Getting back price of plane ticket...

irishguy1983

Bought a ticket on Wednesday to Thailand for 900 Euro - due to go in 2.5 weeks.

Turns out I can't go now.

Anyway I can get back even some of the cash???

Bought it off expedia.ie

P.S. Not looking for a lecture on how stupid I have been - I fully realise that myself already

Oryx

Do you have travel insurance?

irishguy1983

Oryx wrote: »

Do you have travel insurance?

No to that I am afraid

I presume I am screwed - just thought I may be able to recoup some of it to soften the blow.

Oryx

Can anyone else take it (if name changes are permitted? ) Have you contacted expedia or the airline to see if they can do anything?

Samuri Suicide

Even if the ticket is non-refundable you can still get the taxes back. Not a huge amount but will be something.

Greenmachine

I would be surprised if anything can be done beside a change of name on the ticket, especially so close to the departure date. Even the likes of luthansa who give 24 hours to cancel would not be pariculary helpful in a case like this. I might be possible if your ticket is economy flex or business class.

irishguy1983

Oryx wrote: »

Can anyone else take it (if name changes are permitted? ) Have you contacted expedia or the airline to see if they can do anything?

I haven't - will get on that tomorrow.

Name changes are not permitted.

irishguy1983

Samuri Suicide wrote: »

Even if the ticket is non-refundable you can still get the taxes back. Not a huge amount but will be something.

Really? The taxes were 433 Euro.

CelticRambler

Yeah. There's a site somewhere that specialises in going after airlines to get the taxes back (for a fee, obviously). Can't think of the name straight off but it might come to me.

MagicMarker

CelticRambler wrote: »

Yeah. There's a site somewhere that specialises in going after airlines to get the taxes back (for a fee, obviously). Can't think of the name straight off but it might come to me.

That's just ridiculous. Why do you need to pay someone else to do this??

OP, just call Expedia. (01)5245005

Tell them you want to cancel and ask for the taxes to be refunded.

irishguy1983

MagicMarker wrote: »

That's just ridiculous. Why do you need to pay someone else to do this??

OP, just call Expedia. (01)5245005[IMG]resource://skype_ff_extension-at-jetpack/skype_ff_extension/data/call_skype_logo.png[/IMG](01)5245005

Tell them you want to cancel and ask for the taxes to be refunded.

Or should I call eflight.ie who I booked with through expedia?

Now am i defo legally entitled to this? Or should I be prepared for an argument?

CelticRambler

MagicMarker wrote: »

That's just ridiculous. Why do you need to pay someone else to do this??

Because the airlines/booking companies are really good at fobbing off individual customers with some lame excuse, but when they get a call from getyourmoneyback.com or whatever it's called, it's easier/cheaper for them to hand it over than end up fighting it in court. IIRC the fee was around 25€ so worth it for medium/long-haul flights. You could easily spend that amount yourself just 'phoning Ryanair's customer service.

Samuri Suicide

Make the call, you are 100% entitled to your taxes back. Hope that'll soften the blow for ya!!

You would be surprised at the amount of people that don't know this and miss out..

MagicMarker

CelticRambler wrote: »

Because the airlines/booking companies are really good at fobbing off individual customers with some lame excuse, but when they get a call from getyourmoneyback.com or whatever it's called, it's easier/cheaper for them to hand it over than end up fighting it in court. IIRC the fee was around 25€ so worth it for medium/long-haul flights. You could easily spend that amount yourself just 'phoning Ryanair's customer service.

You are entitled to the tax back. No airline is going to go to court over it. Paying someone to call on your behalf is a complete waste of money.

irishguy1983

Samuri Suicide wrote: »

Make the call, you are 100% entitled to your taxes back. Hope that'll soften the blow for ya!!

You would be surprised at the amount of people that don't know this and miss out..

Cheers - I could live with that no problem.

irishguy1983

MagicMarker wrote: »

You are entitled to the tax back. No airline is going to go to court over it. Paying someone to call on your behalf is a complete waste of money.

Cheers.

CelticRambler

This is not the site I was thinking of, but at the bottom of the page it talks about "missed" gives a list of points to bear in mind when asking for a refund.

And here's another
http://airtaxback.com/FAQs
and another
http://www.skyscanner.net/news/apd-refunds-how-claim-back-airline-tax
and another !
http://www.re-fund.com/how-to-get-an-airport-tax-refund-unused-ticket/


There must be money in it for someone!

irishguy1983

CelticRambler wrote: »

This is not the site I was thinking of, but at the bottom of the page it talks about "missed" gives a list of points to bear in mind when asking for a refund.

And here's another
http://airtaxback.com/FAQs
and another
http://www.skyscanner.net/news/apd-refunds-how-claim-back-airline-tax
and another !
http://www.re-fund.com/how-to-get-an-airport-tax-refund-unused-ticket/


There must be money in it for someone!

Cheers.

CelticRambler

MagicMarker wrote: »

You are entitled to the tax back. No airline is going to go to court over it. Paying someone to call on your behalf is a complete waste of money.

You may well be entitled to it, but that doesn't mean the companies will just give it back. It's standard business practice in many big organisations - make the customer jump through as many hoops as possible and hope they'll give up (having already spent more money on 'phone calls, photocopies and stamps). So if you're not the kind of person who's able and prepared to arm-wrestle them, then paying someone a tenner to get 250433€* back might be worth it.

(* fee quoted by airtaxback.com )

irishguy1983

CelticRambler wrote: »

You may well be entitled to it, but that doesn't mean the companies will just give it back. It's standard business practice in many big organisations - make the customer jump through as many hoops as possible and hope they'll give up (having already spent more money on 'phone calls, photocopies and stamps). So if you're not the kind of person who's able and prepared to arm-wrestle them, then paying someone a tenner to get 250433€* back might be worth it.

(* fee quoted by airtaxback.com )

I'll give them a call and see how that goes - I wouldn't be the most forceful of chaps.

If that doesn't work I'll go with company and throw them 10/20 Euro.

CelticRambler

Let us know how you get on!

steve-o

irishguy1983 wrote: »

Really? The taxes were 433 Euro.

Sorry to break it to you, but that's not accurate. Taxes + airline-invented fees were 433 euro. Only the taxes are refundable, which sadly is SFA.

irishguy1983

steve-o wrote: »

Sorry to break it to you, but that's not accurate. Taxes + airline-invented fees were 433 euro. Only the taxes are refundable, which sadly is SFA.

Can you elaborate on this? What you mean basically?

steve-o

irishguy1983 wrote: »

Can you elaborate on this? What you mean basically?

The "taxes and fees" part of your ticket includes a small amount for taxes, some airport fees, but the vast amount will be airline-imposed (invented) fees, sometimes called fuel surcharge, sometimes called something else. Unfortunately only the taxes are refundable and it's not usually worth the effort of reclaiming the taxes unless your trip is to the UK (highest taxes).

If you can travel on other dates then it's possible that the ticket permits changes for a fee - that's your best bet for salvaging some of your money.