Don’t book airfare through DCL!

[Twitterpaited]

My mother booked a Land and Sea vacation for our family. Despite my advice against it, she booked our airfare through DCL. As we are approaching or trip, she is finalizing some of the details. DCL screwed up the reservation for my DBiL and DN because they have the same name. The airline won’t help at all because it was booked through DCL, and DCL also is not helpful. So be warned - do not book airfare through Disney!

 

[cedricandsophie]

I don’t understand when you say they arent helpful. They are acting as your TA and as such needs to get it right. A call to a supervisor perhaps?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

My mother booked a Land and Sea vacation for our family. Despite my advice against it, she booked our airfare through DCL. As we are approaching or trip, she is finalizing some of the details. DCL screwed up the reservation for my DBiL and DN because they have the same name. The airline won’t help at all because it was booked through DCL, and DCL also is not helpful. So be warned - do not book airfare through Disney!

We've booked a few times though DCL. Had no issues at all. In fact, they were very helpful when we had to rearrange our flights after changing one of our cruises to a B2B (therefore arriving on a different day).

It's not really fair to make a blanket statement like that.

As noted, DCL should be contacted regarding the problem. Ask to speak to a supervisor, if necessary.

 

[pixiedustedme]

This is apparently all second-hand information. Your mother booked via DCL, so I assume that she is the one dealing with DCL, not you. You/she says that DCL messed up the reservation, but without more details we really don't know what happened, and frankly, neither do you if you weren't the one who actually made the reservation. Regardless, DCL absolutely will straighten up a reservation error- their customer service is good. You say they "aren't helpful". What does that mean? That they flat-out refused to fix an error they made? I don't buy that at all. That DCL Air was closed when the initial call was made? I believe that, but in that case, you just call them back when they're open.

I'm sorry not to believe an angry & blanket second-hand statement that DCL Air singlehandedly messed up a reservation & now refuses to fix their own mistake. Well, okay, I'm not sorry. It just doesn't match my experience of customer service with them. I don't believe the situation is exactly like what you describe. An error could happen on anyone's part, certainly, but I've had enough experience with DCL to know that if they make an error, they will promptly correct it.

 

[otten]

This is an issue with booking airline tickets through any third party, whether it’s Expedia, Priceline or Disney. It’s not unique to booking air through Disney.

Personally I use Expedia or similar to check prices and itineraries and then book direct with the airline. If there are any issues that come up booking direct makes them a little easier to sort out.

 

[Karin1984]

Some insight in how a flight reservation system works (at least for the airline I work for). It's basically doesn't realize that 2 people with the same name can be on the flight.
The system is programmed to think, if there are two identical bookings, same flights, same name, one of them must be a mistake/double, and cancels one.

If I remember correctly, this could be prevented by entering additional data like gender and dob (then still there is the possibility there are 2 identical identities on board, but less likely).

And yes, that's also how an airline works. There is an agreement between airlines and TA's: You do not touch each other's booking before the day of departure.
They could be using different discount codes etc. and you cannot overrule the other. When it's the day of departure and there are disruptions etc. Then the airline is allowed to do whatever they want/need to do.

So, in this case, there is no other option than to go to Disney and speak to a supervisor to get this solved.

 

[thumpie's mom]

For what it is worth we have always booked our air through Disney (both DCL and WDW). I can honestly say we have never had an issue with them and I will continue to use them for our trips.

 

[cvjw]

My son has the same name as his grandfather and we have travelled together every year for 23 years. This issue happens frequently with our family. The airline thinks they are one person.

This isn’t Disney’s fault. It is just a known issue. DCL can fix it for you, it isn’t the end of the world.

 

[olafLover]

.

 

[Karin1984]

That's intresting, because I think I know which airline you work for and I traveled on them a lot with my mother. We also have the exact same name (really silly and causes a lot of mix up! Please don't do that to your kids!) and we never had an issue

Only one obvious choice of airline in our small country ;-)

It has been a while since I worked at the service centers, but I when I did, I was never able to figure out when the system decides to remove a 'double' booking and how it decides which one is the 'wrong' one. it seemed completely random.

 

[olafLover]

.

 

[Husker Mike]

I've always been a believer in booking things separately and to do it myself, because I know more about what matters to me than a stranger... and the tools to do it are readily available. Part of this is because I live in a smaller metropolitan area with limited direct flights. This was highlighted about 15 years ago, when I tried to book a rental car for a 6 hour drive. The corporate travel agent I was forced to use (by company policy) insisted on trying to book a flight instead. After she did all of that, I reminded her that the flight would take longer (thanks to a 2 hour layover) and she finally agreed to make me a reservation for a rental car instead of a flight. (I was going to need a rental car anyway when I got off the plane...)

If you live in a major metro area with direct flights to Orlando, DCL probably won't screw it up. But I've had enough practice with booking things to avoid ridiculous flight times (5:15 am departures, followed by 6 hour layovers) that I know better than to trust someone else to do it right. They know they have to get you from point A to point B, and will just take the first, cheapest option they can find, so they can get to the next item on their desk.

 

[FigmentSpark]

Is the pricing a flat fee or is it dependent on flight times and airlines?

 

[pixiedustedme]

If you live in a major metro area with direct flights to Orlando, DCL probably won't screw it up. But I've had enough practice with booking things to avoid ridiculous flight times (5:15 am departures, followed by 6 hour layovers) that I know better than to trust someone else to do it right. They know they have to get you from point A to point B, and will just take the first, cheapest option they can find, so they can get to the next item on their desk.

Actually, DCL Air lets you choose your exact itinerary, so this isn't an issue with them.

 

[pixiedustedme]

Is the pricing a flat fee or is it dependent on flight times and airlines?

It's dependent on the flight time and airline that you select during booking.

 

[JW9DVC]

It’s usually best to book with the airline direct. You don’t know what DCL is going to charge when they decide to book. I use ita matrix. Works well for finding the fares I want.

 

[pixiedustedme]

It’s usually best to book with the airline direct. You don’t know what DCL is going to charge when they decide to book. I use ita matrix. Works well for finding the fares I want.

You select the airline & flights when you book via DCL, and they tell you the cost right then as you decide. There are no surprises. You are the one who chooses which flight & when, not DCL.

 

[speicher46]

We have booked airfare several times through Disney. In 2016 They booked airfare for our transatlantic cruise. The cruise left from Port Canaveral on the way to Barcelona with a few stops in between. Due to a mechanical problem with Delta Airlines, we were unable to get to Port Canaveral before the ship departed. Disney rerouted us to the first port, Boston, and we met the ship there two days later. It was a 14 night cruise. We were put up in a hotel room in Boston for those two nights and spent two days exploring Boston. Boston was the ships first port so when the ship arrived we boarded and basically had the ship to ourselves while everyone else was doing excursions in Boston. It worked out very nice.

This was Delta's fault not Disney's. Delta did pay for the hotel for two nights in Boston. About a week after we returned I got a call from Disney saying they were so sorry we missed the first two days of the cruise. They offered me a $3800 credit on my next cruise! They had no obligation to do this. Disney is awesome and I totally disagree with the poster. I would never hesitate to use Disney air.

 

[ironz]

We have booked airfare several times through Disney. In 2016 They booked airfare for our transatlantic cruise. The cruise left from Port Canaveral on the way to Barcelona with a few stops in between. Due to a mechanical problem with Delta Airlines, we were unable to get to Port Canaveral before the ship departed. Disney rerouted us to the first port, Boston, and we met the ship there two days later. It was a 14 night cruise. We were put up in a hotel room in Boston for those two nights and spent two days exploring Boston. Boston was the ships first port so when the ship arrived we boarded and basically had the ship to ourselves while everyone else was doing excursions in Boston. It worked out very nice.

This was Delta's fault not Disney's. Delta did pay for the hotel for two nights in Boston. About a week after we returned I got a call from Disney saying they were so sorry we missed the first two days of the cruise. They offered me a $3800 credit on my next cruise! They had no obligation to do this. Disney is awesome and I totally disagree with the poster. I would never hesitate to use Disney air.

I remember your posts about that. You weren't so happy with DCL at the time, but I'm glad it worked out.

 

[FigmentSpark]

We have booked airfare several times through Disney. In 2016 They booked airfare for our transatlantic cruise. The cruise left from Port Canaveral on the way to Barcelona with a few stops in between. Due to a mechanical problem with Delta Airlines, we were unable to get to Port Canaveral before the ship departed. Disney rerouted us to the first port, Boston, and we met the ship there two days later. It was a 14 night cruise. We were put up in a hotel room in Boston for those two nights and spent two days exploring Boston. Boston was the ships first port so when the ship arrived we boarded and basically had the ship to ourselves while everyone else was doing excursions in Boston. It worked out very nice.

This was Delta's fault not Disney's. Delta did pay for the hotel for two nights in Boston. About a week after we returned I got a call from Disney saying they were so sorry we missed the first two days of the cruise. They offered me a $3800 credit on my next cruise! They had no obligation to do this. Disney is awesome and I totally disagree with the poster. I would never hesitate to use Disney air.

I remember your story. I'm so glad it all worked out for you.