This would be why I've always booked through the airline, hotel and car rental agency individually. That and my USAA discount prob won't work if I rent through travelocity and the like.

We were warned not to go to Mexico even before this epidemic due to the drug cartels and risk of well... not coming home alive due to this. The warning was mainly for college students but I would think it would apply to everyone as well. Why someone would go to a place that there are warnings about is beyond me. If you have to see a dying family member or have relatives there I can understand but people who go there just for fun are nuts. If you need a vacation there are plenty of other places to go.

@Outrun1986: It's not like you land at the airport there and are instantly kidnapped. There are nice parts and bad parts, just like any other country. If you avoided visiting all the countries that had any sort of warning against them, you'd be pretty much stuck in the US and western Europe. Also, if you're a smart traveler (aware of your self and surroundings, etc.), you're probably not in much danger.

@Frank Murphy: Yep. That sure is what the entire country of Mexico is. No modern cities, historical works of art, perfectly safe worldwide travel destinations, five-star resorts or anything like that.

Just one long cesspool filled with filthy, filthy foreigners and their narco-gangs.

@Frank Murphy: Not all of Mexico is like that, you know, but it's obvious you've never been, or gotten your information from actual credible sources.

@Outrun1986: Yeah, Mexico is not all bad, and not all of the US is some friendly land where you don't get raped or kidnapped or killed. Have you turned on the news, lately? It's not exactly safe in the US.

Seriously, I can't believe the two "main" comments thus far on a story about Mexico are how you should never go there or risk being killed and eaten by narco-terrorist drug cartels. Did I miss a memo? Did some major news network just run a scare campaign about something terrible happening in Mexico BESIDES swine flu?

Get your head out from under the blanket, people. It's a country filled with people just like anywhere else. There may be more danger zones than downtown Davenport, Iowa, but that doesn't make it a simmering volcano of murderous malcontents.

@Outrun1986:

What above said. Travel warnings are broad and blanketed, and many times just plain recationary. I've been to Puerta Vallarta and all over the Yucatan since December and I loved it. I rented a car and went to small villages and saw ruins and went scuba diving.

As it's been said before some shootings in Detroit should deter a trip to Yellowstone - so why the same mindset about another enormous country?

Buen suerta a la genta de Mexico.

@qwickone: "you'd be pretty much stuck in the US and western Europe"

And depending on what race/nationality you are and which state you visit, you might just be better off hiding underground.

@PipeRifle: Many Americans are racist/xenophobic about Mexico and Mexican citizens.

Do not, I repeat, do not go to azcentral.com and read any of the comment boards in regards to immgiration or Sheriff Joe.

@Outrun1986:

p.s. - Keep visiting Epcot Center and eating at Chi-Chi's -- you'll be safe and sound.

I'm more afraid of if I have to deal with a forced cancellation because a country decides to close their borders to US travelers. I have some non-refundable tickets that I just bought insurance for, but I am so betting that if I have to use the insurance, I will be submitting a story to consumerist.

@qwickone: although it is entertaining/horrifying to read the State Dept's info on Mexico...pre-swine flu:

The Department of State recommends U.S. citizens traveling to the southern state of Chiapas remain cautious at all times. Armed rebels and armed civilian groups are present in some areas of the state, and there is often no effective law enforcement or police protection. Violent criminal gang activity along the state's southern border - mostly aimed at illegal migrants - continues to be a concern. U.S. citizens traveling to Chiapas are encouraged to contact the U.S. Embassy for further security information prior to traveling to the region.

Kidnapping, including the kidnapping of non-Mexicans, continues at alarming rates. So-called express kidnappings, an attempt to get quick cash in exchange for the release of an individual, have occurred in almost all the large cities in Mexico and appear to target not only the wealthy, but also the middle class. U.S. businesses with offices in Mexico or concerned U.S. citizens may contact the U.S. Embassy or any U.S. consulate to discuss precautions they should take.
Kidnapping in Mexico has become a lucrative business.

After reading what our own govt says about Mexico (and the countries in danger of becoming a failed state from the Pentagon) you can understand why people would be reluctant to go to Mexico and baffled by those who do.

@sponica:

"After reading what our own govt says about Mexico (and the countries in danger of becoming a failed state from the Pentagon) you can understand why people would be reluctant to go to Mexico and baffled by those who do. "

Our own govt doesn't say a whole lot of nice things about certain cities in our Country, either.

@nakedscience: I think it's what you could call, if I may, "Consumerist Syndrome." If the only opinion you had of a company came from reading stories on the Consumerist, you'd probably think they weren't a very good company.

So, if you're watching the news and the only stories coming out of Mexico or South America involve drugs, travel dangers, epidemics, and whatever else, you might end up with a pretty low opinion of those places.

The trick is to do a little independent research, broaden your horizons, check multiple sources, and then make your own decisions. Shop that company, or visit that country, and see for yourself. Don't rely on other people's anecdotes to influence your opinions 100%.

If you find you've formed an opinion of something you've never experienced, try googling the opposite of your opinion (i.e. "fun things to do in Mexico" or somesuch) and see what happens. You might learn something!

@Frank Murphy: You're right. No one would. So it's a good thing that does not describe Mexico.

I lived there a long time and not once did I get murdered by a narco-terrorist.

@sponica: That information is about Chiapas:

Borders Guatemala and is about as far south as you can go. Not exactly sunning yourself on the beach in Cancun, and certainly not representative of the whole, rather large, country.

As a hotel owner/manager, I can tell you that the hotel would be correct in referring back to Travelocity in this case. Generally, when you book through a third party site such as Travelocity, Expedia, Hotels.com, etc. Your agreement is actually with that third party travel site. You are charged by that third party travel site and in turn they pass along nothing except for the guests name in the reservations to us. We are then provided with a single use prepaid credit card provided by the 3rd party to charge a completely different rate than what you actually paid which is usually about 20-30% less(this is why you usually never recieve a reciept from the hotel when you book through these 3rd party sites).

This is why I always recommend to our guests to either book directly with the hotel or the hotel's website. They will offer the exact same rates as the 3rd party sites without the extra hassle of wondering who to call to cancel or if a reservation can even be cancelled.

@nakedscience: But they don't put that up on the travel site. I've yet to see an official government warning about visiting a US city.

of course the State Dept also warns people to exercise caution while driving in Canada because there are big animals (moose, elk, bears) that sometimes cross the highways.

@PipeRifle: Yeah, that and, well, racism and xenophobia (I live in Arizona. We hae Sheriff Joe).

Putting aside the wild overreaction of cancelling a trip to an area not affected by the swine flu outbreak, I don't understand what the complaint is here? The traveler contacted Traveloicty, which told him that it would contact the hotel to see if a refund was available. This guy decided to do the opposite of what he was told to do (by contacting the hotel directly) only to be told the same thing -- that he should resolve this through Travelocity.

No one is giving him the run-around here; he's doing it to himself.

@sponica: America is notoriously against Mexico.

The southern state of Chiapas is a tiny, tiny fraction of the huge country, and yet everyone is ~freaking out~. Doesn't that seem just a tad fishy to you?

My parents had planned on going to Sayulita in May but they're considering canceling (if it were me, I'd have already canceled). According to what they've heard, there hasn't been any swine flu in the area but their worry is that if it gets there, it's a small enough community that it would probably spread fast.

I've personally never been to Mexico (I hate Mexican food, I burn really easily even with sunscreen, and it just doesn't seem like the paradise that others make it out to be) so I'm not too bummed about this. But, I mean, all the people dying sucks.

@nakedscience: I really wish more folks in Maricopa County would get rid of sheriff Joe. Has he sued the New Times out of existence yet?

@theblackdog: erm, I should say "vote to get rid of"

@Frank Murphy:
frank = biggot ? Have you ever been to Mexico to make such a statement ? And Im not talking about a drinking binge to Tihuana. Mexico is beautiful and has a rich history even if its been turbulent, your ignorance is astounding.

@ajlei: "I hate Mexican food"

What?! How does one hate beans, cheese, rice, tortillas, and chilis? IMPOSSIBLE! You, sir, are not human!

@Frank Murphy: I never understood why anyone would want to go to a third world country filled with narco-terrorist criminal gangs.

Have you been to a major city in the US lately? The US and Mexico have much in common: The transportation infastructure sucks, the medical system sucks, the politicians suck, and the cities are crappy dangerous places where only the wealthy can enjoy relatively safe comfortable lives. Perhaps this is more so in Mexico, but it is not much better here.

The whole "third-world" classification is a bit misleading. The productive classes in Mexico live as well, if not better, than the productive classes in the US. The biggest lifestyle difference between the US and Mexico is that poor people have it much better here than they do there.

A true professional in Mexico City - like a Dr. / Atty / CPA / Engineer etc lives atleast as well as their US counterpart.

@theblackdog: The New Times fight back plenty, and Ol' Joe has gotten some bad press lately, actually, that I'm too lazy to repeat.

But the fact that he keeps getting realected just proves how hateful and racist my state can be.

Notice I've avoided the term "illegal alien" -- I hate that term so.bad.

@nakedscience: well i was just trying to make a point...that when you have all these big warnings about Mexico on the State Dept website (not just limited to Chiapas) it filters into the brain.

We should be more worried about evil moose, bears, and elk while driving in Canada...

@theblackdog: Watch them use some act of God excuse so they don't have to honor the insurance! Because really you should have anticipated such a thing!

@nakedscience: I lived on the AZ/Mexican border for a year....but maybe things have gotten better in the past 20 yrs or so.

@sponica: And it just goes to show you that US Citizens have a herd mentality.

Everyone who votes for Sheriff Joe proves it. :(

Where I grew up, we have wild donkeys. Everywhere. They are huge. And mean. And like to walk right into cars.

@sponica: Not when it comes to Mexico, it hasn't. It's gotten decidedly worse.

@ajlei: Yeah. I'm also baffled when i read in the northern US papers "Flu doesn't tend to do well in the warm weather so we shouldn't worry too much"...um, unless my world geography is completely out of whack (i understand there are mountain ranges in Mexico) but isn't Mexico warm?

@1234tu: And it's way cheaper to get medical care in Mexico. Most of my family goes to Mexico for dentist visits, including my very conservative aunt. She's been going for a couple decades. Why? Because they are cheaper and the quality is just as good, if not better, as US dental care.

@nakedscience: were there signs that say "brake for donkey, save a life" or "X donkeys hit X cars in the past year, Y people died...donkeys have the right of way"

@Outrun1986: Are you kidding me? That's like saying you don't understand why people fly in planes because all they do is crash. I was in Mexico three weeks ago and it was fine. We were there with thousands of other tourists who saw the same news reports we did - which were that the violence had nothing to do with where we were. Of course, like any place, you want to be careful, but it's not like you're going to get snatched the second you walk off a plane.

And let's not forget that there's a pretty good chance that people booked these trips long before this stuff came out. We booked our trip seven months before taking it and starting hearing about the drug wars just weeks before our departure. At that point everything is non-refundable and most travel insurance doesn't cover cancellation due to drug wars or an outbreak of swine flu. I didn't hear warnings and then think, "Hey, that sounds like a blast! Let's go to Mexico!"

I dread this impending run around. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that a.) the flu doesn't hit Puerto Vallarta and the travel advisories die down a notch and b.) that this will suddenly become fortuitous for me and my fat ass won't have to buy a second ticket in coach because everyone else cancelled their vacations. Woot!

@PipeRifle: It's our own little version of debate!

But really, if anything I've said was misconstrued as racism, that's on me.

Mexico's just not on the places I'd go before I die list but neither is Cleveland (for example).

If you want to go, Cancun is assured to be 100% safe from drug cartels and all but petty crime. Cancun is a money machine for the country, and no one is stupid enough to do anything to screw it up.

Infectious disease is another thing entirely, and is likely a more serious risk when cooped up on the plane than on the ground.

Apparently, if you booked a flight to Mexico through Air Canada or WestJet, they'll let you re-book without any penalties.

@sponica: An official US government warning? Other countries have warned against US travel to particular areas--I specifically remember back in the period when foreign tourists were getting shot in Florida. I don't think the U.S. warns against itself, though--too much grief from the states.

I so hate overreactionary decisions.

ZOMG its teh PIG SARS evrybdy stay hom!

Good grief.

@sponica: Well, you would do well to remember that Mexico does have a wide range of temperature ranges.
From warm and dry in the desert areas of the north to warm and humid to the sub tropical jungle in the south, no to forget the somewhat cold and windy in the central area around Mexico city and Queretaro.

Unfortunately, the hotel employee is quite correct about Travelocity (and only Travelocity) being the only ones who can issue a refund.

It all comes down to who you booked your trip with and who you payed. The same thing is true with airlines, in that if you book a trip with any third party (website or travel agent) and then cancel it prior to departure, the hotel and airline are not allowed to issue a refund to the customer. The third party must request for the refund because that's who payed them.

It's the same idea as you paying for something by credit card, then returning it for a refund. The price is credited back to your cc, you are not refunded in cash because your cc company payed for it, not you.

In this case, the money the airline and hotel received must be refunded to the issuer of the payment (aka Travelocity), who must then refund Elliot. As much as I don't particularly enjoy this legalese, there's not a lot you can do.

Although it can be a pain at times, avoiding third party bookings and making your own reservations with the airline and hotel are the best ways to avoid such a runaround.

Adding a third party into the mix means that they can try to mislead you and point the finger at the other parties. Whereas if you book directly there is more accountability and it is far less difficult to establish who owes you what.

Both Travelocity and Expedia are well known for telling customers that they must speak to the airline for any number of reasons. Just know that if you do book through a third party and if you have not flown the first leg of your journey, the airline (and presumably the hotel) is not legally allowed to cancel or modify your reservation in any way.

@nakedscience: A blog post on WSJ wonders whether there are so many deaths in Mexico from swine flu precisely because the government is responsible for the health care.

@PipeRifle: Don't forget the hookers and water that causes the runz.

@pecan 3.14159265: I personally wonder how many there will be in the US because the government is irresponsible regarding health care here.