Travel Agent keeps messing things up!

[tammikins]

I thought that getting a travel agent for a destination wedding would be best because of all of the coordination needed between all the group members. So far I have just been fixing her mistakes. There were a few things that I pretty much brushed off, for example, after I already booked the date with the wedding coordinator, she tried changing that date with me because the flights were more convenient for another date, and even went as far as emailing the wedding coordinator at the resort about getting my date changed. Thank god the coordinator checked back with me and I told her Hell no, she's not gonig to change the date. Then, she told some people in my group that they are being upgraded. I just got their tickets and see that they haven't. I don't have the heart to tell them they won't be getting the upgrade. Again, not a huge deal because its still the same resort (I hope! lol).

 

So the problem now is that from the very start (we booked in June for our December wedding) I told this travel agent that I want a seat on the flight with extra leg room for my dad (he is very tall and has circulation problems in his legs). I told her I would pay extra for this. She said two things: a. that those seats aren't available until the day of the flight because the airline wants to make sure that you are able-bodied to help people to the emergency exits. She also said that we will have a block of seats reserved on the flight so we can take our pick from those.

 

So yesterday she forwards me all of our e-tickets and I go to do the seat selection online on the airline's website. I wanted to do this as soon as we booked but the travel agent told me that she didn't have the booking number which you needed to get into the website. Well, now that I have that number, ALL the seats are booked except for a few scattered in the back by the bathroom. no 2 seats are together. I know that none of the reserved seats are ours because the ones that are ours should be marked differently on the site. So now not only does my dad have to squish without the leg room, but I don't get to sit near any of my guests, I don't even get to sit beside my fiance. ON THE WAY TO MY WEDDING!!!!! AND I get to sit beside the stinky bathrooms.

 

I emailed my travel agent basically saying "you told me all these things, so fix it". But honestly, I don't know if there is anything she can do about this if all the seats are taken. Plus she just left for "research" (aka, vacation) so I doubt she'll get back to me any time soon. Its not like they are going to take the seats away from people who reserved them months ago. Its really upsetting, because this travel agent specializes in destination weddings. I know it sounds really minor but I'm so extremely upset about this. I just wanna cry.

[midnight24]

First off...relax. It's just the flight there. I have been on so many flights were I couldn't sit next to my travel companions either. Yes sitting next to the bathroom sucks I've been there many of times so I understand. I never know why a TA tells people they can pick there seats ahead of time, because anytime I have been told that is when I have the most problems.

 

Just remember DW's are suppose to be stressfree...just enjoy the trip and don't sweat the small details. In the end you will be at the same place as all the people you love. Take the time on the flight to nap because you be so busy socializing with everyone all week. Nothing wrong with a little 'me' time.

 

Congrats on your upcoming wedding.

[Nonnie]

I empathize, I've been having a lot of trouble with my TA too. I'm not just counting down to my wedding, I'm counting down to the point I won't have to deal with her any more. What company is your TA with?

 

You might be able to talk to other people on the flight and switch seats. Just explain that you are on your way to your wedding and would like to sit next to your Fiance and if you could trade seats with them, I've done that before and people have been pretty good about it. Your dad situation is more tricky, people are less likely to give up the extra leg room seats, but you could try.

[edSweety]

i have to say i am also having a difficult time with my travel agent and i tell you i wish i could just break up with him. Problem is i directed all my guest to him. so many people have complained about him and i had to write him a letter the other day. i really am not happy with him and also dont know what i can do since he has, essentially my life, in his hands.

[mlabbe]

As it was mentioned, you might be able to switch seats with other travelers on the day of. As well, often if you talk to the people at the counter (when checking in and at the gate) they can often help you and arrange to switch a few seats. At worse, would it be possible to talk to the airline directly? I'm not sure if they'd be able to fix anything, but it could be worth the try. And then this person probably has a manager, if it gets too horrible, you could always speak to someone higher up than her.

 

Best of luck!

[tammikins]

Hi Everyone,

thanks for your advice. I can honestly say I feel like a total idiot now. After talks with the airline and the travel agent, I realized that we had 6 people no longer going in our group - 4 friends that had to use a different airline because of the departure dates, and my grandparents who can't go because my grandpa was just diagnosed with a serious heart condition . Anyways, because of these people no longer going with us, we actually had lower numbers that made us no longer eligible to be considered a group - but with all the stuff going on with my grandparents I sorta forgot about it.

 

Our travel agent actually didn't tell me this, but she did a lot of talking to the airline to ensure that we kept our group rates and not have to pay extra. Because of this, we were sent to a sort of airline purgatory where we weren't quite individual travelers, but also not quite a group. I guess thats why we didn't get the reserved seats.

 

I called the airline company to try to pay them extra to reserve something half decent for us, and I found out that my travel actually upgraded my fiance and I to business class for free (I guess she didnt want to tell me because she wanted us to be surprised). and I found this out AFTER I sent her an angry email with some, let say, choice words. We're thinking we'll give the business class to my parents because it has the extra leg room for my dad

 

Of course i sent her another email apologizing profusely and thanked her for all the work she did. but Man oh man, do I feel like an idiot. I guess I am now officially a bridezilla

 

<--- me!