The Price of Knowledge

When we last left our time-challenged hero, he was trying to reschedule airline tickets and hotel reservations. After the successful conversation with the airline representative, where he didn't get his money back, but he didn't lose it either, he was hoping for much of the same from the hotel folks...

Now, I had already spoken with the LA Hilton and they were nice, but could do nothing because, technically, I didn't make the reservation with them, Netdirect did. So I would have to take my trouble to their doorstep and see what kind of mercy I would be granted. I had to wait until the next morning, because they are only available from 7-6 weekdays.

So, as soon as I got to work the next morning, I pushed aside all my actual work and grabbed the phone. When the woman answered the phone, I knew I was in trouble. She sounded like I had just interupted her bedside vigil with her dying mother. I told her that I wished to cancel a reservation that I had made through Netdirect. She asked for my confirmation number. As she was entering the number she said "Now you know that by cancelling this you don't get a refund?" I said "Yes, but..." All I heard was a click and then a dialtone.

As soon as I confirmed that I was aware of their no refund policy she cut me loose like the dead weight I was. She didn't want to hear my story, however sob-filled it might be. She'd probably heard a thousand such stories and had all the care and concern droned out of her by other travellers hoping to get around the rules once they realized they didn't want to play the game anymore. So the second she heard me affirm that I was dumb enough to pay for a hotel room online, to save myself what, in the end was no dollars, she hung up.

I sat there for a second, stunned at how quickly it had happened. The phones in our office have a timer display that begins the second the call is put through. I looked at the flashing numbers. 47 seconds. That's all it took. Talk about efficient. I bet the managers of that company love calls like mine. It means I want to give my money to them. Wouldn't you love to receive a call everyday where someone said "Hi, I just deposited $400 in your bank account. Goodbye." You don't have to suck up to them Don't even have to know their name. They just call you and you get their money. Brilliant business model.

In the future, though - and I want you all to promise me you'll do this too - I will call the hotel to see what kind of deal I can get first. Then I'll make a reservation through them, which never requires any money upfront, and can be cancelled with 24 hours notice. It's a pretty valuable lesson (pun intended) and one I will not soon forget.

But I'm not going to dwell on the sour grapes at the moment. Because tomorrow morning I board a jet to Los Angeles. Where dreams come true over cocktails and stories about hapless boobs who don't know how to make reservations can sell for millions.

I can see the title now "Dude, Where's my Plane?"