Vayama

On Sep 14th, I paid on vayama.com with the confirmation of three airline tickets from Chengdu China to Los Angeles. All the information I provide for each passengers are correct.
However, due to the fact that Vayama mixed up three of the passengers information, the China Southern airlines said they couldn't changed the information in the system and didn't let them
Check. The whole fight to LA was missed.

As a result, we had to pay very high price to buy new tickets for the next available fight in order to complete the trip.

I'v made four phone calls with the agent(vayama.com), with all records made.
1) The 1st agent confirmed that the information I provided were all correct for each passengers. So she believed there was nothing wrong and did nothing to help.
2) The 2nd agent realized the information were mixed up. But it was too late to let them check in.
3) The 3rd agent confirmed that the issue were caused by the system. He said only the supervisor could deal with this matter. He gave me a number which is not valid.
4) Finally, the 4th agent said you would contact me.

Finally, vayama.com is now applying $250 penalty on us per person ($750 total) for refund request, due to the mistake of themselves... Excuse me? That's the result of what I paid, with everything provided.

The whole customer service is terrible. The last man who answered my call kept saying "we didn't make mistake" but then said "we corrected it, it's just a rare case". Excuse me?

Posting on Vayama web

By Phone:

*******040
24 hours a day, 7 days a week

No one attends even you wait for 2 hrs. Just music. Never ever buy tickets from this online air ticketing company

I just been called stupid, who is asking stupid questions by Vayama Customer service representative from Germany. I am trying to change my mom's flights from Moscow. She had to stay at Moscow, since her daughter passed away from cancers, to deal with all funeral and body transportation. I am trying to change her tickets for past 5 days and no luck. Vayama just keeps walking me around the bush, every time I call and every time I am getting different person in the different country. I never thought that in US I have to deal with this sort of things, plus called stupid. Never ever again I will use Vayama and wish they will go our of business very soon.

Go ahead, use Vayama, I dare you. I will give you 1 million dollars if you can successfully change your ticket... ain't gonna happen.
Who would've thought that in 2016 a criminal enterprise could exist. Not me. That's why I didn't read any reviews of Vayama before purchasing through Kayak.
I am returning to the states in 3 months. First, I will say hello to my family. The second thing I will do is call Kayak (not Vayama because it is useless), ask for a supervisor, and then drop as many f-bombs as I can before they hang up on me, while simultaneously asking them why they still use Vayama. This is the only way I can bring closure to the single worst travel experience I've had in 25 years. So once again, go ahead, I dare you to use Vayama.

I booked ticked through vayama.com for both of my parents. Due to sudden demise of one of the passenger it was requested to cancel one ticket. The request was initiated one and half moth ago and when the second passer travel date approached it was told both tickets were cancelled with out pre authorization. No proper communication on this matter though email or call. Even though I made several follow up calls it was not informed untill the last moment.

Worst customer service experience I've ever had not even worh for one star.

I was surprised seeing so many negative reviews on Vayama. I have booked twice with them and on both occassions had no issues getting the tickets or even changing the 2nd flight to a later date. I am currently booking through a different agency and noticed a lot of negative reviews as well which scared me a little so figured leaving a positive review for Vayama for others - and will do the same if the other company comes through with tickets (fingers crossed). Anyway - worked fine for me!

U3X3RK

If you need to make changes to your flight through Vayama, good luck. I've been trying to change my ticket for the past NINE DAYS, AND STILL HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO DO IT. Their website referred me to a phone, I call the phone and can't get through (25th caller in line etc). I email them, and they don't email back. This is the first time I've used Vayama, and the last. My trip is far more stressful because I can't get through to them and have to wait, and wait, and wait...

We booked our trip 2 months in advance for $1565.

However, Vayama cancelled 4 out of 5 of our tickets without telling us prior to departure.

We spent 2 hours at the ticket counter trying to board. Finally fixed, we thought as we boarded.

Once on vacation and checking in to return, we realized Vayama only fixed the departure leg. We were stuck without a return ticket. We spent even more time out of our vacation with Vayama on the phone.

They said they have to charge me again to return home?!?! Another $910! However, they did say they'd credit me $500 for the hassle and major inconvenience.

It took three months with numerous hours on the phone to finally get credit back, but only for the $910.

Really, Vayama?! You messed up. Live up to your word.

Run people far, far away from this travel service.

I was just about to book an international ticket through Vayama when I decided to do a conflict resolution web search of Vayama and I'm glad I did. I performed the same search of Expedia and Priceline to have a balance opinion of the people writing the reviews. The reviews for both Expedia & Priceline were balanced with most input positive but not Vayama. Every review I read about Vayama and their lack of customer support was negative... every one. WOW, thank you all for the time spent and your input, you have convinced me not to book my trip from LAX to Bangkok, I just don't need the hassle. I sure hope someone from Vayama is reading these reviews, I seriously doubt it though. I usually buy direct from the airline but the fare difference was significant enough to consider a different outlet. Thanks again!

I when on Kajak to my date and trip from New York to Warsaw in July
When I endap afterayin was trip in September
I called whit in 2 minutes and was connected after 2 mint's
Want to correct or cancell my trip
The starts- I was informed that will cost me $50 per ticket to cancel.
And can only cancel if I egregious to pap $50per ticket this happen within 10 mint
The women rep (wer rood and intarapting my as a was explain like they know what I was going to say)give mi only ultimatum to keep the tike or pay $50
I calf them 3 times and tired time men rep Tod answer and was as rood as she (they are answering bifor you asked then -this mast be all day same complain for them)

I called my credit company and prompt them for dispute.

Thanks and spred the word this should be on national news.

I was stranded in a foreign country and I tried to rebook. I was put on a waiting list. Caller no 13. It takes at least 30 to 1hour before they answer the phone call.Do these people know the expenses of calling international and the battery running low. When they answer the y put you on hold or back to caller no 24. I had to book fresh tickets with quatar airline back to the, USA following an automobile accident vayama was not accessible.

Long story, but short warning: Do not book a flight, hotel, etc on Vayama unless you are 100% sure you will NOT have to change the booking.

First, some background: Normally, when you want to make changes to the flights for an airline ticket you bought from a travel agent, before you fly the first segment(s), you must call the travel agent. After flying the first segment(s), you call the carrier that ticketed the ticket. (Example: If the ticket number starts with 016, this is a United ticket and - normally - United takes over the itinerary from the travel agent after you fly the first segment.) This is true even if all the subsequent flights are on a different carrier than the one that flew the first segment(s).

But, Vayama often buys airline tickets and hotel rooms in bulk. They buy these tickets on popular segments (think NYC-LAX, SFO-NRT, ATL-FRA, etc) at prices below what any individual traveler can get. Then, when those segments are added to an itinerary you want to buy (eg: NYC-LAX-SAN, SFO-NRT-OSA, ATL-FRA-MUC, etc), they upcharge them significantly - meaning: more than the 3% or 5% that travel agents usually get in commission.

The problem is that, if you need to make any change to such a ticket, you can never go to the airline. Even if you have flown all the segments except the very last one, even if you are a top-level platinum super-duper whatever flyer, your airline will send you back to Vayama. Thats Bad for you No 1.

Then, when you call either of the phone numbers on the Vayama website (meaning: the 877 toll-free number or the 650 San Jose area code), option 3 in the auto menu tells you that, to make changes to your ticket, go online. But, the online web service refuses to change your ticket, telling you that you have to call the 650 area code number. So, you get the run around - thats Bad for you No 2.

By the way, the 877 toll-free number has an interesting personality quirk - it drops calls that have gone on too long. Specifically: If your call exceeds approx 30 minutes (which, of course, Vayama is paying for - its a toll-free call to you, not to Vayama), the call is dropped - even if you are the next caller in line. Thats Bad for you No 3.

If you are clever, you realize that the best auto menu choice is DO NOT CHOOSE ANY OPTION. This brings you - eventually (the wait this evening was over 40 minutes - twice!) - to a live person. The live person will tell you a bunch of interesting things but, the bottom line is that you cannot cheaply make any changes to these tickets other than the date of travel. That is: If you want to change the route, or an airline, or even the time of day to travel, the fare difference can be staggering. This is primarily because you are exchanging a bulk ticket for an individual ticket, and you will get hammered. Thats Bad for you No 4.

If the above four items were not bad enough, heres the clincher. When you want to change your itinerary, most airlines charge a change fee of anywhere from $100 to $300 or more. Whats so ludicrous is that this fee is charged for the Customer Service person pressing a button on the flight sequence you have chosen. Of course, so they say, the airlines have to pay those Customer Service persons to provide that customer service. (Question: Then why is there a change fee still charged even when you make the changes online?) But, weve all gotten used to the brave new world where even using the bathroom on a flight can be chargeable offense. (Spirit Airlines, were looking at you!). However In the case of Vayama, they collect that change fee for the airlines and they also change their own change fee! That is, you get the thrill of paying two changes fees for one change! And, this is not the $39 change fee charged by American Express for a US-based AmEx representative - this is a full $100 for a person who is clearly not based in the USA! Thats Bad for you No 5.

So, Im done with Vayama. I have too much variability in my flights to want to endure the flight change process even one more time. Again: If you want to book international flights and you are 100% sure you will not change the itinerary (eg: for a family summer holiday), Vayama is among the best travel search engines providing the most offering airlines and route options. But, if you pay for flights and change fees yourself, and you even occasionally change your itinerary, DO NOT USE VAYAMA.

Yesterday I bought air icket online using Vayama via Kayak and it turned out to be a terribly misleading and fraudulent experience. I have now had to cancel my credit card and report AeroMexico for fraud. Unfortunately it is not just AeroMexico who has taken my money without giving me a flight but Vayama that is a ticketing agency for Kayak. I did not know about them or how terrible they are to customers until after I suffered a similar fate.

Basically, I was quoted a price via Kayak online for a R/T ticket. I used my credit card and purchased through Vayama and AeroMexico sent me a ticket confirmation. Then today, I received an email from Vayama saying that my ticket reservation on AeroMexico had expiry (they dont even know how to spell!) and if I wanted to fly on that same reservation, it would now cost me double. I rejected this offer immediately sensing fraud. Then I called AeroMexico again only to find out that they still have my reservation # but Im no longer booked on a flight. And that $ that was charged to my credit card by AeroMexico was already given to Vayama. And the only way to retrieve the $ would be to contact them directly. Unfortunately, based on an overwhelming number of consumer reports, its next to impossible to get ones money back and trying to connect them is also next to impossible. I tried but could reach no one. Fearing more charges to come and because of the already fraudulent charge on my account (charged $ but no airline ticket), I promptly canceled my credit card and have alerted my bank to this fraud. Both AeroMexico and Vayama are now implicated.

I feel very sorry to have to go through this and feel also sorry for the thousands of other customers who have to endure this type of terrible business practice. If anything, by writing this, perhaps your company can become more aware of and vigilant around dealing with Vayama. IF it were at all possible to cut ties with them and not issue any tickets to them, that would be the best outcome for not just someone like me but for many others. It is so slippery, the way this company pops up on your internet browser. I had no idea and I have purchased many airline tickets before and never had a problem. But then again, I never purchased on Vayama and only now, because of this incident, will not only never do so again but warn everyone I know to stay alert and clear of them.

From a sad and sorry potential customer. #vayamasucks