Has anyone ever used the Cranky Concierge?

[alexandra cruiser]

Just read about this site in Conde Naste and was wondering? Sounds like a good service,get lo fares,help with ALL flight details,etc.Not sure what they charge.May investigate them further.:confused:

[greatam]

Just read about this site in Conde Naste and was wondering? Sounds like a good service,get lo fares,help with ALL flight details,etc.Not sure what they charge.May investigate them further.:confused:

 

Your post is a REAL slap in the face to all of us who FREELY offer all kinds of help and support, including finding people tickets at reasonable prices.

 

But you go ahead-minimum charge is $150 for ONE person, $240 for 2 AND if you have a voluntary flight change, you will pay an additional $30 PLUS normal airline fees and fare difference.

 

If you need that much hand holding, get a GOOD TA that does air WELL. Otherwise, you can send the money to all of us!!!

[alexandra cruiser]

I DO have a TA that does NOT do air,just cruises. So I must get on OWN or with cruiseline(which I know is NOT a good deal).Have had some problems with online airfare in past,and looking for info about this service.But for that price will do on own.Have used Kayak,Matrix,Expedia,etc.and directly with some airlines.

And I DO appreciate the info I find here.

Having problem with Orlando to Budapest and back from Bucharest next June,most I find have LONG connections, or to0 short as case may be.WIll search further:confused:

[slidergirl]

I DO have a TA that does NOT do air,just cruises. So I must get on OWN or with cruiseline(which I know is NOT a good deal).Have had some problems with online airfare in past,and looking for info about this service.But for that price will do on own.Have used Kayak,Matrix,Expedia,etc.and directly with some airlines.

And I DO appreciate the info I find here.

Having problem with Orlando to Budapest and back from Bucharest next June,most I find have LONG connections, or to0 short as case may be.WIll search further:confused:

 

What dates? If you've looked at Matrix, you've seen all the possible permutations other than using LCCs and airlines that don't interline. I just did a quick look for your itinerary and saw several solutions that don't have the "long layover" or "short layover" warnings. Without knowing the dates you are flying and the times you need to leave/arrive, I can't help much more. The ones I saw were around $1500-1600.

For the Budapest/Bucharest issue, I'll suggest you look at Wizz Air. See where they fly from/to for those 2 cities. Find the big ones that have the international connections. See if these help out. Wizz is an Eastern European LCC. It's a perfectly fine airline.

 

This information comes to you free of charge. A gratuity would be appreciated :D;)

[thechicagoans]

I DO have a TA that does NOT do air,just cruises. So I must get on OWN or with cruiseline(which I know is NOT a good deal).Have had some problems with online airfare in past,and looking for info about this service.But for that price will do on own.Have used Kayak,Matrix,Expedia,etc.and directly with some airlines.

And I DO appreciate the info I find here.

Having problem with Orlando to Budapest and back from Bucharest next June,most I find have LONG connections, or to0 short as case may be.WIll search further:confused:

 

While I disagree with greatam that concierge services such as CrankyConcierge don't suit certain travel styles, I also think you need to be realistic about what they can provide. We're in 2013 now - with the exception of certain LCCs (Low Cost Carriers) and oddball airlines that aren't loaded into GDS (Global Distribution Systems) like Amadeus or Travelport, almost everything is searchable via ITA Matrix. As for long layovers, it's very unlikely that a concierge service will find flights (other than LCC ones in Europe or Southwest in the US) that you can't find on your own via just a single search on ITA Matrix. You can find the other airlines on their own websites - it will take 10 minutes of your time.

 

You cannot actually book travel via ITA Matrix. For international itineraries, I would suggest running both Hipmunk and Kayak at a minimum to compare pricing as there can be substantial differences.

 

CrankyConcierge is run by the guy who runs CrankyFlier.com and he's extremely knowledgeable about the aviation industry as are a number of people on CC and even more people on FlyerTalk. Concierge services like this are very useful for people with (a) complex itineraries, (b) complex families/groups, and © those planning trips using award miles that aren't easily searchable (e.g. for many AA partners like JAL, Iberia, Jet Airways, etc. you have to call in but if you know the tricks, you can find most of them online using British Airways' or Qantas' website).

 

I hope you have a great trip .

[alexandra cruiser]

have given me some alternatives,never heard of Wizz or Hipmunk.

Thanks for concierge info too,but guess I ll just do more research.

CC s got such up to date info,appreciate it.Guess that ll have to be "payment" enough.:)