Arrangements needed double-checking

We took a trip to Machu Picchu, Peru, arranged through Analie Tours. The trip was delightful, but we felt Analie Tours was frightful.

Upon arrival at the Miami airport at 3 p.m. on Nov. 17, ’03, we were told that our 6:15 p.m. flight had been changed, two weeks earlier, to 1 a.m. on Nov. 18. Our party of four and one other party had not been notified. We all were traveling through Analie Tours.

We called Analie Tours from the airport at 3:30 p.m. and were told that they had not been notified and that their computers still showed the 6:15 p.m. departure. However, several other couples we met arrived at 11 p.m. because Analie Tours had notified them of the change.

We arrived at Hotel Mariel in Lima on Nov. 18 at 8:30 a.m. instead of the earlier 12:45 a.m. as originally scheduled. We had no vouchers for breakfast that morning because we had not been booked for arrival the prior evening.

We were to depart for Cuzco the following day. Although we were a party of four with one reservation number, we were booked on two different flights to Cuzco. Fiesta Tours, a Peruvian company, was most helpful and straightened it out so that we flew together on a half-empty plane. So, it appeared to us, it was not a problem of lack of space, just lack of efficiency on the part of Analie Tours.

Another problem was that our airline tickets from Cuzco had us getting into Lima at 9 a.m. Saturday and leaving for Miami the same morning at 10:30 a.m. although we had a hotel voucher for Saturday night in Lima and were supposed to leave on Sunday. Again, Fiesta Tours straightened out the problems.

In Machu Picchu we were booked at a different hotel than our itinerary showed. That was not a problem for us, but it showed a lack of follow-up on details.

Machu Picchu is well worth seeing and well worth overcoming the problems, but we wonder at the inefficiency and lack of attention to detail displayed by Analie Tours.

MARTHA TOBIASSEN
Tarpon Springs, FL

ITN sent a copy of the above letter to Analie Tours and received the following reply.

We acknowledge receipt of the letter you received from one of our passengers, Mrs. Tobiassen. We would like to go over the letter and explain to you what happened with this passenger.

1. Mrs. Tobiassen was booked with Aerocontinente Airlines. When we issued her ticket the departure time was at 6 p.m., and suddenly the airline changed the schedule temporarily. We were told by the airline not to change anything in our itineraries as this schedule might change to the previous one at any moment. Unfortunately, by the time Mrs. Tobiassen had her flight, there were no changes.

We always try not to give any concern to our passenger if there is a situation that might change as we were told.

2. Mrs. Tobiassen refers to Fiesta Tours as if it were a separate office. Fiesta Tours is the same as Analie Tours. It is our associate and we work together, so if she received a service from Fiesta, it is as if she received the service from Analie. We are associates and work as partners, so if things were straightened by Fiesta, she was receiving a service from Analie Tours.

3. Also, all the problems Mrs. Tobiassen mentions in her letter were a consequence of the airline change. The month she traveled with us was a very busy month in terms of availability of hotels and services, so all the itinerary needed to be changed and not always with the original bookings. As to our services, we try to give excellence and we deeply regret if she didn’t have the service she deserved due to this situation.

4. Analie Tours’ policy is to have a happy customer, and in compensation for all these inconveniences caused by the airline change of schedule, we offer Mrs. Tobiassen a $150 credit for any future trip she books with us. This will also give us the opportunity to show her that this was a situation beyond our control.

Analie Tours, Inc., 10271 SW Sunset Dr., Ste. 104, Second Floor, Miami, FL 33173

Editor’s note: In Latin America, particularly, flight times as well as passengers’ bookings often get changed arbitrarily at the last minute by airlines. It is a smart thing for travelers to take it upon themselves to contact their travel company and reconfirm their arrangements, particularly connecting flights. Upon arrival at their destination, they would be wise to contact their ground operator and have them reconfirm all continuing flights, including the flight home, within 24 hours of each flight.