Mytrip Flexible Ticket Date Change: Charging Double

Liwanttobeahelicopter on 24/05/2023 - 16:14

Hi all

I booked a MyTrip ticket departing May 2023.
At the time of booking, I paid for a flexible ticket.

I repeatedly called to change it to October 2023.
They keep quoting me an extra ~$300 on top of what I had paid.
This is despite their website showing the October ticket at a lesser cost than the amount I originally paid for my ticket!

They keep telling me rubbish like it's because different prices apply for 'when rebooking', but that they had already waived the change fee because of the flex ticket.

I have checked their terms and conditions and there is just nothing about some made-up 'different prices if changing': "8.1.1 If purchased during the booking procedure, the Flexible Ticket allows You to change date and/or time of your flight booking under the terms set out in this section, without paying our change fee and/or the airline’s change fee. When providing our Flexible Ticket service, We only mediate the transport contract between You and the relevant airline. As the Flexible Ticket is our own service (i.e. You cannot make use of our Flexible Ticket service by contacting the airline directly) all rebooking requests making use of the Flexible Ticket service must be made via our customer service (see Section 8.1.4)."

The departure date has now passed.
What do? Civil and Administrative Tribunal? ACC?

Travel

Comments

  • Hybroid on 24/05/2023 - 16:20

    8.1.1… You to change date and/or time of your flight booking under the terms set out in this section, without paying our change fee and/or the airline’s change fee.

    Also read section 8.1.6:

    8.1.6. The rebooking of flights using the Flexible Ticket service is subject to availability. If the desired change results in
    a more expensive ticket    , or if the change leads to the passenger no longer being entitled to a special price (e.g. for a
    small child), You have to bear the additional costs yourself. We are not responsible for the effects rebooking may have
    on any additional services concluded directly with the airline (such as booking of additional luggage or seat
    reservations).

    https://au.mytrip.com/pdf?path=%2Fterms-conditions

    You do not pay for any change/admin fees. You still have to pay any fare differences.

    • iwanttobeahelicopter on 24/05/2023 - 16:36
      +1

      "This is despite their website showing the October ticket at a lesser cost than the amount I originally paid for my ticket!"

      • Hybroid on 24/05/2023 - 16:39
        +1

        That's not really relevant, because it could be a different class of ticket they may or may not be able to switch to depending on restrictions of what's provided from the airline.

        Even economy bookings have many different classes for the same seat. It's a rort, but not necessarily MyTrip's fault. Book with airlines direct to get more flexibility.

        Your biggest issue right now is if the departure date has passed as you said, does that mean you've "missed" your flight and hence the ticket is now invalid? No chance getting anything back if that's the case.

        • pharkurnell on 24/05/2023 - 16:42
          +3

          Book with airlines direct to get more flexibility

          Costs more but always IMWO a better option …

          • Hybroid on 24/05/2023 - 16:43
            +1

            @pharkurnell: Completely agree. For me, it's always worth paying more with airlines directly.

            Travel agencies offer slightly cheaper options due to imposed restrictions and/or add-on packages like "flexible ticket". How else do they make money.

        • iwanttobeahelicopter on 24/05/2023 - 17:15

          Both are Scoot economy. No different 'classes'.

          The flight has been 'missed' but it is a question re breach of contract. The cost of said missed flight is the compensation I would be seeking. Just wondering if anyone had a similar experience.

      • freefall101 on 24/05/2023 - 17:21
        +2

        It doesn't matter because they're not cancelling and rebuying the ticket, they're putting in a change request with the airline. Did you check what the airline is currently charging compared to what you paid? Because any deals MyTrip have to get cheap tickets probably don't apply.

        It sucks, and it's stupid, but this is why you always book directly with airlines.

        • iwanttobeahelicopter on 24/05/2023 - 21:09

          Around $25 extra, as of today.

          MyTrip has horrendous online reviews and I wonder this is allowed to keep happening when we have Australian Consumer Laws etc.
          I could not find any published caselaw involving MyTrip.

          It annoys me that individuals in my place would just suck it up instead of enforcing their contractual rights.

          • freefall101 on 24/05/2023 - 21:49

            @iwanttobeahelicopter: ACL has it's limit. It's been a long time since my uni business law studies (when it was all S.52, which apparently isn't a thing anymore), but this is why you buy from an airline. From a legal standpoint they clearly state the terms, they're supplying you a ticket and won't charge to change it. What the airline charges to change it is your problem.

            ACL doesn't matter, what you need is an ACCC ruling. And generally the ACCC has sided with buying the cheap as shit tickets comes with the knowledge that they're cheap as shit.

            It is stupid and it sucks and I wish the ACCC would deal with it. But that will result in cheap tickets disappearing, which is why you should always buy from the airline.

            • iwanttobeahelicopter on 24/05/2023 - 22:09

              @freefall101: It's s 18 of the ACL now.
              You will note that the relevant clause above says that changes must be made through MyTrip.
              It is very unlikely that Scoot would charge MyTrip such big sum, which they are 'passing on' to me. Indeed, I recall querying a change with Scoot directly and my main impediment there was their airline change fee.

  • spackbace on 24/05/2023 - 17:08

    The departure date has now passed.

    Lol

  • SBOB on 24/05/2023 - 19:14

    The departure date has now passed.
    What do? Civil and Administrative Tribunal? ACC?

    Step 1, make first post on ozb complaining about it
    Step 2, move on

  • wannagrababargain on 25/05/2023 - 06:48

    These cheap travel agents can be a way to get cheap ticket deals but they can be hard to deal with if your situation changes. They try to sell you a bunch of options like their own "flexible" ticket service or paying more to choose seats than the airline charges and pocketing the difference. If you read the fine print, the in-house flexible service doesn't seem worth the price. If you need flexibility, avoid these types of agents and find an actual flexible ticket class with the airline. In the end there may not be much of a price difference between a true flexible ticket and this "psuedo" flexible service and you are getting more for your money with a true airline flexible ticket.

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