David / All: That's exactly my fear when booking online: that something will go wrong. I did book my flight to LAX and back last year from BOS and things were ok, but I did call UA ater I finished, just to be sure it clicked in their system and to ask a live person when I'd expect my boarding pass in the mail. Another party that appears to be out of the picture are travel agents. They have historically charged fees, but if a PAX changes their travel plans, who eats that charge? I'm sure their business is moving quickly toward the vacation travel markets (ATA flights) and boat cruises. Since everyone is booking online, I can see even overseas jobs becoming a lost art someday. Tough business to be in this travel business. When I booked for DC (actually it was done for me and I think through Delta's 800 reservation system) I thought that the reservations folks in BOS were behind the new system that had you pick up the phone, about 15 feet from the check-in desk, give them your data, and then they tell you which counter to report to. I felt like fool looking around me to find out where they were? I thought for sure the voice couldn't be in ATL. How could they see me? Where was the hidden camera? (hehe) This was at the new Terminal A in BOS. Kind of creepy! Change is interesting. One feels a bit foolish and gun-shy on the first time out! Welcome to the 21st century, Mike! Mike Burris Cambridge, Mass P.S. The return portion of my DC trip was cancelled due to WX out of Reagan National. The 'live' DL agent most acurately said 'Delta didn't cancel your flight, sir. The weather did.' Very original, folks. --- David Mueller <dsm717@xxxxxxxxx> wrote: > Alireza Alivandivafa wrote: > > This is true of all airlines. They charge no fee > on the web site, $5 for the > > phone and $15 for the airport. This is all > contingent on if the website > > doesn't screw up > > And screw up they do. > > My parents recently booked a SkyMiles award ticket. > Since each was > using miles from their own account, they were booked > separately. My > mother's went through fine but my father's failed > and said he had to > call to complete the transaction. After managing to > navigate the voice > menus, he manages to get an agent who charges an > extra $10 fee because > it was completed over the phone. > > So, Delta's web site with no indication of why > fails. There is no > apparent way to retry other than to start over, and > the message is > written in such a way to discourage you from trying, > and instead calling > reservations. A record locater is supplied with the > message. > > Let's see... we do all the work of finding flights > on Delta's "new and > improved" website (which only recently even gained > the capability to do > International SkyMiles awards), and enter all the > information ourselves. > Names, form of payment for the fees, seat > selection, etc. After all > that the site fails, we have to navigate their phone > system, and finally > get to an agent who completes the booking with 1 > minute of work, and we > have to pay an extra $10? > > My father asked and spoke to a supervisor, who > issued a $10 credit and > claimed that the agent didn't realize that the > telephone booking fee > shouldn't have been charged. But I wonder how many > people have paid an > extra fee because the site failed. And it's a > wait-and-see game to see > whether or not he gets his 1000 bonus miles for > booking the award ticket > online. > > David / HNL > __________________________________ Yahoo! Mail - PC Magazine Editors' Choice 2005 http://mail.yahoo.com