Sunday, September 19, 2010

Going, Going.... nope. Still here.


Oh, the joy of repeating myself. Did we not talk about business ethics in Mexico once before? Alas, I was wrong. I thought that it was local, small business that were ethically challenged, but apparently, the BUCK DIDN"T STOP THERE. Mexicana airlines, bankrupt? Who would have thought that Mexico's leading airline company would bite the bullet and terminate services? Mexicana apparently halted services earlier in August and many travelers were left stranded without flights. Competitive airlines came to the rescue, offerering slightly discounted flights to stranded passengers. Refund, perhaps?

have you ever heard of a refund without a fight in Mexico?

I think not.

Hubby is now safe in Madrid. Our European adventure has begun. But it wasn't easy. Thursday morning, hubby was packing suitcases, leaving that afternoon. We stopped by the shop to pick up some last minute things. "Uh, babe, let me double check your flights. Something doesn't feel right." Lo-and-behold.... his first flight, in a few hours, was cancelled. GDL to MEX. and the return. WTF?!?!? No warning. No email. No replacement flight. The entire trip was booked with http://www.despegar.com/ . I called despegar, who after transfering me 500+ times, declared that their company was not responsible for the cancellation and that I would need to take it up with the airline for a replacement flight and/or refund. The flight listed was Lufthansa. I checked with them, and the rest of the flights were fine.... except for the GDL to MEX. Their reply? Nope. Not their problem. The booking company was responsible for everything. Back to Despegar, nope. They don't even have the first flight listed. Where did I get this info? "Uh, from my itinerary, Jacka**"  Lufthansa finally revealed that the missing flight, listed as their airline, was actually contracted through...

you guessed it.

Mexicana.

So while Mexicana, the company has halted ticket sales, other booking agencies, Travelocity, Expedia, and Despe-pinche-gar, are still booking travel packages with Mexicana.

And people,like me, are screwed.

Scrambling around, we finally found some flight with AeroMexico that worked with hubby's existing flights... but it wasn't cheap. And off he went.

And the refund money?

In the air. Despegar basically told us that we're screwed. Since it was sold as a package , they can't refund part of the money. They would have to cancel the entire trip and book again. (at twice the price, of course!) And since neither airline company wants to take the wrap and since the airline supposedly booked was listed as Lufthansa, it isn't valid on Mexicana's refund page.

Why steal from the poor, when you have the entire country at your disposal? And the gov't reaction? They'll grant Mexicana bankruptcy, thus eliminating the requirement to refund issued tickets.

So before booking, call the airlines directly to confirm flights, before you're left hangin....



5 comments:

ElleCancun said...

EEEEP!!!

Service in Mexico sucks ass!!! Don't even bother making a complaint, they basically laugh at you like your'e the idiot! Even the American companies...why can't they have the same standards as their counterparts north of the border? Uhh...cuz we're in Mexico.

Happy that you guys did make it though :)

Rosas Clan in Tulum said...

That is suck bs!!! I am so sorry babe. What is the plan for your flights?

Refried Dreamer said...

lucky enough, we were able to book flights for him to leave on time. My flights are all okay. As for Mexicana, I haven't a clue. I'm gonna see if I can contact my credit card company and see if they can refuse partial payment? or something!!!

Not anymore said...

Wow that is amazing... un believable... yet after having lived in mexico for a few years... very believable.

Anonymous said...

What a frustrating experience that must have been for you. Several of my friends had also booked tickets through Mexicana and ended up losing their money or having to pay an upgrade fee to switch airlines

About Me

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I've been living in Mexico now for about a two years with my hubby and 2 kids. Not exactly by choice, but we're here nonetheless. Luckily, I live with quite a few of the accomodations that i was used to in the states. In spite of those convienences, we also have a water tank with asbestos, outdated electricity, massive amounts of dust, caterpillars that burn your skin, and thousands of windshield washers on every street corner. My kiddos and I are learning to speak spanish and adjust to life away from our family and friends in the States.

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