So we're going to Panama for Christmas this year. I booked on Hotwire, which had the cheapest tickets. What a mistake. I booked Saturday, and booked that we're going to take a red-eye that leaves Tuesday night (11 pm), returning on a 9:30 a.m. flight a week and a half later. Yesterday I get an email from Hotwire that notifies me that my return trip has been changed from 10 a.m. to noon. I look at the itinerary and see that BOTH flights have been changed, and the flight TO Panama has been changed to a red-eye that leaves Tuesday MORNING (1 a.m.). After about an hour on the phone with Hotwire, they tell me they'll change the red-eye to Wed morning at 1 a.m., which is fine. An absolute comedy (not) of errors then ensued, with the morons at Hotwire telling me that there is no 1 a.m. flight and the red-eye leaves at 11 pm and the 10 am flight has been restored. This went on for hours yesterday, ending up with Hotwire booking us TWICE on the flight TO Panama (same time, same flight number) then sending me confirmation after confirmation that we're on flights that don't exist. Finally, after I complained, I get an email from Hotwire telling me that United has "assumed ownership" of my reservation. As of this morning, I'm booked twice on the flight BACK from Panama (again, 7 tickets, twice, on the same flight), Hotwire has AGAIN confirmed me on flights that don't exist, and I have a duplicate charge on my card. What a loser company. Off to bbb online.
Thanks for the info. I've used Expedia and Hotels.com, but never Hotwire. I have run into problems here and there (mainly if the hotel is bad, you don't get refund), but nothing like that!
I don't use Hotwire, but I would expect much better service from them. Considering the number of competitors they have you'd think they'd realize that it's rather easy for their base to go elsewhere with their money. I hope you get a refund or eight after all this nonsense.
Wow, sorry you are having so many problems with Hotwire but I am glad you posted the issues here. I have never used Hotwire before and will certainly avoid using them now. Hopefully, you will be able to get everything resolved and have a wonderful Christmas in Panama.
I've never had any issues with Hotwire.com and have used them several times to book hotels and flights. Are you sure it was a Hotwire.com issue and not an airline issue?
Well she booked through Hotwire so any issues would seem like they'd come from Hotwire. This is even more likely since she actually made headway with the airline versus the website.
I usually have a great experience any time I book through Hotwire. However the last time I booked through them we were put in a extended stay hotel which was absolutely disgusting and expensive to say the least. It was so bad we got in our car and drove to the next hotel which was nice and clean. I've started to use Priceline more often. The price doesn't vary that much between the two sites.
That is absolutely terrible what happened. How are you going to get your money back? I have just made a note to myself never to use hotwire.
Horrible! I haven't used Hotwire in over 5 years and was going to book a flight through them in the next few weeks because you can use Bill Me Later and pay, well, later. I am now afraid of the madness I might encounter. Yikes! So paranoid about booking with them now. I don't want a duplicate charge!!
That's a crazy story. I've used hotwire many times in the past, but onlyt o book hotels. I've always had good luck, but i've only used them to book hotels in cities that I know well.
