AIRLINE BOOKING SCAM

ComplaintsScamsCheapoAir.com

Complaint

0
CHRISTINA
Country: United States
CHEAPOAIR.COM is definitely a very poor company and I strongly urge ANYONE reading this to NOT use there "service".

On July 9th I went to CheapOair.com to purchase a ticket and was provided with a Reservation ID and a booking number. Now, I also went directly to the airline's website to verify the prices, and they were accurate, BUT Cheapoair was offering a $10 instant coupon so I figured I would purchase the ticket through them and not directly with the airline itself.

A few hours go by and I did not receive my ticket so I called them. I was on hold for 15 minutes and then was "disconnected". I then called back and after another 30 minutes was told by a representative that they were "processing' it and I should have a ticket shortly. A few hours later I call back. I waited 30 minutes on hold and once the representative asked me "do you really need a morning flight"? At this point, I'm thinking something is obviously wrong. Apparently, they were unable to offer me the ticket that I had purchased and booked. I requested to speak to a manager and was transferred to SHAW. He would not provide a last name. He basically kept giving the run around and tried to continuously blame the airlines. I told him that if I had NOT used the CheapOAir service and directly booked with the airline that I would have had a ticket so what reason do I have to use his service ever again if they can't provide what they advertise and promote? He did not have an answer. I made him give me a written confirmation that I would not be charged. I also requested the name of a superior. He declined to give me any names so that I could formally complain and told me to send a generic email to their feedback@cheapair.com. I gave him ample notice that I was going to post my story anywhere I could to warn other consumers that this website does not provide the services it charges to the customer!!!!!!

Comments

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  • 0
    Teresa
    | 1 reply
    My barely eighteen year old daughter needed to come home to see her best friend who is terminally ill with a brain tumor. We were short on cash to get her here, so I started checking and found CheapoAir. Never EVER again. I booked a flight from Phoenix to Kansas City with a connecting flight in Denver. Before purchasing the tickets,  all their website showed was the original flight from Phoenix, and the flight back from Kansas City, but not the connecting flights. Once booked, it showed the connecting itinerary, and she had an eight hour layover on the way here, and has a nearly 24 hour layover on the way back!   I am livid. I called them, and they refused to change it for less than 125.00 which I did not have. They told me to call Frontier Airlines and obtain a hotel voucher. Frontier refused. Now my daughter has to spend overnight and all day in the airport. This just makes us sick with worry. She has no credit card to obtain a motel room.  I will NEVER use Cheapoair or Frontier Airlines again. EVER.
    • 0
      cheapoair replies to Teresa
      Theresa, very sorry for the inconvenience. Please forward the 8 digit booking number to our priority customer service team so that we can review the reservation. Email us at:

      sm@cheapoair.com
      place blog in the subject line
  • 0
    Pamela
    | 3 replies
    I've had only good experiences with CheapOAir.  Every big company will have some issues at times.  In fact, late one night I booked a trip to Portland and I didn't notice that it was going to Portland Oregon and I wanted to go to Portland Maine.  I called and they deleted the ticket right away and gave me one to the correct destination.  You have a window of time to change mistakes on tickets even if they are your mistakes.  BUT THIS IS IMPORTANT FOR ALL OF THE DISCOUNT TICKET COMPANIES:  If they tell you that the economy class is full for a flight it only means that the airline has no more tickets to give to THEM for the flight that you want.  I have gone online directly to the airline after being told this and booked a ticket on a flight that was supposedly full.  The airlines keep some tickets for their own on-line reservations.  So don't pay a higher price for a ticket because you think its your only recourse.
    • 0
      cheapOair replies to Pamela
      Pamela, we appreciate the feedback, and happy to hear that it worked out for you.

      Regards,
      CheapOair.com
      Customer Support
    • 0
      liar employee replies to Pamela
      | 1 reply
      Yet another liar employee posting here
      • 0
        cheapoair replies to liar employee
        We do not have a Pamela who works in our office. We do have satisfied customer's who also share their experiences. I'm sorry that you may of had an issue, or didn't like a policy that we have to enforce, but that doesn't mean everyone shares your same experience.

        CheapOair.com
  • 0
    PaulYandRoxyW
    I made a booking with cheapoair for two flights to Cook Islands, cheapoair continually tried to contact my bank to get my personal information under the pretext of confirming my payment. Even though I paid with a credit card which would need no further confirmation.
    I then contacted cheapoair about the payment, was informed that without the bank giving them my details the payment could not go through. I then told them to cancel the booking which they agreed to. And having no confirmation from my bank they won't be able to put through my payment anyway right? Nope.
    So I have made other arrangements for my flights now and am going through my bank statements, now I find that cheapoair have taken $1578.42 from my account. No email, no contact, no tickets.
    I have contacted cheapoair and been hung up on 3 times, transferred from credit card dept to customer service to bookings dept then hung up on. Rang credit card dept and was hung up on. Rang billings dept and was transferred to what I assume was the janitor who informed me that everyone has gone home and I should call back tomorrow. I called back and was told that we don't have a bank in Los Angeles (where the charge is apparently from), only in New York and that I should call virgin and give them my card number to track the transaction and give me the details. I rang virgin and they said they can't do that and that it shows up as them because they are the agent for cheapoair, I have to ring cheapoair and get them to ring virgin as they only deal with the merchant the deal is with. I rang cheapoair back and was put in hold for 15mins only to go through to message bank and hung up on again.
    Now I am out of pocket $1500 i will be contacting them again, if no luck I will be taking the matter further.
  • 0
    Dayne B
    | 3 replies
    My flight on Jan 05 ,2014 to my mother's funeral  was cancelled due to bad weather. The airline refunded my money  immediately to Cheap o Air.  I spoke to customer service three times since then. They keep saying that I will get my refund in 14 days.  I am still waiting, and I am not going to give up. My next complaint will be to BBB.  I am willing to take this to small claims court as well. My advice to travelers out there :don't use Cheap O Air.
    • 0
      CheapOair replies to Dayne B
      Dayne, email me at sm@cheapoair.com the 8 digit booking number I will review the refund status. I am with our priority customer service team.

      CheapOair.com
    • 0
      cheapoair replies to Dayne B
      Have your received your refund, because we never heard back from you with the booking number so we could follow up with you.

      CheapOair.com
    • 0
      Farrukh replies to Dayne B
      where are u located? I am willing to join you if you are going to take this to small claims court
  • 0
    Farrukh
    | 1 reply
    this is sad to see so many people are being cheated and lied to by cheapo. I had to postpone my trip several months ago due to family reasons, and cheapo gave me a credit for future use for one year. im trying to book a flight now and i see flights that cost less than my credit with cheapo ($1,450). I wanted to book that cheapo rep tells me that tickets have to be same or higher price as the one i bought previously. this is some [***] that doesnt make any kind of sense, since I already paid over 200$ in penalty or some [***] that they claim is imposed by airlines. when i said that it is not fair and asked to speak to a supervisor I have been placed on hold without any notice for 58 minutes and counting. I'm also on hold on another line for half an hour. a rep answered me and put me back on hold to find a supervisor. looks like their supervisor is mia no one can find them. i will make sure I have chepo answer for all the trouble and hustle i'm going though even if spend more money on lawyers and [***] - this is a principle now
    • 0
      CheapOair replies to Farrukh
      Farrukh, there are rules that have to be followed when rebooking flights. The fare has to be the same class of service that you originally booked in. So what ever the fare is at that time you do have to pay that, plus the airline exchange fees.  Once tickets are purchased there is no refund due to non refundable policies. I will certainly look into this for you once you forward your booking number to me.

      sm@cheapoair.com
      CheapOair.com
      Customer Support
  • 0
    Keith Lewis
    The above complaints are small compared with what I am dealing with. I am trying to use a credit with US Airways that I had from a flight that got cancelled due to my wife breaking her elbow. I lost about $800.00 but got some credit back. Now trying to use it is a zoo. Wait time on calls are over an hour and they finally just drop your call. I got through three times and the person on the other end just hung up before I could give information. I have a new flight booked I think; but cannot prove it, although they are pulling money from my credit card I think? The person I talked with last barely spoke English. I had a very hard time understanding anything he said. I am definitely never using this service (I should say lack of service) again. Very bad company and the people working for it are incompetent and God only know where they are based, in fact I doubt he knows either. DO NOT USE CHEAP O AIR FOR ANYTHING!!!!!!!!!!
  • 0
    Keith
    I have sent two messages both detailing how badly this company operates. They somehow managed to eliminate both of the messages before I could post them. I am extremely dissatisfied with the attempt to schedule a flight for my wife. This company is nearly impossible to deal with. Calls get dropped or hung up on messages when you can get one from an employee are confusing and in such poor English the understanding is almost impossible.  Response to complaints is usually not there so please anyone that is considering using Cheap O Air do yourself a favor and go elsewhere. You will save money and a lot of frustration. I am going to my bank to try to stop payment on my cards and try to get back some of the money they have already scammed from me.
  • 0
    Keith
    I have sent two messages both detailing how badly this company operates. They somehow managed to eliminate both of the messages before I could post them. I am extremely dissatisfied with the attempt to schedule a flight for my wife. This company is nearly impossible to deal with. Calls get dropped or hung up on messages when you can get one from an employee are confusing and in such poor English the understanding is almost impossible.  Response to complaints is usually not there so please anyone that is considering using Cheap O Air do yourself a favor and go elsewhere. You will save money and a lot of frustration. I am going to my bank to try to stop payment on my cards and try to get back some of the money they have already scammed from me.
  • 0
    Keithj
    | 1 reply
    I just posted a very dissatisfied response to the run around I am getting from Cheap O Air. I apparently hit a nerve since my comments did not get printed.  Not sure how they managed to eliminate mine since it was similar to the other dissatisfied customers.
    • 0
      cheapoair replies to Keithj
      Keith, in order to assist you, we need the 8 digit booking number emailed to sm@cheapoair.com. Provide the details and a phone contact.

      CheapOair.com
      Customer Support
  • 0
    Yvonne
    Oh how I wished that I did not have a disappointing experience as well. I purchased a ticket last August and did not travel on the day booked.  Efforts to get a person to take the details of my ticket which cost over $800.00 has been nothing less than frustrating and insulting.

    Calls to Customer Care are placed on hold for inordinate periods of time. Promise for a supervisor to respond is just "lip service"

    Emails are ignored.

    The airline is blamed innocently as the protocol for a refund is clearly established by the airlines and requires CheapOAir to submit the request for refund..
  • 0
    CheapOair
    Yvonne, I do apologize for the delays in reaching us. It seems you are trying to either receive a refund, or complete and exchange, Airlines put in place rules for all airline tickets purchased, and it seems yours is non refundable. We are the middle man, and must abide by all the policies put in place by the individual airlines. Perhaps if you purchased travel insurance, you may have a legitimate claim to request a refund, but without the insurance, or meeting the criteria that allows a airline to refund the ticket due to unforseen circumstances, you can only maintain a voucher/credit to use upto one year towards the purchase of another ticket. Please review our terms and conditions, which were provided to you when you acknowledged the electronic signature, that you understood them. It clearly mentions our fares are non refundable. We will be glad to review the booking, so we can provide you with your options. Email our priority customer service team, this is a different address than the "feedback" your 8 digit booking number.

    sm@cheapoair.com
    Customer Support
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