By Christopher Elliott | Travel Troubleshooter
Q: I booked a 17-day National Geographic Expedition to Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. I’m traveling with four other people.
We recently discovered that on day 11, our itinerary had been changed. Instead of a day of sightseeing, we were scheduled to spend the entire day traveling from Hanoi to Luang Prabang, Laos.
The original itinerary included a 1-hour and 10-minute nonstop flight. But National Geographic now has us on a flight with a stopover. Our revised itinerary now includes a 1-hour 50-minute flight from Hanoi to Bangkok, a three-hour stopover, and a 1-hour 25-minute flight from Bangkok to Luang Prabang, Laos.
I’m not getting anywhere with National Geographic. Can you help me? — Harrison Coerver, Dennis, Mass.
A: National Geographic should have done what it promised in your original itinerary.
And what was that? Day 11 says, “Begin the day with a morning cruise by sampan through the stunning landscapes of Tam Coc. Then explore the cave temples of Bich Dong pagoda and the serene 13th-century Thai Vi temple, surrounded by beautiful scenery.”
I don’t see anything about spending more than six hours in transit. But have a look at the terms of your tour. National Geographic reserves the right to change the itinerary or activity “as appropriate for safety, security, comfort, or convenience, without liability or notice.”
In other words, National Geographic was both right — and wrong. The fine print, which you agreed to when you signed up for the tour, allows National Geographic to turn your nonstop flight into an all-day affair. But there’s also an implied agreement that your tour operator will be respectful of your time. Seeing three countries in 17 days is pretty ambitious, and the tour itinerary certainly leaves you with the impression that you won’t waste a minute.
I see you did everything you could to rescue day 11 of your tour. You asked repeatedly for your original nonstop flights to be restored. When National Geographic refused, you appealed. It’s hard to know what was happening behind the scenes. But as someone who has spent a fair amount of time in Southeast Asia, I can tell you that flight schedules change all the time. This might have been the only available flight to Luang Prabang.
National Geographic Expeditions tours are operated by Global Adrenaline, a wholly owned subsidiary of the company. I list the names, numbers and emails of their executives on my consumer advocacy site, Elliott.org. A quick note to one of them might have helped.
I thought it was worth asking National Geographic what was going on with your flights. (Full disclosure: I spent 17 years as an editor at National Geographic. I also published my book, “How To Be The World’s Smartest Traveler,” through National Geographic.)
I reached out to National Geographic on your behalf. The company switched your flights back to the nonstop, as you requested.
Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy, a nonprofit organization that helps consumers solve their problems. Email him at chris@elliott.org or get help by contacting him on his site.
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