Last Oct. 10, my wife, a friend and I arrived at Washington Dulles International Airport to fly to Paris on a trip we had originally planned for April but had to postpone. At the United Airlines check-in counter, agents told us our reservation had been canceled — by us! Even weirder, the same thing had happened three weeks earlier, when the airline sent us an email saying we had canceled our trip. That time, we called and insisted United reissue the reservation for the same price, which it did by giving us a travel voucher and instantly redeeming it. At the airport, though, we watched as supervisors got their supervisors involved, and we were eventually told that something about the voucher had raised questions about fraud. We missed our flight and bought last-minute tickets for that evening’s 11 p.m. United flight to Paris. Then flight was canceled, though this time for everyone. Given the day’s stress and frustration, we gave up on the trip, had dinner and went to the airport Marriott before heading home the next morning. We believe United owes us for the cost of the last-minute flight ($4,475), a portion of the earlier canceled flight ($3,099), the cost of our transportation, hotel and meals that day ($1,178) and the money we lost on nonrefundable plans in France ($2,007). Can you help?
Despegar Sells Destination Unit to Iberostar Group
16.08.2024 - 09:41 / skift.com / Dennis Schaal / Damian Scokin
Despegar, the largest online travel company in Latin America, sold its destination management unit, BDExperience, to World2Meet, a division of Spain-based tourism company, Iberostar Group.
With the sale — the financial terms of which were not disclosed — nearly 600 Despegar employees, about 13% of its workforce, will become World2Meet employees. The deal closed August 1, but Despegar announced it Thursday.
Despegar Chief Financial Officer Amit Singh said its divestment of BD Experience would have a “material” impact on the company’s financials. He added that the revenue per BD Experience employee is “slightly lower” than the average.
As part of the deal, Despegar and World2Meet entered into a long-term strategic alliance in which World2Meet will provide Despegar with destination services in Mexico and the Dominican Republic, Despegar said.
Despegar CEO Damian Scokin said in a statement Thursday that his company did the deal so it could streamline its operation and focus on its core services.
Destination management companies use a network of travel providers in a given destination to handle the needs of tourists, including things such as airport transfers, logistics support, and special events, for example.
As a Despegar brand, BDExperience, which has a 30-year track record, helped tourists with group and private tours, airport transfers, and “personalized assistance,” Despegar said.
Iberostar Group is a global tourism company specializing in hotels and resorts, a vacation club, and destination services.
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