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Have to cancel CheapoAir flight

New Orleans...
Level Contributor
11 posts
21 reviews
6 helpful votes
Have to cancel CheapoAir flight
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Hello! I recently booked a flight with cheapoair, and unexpectedly will be transferring jobs from South Dakota to Florida. I will be in Florida before the time of the flight leaving out of South Dakota. I know they have strict policies and it's tough to cancel any sort of flight, so I was wondering if anyone had advice? Am I just out the money, or is there anything I can do?

Thanks :)

Liverpool, UK
Level Contributor
34,041 posts
35 reviews
22 helpful votes
1. Re: Have to cancel CheapoAir flight
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Unless you bought a flexible ticket which is unlikely with Cheapo you are just going to be out of the money.

London
Destination Expert
for London
Level Contributor
28,069 posts
80 reviews
131 helpful votes
2. Re: Have to cancel CheapoAir flight
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Cheapoair isn't an airline is it?

The cheapest tickets usually aren't refundable (but may be changeable) so you need to ask. You might get a credit or be able to change for a fee (though good luck with going through a third party like Cheapo).

Vancouver, Canada
Destination Expert
for London
Level Contributor
71,211 posts
11 reviews
89 helpful votes
3. Re: Have to cancel CheapoAir flight
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'I know they have strict policies and it's tough to cancel any sort of flight, so I was wondering if anyone had advice? Am I just out the money, or is there anything I can do?' The name CheapoAir should be a hint as to how the company operates, but that's another matter.

Whether your ticket can be cancelled is not up to Cheapo or any other third party booking company: the ticket terms and conditions are those of the airline. Have a look at the booking at the airline's website and see what they can offer if you cancel - it may be nothing but taxes and fees less a service fee.

You will almost certainly have to pay CheapO a fee to cancel the booking as well, and that fee may consume any monies you're due from the airline.

After having checked the airline website you may decide not to pursue the matter with Cheapo, but that's up to you. Whether they'll actually do the work to obtain a refund from the airline and pass it on to you is also up to them - they should do this but it may take them a few months. You may wish to speak to the airline to see what they can do, but I suspect they may refer you back to the agent for this.

To save yourself aggro in the future leave out the middleman: book directly with the airline.

Wales, United...
Destination Expert
for Bargain Travel, Cruises, Swansea, Cardiff, Carmarthenshire, Neath, Port Talbot
Level Contributor
119,545 posts
440 reviews
365 helpful votes
4. Re: Have to cancel CheapoAir flight
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I suspect that you'll lose your money, sorry.

Atlanta, Georgia
Level Contributor
9,957 posts
15 reviews
25 helpful votes
5. Re: Have to cancel CheapoAir flight
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"Am I just out the money"

Yes - best to forget about it and move on.

-JimG

Phoenix, Arizona
Level Contributor
87,101 posts
2,908 reviews
2,796 helpful votes
6. Re: Have to cancel CheapoAir flight
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JimG,

But not to "forget" about the life-lesson learned.

Hunt

Leyburn, United...
Level Contributor
2,848 posts
85 reviews
44 helpful votes
7. Re: Have to cancel CheapoAir flight
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Can you claim against your holiday insurance ?

Albuquerque, New...
Destination Expert
for Fruita, Grand Junction
Level Contributor
12,782 posts
267 reviews
189 helpful votes
8. Re: Have to cancel CheapoAir flight
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This is from CheapoAir website - "Most of our airline tickets are non-refundable. Only available if our Travel Suppliers' fare rules allow cancellation and refunds, and we have accepted your request for a refund, you are not a "no show" (most "no show" bookings are in-eligible for any waiver from suppliers for refund processing), and if we are able to secure waivers from suppliers to process this requested cancellation and refund." https://www.cheapoair.com/travel/travel_resources/terms.asp

This is ironic because TripAdvisor just sent me an email asking me to sign a petition or something strengthening 3rd party booking agents who provide airline bookings of flights. I won't do it because I always book directly. I just recently had a problem with an airline that I had booked with directly and they resolved it well and provided me with vouchers for future flights. This would not have happened with a 3rd party company.

So, you are just out the money is my guess. Lesson learned - cheaper is not always a bargain.

Phoenix, Arizona
Level Contributor
87,101 posts
2,908 reviews
2,796 helpful votes
9. Re: Have to cancel CheapoAir flight
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In general, the best that I can see with booking via a 3rd party agency is that one has insinuated an additional layer between themselves, and the supplier.

In a perfect world, where everything goes wonderfully (and unicorns dance under rainbows), that might not make a difference, but if anything goes amiss, then the passenger is usually out in the cold, struggling to get the agency to work with them, and the airlines.

No thank you - the same as with that petition.

Hunt

Sequim, Washington
Level Contributor
5 posts
39 reviews
26 helpful votes
10. Re: Have to cancel CheapoAir flight
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I am currently on interminable hold as I had to cancel a trip to Ecuador due to safety concerns. NEVER use this agency. I have been, over the last 3 days, bounced around the globe to their call centers and multiple unintelligible phone representatives, even when I asked directly for the New York corporate offices. Either I can't understand them or they have only rudimentary English language skills, they have no idea how to proceed outside the script. I have travel insurance but not sure they'll cover all the additional fees this hellhole tacks on as cancellation fees. They keep their booking fee, the airline keeps their ticket price and you just bend over. So disgusted.

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