Travel agent problem
Discussion
REALIST123 said:
Nothing I have read here is a surprise. I have booked a trip to Singapore, Melbourne, Sydney and then back to the uk via San Francisco, for next February. The hotels are all non cancellation/alteration, no refund, as are the flights and I have paid almost £5K up front for two of us.
On the other hand it is about £5K cheaper to do it this way than have the option to change etc. Unless I am ill or something big gets cancelled, when in most cases I am insured, I will make the trip.
Why should we expect to get the best prices, and retain full flexibility?
In my experience the issue isnt the price, but the way in which the holiday is presented to the buyerOn the other hand it is about £5K cheaper to do it this way than have the option to change etc. Unless I am ill or something big gets cancelled, when in most cases I am insured, I will make the trip.
Why should we expect to get the best prices, and retain full flexibility?
Rude-boy said:
As said always read the T&Cs. The answer to many questions is in thee, even if it isn't the answer people hope for.
If your flight is 6 months away and you want to change from a Monday to a Tuesday flight I really do not see why you would not try to accommodate for a realistic admin fee if you are not going to be put to any loss yourself.
Likewise the situation above where the poster wanted to change one small part of their itinerary, and was willing to forgo that part of their trip, and they would not let them is mind boggling - although I do understand why you couldn't get two day tripper ferry crossings for a 5 day trip to France.
I think you're right about how it should or could be, but these things have been like this for years. Try changing a flight with any of the budget airlines.REALIST123 said:
Why should we expect to get the best prices, and retain full flexibility?
Yep I must say that I do agree, yet I do have an issue with the 'no refunds, no returns, no exceptions' attitude of many companies in this area. If your flight is 6 months away and you want to change from a Monday to a Tuesday flight I really do not see why you would not try to accommodate for a realistic admin fee if you are not going to be put to any loss yourself.
Likewise the situation above where the poster wanted to change one small part of their itinerary, and was willing to forgo that part of their trip, and they would not let them is mind boggling - although I do understand why you couldn't get two day tripper ferry crossings for a 5 day trip to France.
My point is, if you pay attention to what you're doing, which I think you need to when making travel arrangements, you should be aware of what you're getting into and why.
I remember when we used to pay £400 for a BA flight from London to Paris. Fully flexible and free cancellation. Along came Easyjet, booking.com et al and the game changed. Don't play if you don't know the rules.
A realist indeed!
I Fully agree. As I once saw someone on here write words to the effect of:-
"When booking flights look at it as if you are booking a seat in a large limousine, and the frills you would expect with that, if going with BA or one of the major carriers. If you're going No frills like Ryan Air or Easyjet you're catching a bus."
Looking at it all this was I have yet to be unexpectedly disappointed. Indeed one of the most amusing memories of the last few years was down to the 5 hours we spent waiting for one of the no frills carriers to get their squit together on a Sunday night in the middle of a two huts and a coffee machine airport in Spain!
I Fully agree. As I once saw someone on here write words to the effect of:-
"When booking flights look at it as if you are booking a seat in a large limousine, and the frills you would expect with that, if going with BA or one of the major carriers. If you're going No frills like Ryan Air or Easyjet you're catching a bus."
Looking at it all this was I have yet to be unexpectedly disappointed. Indeed one of the most amusing memories of the last few years was down to the 5 hours we spent waiting for one of the no frills carriers to get their squit together on a Sunday night in the middle of a two huts and a coffee machine airport in Spain!
Rude-boy said:
A realist indeed!
I Fully agree. As I once saw someone on here write words to the effect of:-
"When booking flights look at it as if you are booking a seat in a large limousine, and the frills you would expect with that, if going with BA or one of the major carriers. If you're going No frills like Ryan Air or Easyjet you're catching a bus."
Looking at it all this was I have yet to be unexpectedly disappointed. Indeed one of the most amusing memories of the last few years was down to the 5 hours we spent waiting for one of the no frills carriers to get their squit together on a Sunday night in the middle of a two huts and a coffee machine airport in Spain!
I have had similar with BA, the issues are not limited to the bargain carriers, the eparture lounge had 1 coffee machine and that was itI Fully agree. As I once saw someone on here write words to the effect of:-
"When booking flights look at it as if you are booking a seat in a large limousine, and the frills you would expect with that, if going with BA or one of the major carriers. If you're going No frills like Ryan Air or Easyjet you're catching a bus."
Looking at it all this was I have yet to be unexpectedly disappointed. Indeed one of the most amusing memories of the last few years was down to the 5 hours we spent waiting for one of the no frills carriers to get their squit together on a Sunday night in the middle of a two huts and a coffee machine airport in Spain!
sunbeam alpine said:
Did you pay with Visa by any chance?
You MAY have free cancellation insurance via Visa*
I only know this because our neighbour's mother got rushed into hospital at the weekend (doesn't look good
). They were due to go on holiday this weekend, but phoned to cancel. They were told that because they had paid using Visa, they were covered by Visa's cancellation insurance. I asked in the bank, and our Visa card has this as well.
May well be same, but cancelling because you decide you can't make it is somewhat difficult.You MAY have free cancellation insurance via Visa*
I only know this because our neighbour's mother got rushed into hospital at the weekend (doesn't look good
). They were due to go on holiday this weekend, but phoned to cancel. They were told that because they had paid using Visa, they were covered by Visa's cancellation insurance. I asked in the bank, and our Visa card has this as well.- Caveat: We're in Belgium, but maybe UK Visa has this service as well?
Vipers said:
sunbeam alpine said:
Did you pay with Visa by any chance?
You MAY have free cancellation insurance via Visa*
I only know this because our neighbour's mother got rushed into hospital at the weekend (doesn't look good). They were due to go on holiday this weekend, but phoned to cancel. They were told that because they had paid using Visa, they were covered by Visa's cancellation insurance. I asked in the bank, and our Visa card has this as well.
May well be same, but cancelling because you decide you can't make it is somewhat difficult.You MAY have free cancellation insurance via Visa*
I only know this because our neighbour's mother got rushed into hospital at the weekend (doesn't look good
). They were due to go on holiday this weekend, but phoned to cancel. They were told that because they had paid using Visa, they were covered by Visa's cancellation insurance. I asked in the bank, and our Visa card has this as well.- Caveat: We're in Belgium, but maybe UK Visa has this service as well?
blueg33 said:
I have had similar with BA, the issues are not limited to the bargain carriers, the eparture lounge had 1 coffee machine and that was it
I did wince a little when I typed BA as they "have their moments". Niece had an issue with one of the major ME airlines when they cancelled a flight to Germany where she was connecting with them to London and was looking like getting stuck in Dubai for 36 hours. There was a direct flight to London leaving in 2 hours time and they were insistent that nothing could be done. 5 minutes after a frim but fair post on their Twitter account she was called to their information desk and handed a first class ticket on the London plane. Had that been Ryan Air I doubt that they would have given it a second thought.Holidays are somewhat ironic in that you book them months & months in advance, and go on them to relax but the travel agents & airlines (especially) are the MOST naziest of nazi regimes when it comes to making *any* adjustments at all and turn it all into the most stressful method of spending vasts amounts of money.
Been stung by it myself before, booked some flights 5 months in advance, with a 1 hour layover between two long distance ones. Booked it as it was the best of cheap vs reasonable layover of the options. Not 2 weeks after I was informed the first flight has been cancelled and I am now instead booked on an earlier flight meaning I have to get up 6 hours earlier (ie middle of the night) and have a 5.5 hour layover now.
I tell them simply to cancel the whole 1 way flight, if I wanted a 5.5 hour layover and to get up at 4am on the last day of the holiday I would have done so but saved £170, Due to the flight still being with 24 hours there is nothing I can do. I was beyond livid and travel insurance, ABTA, begging & begging did nothing....so have just had to suck it up!
Airlines are total and utter f
king s!
Been stung by it myself before, booked some flights 5 months in advance, with a 1 hour layover between two long distance ones. Booked it as it was the best of cheap vs reasonable layover of the options. Not 2 weeks after I was informed the first flight has been cancelled and I am now instead booked on an earlier flight meaning I have to get up 6 hours earlier (ie middle of the night) and have a 5.5 hour layover now.
I tell them simply to cancel the whole 1 way flight, if I wanted a 5.5 hour layover and to get up at 4am on the last day of the holiday I would have done so but saved £170, Due to the flight still being with 24 hours there is nothing I can do. I was beyond livid and travel insurance, ABTA, begging & begging did nothing....so have just had to suck it up!
Airlines are total and utter f
king s! 
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