From:    mrk.  Mark Canizaro <>
To:      < xxxxxxxxx@xxxxxtours.com> 
Date:    Fri, 21 Jul 2000 10:11:28 GMT
Subject: Re: Air Xxxxx Reservations

Mr. Xxxxxxxx,

 -- you wrote --


> 
> The following waitlisted flights were requested for by Sally with Air
> Xxxxx, and is holding on their record locator XXXX as follows:
> 
> 24 JUL  [...]
>
> Now that you have a passenger name record (PNR) and a record locator to
> work with, the chances of Air Xxxxx assisting you in Europe would be
> greatly  enchanced. It is recommended to use this reference code to make
> further contact with the carrier.
> 
> This is all that I have for now, I will continue to work with you as
> best I can. I know that this is not what you had anticipated but atleast
> we have something to work with.
> 
> Best regards,
> 

 
Thank you.

Today we detoured to Copenhagen, 2 days out of our way, in order to 
visit an actual Air Xxxxx Office.  The woman was extremely helpful
(for a change) but not very nice.  It was embarassing to be lectured
about making reservations in a timely fasion when that was exactly 
what we have been trying to do for TEN weeks.

She made a booking for us for July 30 -- but it is horrible.
It involves two full days, an overnight stay in Montreal and two extra 
legs of flying.  It is also a bit earlier than is easy, for us, but if 
we must, we can do it.  We allowed her to book it because of her
strong encouragement that this might be our last possibilty.  Besides
it is also the FIRST offer of a booking we have had in the ten weeks
of trying!!  We couldn't exactly say no.

I am really very frustrated and upset -- i realize that it is easy for
Xxxxx Tours to blame Air Xxxxxx and Air Xxxxxx blame Xxxxx 
Tours, but the REALITY is that we have made NO mistakes and still are
left in a very difficult position due to the errors on the part of Xxxxx
Tours and Air Xxxxx.  

The only mistakes we have actually made, have been in following the
advice given us by Xxxxx Tours and Air Xxxxx -- the advice to phone 
for a booking, the advice that a copy of the ticket would be enough, 
the constant suggestions to call someone else and so on...

When we purchaced this ticket we were SPECIFICALLY told that:
  1. It would be easy to book.
  2. We should try to book 1 month ahead of our flight.
  3. The return flight could be booked in one phone call.
  4. That at the time of purchace we could not book a tentitive return
     date because then it would be unchangeable and not be open ended.
  5. That it would cost 100% of the ticket value to make a date change
     if we did set a tentitive return.
  6. That the routing could not be changed.
    
ALL of these things turned out to be not true.

1. It would be easy to book.
    Not true.  It has taken 10 weeks, dozens of phone calls, several
    visits, a detour and a couple of hundred dollars just to get a 
    very BAD booking.

2. We should try to book 1 month ahead of our flight.
    Three months seems to have been too little.  What is the point of
    paying extra for an open ended ticket if booking has to be made
    even more than three months ahead of time!!?

3. The ticket could be booked in one phone call.
    Air Xxxxx has since told us that it could ONLY be booked in person.

4. That at the time of purchase we could not book a tentitive return
    date because then it would be unchangeable and not be open ended.

    In fact, Air Xxxxx has told us that the ticket was IMPOSSIBLE to
    book without a return date.  Impossible.  And it proved to be so 
    until you went to work on it two weeks ago and put us back in their
    system.

5. That it would cost 100% of the ticket value to make a date change
   if we did set a tentitive return.

    Today Air Xxxxx told us that the penalty would have been either
    125 dollars or zero depending on the situation.

6. That the route could not be changed.
    
    Our booking today changes that route.


And Finally, the bugaboo of mysteryous LAST REMAINING seats reappearing 
5 or 10 days out has reoccured.  Now the only seats are on July 30.  
Before the only seats were on May 20, then June 5, then June 20, then 
July 1, then July 12, then July 24, now July 30.   Perhaps those mysterous 
ONLY seats will move forward to within the week of August 4-8 in the next 
few days?

I am very apprecitive of the work you have done in pushing through this
horrible situation -- but i am comming out of this feeling like we have 
been sold a bill of goods -- for 895 dollars.

We have consistantly done as we were told and have repeatedly been given
the run around.  Now we are screwed out of the last 10 days of our trip,
and have a horrendous return flight schedule that requires us to spend
even MORE money.  The price of these tickets just keeps going up and up.

I do expect that you will be able to dig up something better than this,
and i will tell you what my preferences are:

1.  A refund of the unused part of the ticket and forget about
    the whole thing.

2.  A resonanably direct (ie within one 24 hour period) flight on or
    after August 5th.  Whether that involves a class upgrade or
    departure location change or even an extention of the ticket 
    until such a time that a flight is possible (i would be willing
    to leave from London in mid September for example).


Your efforts to help with this stressful situation continue to be much 
appreciated at this end.   We are looking forward to hearing from you
in the next week or so.

Mark Canizaro