Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  10/08/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I purchased tickets for travel in December 2022, Unfortunately I became ill and was unable to travel. Tickets were purchased through Ticket at Work. Since the tickets were booked with Southwest airline, I requested that the credit be released to them so I could reschedule at a later date. I made several calls to request release of my fund to Southwest. I even made a three way call with Southwest, Ticket at Work and myself. The Southwest agent explained to them they needed to release my fund to them in order to use at a later date. Per Ticket at Work I had to booked with them by Oct 28, 2023 or I would lose my money. I called them on Oct 8,2023 to request my money be released to Southwest, again I was told they could not so that. I decided to try and book a Southwest ticket with them, prior to contacting them I went on the Southwest site to look at tickets and the cost. Since I had a credit of $372.24 with Ticket at Work. I wanted to provide the flight information directly to them. I found a ticket for $210. According they could not find those flight, I requested to speak with a manager ***** came on the line who was able to book the flight, he stated that I would have to pay an additional $120 more for a ticket that was less than my credit. I requested the breakdown of the cost, he didn't provide it. After being on the phone with them for 2 hours 8 minutes, I requested the Corporation phone number and addressed I was told there wasn't one. I was so frustrated at this point I stated I no longer want to speak with them, and requested they release my funds to Southwest, once again I was told the couldn't so that. However after speaking with Southwest again, I was told they can see the credit, however they could not do anything until Ticket at Work release my credit. I would like my money refunded to me.

  

  Business response

  10/16/2023

  Trip *************

  This is to address complaint# ******** with the Better Business Bureau regarding the credit with southwest airlines. We take customer concerns very seriously, and we apologize for any inconvenience or frustration this situation may have caused.
  
  After thoroughly investigating the matter, we have taken the necessary steps to address your complaint and resolve the issue. We understand the importance of providing excellent customer service and strive to ensure that all our customers have a positive experience.
  
  Bases on the investigation,The reason this is still pending to be issued as a credit to be used as southwest airlines has restricted us to rebook their tickets and has asked us to wait till 20th Oct 2023. 
  
  Resolution: I have spoken to passenger ***** and assured her that i would be able to resolve this, I spoke to airlines, As per them i had to fill out a form on airlines website in order to convert the value of the ticket as credit, **** has asked me to wait for **** business days, Same has been communicated to the passenger via email.
  
  We believe that the steps we have taken to rectify the situation are in line with your expectations and demonstrate our commitment to customer satisfaction. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience you may have experienced and assure you that we value your feedback as an opportunity for improvement.
  
  Please be assured that customer satisfaction remains our top priority, and we value your feedback as it helps us improve our products and services. We understand that mistakes can happen, but we are committed to learning from them and making the necessary changes to provide a better experience for all our customers.
  
  If you have any additional questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact our customer support team at ************  or **********************
  
  Once again, we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused. We hope that our actions demonstrate our dedication to resolving the matter to your satisfaction.
  
  Thank you for bringing this issue to our attention and allowing us the opportunity to rectify it. We appreciate your continued support and patronage.

• Initial Complaint

  09/17/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  Hi,I Booked a ticket from *** to *** through exploretrip.com on february 24th 2023 for travel on March 1st 2023. On the early morning of Mar1st i got a message that the flight was cancelled and an alternate itinerary was issued which consists of a stop and and a ten hour layover, while my initial flight was a direct one, so i reached out ot ticket agency exploretrip.com through phone and they agreed to cancel the ticket and refund a sum of 637$ approx, which they confirmed through email, so i went ahead and booked a ticket with another airlines. After few days when i was checking with ticketing agency about refund they were asking to check directly with the Airline i.e. ********, if i was told that they cannot process this request on March 1st when i reached out to them, i would have saved my time and money, they were irresponsible in handling this simple request. I never checked with AirIndia as i haven't booked my flight directly with them. I want to make explore trip.com responsible for all this mess. I wanted the refund as promised by the ticketing agency.

• Initial Complaint

  03/15/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I'm filing a complaint for flights purchased through Explore Trip in 2020. I purchased Avianca flight tickets through Exploretrip from ******** to ******* to visit my family for a 2 week trip. I purchased tickets for my sister and for a total of $1,204.90.Our flights were canceled due to COVID-19 and we were unable to return back to the US. Exploretrip failed to let me know regarding the flight status and I was not refunded. I contacted the airline, Avianca, directly and after promising to provide a voucher back in 2020 they responded that the travel agency needs to refund me not them. I contacted my credit card company and they said it's too late to file a dispute. ExploreTrip refuses to offer me a refund and says that the airline needs to provide me a voucher. It is now March 2023 and I have yet to receive a refund for the canceled flights. I have no other option but to file a compliant with the BBB. I hope BBB can help me find a resolution. Thank you for your time. Flight Date: 3/13-3/26/2020 Best,***********************

  

  Business response

  03/21/2023

  Dear *******,

  
  Thank you for bringing this issue to our attention. We understand your concern regarding the customer's request for a refund for their airline ticket. However, we would like to clarify that the client contacted us to request a refund for their ticket on the 13th of Dec22, and by that time ticket has already expired, and the same was advised to the client.

  
  We would also like to point out that the tickets in question were issued three years ago and have since expired. Despite this, we are willing to make an effort to assist the customer and have reached out to the airline on their behalf to request a refund. It's worth noting that the decision to issue a refund ultimately lies with the airline and we cannot guarantee that a refund will be granted.

  
  We take our customer service seriously and are committed to resolving this issue in a satisfactory manner. We appreciate your concern and thank you for bringing this matter to our attention.

  
  Thank you,
  April

• Initial Complaint

  02/25/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I was looking on a discount website my work provides called ***************. Looking for prices on a possible upcoming trip my wife is trying to plan for a surprise trip to Universal Studios in *******. After typing in where I was trying to go and dates it asked for a credit card so I put in my info but a fake 3 digit security code that's on the back of the card because I was just looking for prices. Well clicking next thinking it's going to pick seats or luggage or anything else it said an email was sent to me. Well since I was home and I had to wait till the next morning to check my work email at work, I saw no email about anything. Then as I'm checking my bank account I see a pending charge of $952.96. I immediately call my credit card company telling them about this charge I did not make and they close the card and flag the charge. Now I have no credit card. Well after checking the *************** page for any activity or orders I have might of made it keeps saying NO ACTIVITY NO ORDERS. So I still believe it's a hacked credit card purchase. I check ****** Airlines and it to says NO UPCOMING FLIGHTS NO ACTIVITY NO ORDERS. So still I think it's a hacked credit card charge. Friday comes and the charge clears so I freak out and call everyone. *************** first put me thru to this TRIPPLANET who finally finds an order and resend the order to my personal email and not my work email where I was looking for Airline prices thru our employee discount site and I immediately tell them I do not want these tickets and this is not an order or purchase I approve of. Well the best they can do because I did not know immediately about this and called 4 days later and not under 24hours is a credit of $550 to use only by may 25th. Then they will resell the tickets they ordered for me again to someone else for full price again and make out over double on those seats. I cannot use those unwanted authorized reservations and just want them gone. It's a flight over a month away.

  

  Business response

  02/27/2023

  Dear *******,
  
  We appreciate you bringing to our attention the complaint received from one of our clients who booked a reservation online. After reviewing the details of the case, we believe that there is no fault on our end.
  
  We have thoroughly investigated the matter and have found that the client booked the reservation on the 21st of Feb'23 for four passengers. The booking was confirmed the same day and a confirmation email was shared to the registered email address ******************** then received a call from ******************************* on the 24th of Feb to cancel the reservation. One of our representatives advised the client that as per the airline policy, the ticket stands Non-Refundable but a credit voucher worth USD 543.20 would be valid for use through 25th of May'23. The client had also mentioned to our representatives about his wife booking a reservation from a different source. We make every effort to provide clear and accurate information to our clients at all times, including during the booking process. 
  
  We appreciate the opportunity to address this matter and assure you that we are committed to providing the best possible service to all of our clients. If you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact us.
  
  
  Thank You,
  April

• Initial Complaint

  12/27/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have contacted your company on March 15, 2022 to rebook a ticket. I was told that you had to charge me a fee difference of CA$680.90 in addition. I have received a call on April 4, 2022 saying that you actually did not rebook my ticket, and failed to inform me about it in a timely manner. On top of the fact that your negligence have caused me to lose my original ticket valued CA$1617, you also FAILED to give me back the additional fee that you charged for a ticket you did not book. Its been almost 7 months, yet your refund of CA$680.90 did not reach my account. This is absolutely unacceptable and quite frankly inhumane. I have spent CA$55 just to call your ************* office from ****** just to get my money back. I have no words for the disappointment I feel, nor for the stress and emotional damage caused by your actions. Please, please give my refund back immediately. Theres no more excuses to delay my refund of CA$680.90 that I was told that was going to be returned to me.

  

  Business response

  01/09/2023

  Dear *******,
  
  We regret the inconvenience caused to the customer.

  
  As per our record, we see that the customer called us on the 16th of March 2022 to re-book the flight and one of our representatives advised a total add collect of 680 CAD. A request was sent to charge the customer's credit card and to issue the tickets, however the credit card declined. Since we're unable to locate the amount charged that the customer claims, we've requested to share the bank statement so that we can verify with our ******************* Please allow us some time to look into this matter and revert with our findings.
  

  Your effort in this case is highly appreciated.

  
  
  Thank You,
  
  Exploretrip
  

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  11/24/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Dear Team,Date of Air Tickets purchased : Dec 16, 2019 (attached ExploreTrips-purchase.pdf)Date of Flight : Apr 24 2020 (flights cancelled due to *****)Date of first cancellation : Sept 4, 2020 (attached Exploretrip-first-cancellation-email.pdf)Date of Dispute filed for full refund as Air India did not charge cancellation fees : Nov 1, 2020 (Discover)Date of Dispute resolution in the favor of exploretrip : Nov 28, 2020 (Discover case # *******RN2)Contact exploretrip for regular refund status : Feb 17, 2022 (attached ExploreTrips-refund-request-2022.pdf)No response yet I have purchased flight tickets for my sister and nephew before ***** started. Unfortunately the ***** hit and the travel dates was during ***** time and none of the flights ran. I talked to Exploretrip to cancel the ticket and they told me if airline charges for any cancellation fees that will be deducted from my refund. I agreed that terms and moved ahead. I waited for a long time and then filed a dispute with Discover but unfortunately that went in the favor of Exploretrip. But still waiting on the refund. After calling Exploretrip after dispute they mentioned waiting on Air India to refund money and check with Air India. I checked with Air India and they confirmed me the date when the full refund (no cancellation) was given back to Exploretrip. Contact Exploretrip in 2020, 2021 but they kept saying did not get refund from Air India On Fen 17, 2022 contact Exploretrip and they mentioned they got refund from Air India but now they are dealing with chargeback case since I opened dispute earlier. I called Discover and they mentioned the case was closed and nothing was charged to Exploretrip. Now if looks like to me that Exploretrip will never refund me and also it looks they are lying about refund amount as they are charging me cancellation fees for not flown flight. Air India confirms they didn't charge cancellation to Exploretrip. I don't have any ************* (in writings) apart from attached emails so I am looking for some kind of help on getting the refund.Thank you in advance! Really appreciate it.

  

  Business response

  11/28/2022

  Dear *******,
  
  We regret the inconvenience caused to the customer.
  
  We would like to inform you that during COVID-19, airlines kept changing their change/cancellation policies. On the 04th of Sep20, we received a call from the client to cancel the reservation, however Air India werent providing a refund at that time and the same was advised. However, we informed the client that we will try for a refund but it is not guaranteed and a refund request was submitted to Air India. 
  
  Regrettably,the refund process was significantly delayed by the airlines as a result of the number of customers affected by flight disruptions related to COVID-19. Airlines were handling the applications in the order they were received. We received a call from the client on the 08th of Jan'21 to know the status of the refund and even had a conference call with Air India and they informed us that it is still pending. 
  
  While we were in the process of trying to get a refund from the airline, we received a chargeback with the bank for the ticket amount and this inhibited us from the effort to process the refund. This case was handled by our chargeback team in coordination with the client and the bank. As per the record, the chargeback case was closed and a refund of 1587 USD was processed through PayPal on the 25th of Nov'22.
  
  In case of any discrepancy, the customer can send us an email to **************************************.
  
  We appreciate your role in bringing this to our notice.
  
  
  Thank you,
  
  April

  Customer response

  12/04/2022

   
  Complaint: 18460002

  Thank you very much BBB for your intervention otherwise my voice was not heard by explore trip and they were simply lying on the face on many fronts  

  I am rejecting this response because :

  - The amount refunded is partial. Air India over the call confirms they did not charge any penalties due to flights were cancelled. 
  I would like to find out what is the reason behind charging me cancellation fees ? Is this exploretrip cancellation charges or Air India. If it is Air India then I am not sure whom to believe so any proofs of penalty charges will solve this case. Or refund the remaining amount. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************

  

  Business response

  12/12/2022

  Dear *******,

   

  We regret the inconvenience caused to the customer.

  
  We have been trying to reach out to the customer on multiple occasions, but the number is on voicemail. Please be informed that a refund request has been submitted for an amount of ****** USD on the 9th of December.

  
  In case of any discrepancy, the customer may contact us at ****************************************************************.

  
  Thank you,

  
  April
  

  Customer response

  12/13/2022

   
  Complaint: 18460002
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

   

  I have not yet received the refund requested by April in the amount of 550.70$ to my PayPal account **********************. I have not sure if I was contacted, and don't see any voice mails.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************

• Initial Complaint

  09/20/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I purchasedanExploreTrip ticket on 4/11/22. I called ExploreTrip to transfer theticket to a new date or receive a travelcredit. After unprofessionalphone calls ************ 2022),ExploreTrip wasn't able to provide evidence for why the dollar amount they were throwing out as the change fee wasn't a random number.*Were told that to change a booking, we must go directly through the airline. But the airline said we had to go through the third party.*Were told the changed ticket needs to be the same destination as the original ticket. Another claim that the airline refuted.*Were told we needed to make the change immediately. Representative became hostile when we said we were info gathering.*Were told the change fee is $500. When we asked where this number came from, we got no answer. The fine print indicates that Explore Trip charges $35 for their change fee+ the amount indicated by the airline. The airline said they don't have change fees for our particular itinerary.When we called back, we were told the change fee is $300. We asked where this number came from, since we were previously told $500, the representative hung up on us. *A representative consistently interrupted/shouted over me, then said I was changing my story. When I asked for an example of how I had changed my story, he yelled at me for calling more than once.*When we asked to speak with a manager, we were told there is none.*We were finally escalated to someone who spoke calmly. They said they'd waive the change fee completely, but we had to use the new ticket within 30 days.I believe it is my right to receive the option for a travel credit with evidence supporting the cost of the change fee.Booking confirmation: **********. Flight confirmation #: FOPNMU. Travel date: 8/17/22 I paid $952.40 but was only asking to change 1 of the 2 tickets (thus half of this amount).

  

  Business response

  09/23/2022

  Dear *******,
  
  We regret the inconvenience caused to the customer.

  
  Our main objective is always to ensure utmost customer satisfaction at all levels and find the most suitable way to fix their problems without any delay.

  
  We would like to inform you that one of our supervisors had a word with the customer on the 21st of September to provide a proper resolution. Since passenger was a No-Show, if changes have to be made a no-show fee and fare difference will be applicable, however a request will be sent to the airline to waive off the penalty. We have also informed the customer that travel must be completed on or before 10th April 2023. 

  
  We would also like to apologize for the trouble the customer had experienced with us. Given the attention we devote to every client, this is not at all usual and this incident will not pass un-scrutinized. 

  
  We appreciate your role in bringing this to our notice.
  

  
  Sincerely,

   

  Exploretrip

  Customer response

  09/23/2022

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. Documenting in writing that my ticket wasn't a no-show, but an "open ticket" as I had called the airline in advance to notify them of my absence. Thank you for your assistance in this matter. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

• Initial Complaint

  07/23/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I booked my flight with ExploreTrip agent in May or June this year. It is a Philippine airline ticket (e ticket #***-7776348448), departure on 8/13/22 from ***. 7/22/22 ExploreTrip notifies me that due to increase charges from the airline, I have to pay more to secure the ticket. email is from scedulechange@tripplanet.com.7/18/22, ExploreTrip agent already told me that I had to pay about $400 more on the first call, then they called again in 15 mins saying that I had to pay another $100 more. I paid and got my eticket issued (e ticket # is above)7/22 I got email saying my flight schedule change and I have to pay more. So unreasonable.Please investigate this Exploretrip and Tripplant businesses. Please help me to see if Explore Trip has the right to do that and get refund if possible.

  

  Business response

  07/26/2022

  Dear *******,

  
  We regret the inconvenience caused to the customer.
  
  As per our record, we received a call from the customer on the 09th of July to know the booking status and one of our customer representatives assisted the caller. Unfortunately, we were unable to confirm the flight for the same fare so the available fare was advised which the customer agreed to and was submitted to confirm the booking. We would like to inform you that the fares advertised online are directly linked to the Airlines' Global Distribution System and are 'Real Time.' These fares are subject to change as they are based on the availability of seats. This means fares may increase or decrease. We are a travel agency and we have no control over Airlines' inventory.The total amount charged from the customer's credit card is $1340.90 USD which is the ticket cost. As a goodwill gesture and to restore the customer's faith in us, we are processing a refund of $100.00 USD. It may take ***** business days to get the amount credited to the original form of payment.
  We would like to apologize for the inconvenience caused to the customer. In case of any discrepancy, the customer may contact us ****************************************************************.
  
  We appreciate your role in bringing this to our notice.
  
  
  Exploretrip
  
  

  Customer response

  07/26/2022

   
  Complaint: 17614888
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  ExploreTrip charged me total $1340.90. An agent stressed that Philippine Airline changed flight schedule, and ExploreTrip had to charge more to keep the booking. If I didn't pay the increased amount, I would have lost my booking. The agent made me so nervous and anxious about my booking, so I paid and had a peace of mind.

  On 7/22 and 7/24, ExploreTrip emailed me saying "urgent flight schedule change" and asked me to pay more to hold the booking.

  It asked $174 on 7/22, and then up to $210 on 7/24.

  I called and spoke to its agent who said that it was now $499. I refused to pay because I didn't request flight change. After 45 mins arguing over the phone, the agent said "OK, final offer to you is $ 299". I refused and hanged up.
  

  I checked my booking with Philippine Airline which said my book is confirmed, the price was $941.97, date of issue 6/19/2022. 

  ExploreTrip is trying to make profit by scaring and lying to their customers.

  I am mentally stress out and disturbed by the frequent emails asking for more and more money. I could not sleep for several nights. 

  I want refund of the different $398.93-($1340.9-$941.97= $398.93). 

  Please investigate this company to see if they can only calling or emailing Chinese Last Name customers to scope more money on their purchases.

   

  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************

  

  Business response

  08/10/2022

  Dear *******,

  Thank you for your email.

  We would like to inform you that this case has now been forwarded to the higher management for further investigation. We have also arranged a callback from one of our supervisors to assist the customer and close this case on a priority basis. 

  We apologize for the inconvenience caused to the customer.

   

  Thank you,

   

  Farescan

• Initial Complaint

  06/24/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Dear,Last May (2021) I booked 4 flight tickets from **** to the *** via *********** with exploretrip. Due to covid19, next day my flight out was cancelled. I informed the travel agency and they said they would ask for a refund. The travel agent emailed me the amount I am supposed to receive back from the airline (Qatar airlines gave a full refund minus the travel agencys fee). Since then I have called them multiple times and they say that ***** hasnt refunded them yet BUT when I called the airline they told me that my case has been refunded!! I checked exploretrips reviews on ****** and it seems to be a very common practice of them. Could you PLEASE help me. Thank you! Qatar airlines 4 ticket numbers:1577560120263/64/65/67

  

  Business response

  07/01/2022

  Dear *******,
  
  
  We regret the inconvenience caused to the customer.
  
  However, our main objective is always to ensure utmost customer satisfaction at all levels and find the most suitable way to fix their problems without any delay.
  
  As per our record, we see that refund was already processed on the 29th of September 2021 to the original form of payment. There is no refund due from our end.

  
  Your effort in this case is highly appreciated.

  
  Thank You,

  
  Exploretrip

   

  Customer response

  07/02/2022

   
  Complaint: 17477649
  
  I am rejecting this response because: according to the records of Exploretrip, I am supposed to receive $4200 and instead I received only $500. Where is the remaining amount!! I have been calling Exploretrip multiple times during the last ************************************************** that my refund is being processed and that Qatar airlines has failed to reimburse them. Obviously, this is a lie according to the response of the airline, which claims that ***** has reimburse the Full amount to Exploretrip in June 2021!!!
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Dear,

  I reject explore the travel agencys response on the grounds that Exploretrip has refunded me only $500 (nobody knows where this amount came from and how was calculated) instead of $4200 (see their response below). In addition, in the last ************************************************** that my refund request is in progress and that Qatar airlines has failed to refund but obviously this is a lie as Qatar airlines assured me that the Full amount has been refunded to the agency since June 2021! Hence I request from the travel agency to proceed to the payment of the remaining amount ($3.700) without any further unnecessary delays.

  *************************************

  Exploretrips response regarding my refund:

  Your Refund Request,
  We wish to inform you that your  refund request is in process and will be submitted to the airlines for final approval. Upon the airline's approval and after deducting all non-refundable amounts (base fare, penalties, taxes and fees) as per fare rules, you will receive a total Refund of USD $ ******* for ************** only),After the deduction of Cancellation penalty from consolidator($520 USD ) 
  
   Any ticket refund after 24 hours of booking may take up to two billing cycles from the date of refund processed. In some exceptional cases it may take more time depending upon airlines, consolidators, reason of refund or based on the type of itinerary booked.

  

  Business response

  07/13/2022

  Dear *******,

   

  We are sending a request to the airline again since we did not receive the amount that was previously advised to the customer. As soon as we receive an update from the airlines, we will notify you and the customer immediately.

  We appreciate your role in bringing this to our notice.

  Thank you,

   

   

   

  Customer response

  07/15/2022

   
  Complaint: 17477649
  
  I am rejecting this response because according to the email attached, you already received the refund (1 year ago!) and you willingly dont forward it to me. Pls proceed with the refund with no further delays. Thank you. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************************

  

  Business response

  08/11/2022

   

  As per our refunds department, we haven't received the funds from ************* yet, and we are working on it. We have sent a reminder to the airline and as soon as we receive the funds, a full refund will be initiated from our end. Kindly allow us sometime to revert.

  Customer response

  08/11/2022

   
  Complaint: 17477649
  
  I am rejecting this response because: according to the emails attached, Qatar airlines claim that they have already refunded you. They have no reason to lie about it. Also, its has been almost 15 months since the booking and its cancellation occurred and I am still waiting for my refund. Pls process the refund asap so we can close this case. Thank you. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************************

• Initial Complaint

  06/07/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  In January 2020, I booked Air Canada (AC) flights for my husband and myself through skiplagged.com owned by Explore Trip (ET), totaling $1152.16 (576.08 each). The flights were for June 2020. The flights were cancelled by the airline due to Covid-19, but I was assured that we could use credit for two years from the travel dates (which would be June *****, 2022). I called ET in January 2022 to book flights for June 2022 and spoke to ***. After a long dispute about how much value I would actually get for my original tickets, she booked us flights for June 12, 2022 on AC. We had a reference number which showed our flights on aircanada.ca and received email notifications for when there were changes in the flight times. There was no reason to believe we didn't have tickets. We even got an email confirmation from AC on 5/25/22 with our flights and ticket numbers. However, upon trying to check my status on the website on 6/6/22 I received an error that my flight was "not valid". After an extensive conversation with an AC representative, Explore Trip had in fact "reserved" our flights but not "confirmed" them with ticket numbers and the ticket numbers on the confirmation we got on 5/25/22 were actually from our June 2020 trip. Since the tickets were not confirmed, AC cancelled our tickets on 6/26 (with no email notice). I was told by AC that the only option was to have ET book us another flight with the credit which expires on 6/15 or have them request a flight voucher. I called ET and was told that AC rejected the new tickets because my original flight credit expired. AC states this is simply not true and it is valid until 6/15. ET claims that *** called me to tell me this, but based on phone records there is no evidence of a call from ET and further there was no email. I have called several times and been told that *** would call me back and has not. There is still no resolution so I had to book a last minute flight elsewhere for our trip which was very expensive.

  

  Business response

  06/08/2022

  Dear *******,
  
  
  We regret the inconvenience caused to the customer.

  However, our main objective is always to ensure utmost customer satisfaction at all levels and find the most suitable way to fix their problems without any delay.

  As per our record, we see that the customer contacted us on the 12th of January 2022 to rebook the flights and one of our customer representatives assisted the customer. A request was sent to the airline to rebook, however it was rejected since the ticket validity exceeded 24 months. The customer contacted us yesterday asking for a full refund and has been advised that a full refund request has been submitted but we cannot guarantee. We would also like to inform you that the customer was well informed about the ticket validity and unfortunately, we do not have any control over it.

  In case of any discrepancy,the customer can send us an email to **************************************
  
  We appreciate your role in bringing this to our notice.
  
  
  Thank you,
  

  Exploretrip

  Customer response

  06/08/2022

   
  Complaint: 17330937
  
  I am rejecting this response because: This response is not satisfactory. Attached you will see the Exchange Confirmation provided by ExploreTrip on 1/12. I was told about a 24 month restriction but it was clear by both *** and Air Canada that it was 24 months from the original days of travel (June 15, 2020). This was also confirmed again by the airline to me on both 6/6 and 6/7. The fact still remains that I was NEVER informed that the tickets were rejected by the airline in January by phone or email. *** admitted to me on the phone yesterday afternoon that she did not call me in January after she apparently learned the tickets expired and she thought the airline would figure it out so she didn't cancel the tickets either. Even more, I received several emails directly from the airline informing me of time changes to my flight and the (attached again) confirmation of my flight as recent as 5/25. There was NO reason to believe that the transaction had not been completed on my end. I only found out on my own by calling the airline on 6/6 that the flights were never confirmed by Explore Trip so the tickets were cancelled on 5/26. This left us without flights on our trip that was occurring 6 days later. I tried calling Explore Trip and was told I needed to wait the next day for ***, which is ridiculous that nobody else could help me. The next day I called two times. The first time I was told *** would call me in an hour. 4 hours later, I called again and was told *** would call me in 10 minutes. 30 minutes after that, I assumed I would never get a call after reading several complaints from others that this behavior is characteristic of Explore Trip. This is when I filed the BBB complaint. *** did eventually return my call (maybe after seeing I made a complaint) and was very kind, but nonetheless admitted that the fault was on her for not informing me in January of the exchange she had with Air Canada. I had to book another (much more expensive) flight last minute due to your error so the least you can do is refund me for my original flight and the pain you have put me through with this process.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *******************************

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