Question: In January, I purchased a roundtrip Megabus ticket from Chicago to St. Louis. I received an e-mail notice that my February 2, Chicago-St. Louis trip was canceled due to weather.
By Nam Y. Huh, AP
Megabus' standard refund policy is simple: There aren't any, except when the company must cancel trips due to bad weather. In that case, be patient but persistent.
By Nam Y. Huh, AP
Megabus' standard refund policy is simple: There aren't any, except when the company must cancel trips due to bad weather. In that case, be patient but persistent.
When I called Megabus customer service, I was told that Megabus would refund us the cost of the leg that was canceled. However, they will not refund us the return trip, even though both legs of the trip were purchased at the same time. Customer service suggested that I send an e-mail to explain my situation and that I would likely receive a refund. I was told that I would receive a response within 7-10 days. I e-mailed customer service, but it's been three weeks and I still have not received a response.
I'm hoping that you can assist us in getting a refund or allow us to apply the funds to a future trip.
—Annabel Eyrick, St. Louis
Answer:
Megabus operates double-decker express intercity buses from its hubs in Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., and Toronto to cities throughout the Midwest and Northeast. Megabus fares start at $1—meaning that there is at least one seat on each bus available at that price—and rise both as the departure date nears and as routes fill up, just like low-cost airlines.
Eyrick's Chicago-St. Louis trip was canceled because of storms and passengers were notified by e-mail and a notice on the company website, according to Megabus representative Edward Hodgson. And while Megabus regretted the inconvenience, "the safety of our passengers and staff are certainly most important," he says.
Megabus' standard refund policy is simple: There aren't any. The company does allow passengers to change their bookings at least 24 hours in advance, though changes may result in increased fares.
That said, refunds are possible when Megabus cancels trips due to bad weather. Passengers can opt to either rebook their itineraries (with the 24 hour restrictions waived) or request refunds. Although it seems obvious that travelers whose outbound trips are canceled would also want refunds on their return excursions, Megabus handles these situations on a case by case basis, says Hodgson.
"Some people may still want their return trips," he says. "We want to be as accommodating as possible."
All Megabus service into and out of Chicago on February 2 was canceled due to severe winter weather. A series of storms in January had already forced Megabus to cancel other itineraries which affected thousands of passengers. The bus company's customer-service department was swamped by the subsequent volume of refund requests, including Eyrick's.
"We took longer than we would have liked to get everything processed," says Hodgson.
Going forward, Megabus added more staff to handle customer-service demand, according to Hodgson. The company refunded Eyrick's return fare of $28.
How can you avoid trouble?
• Be patient but persistent. Massive trip cancellations can cause a customer-service slowdown for motorcoaches or airlines alike. It may take longer than usual to process your refund request.
Linda Burbank first began troubleshooting travelers' complaints for the Consumer Reports Travel Letter. She now writes regularly for Consumers Union publications and is a contributing editor for National Geographic Traveler. E-mail her at travel@usatoday.com. Your question may be used in a future column.
0 comments:
Post a Comment