Rebecca M.

I scheduled a trip to Asia and was using Orbitz as a travel resource between destinations on my trip. I started in Hong Kong then planned to travel to Beijing by train and then fly from Beijing to Bangkok, Thailand. Unfortunately, despite every effort I made, extenuating circumstances prevented me from catching my train to Beijing and thus I missed my flight from Beijing to Bangkok, which I booked through Orbitz. I had to adjust my itinerary for the trip and contacted a customer service representative in the US from where I was staying in Hong Kong. The gentleman was very kind and patient and spent nearly half an hour helping me reconstruct my itinerary. This representative informed me that the money I had spent initially ($553) for my flight from Beijing to Bangkok could not be diverted to my new itinerary when I canceled the flight, but a credit of that amount would be placed on my account with Orbitz to use toward any domestic flights within the United States provided I use the credit within a year after my flight cancellation (expiration date of credit: April 1,2016).

February 18,2016 I contacted Orbitz about claiming my refund and was told by the representative I spoke with - again, a very kind and patient individual - that I received incorrect information. I could only use this credit with the airline I canceled with, which was a Chinese airline. Not American. Furthermore, to use this credit I would be subject to penalty fees of up to $200. I expressed to this representative that this policy is ludicrous and incredibly misleading, and he agreed with me and apologized saying there wasn't anything he could do.

I contacted the BBB with the details of my complaint and was contacted by a customer relations representative. She reviewed every aspect of my complaint thoroughly, but ultimately said that there was nothing they could do to remedy the situation. I decided not to continue pushing my complaint with the BBB in any interest of financial retribution, and see greater worth in sharing my experience with fellow travelers to advise them to seek other resources besides Orbitz. Please, learn from my experiences and do not make the same mistake I did by trusting Orbitz. Hopefully you find this review helpful!