Trip.com Failed to Disclose Critical Baggage Rules Before My Flight
Trip.com has been a complete disappointment, and I will never use this platform again. I have traveled to nearly 20 countries and have always purchased my airline tickets directly from the airlines' official websites. However, this past June, due to the holiday season, ticket prices were extremely high. Flights that would normally cost much less were being sold at inflated prices, so I decided to try Trip.com as an alternative. Looking back, I deeply regret that decision.
My reservation was for an AJet itinerary from Tbilisi to Sarajevo on June 19, connecting through Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport. My PNR number is 485LC7.
When I purchased the ticket, there was absolutely no clear warning or disclosure stating that I would need to collect my checked baggage in Istanbul and recheck it myself before continuing to my final destination. This was never presented in a visible or understandable way during the booking process. The situation makes even less sense because when the same itinerary is purchased directly through AJet, baggage is transferred automatically. Yet when the ticket is purchased through a third-party platform like Trip.com, passengers are left dealing with a completely different process that is never properly explained.
This creates a major inconvenience. I would have to leave the transit area, go through passport control, enter the country, handle baggage procedures, and then check in again. Any savings I thought I was getting by booking through Trip.com are completely outweighed by the extra time, stress, and costs involved. Even the alternative of using transfer desks could reportedly result in several additional hours of waiting.
The problems did not end there. Because I had a long layover, I purchased airport lounge access through Trip.com and paid approximately $32 for the service. Only afterward did I discover that the maximum stay allowed was just two hours. There was no clear notice about this limitation when I purchased the service. Had I known that I would only be allowed to stay for two hours, I never would have purchased it. I could have spent that money at a restaurant or café and waited comfortably until my flight. Important restrictions like this should be clearly disclosed before payment.
Another issue is that I cannot even properly manage my flight through the AJet application. Trip.com registered its own email address instead of mine, meaning activation emails and important flight-related notifications are sent to them rather than directly to me. This has made it difficult to access and manage my reservation and has created additional frustration.
After discovering all of these issues, I contacted Trip.com customer service. Unfortunately, my complaint was rejected, and no meaningful solution was offered. Despite the obvious lack of transparency and the problems I encountered, Trip.com has refused to take responsibility or provide adequate support.
For a booking and related services that cost me approximately $173, the overall experience has been extremely disappointing. I am requesting a full refund for the ticket, lounge access, and any related services purchased through Trip.com due to the lack of proper disclosure and the resulting inconvenience. I also urge Trip.com to improve its booking transparency so that other travelers do not experience the same problems that I did.