Fix Her Ticket!

There is an article by me on the ZoQuest Explorer site entitled The Failure to Try. The post was intended as a reminder to have hope and that good things really do happen, at least from time to time. What a farce indeed.

You might call this post an update of sorts to The Failure to Try. Update? …Up... The only thing is, there is nothing 'up' about this post. It is, I fear, a downer.  I won a free Biosphere Expedition!

Late last year I was one of two recipients two receive their choice of free expeditions as part of a competition held by Biosphere Expeditions and their cosponsors. I won! People often think that as a travel writer I skip from one corner of the globe to the other just to change my underwear, but what I actually do is research and compile data, lots and lots of data. This is all from a chair in my office. It is not even a very interesting chair and it lisps slightly to the right.

Suffice it to say, I was overjoyed. Impartial journalism aside, as a zoologist Biosphere trips appear to be among the coolest of the cool. I was finally going to get my chance to test that theory first hand. I posted my 300 word winning essay within The Failure to Try. As for my adventure, I selected a program studying whales, dolphins and turtles around the Azores archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean.

This trip is the complete opposite of my current landlocked (chairlocked) life, a chance to reboot emotionally. Stacking potential assignments with several publications, I also planned on using the opportunity to help reboot my career position. "Planned on." Past tense.

Within two weeks of learning that I had been selected to participate in an expedition, I made my flight arrangement - love those advanced purchase ticket prices! I saved up money for dog board, told my school I would be away for two weeks, even began riding my motorcycle slower going into the turns. Nothing would ruin this opportunity for me, or so I thought.

Enter the airlines….exit my trip.

My ticket from Bangkok to Lisbon was purchased via Travelation.com (the travel agent who took the money)

It was comprised of flights on Jet Airways (the ticketing airline) and TAP Portugal (the source of the original problems)

A second ticket was purchase from TAP Portugal for my flights between Lisbon and the Azores.

Recently emails started coming in. Each announced that there have been changes to my flight schedule. Indeed there were. TAP (TAP, TAP, TAP) made a series of changes that rendered the big ticket between Bangkok and Lisbon impossible to use in either direction. Connections now could not be made; I had to leave places before I arrived, etc.

The expected back and forth of phone calls began. I was not foolish enough to believe this would be easily resolved, but I was foolish enough to believe it would be resolved. Ha! The agent would say Jet must fix the issue. Jet would say Travelation must fix it. Ho hum. It was the usual ping ponging of the customer back and forth that ensued. How sad that we, the paying consumers, have grown to expect this reprobate behavior form anything connected with airlines.

Eventually, I even offered to fly to Milan (one of the cantankerous connection points) early, pay for hotel at my own cost on the outbound and leave Lisbon a day later than scheduled, also paying for a hotel at my own cost. This was money I do not have, but life has taught me that 30 hours in an airport does fade from one's mind after a few years of intensive therapy.

Finally they agreed on something! They agreed not to do anything to fix the ticket.

Both Jet Airways and Travelation.com eventually said the ticket would have to be cancelled and I would be issued a full refund. It was a shock. I knew the chance of getting another affordable airfare so close to my April 12 departure would be difficult, possibly impossible. But, I had no choice and hope springs eternal. Would my refund be prompt so I could start shopping for a new ticket ASAP? You have no idea.

Jet and Travelwhatever.com both peed in the eternal spring of my hope.

You see, since I purchased my ticket last year my bank has issued me a new debit card number. (Yes, I even planned on having my bank fax a letter to this effect to the airlines and myself before I traveled.) But now both Jet Airways and Travelation.com are saying the other business must issue the refund because of the change in debit card number and there is nothing else they can do with regards to not ever helping me in the first place.

Each sites rules. They don’t call each other - outbound calls cost money you know. They don’t call my bank manager. They no longer reply to my emails. (Except TAP who send me an auto response in Portuguese via one of several of their emails I contact) They have essentially stolen my money. Days of international phone calls at every hour and loads of missed work have only resulted in disappointment. I have been robbed. I have been told I would get something for my money, my money was taken and that was it. Fraud! Farce! Failure!

For some of us, trips like these are rare and fleeting dreams. The opportunity of my dream expedition is likely lost. Worse still, is that that I sacrificed and did without so much just to buy these airline tickets in the first place. This was not extra cash I had just sitting around in case an airline VP needed another round of golf in an emergency. Four! Four fraud?

Ironically TAP Portugal, Jet Airways and Travelation.com have now profited from their failure to try.

As for me, I am growing so very tired from the endless walls, negativity and sadness. I am afraid this is now my Failure to Succeed.

*****

Please help me get back some emotional satisfaction. If you have had enough of airline and big organizations just taking, taking, taking form us all, consider signing my worthless, but well-meaning petition to Fix the Ticket: Travelers Against Travelers Against Airline Industry Injustices of Jet Airways, TAP Portugal and Travlation.com.

Thank you.

Nola Lee