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akujunkanI made my flight reservations for Korea last Friday. As cell phone usage is (thankfully) not permitted in the uni computer labs or research rooms, I was unable to check travel info while talking to the travel agent.
Anyway, I made reservations for a 5:00pm flight on Thursday. Now, I informed the travel agent several times that I would be unable to leave Kyoto until after 2:30pm, and that I live a long ways away from the station. Would I be able to arrive at Kankuu on time, I wanted to know. He assured me that this would be possible as long as I took the airport express.
Now, I seemed to remember the express taking two hours, not one, but I trusted him, as he was the travel agent and would know better than I.
Oops. A check later that evening revealed that my misgivings were correct--the 2:45 express arrives at Kankuu at 4:36...and as I am well over 30 minutes away from Kyoto Station by bus or taxi, there was little chance of me even making said express. Given the fact that I cannot check in online for this flight, I was left with two options: skip Thursday's class or reschedule the flight.
Problem is, I'm giving a presentation on the first draft of my thesis this Thursday, so there's no way I could choose the former option. And the latter? Well, a check of the fine print accompanying my reservation confirmation email showed that I'd have to pay about $300 to change my reservations. An email to my travel agent sent Friday afternoon is still unanswered.
With no other options I called the agency this morning, expecting a shouting/crying/screaming match with whoever turned up on the other end in order to wring favorable results from this branch of Japan's set-in-cement bureaucracy.
But lo and wonders! The lady at the other end agreed that, Holy crap, yes, there was no way I'd be able to make my flight, and allowed me to change my reservation free of charge, no asking (to say nothing of screaming/crying/shouting) required. She also gave me an extra day in which to make my payment.
So right on, Japan! Here's hoping the rest of you jumps on the exemplary customer service bandwagon shortly.
That will be all.
Anyway, I made reservations for a 5:00pm flight on Thursday. Now, I informed the travel agent several times that I would be unable to leave Kyoto until after 2:30pm, and that I live a long ways away from the station. Would I be able to arrive at Kankuu on time, I wanted to know. He assured me that this would be possible as long as I took the airport express.
Now, I seemed to remember the express taking two hours, not one, but I trusted him, as he was the travel agent and would know better than I.
Oops. A check later that evening revealed that my misgivings were correct--the 2:45 express arrives at Kankuu at 4:36...and as I am well over 30 minutes away from Kyoto Station by bus or taxi, there was little chance of me even making said express. Given the fact that I cannot check in online for this flight, I was left with two options: skip Thursday's class or reschedule the flight.
Problem is, I'm giving a presentation on the first draft of my thesis this Thursday, so there's no way I could choose the former option. And the latter? Well, a check of the fine print accompanying my reservation confirmation email showed that I'd have to pay about $300 to change my reservations. An email to my travel agent sent Friday afternoon is still unanswered.
With no other options I called the agency this morning, expecting a shouting/crying/screaming match with whoever turned up on the other end in order to wring favorable results from this branch of Japan's set-in-cement bureaucracy.
But lo and wonders! The lady at the other end agreed that, Holy crap, yes, there was no way I'd be able to make my flight, and allowed me to change my reservation free of charge, no asking (to say nothing of screaming/crying/shouting) required. She also gave me an extra day in which to make my payment.
So right on, Japan! Here's hoping the rest of you jumps on the exemplary customer service bandwagon shortly.
That will be all.
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no subject
on 2009-06-11 10:02 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2009-06-12 12:57 am (UTC)Uh, don't blow me up guys? Okay?