Changing names on booking deemed a cancellation
Read terms and conditions before trying to replace one friend with another
I booked an all-inclusive trip with a group of friends to the Cayman Islands. My friend who was going to stay in my hotel room can no longer come on the trip, but I have another friend who is willing to take her place. I called my travel agent to switch the name on my hotel room that already has been paid for. I have been told this cannot be done. My friend has to pay more than $1,500 for her flights as well as for the hotel room that has been already booked for two. I do not understand what the problem is in switching the name on my room. The company will get another payment for the flight, so I don’t see why my friend has to pay again for the hotel. Can you explain this to me as it does not seem right?
The booking you and your first friend purchased together was an all-inclusive air and land package and the cost for each of you at the time you made your booking was based on a number of factors including double occupancy of the hotel room. Changing a name on a booking is equivalent to a cancellation. Your friend’s portion of the booking, which would include both the air and hotel components, would have to be cancelled and would be subject to the penalty based on the Terms and Conditions.
Take into consideration that if you did not find someone to replace your friend on your booking, you would have been charged an additional amount representing a single supplement to travel since you would no longer have qualified for the double-occupancy package rate.
Usually reviewing the terms and conditions is given little to no attention, particularly the terms that relate to cancellation, changes to bookings and refundability.
Understandably, at the time of booking the focus is on that longawaited getaway and not on cancelling or making changes.
When booking travel online, this tends to be the part of the booking process that most people quickly click through and accept without taking the time to fully understand what they are agreeing to.
Your travel agent should have reviewed this information with you and included a reference to this on your invoice. If you review the terms and conditions of your booking, you will most likely see that name changes are not allowed and that they are treated as a cancellation.
In addition, it will state that if a change to a booking involves a difference in the price, the consumer will pay the higher fee between the original booking price and the revised booking price. Usually, no refunds are issued for changes that result in a lower price.
Taking a few moments to review and understand the terms and conditions will help avoid any disappointment or surprises should the unexpected happen. Dorian Werda is vice-president, operations for the Travel Industry Council of Ontario, a non-profit corporation that regulates 2,500 travel retailers and wholesalers registered in Ontario. Send your travel questions to askdorian@tico.ca. Not all questions can be answered.