Booked a trip for 2 to Lima Peru from Los Angeles for the 22nd of May. The trip was via AeroMexico LAX-MEX-LIM a 2 hr layover in Mexico City. Received confirmation from Smartfares MMV68Z. When I rechecked a few weeks later at AeroMexico the code was changed to UMKKYL. I was no longer flying direct to Mexico City. I was rerouted via Delta to Atlanta. Worse there was no connecting flight Atlanta to Mexico City for a connection to Lima nor was there a direct flight from Atlanta to Lima.
SmartFares left my wife and me stranded in Atlanta. Called up AeroMexico. AeroMexico said to call Smartfares as they booked the flights. So I called Smartfares. They gave me the run around. Quoted their terms of service and all the many ways they were not responsible. I pointed out that they are not exempt from there own incompetence.
The error was 100% owned by Smartfares. After two exchanges I no longer heard from them. My experience is that SmartFares is at best a sketchy company to do business with and at worst runs away from responsibility for mistakes made that might cost them a $$$.
They charged me higher price for flight ticket different from the one on their site and email sent for me . Now more than 2 months passed since 20 September and they refuse to refund me and they don't follow procedure for sending SMS with price before payment through bank account
DO NOT book flights through SmartFares! Pay the extra $50 to book directly from the airline!
I booked 2 roundtrip flights to Asia using this service bacause they had the best deals online for $1300 total. The airline ended up not letting me on the plane because of Visa issues (another story), which wasn't SmartFare's fault, but when I contacted them to try to help, they instead tried to use my desparation to find a way to still go on my vacation that I had been planning for months against me and scam me out of money.
First, to change the flights, I could not go through the airline themselves. They said I had to go through Smartfares since I booked it through them, and when I tried to call the airlines, they said they coudn't even talk to the other part of the company that deals with SmartFares; so I was forced to deal with them directly.
When I contacted SmartFares to change the flight, they said that the airline had a $325 per ticket change fee, which I assume was the truth (who knows now), and that I also had to pay the difference in what I paid for my flight and what the flight was now, which was not ideal, but I was willing to do it (another reason to deal with the airline directly). The scam (that I know of) came when they looked at the "price difference" for these tickets. They told me that the cheapest flights they could find in the timeframe that I was looking to travel were for $2500, which meant I would have to pay the $650 airline change fee ($325 x 2) plus the difference of $1200, which totaled $1850 before tax.
That would make sense if the new ticket fee they quoted me was accurate. When I looked on Google Flights myself, I saw that there were tickets going for $1450 total. When I asked the SmartFares guy about it, he said that the ticket prices on Google Flights are incorrect and when I actually tried to book the flights, it would be unavailable. So I proceeded to book that ticket price through United Airlines and it was still giving me the same price and they were still available. When I asked him about it, he said it was wrong and it wouldn't let me book them. I asked him again if he could give me those prices that I was seeing on Google Flights and on United Airline's website, but he said he couldn't, and he stuck to his story saying they weren't accurate.
So I booked the tickets through United Airlines for $1450, and I totally lost the $1300 I had paid SmartFares with them providing me absolutely no service. I gave them $1300 for nothing. They weren't going to even think about repaying me despite this, and instead tried to scam me out of more money.
DO NOT book flights through SmartFares if you want any type of customer service or consideration when bad things happen. They have no common decency.
On May 14th at around 12 a.m I purchased a ticket online through Smart Fares. Gave credit card information and later receive a confirmation of the booking.
Later that day I realize that the ticket itenary was not sent, so I called them to find out what happen. They told me that pending verification from the bank they will release the actual eticket at that time. I should wait 2-3 hours. I waited few hours.
At around 8:30 - 9:00 p.m, I called again, because I still did not see the ticket with a ticket number. The gentleman told me, it will arrive by 10:00 p.m. At 10:00 pm I checked and no tickets. I called and he said just stay on the phone and he will send it right away. He finannly sent it, at least so I thought.
Everything seemed okay and he told me that the number on the original confirmation was the one to give at checkin. I arrive this morning at the airport and the airline confirmed their was no seat on the plane booked under my name. I was in tears and so shocked.
I called Smart Fares and they told me that pending verification the credit card was not charged as yet. I asked them if their was a problem with verification from the bank, why did no one called me and tell me that their was an issue with the card?
They only called when I was on the phone with them about the ticket. I called the bank and the credit card company said there is no issue with the credit card.
I now believe that this was a scam from beginning and they had no ticket for me. So they sent a confirmation as a sham when no tickets existed from day one. This is not a great service and I need some answers. They are a bunch of jokes.
I checked with the bank and at the time they did not charge my card, because now the travel date has passed.
I have contacted you since more a month ago regarding illegitimate transaction you placed on my account for flight you failed providing its tickets.
I contacted you on April 1st to book a flight for 5 passengers 4 adults and 1 child, from IAD to RUH on April 11th and the return flight on April 19th on Saudi Airline for Total of $4,730. I received on the same day Flight Reservation Code: 3WNAH8 at 7:43Pm, with a note by red color font as a bullet point:
Please note that reservation requests are only confirmed once the airline has issued a ticket number. A second and final email with ticket numbers will be sent to your email address within 24 hours (up to 72 on the weekends) indicating that a ticket has been issued.
I kept waiting several days, however, I received nothing neither from the airline, nor from YOU. When I queried I had been informed my bank declined the transaction. My bank verified they didn’t receive and transaction regarding purchase tickets.
Then one of your representative attempted to make another booking for the same flight with every single details on April 5th, with Flight Reservation Code: 324G3H at 5:58Pm, and the same scenario happens but this time the excuse was the airline reject the booking because the flight is overbooked, fortunately, I was checking the flight online and sow it was half vacant.
Then they tried to book me a flight but I refused to deal with your agency since you are not reliable and authentic, however later I found a tickets charge in my account for the first booking “3WNAH8” with the total of $4,730!
I called million times and talk to several people but no one want to do something, everyone trying to put the blame on me and defend the company unethically. Rather than the rudeness of your representatives and bad attitude and behavior.
I have contacted supervised Amaira and she admitted their are so many mistakes happens in my case and will ask the airline for refund and asked me for sometime. Its not my problem if the airline provided refund or not, I sealed with you not with the airline, and you are the one who did not provide me the tickets number, rather you never communicate to inform me and updated me for my booking status when the booking declined twice.
I have been patient for long time to remedy this dilemma, and I hope your executives are wised and realize the sensitivity of the case.
Being patient doesn't mean I'm incapable of doing something, but I want to solve it internally and give you a chance to fix what you have missed.
Looking to hear from you soon with good news by refunding the unlawful money.
SmartFares Reviews
Booked a trip for 2 to Lima Peru from Los Angeles for the 22nd of May. The trip was via AeroMexico LAX-MEX-LIM a 2 hr layover in Mexico City. Received confirmation from Smartfares MMV68Z. When I rechecked a few weeks later at AeroMexico the code was changed to UMKKYL. I was no longer flying direct to Mexico City. I was rerouted via Delta to Atlanta. Worse there was no connecting flight Atlanta to Mexico City for a connection to Lima nor was there a direct flight from Atlanta to Lima.
SmartFares left my wife and me stranded in Atlanta. Called up AeroMexico. AeroMexico said to call Smartfares as they booked the flights. So I called Smartfares. They gave me the run around. Quoted their terms of service and all the many ways they were not responsible. I pointed out that they are not exempt from there own incompetence.
The error was 100% owned by Smartfares. After two exchanges I no longer heard from them. My experience is that SmartFares is at best a sketchy company to do business with and at worst runs away from responsibility for mistakes made that might cost them a $$$.
They charged me higher price for flight ticket different from the one on their site and email sent for me . Now more than 2 months passed since 20 September and they refuse to refund me and they don't follow procedure for sending SMS with price before payment through bank account
DO NOT book flights through SmartFares! Pay the extra $50 to book directly from the airline!
I booked 2 roundtrip flights to Asia using this service bacause they had the best deals online for $1300 total. The airline ended up not letting me on the plane because of Visa issues (another story), which wasn't SmartFare's fault, but when I contacted them to try to help, they instead tried to use my desparation to find a way to still go on my vacation that I had been planning for months against me and scam me out of money.
First, to change the flights, I could not go through the airline themselves. They said I had to go through Smartfares since I booked it through them, and when I tried to call the airlines, they said they coudn't even talk to the other part of the company that deals with SmartFares; so I was forced to deal with them directly.
When I contacted SmartFares to change the flight, they said that the airline had a $325 per ticket change fee, which I assume was the truth (who knows now), and that I also had to pay the difference in what I paid for my flight and what the flight was now, which was not ideal, but I was willing to do it (another reason to deal with the airline directly). The scam (that I know of) came when they looked at the "price difference" for these tickets. They told me that the cheapest flights they could find in the timeframe that I was looking to travel were for $2500, which meant I would have to pay the $650 airline change fee ($325 x 2) plus the difference of $1200, which totaled $1850 before tax.
That would make sense if the new ticket fee they quoted me was accurate. When I looked on Google Flights myself, I saw that there were tickets going for $1450 total. When I asked the SmartFares guy about it, he said that the ticket prices on Google Flights are incorrect and when I actually tried to book the flights, it would be unavailable. So I proceeded to book that ticket price through United Airlines and it was still giving me the same price and they were still available. When I asked him about it, he said it was wrong and it wouldn't let me book them. I asked him again if he could give me those prices that I was seeing on Google Flights and on United Airline's website, but he said he couldn't, and he stuck to his story saying they weren't accurate.
So I booked the tickets through United Airlines for $1450, and I totally lost the $1300 I had paid SmartFares with them providing me absolutely no service. I gave them $1300 for nothing. They weren't going to even think about repaying me despite this, and instead tried to scam me out of more money.
DO NOT book flights through SmartFares if you want any type of customer service or consideration when bad things happen. They have no common decency.
On May 14th at around 12 a.m I purchased a ticket online through Smart Fares. Gave credit card information and later receive a confirmation of the booking.
Later that day I realize that the ticket itenary was not sent, so I called them to find out what happen. They told me that pending verification from the bank they will release the actual eticket at that time. I should wait 2-3 hours. I waited few hours.
At around 8:30 - 9:00 p.m, I called again, because I still did not see the ticket with a ticket number. The gentleman told me, it will arrive by 10:00 p.m. At 10:00 pm I checked and no tickets. I called and he said just stay on the phone and he will send it right away. He finannly sent it, at least so I thought.
Everything seemed okay and he told me that the number on the original confirmation was the one to give at checkin. I arrive this morning at the airport and the airline confirmed their was no seat on the plane booked under my name. I was in tears and so shocked.
I called Smart Fares and they told me that pending verification the credit card was not charged as yet. I asked them if their was a problem with verification from the bank, why did no one called me and tell me that their was an issue with the card?
They only called when I was on the phone with them about the ticket. I called the bank and the credit card company said there is no issue with the credit card.
I now believe that this was a scam from beginning and they had no ticket for me. So they sent a confirmation as a sham when no tickets existed from day one. This is not a great service and I need some answers. They are a bunch of jokes.
I checked with the bank and at the time they did not charge my card, because now the travel date has passed.
This is a copy of my email to this company:
Hi,
I have contacted you since more a month ago regarding illegitimate transaction you placed on my account for flight you failed providing its tickets.
I contacted you on April 1st to book a flight for 5 passengers 4 adults and 1 child, from IAD to RUH on April 11th and the return flight on April 19th on Saudi Airline for Total of $4,730. I received on the same day Flight Reservation Code: 3WNAH8 at 7:43Pm, with a note by red color font as a bullet point:
Please note that reservation requests are only confirmed once the airline has issued a ticket number. A second and final email with ticket numbers will be sent to your email address within 24 hours (up to 72 on the weekends) indicating that a ticket has been issued.
I kept waiting several days, however, I received nothing neither from the airline, nor from YOU. When I queried I had been informed my bank declined the transaction. My bank verified they didn’t receive and transaction regarding purchase tickets.
Then one of your representative attempted to make another booking for the same flight with every single details on April 5th, with Flight Reservation Code: 324G3H at 5:58Pm, and the same scenario happens but this time the excuse was the airline reject the booking because the flight is overbooked, fortunately, I was checking the flight online and sow it was half vacant.
Then they tried to book me a flight but I refused to deal with your agency since you are not reliable and authentic, however later I found a tickets charge in my account for the first booking “3WNAH8” with the total of $4,730!
I called million times and talk to several people but no one want to do something, everyone trying to put the blame on me and defend the company unethically. Rather than the rudeness of your representatives and bad attitude and behavior.
I have contacted supervised Amaira and she admitted their are so many mistakes happens in my case and will ask the airline for refund and asked me for sometime. Its not my problem if the airline provided refund or not, I sealed with you not with the airline, and you are the one who did not provide me the tickets number, rather you never communicate to inform me and updated me for my booking status when the booking declined twice.
I have been patient for long time to remedy this dilemma, and I hope your executives are wised and realize the sensitivity of the case.
Being patient doesn't mean I'm incapable of doing something, but I want to solve it internally and give you a chance to fix what you have missed.
Looking to hear from you soon with good news by refunding the unlawful money.