While travelers complain frequently about airline cancellation penalties, the truth is that most airline tickets are a lot easier to change at the last minute than a cruise.
In fact, many cruise fares become more than 50 percent nonrefundable within a month of sailing and more are nonrefundable in the last couple weeks. (Which is a good reason to at least consider insurance.)
Sometimes, however, it’s not that black and white. For example, what happens when you have two people traveling together, and one has to cancel (for covered reasons) and the other still wants to travel?
In a case in our office recently, a woman who had paid for a Princess cruise for several adult family members was advised by her doctor that the trip would be too strenuous for her at this time.
But the client still wanted her family to go and enjoy the trip. So they would be using the same number of cabins, one just would possible become a single. But there was the possibility of a friend taking her place. Plus, they had insurance. This meant, pending the friend’s decision, this should be relatively simple.
Well, we can dream anyway.
My coworker called Princess. The first agent told her no changes would be allowed and Princess would provide no refund; all funds would be used to cover the second passenger in the cabin as a single supplement.
Meaning Princess would keep all the money from the original booking, and if another person wanted to take the woman’s place who canceled, she would have to pay a new fare. In essence, they would be paying 50 percent more for a name change.
That seemed a bit draconian. So, my coworker called back, and lo and below, was told, “oh we can do a one-time passenger replacement,” using the original money paid, they would just have to coordinate through customer relations.
Well, this was better news indeed, but then the cheerful reservations agent said “Do you want me to double check?” In the travel business, the smart answer is always “Yes, please.”
She came back in a few minutes – “Oops!, this was a “flash sale” fare, so no replacements are allowed. Sorry”. (A “flash sale” is Princess’s term for a short-term discount price that must be paid in full at the time of booking.)
The agent did allow that they would honor the original fare at a 200 percent single supplement, and not charge the person remaining in the cabin any additional money. (How big of them.)
The person who was canceling then could apply for a refund through the insurance company.
But, added the Princess agent, “The remaining traveler must pay an additional $138.46 to cover the increase in vacation protection insurance, because she would have to pay insurance on the single rate.”
So since this seemed to add insult to injury, my coworker called back again, this time a customer relations agent told her that yes, with the “flash sales” no one could be substituted in the cabin at any price, but as a courtesy she would waive the additional insurance cost for the woman still traveling.
In short, while insurance made this better than it might have been, the Princess policy on these sale fares is “absolutely no changes,” period; except higher insurance if one person cancels. (For any reader who wonders, why shouldn’t the second person just not show up, no-shows negate insurance.)
Personally, while I understand the need to have policies and rules, this strikes me as a “lose-lose” for Princess. The woman in a cabin by herself isn’t happy about not being able to bring a friend. In addition, the ship line is losing the onboard revenue a second person would have generated. Not to mention the tips that the cabin stewards and waiters would have received.
This incident illustrates two things.
One, be very very sure when booking any sort of especially restrictive or nonrefundable fares. (More than once most agents have heard, “I didn’t think they really meant it if something happened.”)
Two, when the answer doesn’t make sense the first time or seems unreasonable, it’s generally worth calling back.
(Similarly, take down the person’s name and date when the answer is what you want to hear. If it’s wrong you will need that to fight the case. )
In general, none of these mistakes and contradictory answers are malicious. Rules are complicated and people are human. But that’s small consolation when it costs a lot of money or ruins a vacation.
Janice Hough is a California-based travel agent a travel blogger and a part-time comedy writer. A frequent flier herself, she’s been doing battle with airlines, hotels, and other travel companies for over three decades. Besides writing for Travelers United, Janice has a humor blog at Leftcoastsportsbabe.com (Warning, the political and sports humor therein does not represent the views of anyone but herself.)
