DB
Debbie B
1 reviews | Active since Nov 2020
02 Nov 2020, 10:23
Shocking Post Covid Service
I have been trying to contact Travelstart for over three weeks to re-book flights that were cancelled due to the lockdown. It has been the most frustrating experience out. The whole system is automated - e-mails bounce back as they are sent from no reply services. The online chat sends the same automated reply repeatedly. They promise to send a quote within 24hours, nothing happens and then it all starts again from the beginning where they tell you to chat to them online. This has been so frustrating. Their service has been shocking and I will never use them again and I strongly advise against people using this service. I would have been better off dealing with the airlines directly. Our family has bookings valued at over R 70 000 with Travelstart. I find this completely unacceptable
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Replies (5)0
Replies (5)
Travelstart's replyOfficial
02 Nov 2020, 15:21Good day Debbie
Thank you for your feedback , this is much appreciated.
Please accept my apologies for the delay and frustration caused with your case, I am very sorry for your experience.
I have checked your bookings logs and correspondence and I would just like to take the opportunity to clarify certain aspects.
Every Airline has a different directive due to the pandemic , some are more accommodating than others and others not. Travelstart acts as an agent for the airline and we are bound by all airlines rules and need to quote according to the directives which they have provided us at the time. The airlines and Travel industry has been badly affected by the global pandemic and has had to let most staff go as they were unable to keep them. Thus processing could take longer than expected.
In saying the above I would like to look particularly into your case. With your first enquiry to change and reinstate your ticket the airline you were travelling on had not yet released their flight schedule, and therefore we could not assist with a quote.
Your second enquiry the Seychelles had opened its boarders to South Africans , however as per your chat with one of our service agents the particular dates you requested the airline had not yet loaded flights into the Global distribution system. The Global distribution system is one where real time inventory for flights ,cars and hotels are booked from and the inventory offered is what is loaded by the particular supplier or airline. If the airline does not load certain inventory in the system we are unable to provide any quotes or bookings unfortunately.
I have escalated your amendment requests to one of our Fares experts to handle. With your flexibility on the Comair flight it will make it easier for them to find availability in the system, and hopefully are then able to provide you with a fully inclusive quotation.
I completely understand how frustrating this process for reinstating your flights must be, but Please be assured we have all hands on deck assisting our customers as quickly and efficiently as possible.
If you have any other questions let us know and we will be happy to assist where possible.
Thank you and kind regards
Travelstart
Thank you for your feedback , this is much appreciated.
Please accept my apologies for the delay and frustration caused with your case, I am very sorry for your experience.
I have checked your bookings logs and correspondence and I would just like to take the opportunity to clarify certain aspects.
Every Airline has a different directive due to the pandemic , some are more accommodating than others and others not. Travelstart acts as an agent for the airline and we are bound by all airlines rules and need to quote according to the directives which they have provided us at the time. The airlines and Travel industry has been badly affected by the global pandemic and has had to let most staff go as they were unable to keep them. Thus processing could take longer than expected.
In saying the above I would like to look particularly into your case. With your first enquiry to change and reinstate your ticket the airline you were travelling on had not yet released their flight schedule, and therefore we could not assist with a quote.
Your second enquiry the Seychelles had opened its boarders to South Africans , however as per your chat with one of our service agents the particular dates you requested the airline had not yet loaded flights into the Global distribution system. The Global distribution system is one where real time inventory for flights ,cars and hotels are booked from and the inventory offered is what is loaded by the particular supplier or airline. If the airline does not load certain inventory in the system we are unable to provide any quotes or bookings unfortunately.
I have escalated your amendment requests to one of our Fares experts to handle. With your flexibility on the Comair flight it will make it easier for them to find availability in the system, and hopefully are then able to provide you with a fully inclusive quotation.
I completely understand how frustrating this process for reinstating your flights must be, but Please be assured we have all hands on deck assisting our customers as quickly and efficiently as possible.
If you have any other questions let us know and we will be happy to assist where possible.
Thank you and kind regards
Travelstart
Travelstart's reply02 Nov 2020, 15:21
Official
Good day Debbie
Thank you for your feedback , this is much appreciated.
Please accept my apologies for the delay and frustration caused with your case, I am very sorry for your experience.
I have checked your bookings logs and correspondence and I would just like to take the opportunity to clarify certain aspects.
Every Airline has a different directive due to the pandemic , some are more accommodating than others and others not. Travelstart acts as an agent for the airline and we are bound by all airlines rules and need to quote according to the directives which they have provided us at the time. The airlines and Travel industry has been badly affected by the global pandemic and has had to let most staff go as they were unable to keep them. Thus processing could take longer than expected.
In saying the above I would like to look particularly into your case. With your first enquiry to change and reinstate your ticket the airline you were travelling on had not yet released their flight schedule, and therefore we could not assist with a quote.
Your second enquiry the Seychelles had opened its boarders to South Africans , however as per your chat with one of our service agents the particular dates you requested the airline had not yet loaded flights into the Global distribution system. The Global distribution system is one where real time inventory for flights ,cars and hotels are booked from and the inventory offered is what is loaded by the particular supplier or airline. If the airline does not load certain inventory in the system we are unable to provide any quotes or bookings unfortunately.
I have escalated your amendment requests to one of our Fares experts to handle. With your flexibility on the Comair flight it will make it easier for them to find availability in the system, and hopefully are then able to provide you with a fully inclusive quotation.
I completely understand how frustrating this process for reinstating your flights must be, but Please be assured we have all hands on deck assisting our customers as quickly and efficiently as possible.
If you have any other questions let us know and we will be happy to assist where possible.
Thank you and kind regards
Travelstart
Thank you for your feedback , this is much appreciated.
Please accept my apologies for the delay and frustration caused with your case, I am very sorry for your experience.
I have checked your bookings logs and correspondence and I would just like to take the opportunity to clarify certain aspects.
Every Airline has a different directive due to the pandemic , some are more accommodating than others and others not. Travelstart acts as an agent for the airline and we are bound by all airlines rules and need to quote according to the directives which they have provided us at the time. The airlines and Travel industry has been badly affected by the global pandemic and has had to let most staff go as they were unable to keep them. Thus processing could take longer than expected.
In saying the above I would like to look particularly into your case. With your first enquiry to change and reinstate your ticket the airline you were travelling on had not yet released their flight schedule, and therefore we could not assist with a quote.
Your second enquiry the Seychelles had opened its boarders to South Africans , however as per your chat with one of our service agents the particular dates you requested the airline had not yet loaded flights into the Global distribution system. The Global distribution system is one where real time inventory for flights ,cars and hotels are booked from and the inventory offered is what is loaded by the particular supplier or airline. If the airline does not load certain inventory in the system we are unable to provide any quotes or bookings unfortunately.
I have escalated your amendment requests to one of our Fares experts to handle. With your flexibility on the Comair flight it will make it easier for them to find availability in the system, and hopefully are then able to provide you with a fully inclusive quotation.
I completely understand how frustrating this process for reinstating your flights must be, but Please be assured we have all hands on deck assisting our customers as quickly and efficiently as possible.
If you have any other questions let us know and we will be happy to assist where possible.
Thank you and kind regards
Travelstart
DB
Debbie B's updateReviewer Update
03 Nov 2020, 07:29Thank you for your reply. I find it difficult to understand that the only way we seem to get anywhere with your company is through this site. This is the first bit of meaningful correspondence that I have had with anybody from Travelstart. It has however not helped at all:
We have 6 tickets to the Seychelles. I received a re-booking quote for three of the 6 tickets. I filled in the online form to accept the quote. I received notification of the quote at 15h00 in the afternoon. I was told that I had to reply by 17h00. As I was out in the afternoon, I only read the email at 18h00. I filled in the form right away. I then received an invoice for one of the six tickets at 20h00. I got up this morning to make the payment so that I would have at least one of the 6 tickets, only to find that the payment link had expired. Surely there must be some way for an agent to get hold of me and to resolve this until we have all six tickets in hand and paid for. I just cannot see myself being able to keep going around in circles like this. I ask that somebody from Travelstart give this their full attention. I am at the point where I am about to book us a whole set of new tickets, but I find it completely unacceptable that I would have to walk away from bookings in excess of R 70 000 because of the ineptitude of an agency such as this
We have 6 tickets to the Seychelles. I received a re-booking quote for three of the 6 tickets. I filled in the online form to accept the quote. I received notification of the quote at 15h00 in the afternoon. I was told that I had to reply by 17h00. As I was out in the afternoon, I only read the email at 18h00. I filled in the form right away. I then received an invoice for one of the six tickets at 20h00. I got up this morning to make the payment so that I would have at least one of the 6 tickets, only to find that the payment link had expired. Surely there must be some way for an agent to get hold of me and to resolve this until we have all six tickets in hand and paid for. I just cannot see myself being able to keep going around in circles like this. I ask that somebody from Travelstart give this their full attention. I am at the point where I am about to book us a whole set of new tickets, but I find it completely unacceptable that I would have to walk away from bookings in excess of R 70 000 because of the ineptitude of an agency such as this
DB
Debbie B's update03 Nov 2020, 07:29
Reviewer Update
Thank you for your reply. I find it difficult to understand that the only way we seem to get anywhere with your company is through this site. This is the first bit of meaningful correspondence that I have had with anybody from Travelstart. It has however not helped at all:
We have 6 tickets to the Seychelles. I received a re-booking quote for three of the 6 tickets. I filled in the online form to accept the quote. I received notification of the quote at 15h00 in the afternoon. I was told that I had to reply by 17h00. As I was out in the afternoon, I only read the email at 18h00. I filled in the form right away. I then received an invoice for one of the six tickets at 20h00. I got up this morning to make the payment so that I would have at least one of the 6 tickets, only to find that the payment link had expired. Surely there must be some way for an agent to get hold of me and to resolve this until we have all six tickets in hand and paid for. I just cannot see myself being able to keep going around in circles like this. I ask that somebody from Travelstart give this their full attention. I am at the point where I am about to book us a whole set of new tickets, but I find it completely unacceptable that I would have to walk away from bookings in excess of R 70 000 because of the ineptitude of an agency such as this
We have 6 tickets to the Seychelles. I received a re-booking quote for three of the 6 tickets. I filled in the online form to accept the quote. I received notification of the quote at 15h00 in the afternoon. I was told that I had to reply by 17h00. As I was out in the afternoon, I only read the email at 18h00. I filled in the form right away. I then received an invoice for one of the six tickets at 20h00. I got up this morning to make the payment so that I would have at least one of the 6 tickets, only to find that the payment link had expired. Surely there must be some way for an agent to get hold of me and to resolve this until we have all six tickets in hand and paid for. I just cannot see myself being able to keep going around in circles like this. I ask that somebody from Travelstart give this their full attention. I am at the point where I am about to book us a whole set of new tickets, but I find it completely unacceptable that I would have to walk away from bookings in excess of R 70 000 because of the ineptitude of an agency such as this
DB
Debbie B's updateReviewer Update
03 Nov 2020, 10:15I have been re-sent the payment link and have one of the six tickets successfully booed. Thank you for this. Can we please now keep connected so that I can get the remaining five tickets sorted out? It's going to be a very lonely holiday if I am the only one with a ticket to the Seychelles. I look forward to resolving this with you
DB
Debbie B's update03 Nov 2020, 10:15
Reviewer Update
I have been re-sent the payment link and have one of the six tickets successfully booed. Thank you for this. Can we please now keep connected so that I can get the remaining five tickets sorted out? It's going to be a very lonely holiday if I am the only one with a ticket to the Seychelles. I look forward to resolving this with you
Travelstart's replyOfficial
03 Nov 2020, 10:41Hi there Debbie
Thank you for your response,
The fares and taxes are only guaranteed up until midnight on the day of making the changes, as the airlines usually cancel the flights if we do not reissue them and in order for us to reissue we need the payment.
Having said that, I have updated the fares and taxes and resent the links to you this morning for 3 passengers on 2 different booking reference. I noticed that the email address for one of them had a different email address and therefor all correspondence was being sent to that email address, but I sent all links and invoices to you now as well as to that email address. I also tried calling you in order to find out the details for the Etihad Airways tickets, as those details are not very clear, Alternatively you can respond on the email that the agent sent you regarding that booking reference as to elaborate on the way forward for those tickets.
I will definitely make it my duty for you to go on holiday with all your friends and Family as well, lonely holidays are not fun.
So as it stands now we have sent payment links for 3 Air Seychelles tickets and if you are able to respond to the agent regarding the Etihad tickets we should have them all covered.
If you need anything else please do not hesitate to let me know.
Thank you and kind regards
Lee-Anne
Travelstart
Thank you for your response,
The fares and taxes are only guaranteed up until midnight on the day of making the changes, as the airlines usually cancel the flights if we do not reissue them and in order for us to reissue we need the payment.
Having said that, I have updated the fares and taxes and resent the links to you this morning for 3 passengers on 2 different booking reference. I noticed that the email address for one of them had a different email address and therefor all correspondence was being sent to that email address, but I sent all links and invoices to you now as well as to that email address. I also tried calling you in order to find out the details for the Etihad Airways tickets, as those details are not very clear, Alternatively you can respond on the email that the agent sent you regarding that booking reference as to elaborate on the way forward for those tickets.
I will definitely make it my duty for you to go on holiday with all your friends and Family as well, lonely holidays are not fun.
So as it stands now we have sent payment links for 3 Air Seychelles tickets and if you are able to respond to the agent regarding the Etihad tickets we should have them all covered.
If you need anything else please do not hesitate to let me know.
Thank you and kind regards
Lee-Anne
Travelstart
Travelstart's reply03 Nov 2020, 10:41
Official
Hi there Debbie
Thank you for your response,
The fares and taxes are only guaranteed up until midnight on the day of making the changes, as the airlines usually cancel the flights if we do not reissue them and in order for us to reissue we need the payment.
Having said that, I have updated the fares and taxes and resent the links to you this morning for 3 passengers on 2 different booking reference. I noticed that the email address for one of them had a different email address and therefor all correspondence was being sent to that email address, but I sent all links and invoices to you now as well as to that email address. I also tried calling you in order to find out the details for the Etihad Airways tickets, as those details are not very clear, Alternatively you can respond on the email that the agent sent you regarding that booking reference as to elaborate on the way forward for those tickets.
I will definitely make it my duty for you to go on holiday with all your friends and Family as well, lonely holidays are not fun.
So as it stands now we have sent payment links for 3 Air Seychelles tickets and if you are able to respond to the agent regarding the Etihad tickets we should have them all covered.
If you need anything else please do not hesitate to let me know.
Thank you and kind regards
Lee-Anne
Travelstart
Thank you for your response,
The fares and taxes are only guaranteed up until midnight on the day of making the changes, as the airlines usually cancel the flights if we do not reissue them and in order for us to reissue we need the payment.
Having said that, I have updated the fares and taxes and resent the links to you this morning for 3 passengers on 2 different booking reference. I noticed that the email address for one of them had a different email address and therefor all correspondence was being sent to that email address, but I sent all links and invoices to you now as well as to that email address. I also tried calling you in order to find out the details for the Etihad Airways tickets, as those details are not very clear, Alternatively you can respond on the email that the agent sent you regarding that booking reference as to elaborate on the way forward for those tickets.
I will definitely make it my duty for you to go on holiday with all your friends and Family as well, lonely holidays are not fun.
So as it stands now we have sent payment links for 3 Air Seychelles tickets and if you are able to respond to the agent regarding the Etihad tickets we should have them all covered.
If you need anything else please do not hesitate to let me know.
Thank you and kind regards
Lee-Anne
Travelstart
DB
Debbie B's updateReviewer Update
03 Nov 2020, 11:41Thank-you, Lee-Anne. I have received the links and made the payment. Thank-you for sorting this all out for me. I appreciate the time and effort you put in. Very pleased to now be going with my whole family.
DB
Debbie B's update03 Nov 2020, 11:41
Reviewer Update
Thank-you, Lee-Anne. I have received the links and made the payment. Thank-you for sorting this all out for me. I appreciate the time and effort you put in. Very pleased to now be going with my whole family.