibility to be our representative in obtaining the best price and overall package for us. We want the surcharge removed from our bill and travel documents issued, or we want to cancel the cruise and receive a full refund—without any penalties—immediately.
Please call me to discuss.
Sincerely,
Catherine Allen
Complaint about missing hotel reservation
John Reynolds, Manager
The Lake View Hotel
Dear Mr. Reynolds,
I am writing to tell you of my extreme displeasure with your hotel’s reservations and front desk.
My wife and I had a confirmed reservation at your hotel for the night of May 15. This room was booked six months in advance in anticipation of attending an event at Fredonia University. At the time of booking we were informed that no credit card deposit was necessary for check-ins before 4 p.m.
We have stayed at the Lake View a number of times in the past and have plans to make future visits to the college.
When we arrived at your hotel on May 15, at 3 p.m., we were told by front desk clerk Pat Stevens that there was no record of our reservation and that there were no rooms available for the weekend.
Ms. Stevens made no effort to investigate why our reservation was not recorded. And when we asked if she could find us a room somewhere else in the area, she told us, “It is not my job to make reservations for you at other hotels.”
We feel that Ms. Stevens was very rude and dismissive of us.
We were forced to book a room at an inadequate motel thirty miles away, and we missed some of the events we had planned to attend.
I want you to be aware of the treatment we received at your hotel. We will be very interested in hearing from you before we consider making future reservations at your establishment.
Sincerely,
Harold Barker
Complaining about condition of hotel room
Janice Fletcher, Manager
The Overlook
Dear Ms. Fletcher,
My husband and I were guests at The Overlook on the weekend of July 11 to July 13.
This was not our first visit; we have stayed at your hotel at least four times in the past five years. On each of our previous visits the accommodations and service have been outstanding.
Unfortunately, that was far from the case on our most recent visit.
We always reserve a no-smoking room, and our reservation in July included that notation.
Although the room we were given was marked as such, it was clear that the previous guests had smoked. The odor was very apparent in the room, and there was even a full ashtray on the balcony.
This should have been obvious to your housekeeping staff. We also found it odd that there was an ashtray in a no-smoking room and unacceptable that it had not been removed.
We immediately returned to the front desk and explained the situation. We were told there were no other rooms available; I am not certain if that was true.
We found the condition of the room, and the unhelpful attitude of the front desk, to be well below the usual standard we have found at your hotel. Unless we can be reassured that this sort of situation will not occur again, we will be forced to look elsewhere for accommodations on our next visit to your area.
Sincerely,
Monica Peterson
Objecting to noisy room at hotel
Stan Lawton, Manager
Rolling Meadow Value Inn
Dear Mr. Lawton,
My wife and I have relatives in the Rolling Meadow area and travel there frequently. We are regular guests of your establishment and have generally had nothing but good experiences there.
Last weekend, however, our stay was totally unacceptable.
Our room was located on a floor where there were many guests attending a wedding party. On the two nights we were at the Rolling Meadow Value Inn there was partying and noise from the rooms and hallways for nearly the entire night.
We called the front desk several times between midnight and 4 a.m. There were only brief periods of quiet during that time. On our last call, the phone was not answered at all.
We asked to have a room change for the second night but were told none were available. We were assured that the guests had been asked to be quiet.
That was not the case. We were forced to endure a second sleepless night with no assistance from the manager on duty.
When we checked out the next morning we again brought our complaints to the attention of the person at the front desk. We received a barely adequate apology.
As I said earlier, we have in the past been very pleased with the Value Inn. We will now have to decide whether we will have to look elsewhere in the future.
I look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
Ben Fletcher
Seeking price adjustment on hotel rate
Michael Greene, President
Superior Inns and Suites
Dear Mr. Greene,
Recently my family spent a week at your Superior Inns and Suites location in Waterford, Florida.
We checked in on a Monday. On Thursday the marquee outside the motel advertised a special weekend rate that was fifty dollars a night lower than what we were paying.
I immediately went to the front desk and spoke with the manager, Carla. I asked that our three remaining nights be charged at the reduced rate. She assured me that that would be the case.
When we checked out on Monday, the manager on duty—Raymond—refused to adjust our rate. He said there was no notation on the file and that he could not make changes to our reservation once we were in the room. He said we would have to take this up with the corporate office.
I assure you if Carla had not agreed to give us the special rate we would have checked out and gone to one of the other nearby motels; they were all offering special weekend prices.
I am enclosing a copy of our receipt. I feel it would be proper for your company to credit me $150 for the three days for which we were overcharged.
When making travel plans in the future, I will be very influenced by how I am treated in this instance.
Sincerely,
Jon Anderson
Asking refund for hotel overcharge
Virginia Ray, Proprietor
Ray’s Guest House
Rolling Meadow
Dear Ms. Ray,
My daughter Molly was recently married, with ceremonies and a reception held in Rolling Meadow.
Several months ago, I contacted you to ask if you could offer a special rate to guests coming from out of town. You offered a discount of $25 per night for a block of at least five rooms.
As it turned out, six wedding guests stayed at your guest house that weekend, with five spending two nights and one three nights. I have just found out that all of our guests were charged the regular rate, without a discount. That amounts to an overcharge of $325.
I am sure this was an error on your part. I would ask that you either make refunds to the guests individually or send a check for $325 to me and I will see that our invited guests receive the refund.
I hope we will be able to recommend your guest house to friends and family in the future.
Sincerely,
Nina Hobson
Asking airline to pay for unexpected hotel charge
Customer Service
One World Airways
Dear Customer Service,
I am writing to complain about a problem with baggage service on Flight 6932 from Los Angeles to Providence on May 22.
To make it short, we arrived on time at 10:05 p.m., but our bags were not available until the next morning. As a result, I incurred several hundred dollars in additional expenses.
When we arrived at the baggage claim area to pick up our luggage, we were at first told there would be a slight delay. About forty-five minutes later it was announced that there was a mechanical problem that prevented the ground crew from opening the compartment on the plane and technicians would not be able to make a repair until the next day.
We were asked to either come back the next morning or have our bags sent to another location.
I was on a business trip and needed the materials in my checked baggage as soon as possible. I had to book a room in the hotel at the airport so that I could get my bags the next morning. It was too late to cancel another hotel reservation I had made about twenty miles away from the airport, close to my client.
Because of the problem with your airplane, I paid for two hotel rooms and was late for my meeting. The cost of the airport hotel room was $175.
I feel that One World Airways should reimburse me for the cost of the extra hotel room.
I have enclosed copies of my airline ticket and my two hotel invoices. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Sincerely,
Jane Green
Complaint about cleanliness of airplane
Customer Service
Northern Airlines
Dear Customer Service,
I travel often for business and am a regular customer of Northern Airlines.
I am writing to complain about an unusually unpleasant experience on a trip I just completed. On March 2, I flew from Boston to Austin on Flight 6932.
The plane arrived late, and your ground crew apparently rushed to get the plane ready to fly out again. The plane was full of garbage from the previous flight. There was food in the seatback pockets, and two of the plane’s three bathrooms were out of service.
Leaving aside health concerns and common decency, I also worry that your airline is neglecting service and maintenance of its airplane.
I am anxious to hear from you before I decide whether to use your airline again or recommend it to others.
Sincerely,
Rick Wardon