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Suntrips' India connection and unacceptable operation (Reply to this comment)
by hankthomas
We booked and paid a Suntrips package deal to Hawaii including hotel and flights for my wife, me and our son, total 3 people. The Suntrips confirmation clearly shows that the cost for the flights and a hotel room for 3 people was fully paid. However, I later found out that Suntrips is only a broker and the bookings are done by a "third party partner" with Travelocity, in India. Confusing enough? So if your bookings are straightforward, you probably have no problems. But if there are any issues or needing any help, you will get nowhere because you will be talking with someone in India and get nothing but runarounds. They will try to confuse you and blame others and talk around the circle. I will not recommend Suntrips, or Travelocity for that matter. OK. Here is my story:
We arrived at the hotel and was told by the hotel that we have to pay $50/night extra for the third person. I called the Customer Services number given on the Suntrips confirmation paperwork and was told that the hotel has the option of charging extra for the third person and there was nothing Suntrips can do even if my confirmation shows that I paid for 3 people. "It is the hotel's option to charge extra", he said. "Read the fine prints", he added.
I let that go for a day and meanwhile was totally upset at the hotel. I then went to see the hotel manager. She read through my confirmation and called the same number shown on my Suntrips confirmation. She also got nowhere with the Customer Services person. She then handed me the phone to speak with him while she tried to comb through the fine prints on my Suntrips confirmation. This person on the other end of the phone told me outright that he is with the "partner company" of Travelocity who book trips for Suntrips. He told me that they only book rooms for two people regardless of what it states on the confirmation (that I paid for three people). He told me that it is my problem with the hotel and there is nothing his "partner company with Travelocity" can do.
During the phone conversation I had a strange feeling that I was not speaking to anyone in the U.S. Upon my questioning he admitted that I was talking with someone in India. I then asked for the phone number of their U.S. contact and was again given the run around and excuses, finally he gave me an e-mail address of his Public Relations office and at that point I knew that the situation was hopeless.
A little while later though, the hotel manager called and told me that the hotel is unhappy with the situation caused by Suntrips, and the hotel will waive the extra charge and will deal with Suntrips separately instead of ruining my vacation.
The bottom line is, Suntrips failed to live up to its responsibility, commitment and confirmation. Irrespective of its booking partners in India, Suntrips should give its U.S. Customers Services contact information on the confirmation to assist those in need of help, instead of a direct line to nowhere-India. To me, Suntrips is running a dishonest operation. It is fortunate for me that the hotel stood up and did the right thing for its customers. The hotel, by the way, is Outrigger Waikiki On-the Beach. It is a fine hotel.
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Jan 09 '10
9:02 pm PST
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Suntrips' India connection and unacceptable operation (Reply to this comment)
by hankthomas
We booked and paid a Suntrips package deal to Hawaii including hotel and flights for my wife, me and our son, total 3 people. The Suntrips confirmation clearly shows that the cost for the flights and a hotel room for 3 people was fully paid. However, I later found out that Suntrips is only a broker and the bookings are done by a "third party partner" with Travelocity, in India. Confusing enough? So if your bookings are straightforward, you probably have no problems. But if there are any issues or needing any help, you will get nowhere because you will be talking with someone in India and get nothing but runarounds. They will try to confuse you and blame others and talk around the circle. I will not recommend Suntrips, or Travelocity for that matter. OK. Here is my story:
We arrived at the hotel and was told by the hotel that we have to pay $50/night extra for the third person. I called the Customer Services number given on the Suntrips confirmation paperwork and was told that the hotel has the option of charging extra for the third person and there was nothing Suntrips can do even if my confirmation shows that I paid for 3 people. "It is the hotel's option to charge extra", he said. "Read the fine prints", he added.
I let that go for a day and meanwhile was totally upset at the hotel. I then went to see the hotel manager. She read through my confirmation and called the same number shown on my Suntrips confirmation. She also got nowhere with the Customer Services person. She then handed me the phone to speak with him while she tried to comb through the fine prints on my Suntrips confirmation. This person on the other end of the phone told me outright that he is with the "partner company" of Travelocity who book trips for Suntrips. He told me that they only book rooms for two people regardless of what it states on the confirmation (that I paid for three people). He told me that it is my problem with the hotel and there is nothing his "partner company with Travelocity" can do.
During the phone conversation I had a strange feeling that I was not speaking to anyone in the U.S. Upon my questioning he admitted that I was talking with someone in India. I then asked for the phone number of their U.S. contact and was again given the run around and excuses, finally he gave me an e-mail address of his Public Relations office and at that point I knew that the situation was hopeless.
A little while later though, the hotel manager called and told me that the hotel is unhappy with the situation caused by Suntrips, and the hotel will waive the extra charge and will deal with Suntrips separately instead of ruining my vacation.
The bottom line is, Suntrips failed to live up to its responsibility, commitment and confirmation. Irrespective of its booking partners in India, Suntrips should give its U.S. Customers Services contact information on the confirmation to assist those in need of help, instead of a direct line to nowhere-India. To me, Suntrips is running a dishonest operation. It is fortunate for me that the hotel stood up and did the right thing for its customers. The hotel, by the way, is Outrigger Waikiki On-the Beach. It is a fine hotel.
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Jan 09 '10
8:58 pm PST
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Re: Hi and welcome (Reply to this comment)
by megugrrrl
Getting out of Honolulu is notoriously difficult. I seldom (of the twenty or so times), flown out of Honolulu on time! It's always frustrating.
It seems that your gripes should be attributed to bad luck and the airlines (a failed #2 generator, the delay, the airline only offering a $8 voucher when the airport's food is $7, the hot stuffy plane), not SunTrips (although I have heard horrible things about SunTrips.)
Sorry to hear about your horrible 'escape from Honolulu", but what happened really are out of the tour operator's control.
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Jul 01 '02
9:03 am PDT
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Hi and welcome (Reply to this comment)
by jo.com
I realize you are brand new and it is hard to know what people want. There are a couple of comment about your review. The first is content. You talk a lot about your trip and what went wrong - you do sum up the toup operator at the end, but what has to do with the trip vs. the operator is unclear. That has to do with layout and you will learn that as you go along. Using headings helps so people know what they are reading about.
Again, more information about the tour operator itself is needed. Not just went wrong- let me know if I can be of any help...I will be glad to help you edit this if you want. jo
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Jul 01 '02
7:33 am PDT
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