Well, since no one had any answers as to how the MLM crowd was responding to the Aloha issues, ATA apparently has decided to give them a second chance.
In a statement, ATA has said:
ATA Airlines has discontinued all operations and cancelled all current and future flights. Following the loss of a key contract for our military charter business, it became impossible for ATA to continue operations. Unfortunately, we were not in a position to provide our customers or others with advance notice. We apologize for the disruption caused by the sudden shutdown of ATA and regret the impact on passengers, employees, suppliers, and other parties. ATA customers should seek alternative arrangements for current and future travel.So, again, I know what the traditional travel agents are doing this morning. I also know what the online biggies are also doing. The question remains, what is YTB and the other MLMs doing about customer service. With almost a half billion dollars in reported sales, certainly some of your customers are impacted.
What is the answer? Call YTB HQ? Go to my website? Or is it that it is not your problem because you are just a privately branded Travelocity site and it is their problem? Welcome to the realities of being a travel agent folks---referring or otherwise!
YTB Is handling it all very well. Thanks for your concern
ReplyDeleteATA is telling travelers, including Southwest ticket-holders who booked their fares through ATA code-share agreeements, that they need to make alternative arrangements and has set up a special information line for affected passengers at (800) 435-9282.
ReplyDeleteSorry, anon, that's putting the responsibility in the customers hands.You received renumeration for letting this be booked on your site,it's you job to assist. YOU call the help line if you must. Yup, YTB is handling it very well. NOT. Is anyone surprised?
ReplyDeleteAnon--that is what all suppliers that go belly up do. If you are a a TTA or a YTBer you likely received a fee for ticketing the fare or a commission if it was in a package. This is what service is all about.
ReplyDeleteYes, the perks and FAMS can be nice, but this is part of the job to earn them.
What do you do when your television is broken out of the box? You take it back to where you bought it and ask them to make it right. Do you accept their answer to go to the manufacturer and deal with it?
Well, this is what I posted from the Aloha thing....
ReplyDeleteNote that I mentioned that I personally didn't ahve any customers on Aloha but informed my team to contact their people and get it resolved....
Anonymous said...
Well I knew that Aloha was ceasing to do business. Many United flights have Aloha as the partner carrier. But, if you booked online you still need to contact the carriers for change. All travelocity, orbitz, expedia can do is call however, most of the time people don't even enter their phone numbers when they book because they don't want someone calling them out of the blue. I have had several friends who are now my customers ask me if they have to enter a phone number into the system because their telemarketing calls increased after doing it through travelocity. So, if I had some clients who had reservations on Aloha I would call them because I know them. I, have also advised those on my team to contact their customers that have Aloha tickets.
So, I believe it is up to the RTA to do something as I would do, and have informed my team.
Sure you did. So if your 'team' decides to do nothing? That is more likely the case. The quote about the online agencies is total hogwash but believe what you want.
ReplyDeleteCustomer service and YTB should never be used in the same sentence. oops.
"So, if I had some clients who had reservations on Aloha I would call them because I know them."
ReplyDeleteYes, and then what would you do?
As for Expedia, Orbitz, etc. - they can - as they have real Travel Agents handling the air - take care of the passenger and they know how. Question here is whether there is anyone at YTB who kows how? You have already illustrated by not answering, that you don't know how....
Gee, I am sorry. I didn't realize that I was obligated to answer here.
ReplyDeleteSo, if my team decides to do nothing???? Then their customer will be let down.. And...You might get your business back.
ReplyDeleteWhich...if all you TAs really believe that YTB is such crap...then just let the chips fall where they may.
If you are so confident that YTBs business model is subpar to yours, then let it go and eventually you will be fine.
But, the problem is.....that all isn't the case. YTB has lasted and will continue to do so. I just, yesterday signed up 2 travel agents, who didn't have booking capacity on their websites AND, didn't have the ability to leverage their efforts.
You know a more important issue is how does ATA morally book tickets yesterday when they know the next day they are filing????
ReplyDeleteIt's not like they are going to "see" that money.
You are not obligated to answer, but your silence on this question and your voice on the other's speaks volumes.
ReplyDeleteTO the anon poster who posted on a topic about reaccomodating ATA clients and said..I just signed up 2 RTAs yesterday. Thanks for letting us know what is important to you. It was not a huge secret but thanks for the affirmation.
As to how can ATA take the money. Are you really so naive to think that they all had a meeting yesterday with all their employees and let them know? The BOD knew and the senior executives knew and they were bound by non-disclosure agreements. The employees found out when we did.
When Eastern stopped flying and when Pan Am stopped flying, flight crews were stranded where the planes were and they were on their own. So you are showing ignorance if you feel the word was out yesterday.
Ever been involved in the sale or acquisition of a business? Do you ever ask your employees what they think? Hell no!
GREAT NEWS! YTB STOCK HAS SKYROCKETED FROM $2.92 to $2.98 IN FIERCE TRADING!! ALMOST UP $1.00 FROM THE PREVIOUS CLOSE. STAY TUNED!! SEE YOU AT THE TOP!
ReplyDeleteJohn,
ReplyDeleteI am starting to think that you have a reading comp problem. Go back and read my 2 posts. One, was about signing up 2 traditional travel agents yesterday. And you ASSUME that that is more important to me then happy customers????
NICE.
Second, the point I made about ATA morally taking business yesterday..was basically what you said... THE BOD knows, and I know they are bound by disclosure but that is the part that sucks bigtime.
They aren't Tas anymore! Like they ever were but okay...
ReplyDeleteIf Coach were going to sell up do you imagine he would discuss it with the rank and file first? Ohh that would suck big time. Well, not for me it wouldn't.
John said, "So, again, I know what the traditional travel agents are doing this morning."
ReplyDeleteYes, a good many TTA's are spending their time blogging about how well they take care of their clients and demanding answers from the "MLM" folks. It begs the question as to WHY they have so much time on their hands if it was such a big issue after all. I have a feeling most of the PAX are handing things quite well. At this point in time, there is no indication from the media otherwise.
olescorekeeper
This is where YTB rocks! You see... with YTB, we make all our money by recruiting other people to become RTAs. So, we don't have to worry about travel customers because we either don't have any, or if by chance someone actually bought travel, they are probably an RTA and can do their own customer service!
ReplyDeleteYou stupid traditional travel agents just don't get the big picture.
Coach will fix it. He fixes everything!
ReplyDeleteMy Aloha pax were all rescheduled yesterday and the 2 on ATA are all taken care of now. Your right tho Ole, I need to get onto 10 FP for a Lindblad alaska...
ReplyDeleteanother comm with a comma!
TTFN
I'm surprised we have so many people concerned about problems before there is an actual problem. Do you already have MLM customers complaining about service or is this just an arrow shot in the dark?
ReplyDeleteYou can be proactive - which I'm sure you are suggesting - but it doesn't always work that way for TTA's either. When USAir pulled out of my local airport, not only was I not aware of the pull out, but my trip to Disney got cancelled by Disney and I never received a call from the travel agent office or Disney. It wasn't until I called Disney to make some special show arrangements that I found out I was cancelled. I was told by Disney and the travel agency I would have to make other flight arrangements if I wanted to take the trip. Needless to say, I cancelled the trip and demanded my "non-refundable" $200 deposit back from the TTA. They obliged, but not with full desire.
So, once again, the entire YTB nation gets grouped into the mix - unfair. I wouldn't accuse any of you TTA's as being as bad as Disney or my travel agency at the time of my problem.
So are all Iraq citizens bad? Just wondered if that was the thinking?
sd martin, you've made a very good point. How many TTA's have come to the rescue of their clients? No doubt some have. Probably most have not. I suggest the bulk of the pax are handing things without their travel agents help.
ReplyDeleteAnd since some TTA's say YTB doesn't sell travel, I guess by margin our client's issues are few.
olescorekeeper
All my AQ clients were taken care of by noon on Monday by 11:12am. I made the appropriate phone calls prior to leaving my house for work and the Res. Agent at the TO I work with had taken care of all of them as I said by 11:12am. I then notified the clients that afternoon - everything was done before the clients even had a clue there was a problem.
ReplyDeleteCTA in MD
"When USAir pulled out of my local airport, not only was I not aware of the pull out, but my trip to Disney got cancelled by Disney and I never received a call from the travel agent office or Disney. It wasn't until I called Disney to make some special show arrangements that I found out I was cancelled. I was told by Disney and the travel agency I would have to make other flight arrangements if I wanted to take the trip."
ReplyDeleteThis sounds to me like you booked your air independently from the agency and/or the Disney package. If you did - of course you would be on your own as the agent would have no knowledge or responcibility for the air portion.
Well I spent the other day re-accomodating 100+ pax booked on Aloha to other carriers, PRIOR to contacting the client. Today I re-accomodated the ONLY 1 pax we had on ATA. And I am watching the AZ issue so if I have to re-accomodate the 37 pax, most of which are business class, I will be prepared to do so. All the while in excruciating pain from a broken tooth my 1 year old daughter gave me yesterday. :)
ReplyDeleteI do not wait for the client to take matters into their own hands. THATS WHY THEY HAVE A TRAVEL AGENT!!! You get paid for it, you fix it. Not sit on your lazy ass and point to the website saying to call the airline. You want the perks, you do the job that goes with them. End of story!
Now back to my pain. Caio!
WOULD YOU BELIEVE $3.04 ?!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteWHAT A GREAT COMPANY!!
YTB BABY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
TravelLisa said, "All the while in excruciating pain from a broken tooth my 1 year old daughter gave me yesterday. :)"
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear that TL.
Sometimes you've got to watch out what you say to a 1 year old these days. Wait till she's two. I recommend body armor and head gear. ;>)
olescorekeeper
Shes my second, and I should have known better. She decided to throw a hissy fit while I was holding her and she head butt me a good one. My little Diva.
ReplyDeleteNext time I'm wearin a helmet :)
So, in the 15 days following yTBs 3 for 1 stock split, many sold off their shares dropping the price. But, be proud to know that if you bought your stock since then, you likely profitted as of 3:55 pm today. Cheers!
ReplyDeleteI love this blog!!! Whoever is the owner/moderator, I owe you big time! I was directed to this blog when doing research on YTBLA stock. After seeing the intensity of both sides, I bought 10k shares at $0.72; 5k at $1.01 and another 5k at $1.53. Go YTBLA!!! How do I join this company? I need a sponsor!!
ReplyDeletematthew,
ReplyDeleteI will happily sponsor you.
Leave me your email address.
We can get started
Lol lovely...so you just pick people out of the blue, know nothing about them, and offer to sponsor them? The person could be a serial killer, pedofile, or just plain nuts, but ya'll are willing to give complete strangers your info. Obviously you don't give a rats ass if the person knows jack about travel at all, as long as they can point and click...and write a check, its all good.
ReplyDeleteSo odd..really it is.
Actually,
ReplyDeleteI would like to get to know who Matthew is, that is why I didn't just send him to my website to join. I asked for his email address. YOu of course have your yahoo IM ID on your profile... but you knew that. Certainly plenty of strangers her for you. PLus, you have informed people where you live, and how many children you have. And, you are concerned with me asking for someones email address.
Nice.
Matthew--once I get your email addy I will send my "Broker's Commission" statement to you. I am cheap at only .5%
ReplyDeleteWell they could be a serial killer and so forth. I doubt he is an illegal gambling king pin, a renowned scam artist--they all live in FL--right Phil and Chris?
Probably not a chronic liar--he lives in Reno I believe? Right Dr. Bob?
And the guy who invented the Internet and troll the Honolulu Craigslist for escorts is up on the farm in California.
And drug dealer, YTB has that handled too as they like their Cocaine White Bentley!
Could not be a mathematical genius, we leave that to director Proud--remember commissions are usually the smaller number. Sales are the larger one!
So, pedophile, or serial killer are two that are not on the roster--that i know of!
YTB IS KNOCKING YOUR SOX OFF!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteANOTHER RECORD CLOSE!! WHAT IS GOING ON HERE???????? $3.15 WOW!!
AS KRAMMER ONCE SAID, "IM DIG'N IT JERRY!!!"
Last Trade: 3.15
Trade Time: 3:59PM ET
Change: 0.90 (40.00%)
anon said "PLus, you have informed people where you live, and how many children you have."
ReplyDeleteNot to mention she even had a pic of herself and child in her profile. People who do this are usually full of themselves. Not too bright for sure.
I found this on MSNBC.com
ReplyDeleteMy thanks to the author...
"Here’s where having a good travel agent can help. “If a client has tickets on an airline that just ceased operations, the agent should be looking to get their client re-accommodated on another airline as quickly as possible without any poking from the client,” says Steve Cousino, a travel agent with Grand Crowne Travel in Branson, Mo. He also urges passengers to be patient, since it can take “hours of working with other airlines to get the client re-accommodated.”
I've never once stated where I live. NJ/PA well thats a pretty big area to cover no?. You have no idea what my REAL name is. Assuming its Lisa? Actually its not :) Its actually a nickname. Secondly, the Yahoo account is anon..I have no personal information on file there, and I hardly ever turn it on. Third, I had the picture up near xmas time, and its been taken down since. And no..I'm far from full of myself. So since your best pal Douggie has his pictures, of his whole family, and all his personal info on file on his blog..does that make him full of himself? Just wondering. Or just a personal attack on me because I hit a nerve.
ReplyDeleteYou have no idea who your speaking to on a blog or online for that matter. How it sounded to me was that you were just willing to be his sponser no questions asked. Thats sad.
Matthew it was honestly no offense to you..it was just a statement in general. Nobody knows anyone on here...to just join a company because their stock went up a few bucks doesn't sound like the best move to me..but its your call. Good Luck!
I skimmed the comments here, just as I have skimmed a large porting of this blogsite this afternoon... so I'm not looking to address them all...
ReplyDeleteI can say that a lot of RTA's have been calling their help line over this, and they are not getting as much help as they should be from the home office...
I have a nice little inside source to their helpdesk, and being a support center manager elsewhere, all I can say is theirs sucks...
Supervisors that won't take escalated calls (literally I have heard one of their supervisors tell one of the reps "... and I'm not taking her call, so don't even think about transferring it", call center reps that are instructed to keep call times down, but are not allowed to transfer calls to second level teams, (who don't answer the phones when the first level calls them anyway)so all they can do is give out email addresses that take forever to reply... some quality costomer service there folks... yes indeed....
I'll provide more insight later... since it's time for me to head home and it's a long drive... St Louis traffic sucks, for those who wanted to know... :)
ANOTHER SCAMMER!
ReplyDeleteOh yeah...well I personally know of 1000 RTAs with trips booked on ATA from their customers who have fixed the situation and its great. But, I will tell you how I know this at a later time (when presumeably you have all forgotten about my comment)
ReplyDeleteWhat a bafoon!
You can't stop it!!!!!Just watch the news in the next few weeks!!!!
ReplyDeleteIt's rather amazing to me how childish adults can get.
ReplyDeleteAdults? Hey mister, I'm only 7 years old.
ReplyDeleteJohn get over the Cocaine White Bently thing, it is for sure a California thing nothing to do with YTB. Hicks hicks hicks
ReplyDeleteSorry anonymous... I realy was leaving for the day... say what you will...
ReplyDeleteI said I'd provide more later, because I had to talk to the support rep myself...
Sure, some of the RTA's are doing things the right way, but others are telling their customers to call the YTB rep support line... and the reps have been instructed to tell these customers to call the RTA's... the RTA's are 'supposed' to be contacting the vendors and helping their customers make other arrangements... instead they call to complain that the support reps are not doing THEIR job for them.
Those reps are there to help the RTA's, but these RTA's think the rep should just do everything for them... they don't want to deal with their customers problems they just want to collect a check...
I'm not laying this whole thing at the company's door, it's the individual RTA's who are acting poorly... they got themselves into this, and don't want to take responsibility for it. I feel sorry for their customers, which in most cases seem to be friends and family....
Anon... so you personally know thousands of these RTA's? I gather you are another YTB employee then? Or an RTA? If so, then you know I am telling the truth here... it's impossible to deny... make all the snide comments you want... I'll stick to dealing with facts, facts that come from those folks sitting in that half-finished building there in WoodRiver.
wow,
ReplyDeleteI don't know 1000 rta. I was speaking facetiously in response to your flaming claim and then no backup with fact.
Ah, well, as I said, I really did have to leave and deal with traffic, I didn't have time to post more, and wanted to collect some facts before I spoke out of hand...
ReplyDeleteI went and checked my facts at the source before posting them, so that I wouldn't have to retract them later....
You won't see post from me that I can't back up, even if I cannot give the name of my source directly, since it might cause someone to lose their job.... but it is someone who answers those first line support calls and speaks to anywhere from 80 to 100 or more RTA's and customers a day.
well, ytrewq, I saw your post on the other thread on this blog and I apologize for my sarcastic comment. Even though you aren't going to supply physical proof of your connection(i wouldn't either), I believe you. End of statement.
ReplyDeleteHow refreshing to hear someone with YTB who is actually not ridiculously boastful, but honest! I appreciate the "whole" picture - I think you're very realistic about the blame being spread out .....
ReplyDeletehttp://www.travelweekly.com/Article.aspx?id=171340
ReplyDeleteYou should've waited to post that until today - stock has dropped about 35% today.....
ReplyDelete