Lost money, time with 10-hour Greyhound delay

DEAR TRAVEL TROUBLESHOOTER >> I boarded a Greyhound bus from Arcata to Oakland at 9:30 a.m. A few miles down the road, the bus broke down on Highway 101. The driver pulled over to the shoulder. She announced that the radiator had lost water, and contacted her supervisor, who said help was on the way.

After over an hour, our driver said the company was bringing a replacement bus from San Francisco. Another bus was in Arcata, but no driver was available. Greyhound offered no other options.

In order to be out of harm’s way, the driver was able to pull into the small town of Myers Flat. The passengers were in need of food and water for the long wait. Around 1 p.m. the driver announced that a bus from San Francisco — five to six hours away — had left at noon. This meant we would not reach Oakland until after midnight.

I had no other choice but to take a local bus back to Arcata, secure a hotel for the night and schedule my return for the next day. This was a very unfortunate and inconvenient experience for me (and for the other passengers). As a result, I had the unanticipated expenses of an overnight stay plus transportation costs the next day.

I wrote a letter to Greyhound asking for a refund, and followed up a month later. I have not received any response. I would like to have the $58 I paid for my ticket refunded, plus the price of staying overnight in Arcata, $108.

— Vivian Pisano,

Berkeley

ANSWER >> Greyhound should have sent a replacement bus for you and the other passengers promptly. Making you wait 10 hours isn’t reasonable. I also would have made my own arrangements for a hotel after this Greyhound bus delay and found another way to get to Oakland, which you did.

Greyhound’s Terms and Conditions of Purchase & Carriage, the legal agreement between you and the company, says that it is not responsible for keeping its schedules. “Carrier is not responsible for delays caused by breakdowns, road conditions, weather or other conditions beyond carrier’s reasonable control,” it says. But, it adds, Greyhound will make “reasonable attempts” to minimize the delays or make alternate arrangements to enable bus travel to your final destination.

What’s interesting about this clause is that Greyhound is explicitly saying it isn’t responsible for failing to maintain its buses. In other words, the radiator problem you experienced was preventable by Greyhound, but the company says it isn’t liable. In other sectors of the travel industry, that wouldn’t fly. Airlines, for example, compensate passengers when there’s a mechanical delay.

At a minimum, Greyhound should have quickly refunded your ticket. I also think you might have asked about a hotel. Its contract promises to make “alternate arrangements,” which may include covering your hotel for a night.

I list the names, numbers and email addresses of the Greyhound executives on my consumer-advocacy site. A brief, polite email to one of them might have at least gotten you a refund for this Greyhound bus delay.

I contacted Greyhound on your behalf. It agreed to refund your ticket and cover your hotel costs.

DEAR TRAVEL TROUBLESHOOTER >> I recently booked a flight from Pittsburgh to Delhi via New York through Travelocity. My tickets were on Delta Air Lines and Air India. Delta canceled my outbound flight from Pittsburgh to New York. It originally got into JFK at 12:15 p.m., and I had a 2:30 p.m. flight out of JFK to Delhi.

When Delta canceled the first leg, it rebooked me on a flight that got into JFK at 12:46 p.m. Travelocity said that wasn’t enough time for an international flight. The only other flight I (and Travelocity) saw got into JFK at 7 a.m., which I do not want to do.

I asked Travelocity for a refund so that I could book a new flight. But since then, they’ve been updating me every week that they can’t get in touch with Air India. In their last email, they said, “We would like to inform you that we are still trying to coordinate with the airlines about your concern. We will keep you posted as soon as we receive their reply.”

I want to cancel this whole flight, have it refunded, and book a new flight. Can you help me get my $972 back from Travelocity?

— Erin Vuono,

Pittsburgh

ANSWER >> You shouldn’t have to wait for your Air India flight refund. The Department of Transportation gives an airline a week to refund your money.

Your online agent had to negotiate a refund from Air India because it controlled your ticket. That included the canceled Delta leg, and Air India wasn’t responding to Travelocity’s refund requests.

This is the frustrating kind of refund game travelers shouldn’t have to play. You paid Travelocity for a ticket; Travelocity should obtain a prompt refund from all parties. When an airline cancels a flight, you’re entitled to either a new flight of its choosing or a full refund.

I list executive contacts for Travelocity on my consumer-advocacy site. I also have customer service information for Delta Air Lines and Air India. Reaching out to one — or all — of these parties might have helped.

Delta should stick to its published schedule. I understand that airlines sometimes need to change their flights, but I find it upsetting when an airline can cancel a flight with almost no consequences to the carrier. But when a passenger wants to cancel, the airline tries to keep the money. It’s not fair.

If an online travel agency cobbles together an itinerary on multiple carriers, then it bears some responsibility when the flights get changed. Travelocity should secure a quick refund so that you can book a new ticket that fits your itinerary. It needs to help you with your entire flight.

I contacted Travelocity on your behalf. It processed a full refund of $972.