HELP! OUR FLIGHT WAS CANCELLED!!

[geminilee]

   Well, it took about 3 years to plan a family trip to the Iberostar Del Mar and we finally booked it this summer for 17 people! We shopped around and booked the air ourselves and the hotel. Paid in full for the airfare $387.00 p/p; isn't that awesome!!!!!  WELL, I just got home and there was a message from USA3000 that the flight has been cancelled! I don't understand, it has been sold out since Sept. as my sister couldn't get on it and took the flight out of Hartford CT. We were flying out of Newark as the rate was less. I asked why it was cancelled and am getting the run around from "it's a charter flight that Apple vacation uses and they only get so many seats" which is absurd because we booked our seats in July. I asked if we had been bumped from the flight because we did not book through Apple Vacations and she said NO theat it had been cancelled but now I am wondering about that. The second time I called I was told it was due to Hurricane Wilma and the high fuel costs so they are trying to consolidate flights.....hmmmm. When I go th thier web-site the flight is still listed but is marked as being sold-out. They said they can fly us out of Baltimore; 6 hrs. away to catch a 6am flight or refund us the full amount. We did leave a deposit on the hotel so we are stuck with the dates of April 16th -22nd which is the kids vacation so we can not change that.........Any suggestions on where to look for ...dare I say it...resonable airfare...
Has anyone had such a thing happen to them? Can they do that...legally??? It's so wrong!

[raider]

   that is amazing i can't believe they did that to you guys especially since you've been booked since July, Unfortunatly there are many on the board that have had a similar expierence with USA3000. I dont know what you can do i am sorry. i sure would be giving USA3000 an earful everyday until i cant yell anymore or they make it right. Hopefully someone else on this board can offer some advice. 

[geminilee]

Thanks Raider...I am still trying to pick my jaw up off the floor! It is shocking and they don't seem to care at all, just offering apologizes......which means nada. I think we will be cancelling the trip because the airfar is too high for those that are a family of 5...over $2,000 more for the airline tickets. I am so upset and I don't think we will get the $300. deposit back from Del Mar because we did not take insurance.  So, USA3000 has been known to do this before...I wish I knew that. Now I am really starting to wonder if it is possible that we may have gotten bumped by Apple Vacations because that is there charter flight. aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh! wish I could fly myself there!

[blacker]

 

I'm puzzled... If you booked & paid for your flight back in July, I would think that you have a strong case for a breach of contract suit.  Things must be very different state-side, but here in Canada, the carrier would be bound to honor their contract, or at least provide alternate flights with another carrier.   What does your lawyer say about this ??  I sure wouldn't roll over without a fight.

I'm not sure if they were related, but Canada3000 went bankrupt amid numerous lawsuits up here.  You'd think they would have learned !!

[raider]

well i dont know that it has been an long time issue just one since the hurricane, so i dont think you could have done anything differently. I go through apple but their charter from colorado is with Frontier. Never hurts to keep an eye on Expedia or another site like that. you may get lucky in december or January and things will open up. Sorry this happened to you and your family i hope something changes for you guys!

[barbmud]

We just recently booked our trip to Cancun for Dec 10th. Orginally it was on that USA3000 but we were called 2 days after booking that the flight was cancelled as well..  We were very upset but determined to still go. We are now flying Continental from Chicago to Houston then to Cancun. We booked the airfair seperate from apple and staying at the Iberostar Tucan. Our ticket was around $370. I would try orbitz or something like that.

[geminilee]

Blacker, I have been thinking the same think and I will call on Monday to inquire about it but I have a strong feeling we will be told there is nothing we can do. It's just so wrong. We booked and paid for our flights on July 4th....over 4months ago. Unbelievable!

I'm puzzled... If you booked & paid for your flight back in July, I would think that you have a strong case for a breach of contract suit.  Things must be very different state-side, but here in Canada, the carrier would be bound to honor their contract, or at least provide alternate flights with another carrier.   What does your lawyer say about this ??  I sure wouldn't roll over without a fight.

I'm not sure if they were related, but Canada3000 went bankrupt amid numerous lawsuits up here.  You'd think they would have learned !!

I'm puzzled... If you booked & paid for your flight back in July, I would think that you have a strong case for a breach of contract suit.  Things must be very different state-side, but here in Canada, the carrier would be bound to honor their contract, or at least provide alternate flights with another carrier.   What does your lawyer say about this ??  I sure wouldn't roll over without a fight.

I'm not sure if they were related, but Canada3000 went bankrupt amid numerous lawsuits up here.  You'd think they would have learned !!

[geminilee]

Thanks for the info. Barbmud and that's great that you got such a good rate......I am not finding anything under $800. at this time. Not sure if we should wait until after the first of the year in hopes of finding a lower rate or just cancel. 

We just recently booked our trip to Cancun for Dec 10th. Orginally it was on that USA3000 but we were called 2 days after booking that the flight was cancelled as well.. We were very upset but determined to still go. We are now flying Continental from Chicago to Houston then to Cancun. We booked the airfair seperate from apple and staying at the Iberostar Tucan. Our ticket was around $370. I would try orbitz or something like that.

[mexicanbob]

I wouldn't cancel until the very last minute because you just never know. You might find a really good rate before you go and especially right after Christmas. It seems lots of airlines have been canceling flights and trying to combine other flights but my guess is when they see how many people actually want to go down there they may just start re-instating fkights. ("he said with fingers crossed")

[mom22grls]

geminilee - I feel your pain!  Got the same message from USA3000 today.  Our flight from Newark to CUN on April 13 was also cancelled.  I also book the first day they became available!  I am fuming!  They can't give me a resonable explanation, nor get my family of 4 out that week out of any of the NY/ CT airports because they are all sold out!  What?  So why are you canceling my flight?  You have 4 months to fill the darn plane! 

I have deposits down on two resorts, as we were planning on splitting our 9 night stay, so I don't know whether I should exercise my insurance, or sit tight to see if I can find another fare after the holidays.  I'm not sure what that would do to my insurance claim if I can't find another flight.  I just can't afford the $800 pp flights I'm seeing today.   Unfortunately, we talked good friend into joining us at Iberostar that week, and they just last week booked USA3000 for that week from Hartford.  Their flights are still flying, the best I know. 

I am thinking of complaining to someone, not sure who, in the state dept of consumer protection.  Don't know what they could do for me, but I feel that USA3000 should get pinged for actions like this.  Trust me, every travel web board I belong to is going to hear about this!  People should be warned of such poor customer relations by USA3000

[Tron]

Apple cancelled our Tuesday departure and offered us a Saturday date.  Fortunately, we could reschedule at the same price we booked.

Our TA told us that Funjet and Apple are concerned about sending "empty" flights down to Cancun since a lot of people had to reschedule or chose alternative destinations because some of the hotels won't be opening until mid December.  Funjet cancelled all their flights out of our town until mid December and then Apple followed with only 1 flight per week.

Keep an eye out on the Apple website (or ask your TA) because this week they had dirt cheaps rates for the Tucan and today they're gone.  If people back out of the flight, deals may reappear.

Good luck...

[geminilee]

geminilee - I feel your pain!  Got the same message from USA3000 today.  Our flight from Newark to CUN on April 13 was also cancelled.  I also book the first day they became available!  I am fuming!  They can't give me a resonable explanation, nor get my family of 4 out that week out of any of the NY/ CT airports because they are all sold out!  What?  So why are you canceling my flight?  You have 4 months to fill the darn plane! 

I have deposits down on two resorts, as we were planning on splitting our 9 night stay, so I don't know whether I should exercise my insurance, or sit tight to see if I can find another fare after the holidays.  I'm not sure what that would do to my insurance claim if I can't find another flight.  I just can't afford the $800 pp flights I'm seeing today.   Unfortunately, we talked good friend into joining us at Iberostar that week, and they just last week booked USA3000 for that week from Hartford.  Their flights are still flying, the best I know. 

I am thinking of complaining to someone, not sure who, in the state dept of consumer protection.  Don't know what they could do for me, but I feel that USA3000 should get pinged for actions like this.  Trust me, every travel web board I belong to is going to hear about this!  People should be warned of such poor customer relations by USA3000

Wow!!  I am just shocked at this...our flight was departing Newark on the 16th and returning on the 22nd of April. Fourteen of us booked the flight on July 4th as they were doing an Independence Day sale and my other sister held off for a bit and went to book their flight for 3 in September but it had already been SOLD OUT! They are on a flight leaving from Hartford on the 16th and returning on the 23rd, which is now sold out.  SO they are canceling sold out flights because??? I haven't gotten a straight answer from them either....this is what I got...they are only allowed X amount of seats as it is an Apple Charter Flight...we did not book through Apple but did it on our own. So I questioned her "is this flight canceled or are you saying Apple Vacations took our seats?" I was told no that it was canceled..so what was the point of even saying what she said? The second women I spoke with said it was due to Hurricane Wilma and higher fuel charges........hmmm......the gas prices have been going down here in CT.  They want me to believe a hurricane that occured 3 months after our flight was booked and 6 months before our flight departs is going to cause them to cancel a sold out flight!  During a peak vacation week none the less.  I too am fuming Mom22 and have no idea what to do. I am going to call the our state attorney general and whoever else I can think of  just to get the word out because this is so wrong on so many levels! If you find any info. let me know and I will do the same.  Good Luck

[TripleG]

Oh No! - Mom22girls, I didn't get the call yet about cancelled flights - please say it isn't so!!

[travmagic]

I hope everything works out for you guys and you don't have to cancel.
Alot of my clients have been affected by schedule changes and cancellations. I think right now they (the airlines)are running scared. If a flight looks sold out and they (Apple Vacations/ USA3000)are saying it's cancelled that is because they zero out the availablity before they actuallty remove it altogether. We noticed that for some dates in June next year already. If you ask Apple about it they just say that it is sold out but I know better!!!
For those of you flying out of Newark is it possible to fly from PHL? I noticed that they seem to be combining those flights anyway so what was once is non-stop from EWR(if it wasn't cancelled altogether) is now stopping in PHL.
 I think was everyting picks up they will be starting those flights again but I know that doesn't help everyone now.

[geminilee]

Travmagic........I have been stewing over this and wonder what they did for those that were traveling with an Apple Vacation Package...where they also told sorry your SOL. They checked Phili and that is sold out, only 3 seats available and there are 14 of us.  We are in CT.  I have no idea what to do, wait and hope that the rates may go down but I don't know if we will get a flight for 14 people or just cancel the whole thing. I haven't given USA3000 an answer as to what we want to do yet but I know we are not flying out of Baltimore and in the back of my mind I wonder if they will add this flight again....perhaps at a higher rate. From your experience would you think we would be OK waiting until after the holidays and looking in Jan. or Feb.?