Book with TA or airline for flights?

[bazzaw]

I consider myself to be a fairly experienced traveler- having flown to Europe and other places multiple times - but I am starting to realize that I may have been a mug!!!

 

I don't like going to storefront TA's like, say,Flight Centre - they are always so busy and I don't feel that I have enough time to make decisions. So I have mostly booked through online TA's. I have lately noticed two things -- firstly the limited number of airlines that a TA puts in front of you when you do a flight search - eg we have traveled with Korean Airlines a couple of times and liked them, but I notice now that none of the "usual" TA's give you this option nowadays in their search list. Also, when they do give a flight with, say Singapore Airlines, on a given day, they only really give one or two options with mostly immediate or close connections - whereas by going to the Singapore Airlines website, there are numerous options shown including something like, say a 12 hour layover in Singapore.

 

So how do others go about booking longhaul flights - I am not necessarily after the "cheapest" flight these days (I used to do that when I was younger:)), but the most suitable/comfortable.

 

 

Barry

[rugbypopsie]

I mix n match....no store front is ever going to be as interested in my holiday as I am so I always do my research no matter where I end up purchasing. So you need to check the airlines themselves for flight schedules so you know how many flights and how often, then a site which shows all the airlines flying out of that hub and finally check for specials..sometimes the specials have fairly predictable times of the year. Try and find out what is the "shoulder season for wherever you are off to for the best deals", low season usually means the weather is lousy.

And no one could ever consider you a "mug" Barry.

 

Sue

 

[Royalty X]

You're obviously talking to the wrong TA's Barry and Sue. By the way, did I mention that I am starting a new job this week... ;)

[Billy and Charlie's Mum]

I have never used a TA to book my flights.....why pay them a fee to do what you can do better. I book direct with the airline. I do my research and decide which airline l want to use then join their site to get notifications on specials. As soon as l find a price l am happy with l pounce.

 

You're not a mug Barry..... everyone makes mistakes....you're only a mug if you don't listen to advice. ;):D

[Guest012]

...no store front is ever going to be as interested in my holiday as I am Sue

 

And for that reason I do all ours....

 

there is the exception and that is if you are dealing with a boutique travel agent who is self employed, has little to no overheads and plenty of time to devote to your needs.... ...;)

 

All our air travel is booked direct with the airlines....over the years I have saved substantially and have tailored our flying to suit US.

[bazzaw]

I have never used a TA to book my flights.....why pay them a fee to do what you can do better. I book direct with the airline. I do my research and decide which airline l want to use then join their site to get notifications on specials. As soon as l find a price l am happy with l pounce.

 

You're not a mug Barry..... everyone makes mistakes....you're only a mug if you don't listen to advice. ;):D

 

I have to admit that I have never really thought to deal directly with the airlines - although I did notice today that a "test" booking with Singapore Airlines revealed a price about $40 dearer than the exact same flight from an online TA :confused::D However , as I said, I am no longer that much interested in price (I spill more than $40 worth of wine each day :D) - but more the flight that is "comfortable". My son always books the cheapest flights he can find - I think that has some bearing as to why his flights always seem to depart around 2AM and arrive around midnight!! :rolleyes:

 

Barry

[bazzaw]

OK - well here is the dilemma - a kind of "chicken or the egg" scenario.

 

Flight to London - leaves Brisbane and arrives in Singapore 8 hours later. Onwards flight leaves Singapore to London 13 hours later (14 hour flight - which arrives at a nice respectable time) . Theory - the 13 hours in Singapore would be ideal to book 2x6 hour slots in the Transit lounge hotel - 12 hours is long enough to be able to go to sleep without worrying about sleeping through (which actually keeps you awake :D) BUT -- if you book the flight and then find there is no availability in the hotel - OR book the hotel and then find that there is no availability in the flights. :D What comes first - the chicken or the egg?? TA's do seem to be able to solve these dilemmas -- only I guess because they know the industry and have come across this particular dilemma before - not necessarily because they are cleverer than me :rolleyes:

 

Barry.

[Billy and Charlie's Mum]

OK - well here is the dilemma - a kind of "chicken or the egg" scenario.

 

Flight to London - leaves Brisbane and arrives in Singapore 8 hours later. Onwards flight leaves Singapore to London 13 hours later (14 hour flight - which arrives at a nice respectable time) . Theory - the 13 hours in Singapore would be ideal to book 2x6 hour slots in the Transit lounge hotel - 12 hours is long enough to be able to go to sleep without worrying about sleeping through (which actually keeps you awake :D) BUT -- if you book the flight and then find there is no availability in the hotel - OR book the hotel and then find that there is no availability in the flights. :D What comes first - the chicken or the egg?? TA's do seem to be able to solve these dilemmas -- only I guess because they know the industry and have come across this particular dilemma before - not necessarily because they are cleverer than me :rolleyes:

 

Barry.

 

If the hotel has a free cancellation booking facility l would book the hotel first.

[The_Big_M]

So how do others go about booking longhaul flights - I am not necessarily after the "cheapest" flight these days (I used to do that when I was younger:)), but the most suitable/comfortable.

 

I shop around, checking airlines, schedules and different booking services. It's one of those things with complicated itineraries that the more checking you do, the more likely you'll find the best offer. And it's a given that whether an online or storefront TA, or an airline website itself, they're not going to present all possible options due to the variety of systems/affiliations there are.

 

I've booked both direct and through a TA for long-haul. Sometimes the better offer will be with one, and sometimes the other (talking about the same airline/flight/itinerary).

[The_Big_M]

Flight to London - leaves Brisbane and arrives in Singapore 8 hours later. Onwards flight leaves Singapore to London 13 hours later (14 hour flight - which arrives at a nice respectable time) . Theory - the 13 hours in Singapore would be ideal to book 2x6 hour slots in the Transit lounge hotel - 12 hours is long enough to be able to go to sleep without worrying about sleeping through (which actually keeps you awake ) BUT -- if you book the flight and then find there is no availability in the hotel - OR book the hotel and then find that there is no availability in the flights. What comes first - the chicken or the egg?? TA's do seem to be able to solve these dilemmas -- only I guess because they know the industry and have come across this particular dilemma before - not necessarily because they are cleverer than me

 

Just check hotel availability first.

 

If they're online, the tool should show that. But if they're not just send an e-mail. Then when you know you can book the flight ticket or not. And then book the hotel.

 

That said, I wouldn't expect an airport hotel to be booked out, especially a distance in advance.

[fishtaco]

If the hotel has a free cancellation booking facility l would book the hotel first.

 

This is what i do!

 

Dont be fooled by hotel prices that are cheaper if they are non-refundable and you must pay up front, unless you are 100% sure you can make it!

 

Much better to book with the Hotel direct if you have not secured your flights, "sometimes" the Hotel is a bit more expensive direct but you only need give a CC number as security and you are always allowed to cancel the booking up to 24 hrs before checking in.

 

Be a where that some T/A,s sell cheaper airline tickets that are "Bulk" tickets and the reason they are cheaper than the airline direct.

 

These Bulk tickets have more rules and regulations than a direct ticket like penalties for changing flight date,less checked luggage allowance,non refundable,no name change and less choice of seats etc.

 

I learned my lesson early this year when Tracey bought our USA flights from Flt Cntr because they said they would beat any price!:rolleyes: They did by a few dollars but the ticket ended up being non refundable non transferable and when in the states we decided to stay on a few days we were told by the airline we would have to purchase new tickets:mad: It was the airline that told me about bulk ticketing,we even got less checked luggage:mad:

 

So now I will only ever book direct with the airline and avoid hotel 3rd party booking sites unless they are fully refundable or much cheaper than the hotel direct.

 

 

Den

[LuckiePuris]

As a TA myself at a store front agency, I always make sure I take a personal interest in each of my clients trips - whether it be round the world itinerary or a quick weekend away domestically. It is important to know the story behind the trip. For some, a two day getaway may mean the world to them. You never know how long someone has been saving for that trip, if its their dream trip of a lifetime, a honeymoon, going away to celebrate an occasion.

 

Travel is my passion and because of that, I believe this comes across to my clients in consultations and makes them feel valued.

 

A good consultant should be spend 50% of the time qualifying and finding out exactly what you're after, before just jumping on their computer. Just reading out airline prices doesn't set consultants apart from the internet. If done correctly, one of the biggest advantages of coming to a consultant is that we can do something the Internet cannot - we can get excited for you and your trip, build a friendship, show genuine and interest, and offer options that best suit you (Not always assuming that you're looking for the cheapest flight. You may be looking at stopover options, flexibility etc).

 

I work for one of the big ones and we certainly don't charge for our service. We usually come in cheaper than the online agencies / airlines direct (also taking into account online booking fees etc) and also have a price beat policy to back us up.

 

I can certainly understand some hesitations with using agents, especially if you haven't had a great experience in the past. I had one or two bad experiences myself with TA's before I was in the industry.

 

However please keep in mind that for every average consultant, there is a great consultant out there who has a passion for their position, loves travel, gets excited for their clients, always happy to help and loves making their clients dream holidays a reality.

[Royalty X]

As a TA myself at a store front agency, I always make sure I take a personal interest in each of my clients trips - whether it be round the world itinerary or a quick weekend away domestically. It is important to know the story behind the trip. For some, a two day getaway may mean the world to them. You never know how long someone has been saving for that trip, if its their dream trip of a lifetime, a honeymoon, going away to celebrate an occasion.

 

Travel is my passion and because of that, I believe this comes across to my clients in consultations and makes them feel valued.

 

A good consultant should be spend 50% of the time qualifying and finding out exactly what you're after, before just jumping on their computer. Just reading out airline prices doesn't set consultants apart from the internet. If done correctly, one of the biggest advantages of coming to a consultant is that we can do something the Internet cannot - we can get excited for you and your trip, show genuine and interest, and offer options that best suit you (Not always assuming that you're looking for te cheapest flight. You may be looking at stopover options, flexibility etc).

 

I work for one of the big ones and we certainly don't charge for our service. We usually come in cheaper and also have a price beat policy to back us up.

 

I can certainly understand some hesitations with using agents, especially if you haven't had a great experience in the past. I had one or two bad experiences myself with TA's before I was in the industry.

 

However please keep in mind that for every average consultant, there is a great consultant out there who has a passion for their position, loves travel, gets excited for their clients, always happy to help and loves making their clients dream holidays a reality.

I think I know where you/we work LuckiePuris... ;)

[LuckiePuris]

OK - well here is the dilemma - a kind of "chicken or the egg" scenario.

 

Flight to London - leaves Brisbane and arrives in Singapore 8 hours later. Onwards flight leaves Singapore to London 13 hours later (14 hour flight - which arrives at a nice respectable time) . Theory - the 13 hours in Singapore would be ideal to book 2x6 hour slots in the Transit lounge hotel - 12 hours is long enough to be able to go to sleep without worrying about sleeping through (which actually keeps you awake :D) BUT -- if you book the flight and then find there is no availability in the hotel - OR book the hotel and then find that there is no availability in the flights. :D What comes first - the chicken or the egg?? TA's do seem to be able to solve these dilemmas -- only I guess because they know the industry and have come across this particular dilemma before - not necessarily because they are cleverer than me :rolleyes:

 

Barry.

 

Hi Barry, what I would do for my clients in this circumstance is hold the flights in and then contact the hotel. If our online systems that feed into the property's availability does not confirm a guaranteed availability, I would then do a call out to the hotel and ensure I can get confirmations availability. Once I know the property is held in, I would then contact my client and let them know that both the flights and hotel are on hold and confirmed, and from here organise payment and booking it all in.

 

TA's are fortunate to have quite good online systems. From personal experience, what can take an hour on the airlines/hotels/online agent websites, can take just 5 or 10 minutes on an agent system.

 

What I'd recommend you do in your situation is hold in the flights or the accommodation first, whichever you can (sorry I'm not sure if you can hold in flights with Singapore Airlines if booking direct, however most agents should be able to hold Singapore Airlines flights in for 3 days). This buys you some time while you have the other part confirmed as available.

 

Hope this helps :)

[LuckiePuris]

I think I know where you/we work LuckiePuris... ;)

 

Great to see a fellow consultant here! Did the PB policy give me away? ;)

 

Just saw on your signature you've been on Spirit! How was it? I'm hearing mixed reviews, and am going onboard on this week. Thanks!

[Royalty X]

Great to see a fellow consultant here! Did the PB policy give me away? ;)

 

Just saw on your signature you've been on Spirit! How was it? I'm hearing mixed reviews, and am going onboard on this week. Thanks!

Yes, yes it did! ;)

 

I was on there for the repositioning cruise so I kinda got a half American/half Aussie experience. To be honest, I wasn't particularly impressed. I enjoyed the food (then again, everything was included in ours, except the steakhouse) and I liked the bigger/newer ship but the entertainment and activities left a lot to be desired. There was very little in the way of organised activities (except bridge classes) and the only time we seemed to see much of the entertainment team was at the (very few) parties (and they seemed be just entertaining themselves - very cliquey). And with them using Green Thunder as a huge selling point for families, I thought it should've been open a lot more than it was. Despite the fine weather, they always claimed it was too windy to have it open (trust me, it wasn't).

 

Don't get me wrong, my partner and I both enjoyed the cruise, but we thought these things really let the experience down. We made our own fun (a cruise is what you make of it after all)! I'm very much looking forward to sailing with RCI from now on though and I doubt we'll sail Carnival again if that is indicative of their product. :)

[bazzaw]

 

That said, I wouldn't expect an airport hotel to be booked out, especially a distance in advance.

 

Thanks for that thought - I have never used airport hotels before so have no idea of how "popular" they are or whether they are booked out early or not

 

Barry

[bazzaw]

Hi Barry, what I would do for my clients in this circumstance is hold the flights in and then contact the hotel. If our online systems that feed into the property's availability does not confirm a guaranteed availability, I would then do a call out to the hotel and ensure I can get confirmations availability. Once I know the property is held in, I would then contact my client and let them know that both the flights and hotel are on hold and confirmed, and from here organise payment and booking it all in.

 

TA's are fortunate to have quite good online systems. From personal experience, what can take an hour on the airlines/hotels/online agent websites, can take just 5 or 10 minutes on an agent system.

 

What I'd recommend you do in your situation is hold in the flights or the accommodation first, whichever you can (sorry I'm not sure if you can hold in flights with Singapore Airlines if booking direct, however most agents should be able to hold Singapore Airlines flights in for 3 days). This buys you some time while you have the other part confirmed as available.

 

Hope this helps :)

 

Thanks for that advice Lucky.

 

What I have done and has worked well for me - is to do all my research myself - flight times, hotels, etc - then take in an exact itinerary and say to the the TA - quote me on this , and then if OK , book it!! It is very easy money for them - but as I have done all the planning myself, I am confident with it.

 

When we saw the "package" 3 Queens cruise earlier this year, I got a bit overexcited, rang up the agent and said "book it" . AFTER they had booked it, I did some research :o - discovered that the cost of the package considerably exceeded the sum of the cost of the individual components of the package (by about $1000 each!:eek:) and that one of the components (a flight with Emirates) did not suit us. I did manage to get the flight changed and get a reduction in the cost though :) I later came to understand that bits of the hotel accommodation part of the package could have been better.

 

As I said, I am fairly experienced -- but still a bit of a mug and still learning!! :rolleyes: I have discovered that many times the most popular is not necessarily the best. The very best restaurant meals we have ever had have been in empty restaurants - the worst meals we have had have been in very full and very obviously popular restaurants. I am thinking that perhaps this applies to TA's as well??

 

Barry

[Twickenham]

I have to admit that I have never really thought to deal directly with the airlines

 

I always book directly with the airlines - I want full control of my itinerary & ticketing.

 

I usually start by checking all possibilities for my itinerary with http://matrix.itasoftware.com/; you can't book thru the site, but it's probably one of the most powerful search engines around. Playing around with departure/arrival airports, you can get a very good idea of what's available. Then, I go to the relevant airline websites for actual booking.

 

OK - well here is the dilemma - a kind of "chicken or the egg" scenario.

 

I would be very surprised if there was no cancellable option for reserving the hotel, so I would start with booking that. Always book the most flexible, easily changed/cancelled option first.

 

Thanks for that advice Lucky.

 

What I have done and has worked well for me - is to do all my research myself - flight times, hotels, etc - then take in an exact itinerary and say to the the TA - quote me on this , and then if OK , book it!! It is very easy money for them - but as I have done all the planning myself, I am confident with it.

 

I think you're more able than you give yourself credit for - it's the confidence to do the actual booking that you seem to lack. You've got good knowledge - and more importantly, know how to acquire more knowledge.

 

I have been booking my own travel for years, quite frankly because the standard of bricks-and-mortar TAs around here is very poor. I will use an online agency for cruise bookings when it gives me some benefits ($320 in OBC last cruise), but everything else is me. And I can tell you I've gotten some pretty good deals thru my own research and working the system... (like staying at the IC Rome for free... :D)

[bazzaw]

 

(like staying at the IC Rome for free... :D)

 

Please say more!!! :)

 

 

Barry

[bazzaw]

I don't mind actually booking things through a bricks and mortar TA. When we priced out our WC with P&O, the cost for the cruises was around $22000. I did feel uncomfortable paying that sort of money to somebody "online" -- I figured that at least with a local, name brand, storefront TA, I could at least check out who they are and physically go down there and thump them if need be!! :D

 

Barry

[Aus Traveller]

OK - well here is the dilemma - a kind of "chicken or the egg" scenario.

 

Flight to London - leaves Brisbane and arrives in Singapore 8 hours later. Onwards flight leaves Singapore to London 13 hours later (14 hour flight - which arrives at a nice respectable time) . Theory - the 13 hours in Singapore would be ideal to book 2x6 hour slots in the Transit lounge hotel - 12 hours is long enough to be able to go to sleep without worrying about sleeping through (which actually keeps you awake :D) BUT -- if you book the flight and then find there is no availability in the hotel - OR book the hotel and then find that there is no availability in the flights. :D What comes first - the chicken or the egg?? TA's do seem to be able to solve these dilemmas -- only I guess because they know the industry and have come across this particular dilemma before - not necessarily because they are cleverer than me :rolleyes:

 

Barry.

We used this hotel in the airport when we had around 10 hours between flights (Aus-S'pore and S'pore J'burg). I did book the hotel on line and only paid when we arrived. We treated the room the same as if it was a hotel. We had a shower, changed into our PJs and went to bed. We set our own alarm, and logged into the hotel wake-up call service. With a couple of alarms we felt secure. The hotel is just one floor above the entrance to the airport departure lounges and it was very very convenient and surprisingly inexpensive. Their minimum time was 6 hours, and beyond that it was charged by the hour. We took 7 hours. We had one of our adult sons with us, and for the three of us it was $75 AUD (from memory). :) This was a couple of years ago.

 

On a previous trip our TA booked us into what he called an 'airport hotel' but it was 30-40 minutes drive in their shuttle bus (after waiting ages for the bus) and it cost us $250.:( On our return trip I noticed one couple from our group heading off with their wheel-along luggage and they said they were spending a night in the airport hotel and mentioned what it cost. So for our next trip through S'pore I did some research and came up with the hotel within the airport.

[rugbypopsie]

When I used to use bricks and mortar t/a's all I ever saw them do is ring a travel warehouse and ask for a price.I don't waste anyones time, I do my own research, using various sites and trip advisor and then if I wanted to use an agent for some reason I would ask them to see if they could price my selections for me...if they can do it better great. I actually have a reasonable local agent who I do use for some things..today I am off researching cruising to India/Egypt at a seminar put on in Sydney...tough if a salesman thinks I am signing up today for a cruise nearly half way through 2014 LOL it would have to be a very very good deal.

 

Sue

[Guest012]

Barry, Barry Barry did you read the terms and conditions on booking the hotel .... credit card is a guarantee only cancellation must be no less than 60 hours before arrival.... so no problem.......if you have definately decided on a date book hotel then book flights....do it at the same time....two windows open.....by the way we have done walk ins at the hotel. . For airline prices have a look at Malaysian Airlines they are a fantastic airline have flown with them many times......... I got a great price direct with them online for KUL to LHR April 2013 .....we are flying in with another carrier, staying overnight in airport hotel for a pittance, has free airport shuttle, then 1030hr next morning fly MAS on to LHR ....day time flight get in at night...perfect little to no jetlag....checked prices with TA online here in Australia they were offering all flight options at same price....I got this option $250 less each by booking direct..:eek:

 

 

 

One would love to think that travel sales consultants are the same as they were years ago but the greater majority aren't and worse still many have never ever travelled:eek:, High street players today are more "sales target" driven than ensuring they are selling the customer the best product that suits their needs and budget... time is money and with a sales target to meet you don't have time to phaff about for customers ..and we all know what happens in sales when you don't meet budget..... you are out.....bit like car sales

 

 

Doing your own travel arrangements is easy as long as you do your research and READ THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS before you push the book button......

 

 

@luckiepuris are you a travel sales consultant or an actual TA -travel agent ????? if you are the later can I pick your brain....did you have much trouble obtaining your license.....I will be qualified enough to apply early next year, going freelance, was told the paperwork is a pain in the butt.... appreciate your thoughts...

[Australian family]

Can anyone recommend a search engine for multi sector flights to Europe?