Spring Break
The Daily OrangeThe answer to all travel problems: prank phone calls
Abstract:
I travel frequently. I used to book my flights through STA Travel. Not anymore.
This Sunday, I found a cheap fare on STA and attempted to purchase it. Its Web site kept giving me an error message despite repeated tries. By Monday, the situation had not changed, so I called its help line and spoke to a young Italian man who apparently had no patience for, you know, customers looking to book travel....
- Displaying 1 - 7 of 7
Christi
posted 10/13/06 @ 3:46 PM EST
Hey Seamus,
Sorry you had a dissapointing experience, at least you had some fun with it. We hope you enjoy your free ticket to Chicago courtesy of STA Travel.
Sincerely,
Christi
STA Travel
Sorry you had a dissapointing experience, at least you had some fun with it. We hope you enjoy your free ticket to Chicago courtesy of STA Travel.
Sincerely,
Christi
STA Travel
mike
posted 10/13/06 @ 7:43 PM EST
Originally posted byChristi
Hey Seamus,
Sorry you had a dissapointing experience, at least you had some fun with it. We hope you enjoy your free ticket to Chicago courtesy of STA Travel.
Sincerely,
Christi
STA Travel
Do tell...did sta really give you a free ticket for their crappy service? Hmm...I better get prank calling. I need a freebie LA for Thanksgiving.
cara
posted 10/13/06 @ 3:58 PM EST
I feel your pain. I had the same experience with sta - tried to book online, always get errors, and when I called I got brushed off by multiple agents.
They used to have an office at SU, but it closed a few years ago probably due to crappy service. Should have been a warning sign!
They used to have an office at SU, but it closed a few years ago probably due to crappy service. Should have been a warning sign!
Manee
posted 12/20/07 @ 11:00 AM EST
I had some experience with STA tooo.
I booked the flight online and I called one of their staff .... Believe it or not .... they asked more money for fixing the problem ....
So, no more STA Travel for life....
I booked the flight online and I called one of their staff .... Believe it or not .... they asked more money for fixing the problem ....
So, no more STA Travel for life....
Anya
posted 12/31/07 @ 2:49 PM EST
My husband is from tajikistan and the only way he knows to fly there and back is to book a flight to Moscow, and when you're there book a flight to Dushanbe, TJ. The prices are never guaranteed, though. During the busy seasons, when Tajiks are going to and from Russia to make money, the prices are incredibly high. And you can't buy round-trip tickets. The best price I've heard of is $250 one-way. If that's too much, you can take the train. That's an 8 day trip and the conditions are horrible. :)
Good luck!! I hope someday you make it there. It's a beautiful country--the mountains are amazing.
Good luck!! I hope someday you make it there. It's a beautiful country--the mountains are amazing.
Amelia Bryan
posted 8/03/09 @ 12:04 AM EST
Hi my experience with sta travel has been infuriating and expensive. i bought a 3060 dollar ticket to Mexico planning to return back to australia in July. When i got to the Mexico City airport on the date sepcified on my ticket 'we dont have any tickets for you miss'
'you must be mistaken,' i said, 'i booked this flight 9 months ago.'
Returning home i had to wait til 900 australian time before i could phone. The man who answered was extremely unhelpful and acted as though i was trying to stinge a free ticket.
i am 21 years old. when my dad phoned the travel agency they said no problem they could get me a ticke tomorrow morning- and i would have to phone tahiti airlines when i got there to verify my flights back home.
I got to lax- was stranded there for 13 hours- the agency is not open on weekends so could not call the agent- tahiti airlines said since my ticket had been booked thru a travel agent they needed a paper ticket not a reservation code. I have never been so upset- my credit card was cancelled from the amout of times i tried to call my family in australia. the only person in the airport who helped was a guy called ali at the quantas terminal who let me use his phone to call my parents in australia found me a new ticket and called tahiti airlines.
When i got home he said- chew off your travel agents ear and get a refund for you ticket home. my dad had to buy a 1140 flight from la to sydney. i got back home- we wrote a complaint to the travel agent who wrote a kurt response it was not his problem. we wrote to head office and got an email back saying the problem would be resolved within three weeks. it is five weeks later, and i'm not so concerned with the money but more that i hear stories like this all the time from friends and people i go to uni with. i believe sta travel needs a serious reality check because to treat people, especially young people who do not have a lot of money in this manner is absolutely appaling and i would never travel with an agency that seems so apathetic and uninteresed in what its customers have to say.
'you must be mistaken,' i said, 'i booked this flight 9 months ago.'
Returning home i had to wait til 900 australian time before i could phone. The man who answered was extremely unhelpful and acted as though i was trying to stinge a free ticket.
i am 21 years old. when my dad phoned the travel agency they said no problem they could get me a ticke tomorrow morning- and i would have to phone tahiti airlines when i got there to verify my flights back home.
I got to lax- was stranded there for 13 hours- the agency is not open on weekends so could not call the agent- tahiti airlines said since my ticket had been booked thru a travel agent they needed a paper ticket not a reservation code. I have never been so upset- my credit card was cancelled from the amout of times i tried to call my family in australia. the only person in the airport who helped was a guy called ali at the quantas terminal who let me use his phone to call my parents in australia found me a new ticket and called tahiti airlines.
When i got home he said- chew off your travel agents ear and get a refund for you ticket home. my dad had to buy a 1140 flight from la to sydney. i got back home- we wrote a complaint to the travel agent who wrote a kurt response it was not his problem. we wrote to head office and got an email back saying the problem would be resolved within three weeks. it is five weeks later, and i'm not so concerned with the money but more that i hear stories like this all the time from friends and people i go to uni with. i believe sta travel needs a serious reality check because to treat people, especially young people who do not have a lot of money in this manner is absolutely appaling and i would never travel with an agency that seems so apathetic and uninteresed in what its customers have to say.
- Displaying 1 - 7 of 7
Christi
posted 10/12/06 @ 1:34 PM EST
Sorry you had a dissapointing experience, at least you had some fun with it. We hope you enjoy your free ticket to Chicago courtesy of STA Travel.
Thanks-
Christi
STA Travel