A: If any of your tickets are lost or stolen, contact us for detailed instructions as soon as possible, even if you aren't scheduled to use those tickets for some time. The sooner you start working on getting your tickets replaced, the better your chances of being able to travel on your original schedule.
As a travel agency, we cannot replace or reissue tickets without full payment for new tickets. Only the airline -- not a travel agent -- can replace lost or stolen tickets.
No law requires airlines to replace lost or stolen tickets. Most airlines charge a fee to replace lost or stolen tickets, and some major airlines never replace lost or stolen tickets. Airlines' policies and procedures for lost and stolen vary greatly, and you will need to deal with each airline separately.
The airline will almost always require a copy of the "passenger receipt" coupon of each ticket to be replaced. Ticket numbers, reservation numbers, or flight details are not sufficient.
If your passport was lost or stolen along with your tickets, you will probably need to get your passport replaced by your country’s nearest embassy or consulate before you can get your tickets replaced.
We keep copies of both tickets and passports, so if necessary we can fax or email your passport copy along with ticket copies.
We give a high priority to requests for copies of lost or stolen tickets, and almost always respond the same business day. But realize that getting copies of tickets from us may entail delay due to time differences, days and hours of business, etc.
We recommend strongly that before you leave home, you make several copies of the "passenger receipt" coupon of each of your tickets, your passport, and any other essential documents (credit or ATM cards, receipts for travelers' checks, insurance information, key telephone numbers and addresses, etc.).
Keep one set of copies with you, separate from your tickets, passport, and other vital documents. Exchange copies with a traveling companion, so if one of you loses your documents, the other will have copies of them. And leave a third set of copies with someone back home who is willing to take an international phone call from you, collect, in an emergency, and fax or email you copies of your documents.
(If this does not answer your question,
contact us and we will get back to you as soon as possible.)
A: Occasionally airlines do not understand the rules of the specially-priced tickets we sell. If this happens, or if we told you a particular ticket could be changed but the airline says it can't be changed, have the airline contact us. If the airline won't do so, or they say they have contacted us but you are still unable to resolve the situation, contact us for assistance. We'll get in touch with the airline and provide whatever information they need.
(If this does not answer your question,
contact us and we will get back to you as soon as possible.)
A: If the same airline can't or won't get you to your ticketed destination on an alternate route, ask the airline to "endorse" your ticket to another airline that can get you there. The airline doesn't have to do this, but usually they will if you ask politely and there is another airline with seats available to your destination. Most airlines would rather endorse your ticket to another airline than give you a refund.
(If this does not answer your question,
contact us and we will get back to you as soon as possible.)
A: Flight schedules and times are never guaranteed. Airlines can and do change them constantly, often without notice to you or AirTreks.
If you don't accept a schedule change by the airline, your only entitlement is to a refund. Since most of the tickets we sell are highly discounted, your refund probably won't be enough to pay for a ticket on another airline. Especially if you have fixed appointments, such as business meetings or the departure of a cruise or overland tour, we strongly recommend that you leave enough extra time in your plans -- such as by arriving a day or two in advance -- to accommodate possible schedule changes.
(If this does not answer your question,
contact us and we will get back to you as soon as possible.)
A: Most tickets cannot be re-routed, so changing your route usually requires buying additional or replacement tickets. But if it is possible to get to your new destination on the same airline as on your original tickets, the airline might be able to re-route your ticket, for a fee. It never hurts to ask the airline if they can re-route your ticket to accommodate your new plans. If this is possible, it is usually easier and less costly than sending your tickets back to AirTreks for a refund (with penalties) and buying new tickets.
If the airline is unable to re-route your tickets to accommodate your new plans, please contact us for advice before buying new tickets. Some tickets are entirely nonrefundable, refunds may take up to a year, and in the meantime, you will need to pay for any new tickets in full.
We will be happy to give you an estimate of the refund value (if any) of any tickets you are considering submitting for refund, and suggest the least costly combination of changes to your existing tickets and purchases of new tickets to get you to where you want to go.
(If this does not answer your question,
contact us and we will get back to you as soon as possible.)
A: As long as you still want to travel on the same airline and route, most changes to flight dates and times can be made directly with the airline involved.
If seats are not available on your preferred flight, ask to be placed on the waiting list, and keep checking with the airline to see if you have been confirmed. Don't cancel your original reservations until you are confirmed on the new flight, or you may find yourself unable to travel at all.
AirTreks charges a US$50 service fee, in addition to any airline fees, for any changes you have us make to your flights, including date changes, which could have been made directly with the airline.
(If this does not answer your question,
contact us and we will get back to you as soon as possible.)
A: Yes, always (even if the airline tells you it isn't necessary).
Reconfirm each of your flights with the airline at least 72 hours in advance, even if the airline tells you that reconfirmation is not required. If the airline does not hear from you within 72 hours before the scheduled departure time of your flight, they are entitled to cancel your reservations, without compensation, and give your seat to someone else.
All flight schedules are subject to change by the airlines at any time, without notice to you or us, so it is essential to verify the date, time, and flight number of each flight when you reconfirm.
If you have tried but are unable to contact the airline, e-mail us with your name(s) and local contact phone number (including the country and city codes) and the airline, date, flight number, departure time, and departure city. (If you have changed your flights with the airlines, we may not have been notified of the new flight details.) We will attempt to reconfirm your flight for you, although not all airlines will permit us to do so. Please keep in mind the time/date difference if you need our help in reconfirming your flight: In order for us to reconfirm your flight in time, you will need to contact us at least 96 hours prior to your flight.
Requests for advance seat assignments, special meals, entry of frequent flyer numbers, or other special services should be made directly to each airline, and verified when you reconfirm your reservations.
You can usually request specific seating when you reconfirm your reservations, but seat assignments are never guaranteed. Airlines always reserve the right to reassign seats or substitute equipment -- a larger or smaller plane or one with the seats arranged differently -- at any time, regardless of what is shown in timetables or on itineraries.
If you want special meals, you should verify that your meal request is in your reservations when you reconfirm. Special meal options vary by airline. Special meals are never guaranteed to be available, even if offered and requested. Especially in the USA, some airlines have no meal service or charge extra for meals.
If you will require special seating, assistance, or services for any reason -- wheelchair assistance, a bassinet for an infant, etc. -- you should let the airline know your needs as early as possible. It's best to make any such requests yourself, directly to each airline, as not all interfaces between airline computer systems can be relied on to correctly transmit special service requests if we or another travel agency tries to make them on your behalf.
If you want to receive credit in a frequent-flyer program for certain flights, you should give the airline your frequent-flyer number when you reconfirm your reservations and when you check in for each flight, and save your boarding passes and the "passenger receipt" coupons of your tickets until you receive credit for the flights on your frequent-flyer mileage statement. If your mileage is not credited on your next statement, you can still get credit by sending your boarding passes and receipts directly to the frequent-flyer program for manual processing. This is especially important in order to receive credit in one airline's frequent-flyer program for flights on another airline, since such mileage is less likely to be credited automatically.
(If this does not answer your question,
contact us and we will get back to you as soon as possible.)
A: Please check your tickets, one flight coupon or receipt at a time, as soon as you receive them. Contact your personal travel consultant, or our customer service department, immediately if you don't understand anything about your tickets, or think there might be a problem.
In almost all such cases, it's simply a matter of understanding what your tickets mean, and we'll be happy to explain them to you. We proofread all your tickets against your itinerary before we send them to you. But if a mistake has been made, it's much easier for us to make things right if we find out about it as soon as possible.
Airline tickets can be hard to read, and tickets for a multi-stop trip are especially confusing. Because of airline rules, and in order to get you the best prices, your tickets may be electronic tickets, paper tickets, or a mix of both. Each type of ticket (paper or electronic) has several different formats. Several flights, even on different airlines, may be combined on one ticket. Much of the information on tickets is in code, and the fares (if any) shown on portions of your tickets are essentially arbitrary, and unrelated to the actual prices you paid.
(If this does not answer your question,
contact us and we will get back to you as soon as possible.)
A: Do not rely on the airlines, or on the face value of tickets, for information on the refund value of your tickets. The price printed on the ticket, if any, is often unrelated to what you paid, or to the refund value of the ticket. Airlines frequently give incorrect information as to whether discounted tickets are refundable, or how much refund value they have.
We recommend that you check with us first, for an estimate of the refund value, before you submit any tickets for refund.In order to qualify for any refund, you must cancel your reservations with the airline before the scheduled flight time. If you "no-show" a ticketed and confirmed flight, you may forfeit any eligibility for a refund. If you have to cancel your plans for medical reasons, it may help us to get as much of a refund as possible for you if you can provide a signed note from a doctor (original, not a copy, on medical letterhead) certifying that you were unable to travel.
Refunds are neither automatic nor instantaneous. In order to get a refund, you must (1) cancel your reservations before the scheduled departure date and time of your flights, (2) send us your paper ticket, or your electronic ticket receipt, with a request for a refund, and (3) wait until we receive the refund from the airline or wholesaler by whom it was issued, which can take up to a year. As soon as we receive your refund, we will contact you to find out if you want your refund (after any penalties) applied to your purchase of new tickets, paid to you by check, or credited to your charge card. Please contact us for additional details and instructions before sending your tickets for refund.
(If this does not answer your question,
contact us and we will get back to you as soon as possible.)
A: Most tickets from AirTreks are non-refundable. Cancellations for any reason, including medical reasons, usually will not entitle you to any refund. AirTreks cannot waive airlines' cancellation penalties. Please check with your personal travel consultant regarding the cancellation policies for your specific itinerary. AirTreks strongly recommends trip cancellation and interruption insurance, which is available as part of the many travel insurance packages from our Travel Store. Read more about cancellations and refunds.
A: Yes, always (even if the airline tells you it isn't necessary).
Reconfirm each of your flights with the airline at least 72 hours in advance, even if the airline tells you that reconfirmation is not required. If the airline does not hear from you within 72 hours before the scheduled departure time of your flight, they are entitled to cancel your reservations, without compensation, and give your seat to someone else.
All flight schedules are subject to change by the airlines at any time, without notice to you or us, so it is essential to verify the date, time, and flight number of each flight when you reconfirm.
If you have tried but are unable to contact the airline, e-mail us with your name(s) and local contact phone number (including the country and city codes) and the airline, date, flight number, departure time, and departure city. (If you have changed your flights with the airlines, we may not have been notified of the new flight details.) We will attempt to reconfirm your flight for you, although not all airlines will permit us to do so. Please keep in mind the time/date difference if you need our help in reconfirming your flight: In order for us to reconfirm your flight in time, you will need to contact us at least 96 hours prior to your flight.
Requests for advance seat assignments, special meals, entry of frequent flyer numbers, or other special services should be made directly to each airline, and verified when you reconfirm your reservations.
You can usually request specific seating when you reconfirm your reservations, but seat assignments are never guaranteed. Airlines always reserve the right to reassign seats or substitute equipment -- a larger or smaller plane or one with the seats arranged differently -- at any time, regardless of what is shown in timetables or on itineraries.
If you want special meals, you should verify that your meal request is in your reservations when you reconfirm. Special meal options vary by airline. Special meals are never guaranteed to be available, even if offered and requested. Especially in the USA, some airlines have no meal service or charge extra for meals.
If you will require special seating, assistance, or services for any reason -- wheelchair assistance, a bassinet for an infant, etc. -- you should let the airline know your needs as early as possible. It's best to make any such requests yourself, directly to each airline, as not all interfaces between airline computer systems can be relied on to correctly transmit special service requests if we or another travel agency tries to make them on your behalf.
If you want to receive credit in a frequent-flyer program for certain flights, you should give the airline your frequent-flyer number when you reconfirm your reservations and when you check in for each flight, and save your boarding passes and the "passenger receipt" coupons of your tickets until you receive credit for the flights on your frequent-flyer mileage statement. If your mileage is not credited on your next statement, you can still get credit by sending your boarding passes and receipts directly to the frequent-flyer program for manual processing. This is especially important in order to receive credit in one airline's frequent-flyer program for flights on another airline, since such mileage is less likely to be credited automatically.