Flight Ease Frustration - High Fares & Immediate Payment Required

[Roz]

I read posts in this forum about the wonders of Flight Ease, but I've never used it because there has never been any savings vs. booking directly with the airline.

 

I'm cruising on the Noordam from Singapore Jan. 4, and want to arrive in Singapore 3 days beforehand.  I live in TN, but am looking at flying non-stop from a West Coast city, preferably San Francisco. My plan is to fly to SFO on SW the day before, stay overnight at an airport hotel, and then fly out the next morning.  I'm doing this because the last 3 times I've flown internationally, I've missed my connection, with resulting travel stress and delays.  Getting to the connecting city a day ahead will hopefully minimize the chances of this happening again.  

 

The options I'm getting from Flight Ease aren't very appealing.  I can fly Singapore Airlines in premium economy for $2,751, but they offer no flexible fare, and payment has to be made immediately.  My understanding from this forum was that flights didn't have to be paid until final cruise payment was due.  Why am I not being offered a flexible fare and why do I have to pay immediately?

 

Flight Ease has flexible and restricted fares on United in premium economy for $4,274 and $4,237 respectively.  The same restricted fare on the United website is $3,476.  Quelle difference!

 

Before I make a fatal mistake, can someone tell me what's going on here?  I feel like I'm being ripped off.  Should I wait until 4-6 months out from January to book my flights?

 

[Menocchio]

I'd guess FlightEase hasn't worked out whatever deal they use with Singapore Air, but they have with United (which is surprising since both airlines are Star Alliance). Instead for Singapore, they're giving you the same fare and conditions if you booked directly with the airline.

 

Without a deep discount and if you're flying out days early, booking with the airline is usually a better idea since it simplifies matters if the flights are cancelled or changed. Airlines are known to give preferential treatment to people who book with them directly over those who go through third parties like FlightEase or Expedia. 

[ChinaShrek]

This is really too early to pay for flights to Bangkok or Asia. They have only been published for about a month. You need to be patient. Lower fares will appear. 

[POA1]

Not all carriers offer flexible fares. Domestically, JetBlue and Southwest don't. Intentionally, it's a mixed bag. More airlines offer flex fares than don't.

[dfish]

I would wait on this for a while.  Flights for my cruise next January just became available.  The first day there were only 5 to choose from and none were flex fares.  The next day had more choices and some flex fares added in.  Give it some time.

 

[SusieKIslandGirl]

Did you check fares out of Seattle or Vancouver, BC? It’s strange that I had so many flexible options.

[Roz]

@SusieKIslandGirl, no I didn't.  Thanks for the suggestion.  I'll check those cities, along with waiting a bit to book. 

[Riversedge]

16 hours ago, dfish said:

I would wait on this for a while.  Flights for my cruise next January just became available.  The first day there were only 5 to choose from and none were flex fares.  The next day had more choices and some flex fares added in.  Give it some time.

 

For my January 1st flight there are already 58 choices.  

[Mary229]

1 hour ago, Roz said:

@SusieKIslandGirl, no I didn't.  Thanks for the suggestion.  I'll check those cities, along with waiting a bit to book. 

Also check google flights.  There they will tell you who flies there so you can know who to cross check once flights become available.  Be sure to check them for a date 9 months out also.  They also have a feature where you can say “United States” to Singapore to show you multiple options. 
 

one last comment - your flight is considered busy holiday season travel, an unfortunate mistake I have made recently.  Live and learn, next time I will reconsider flying the earliest part of January. 

[Roz]

@Mary229, thanks for the suggestions.  Yes, the holiday season has been a topic of discussion on our roll call as far as booking flights and hotels. 

 

I spent the last 2 holiday seasons in Europe and had to deal with the challenge of traveling during a peak time. 

[Roz]

10 hours ago, SusieKIslandGirl said:

Did you check fares out of Seattle or Vancouver, BC? It’s strange that I had so many flexible options.

 

I tried SEA and YVR and it said "no flights available".  I also tried LAX and SAN.  I flight from LAX and none from SAN.

 

1 hour ago, Mary229 said:

They also have a feature where you can say “United States” to Singapore to show you multiple options.

 

I couldn't find that feature.  

[Mary229]

Google flights explore

 

https://www.google.com/travel/explore

[dfish]

2 hours ago, Riversedge said:

For my January 1st flight there are already 58 choices.  

I have many more choices now as well.  I did book a flexible fare in the class of service I wanted to make sure I have flights, but will continue to check options up until final payment.  The nice thing about flexible fares is that they can be changed.

[Riversedge]

41 minutes ago, dfish said:

I have many more choices now as well.  I did book a flexible fare in the class of service I wanted to make sure I have flights, but will continue to check options up until final payment.  The nice thing about flexible fares is that they can be changed.

Since I’ve never used Flight Ease I’m trying to understand what the benefit is.  Comparing using FE and doing it on my own, the FE cost is only a few dollars less.  I understand I could change or cancel my flight up until final payment which is 4 months before my cruise.  After that point I can’t get my money back if I want to cancel, correct?  If I book a refundable fare myself I can cancel all the way up to the day the flight leaves.  Is there something I’m missing?  I’m flying in 3 days early so not worried about missing my cruise.  Seems like a no-brainer to book it myself.  

[Mary229]

34 minutes ago, Riversedge said:

Since I’ve never used Flight Ease I’m trying to understand what the benefit is.  Comparing using FE and doing it on my own, the FE cost is only a few dollars less.  I understand I could change or cancel my flight up until final payment which is 4 months before my cruise.  After that point I can’t get my money back if I want to cancel, correct?  If I book a refundable fare myself I can cancel all the way up to the day the flight leaves.  Is there something I’m missing?  I’m flying in 3 days early so not worried about missing my cruise.  Seems like a no-brainer to book it myself.  

You will rarely find a domestic rate worth using flight ease for but they sometimes have exceptional fares for international flights.  There is some refundability through the airlines - do your homework.  It has paid many times for us to watch Flight Ease rates. 
 

Btw they do have a guaranteed get you to the ship clause which in the past was a dubious claim but recently I have personally observed them getting people to the ship at great expense that FE took care of

Edited March 11 by Mary229

[Hlitner]

FE does is simply an option.  Sometimes they have great prices and other times no.  Nothing cimplicated.  If the fares are not good then simply book elsewhere.  

[dfish]

54 minutes ago, Riversedge said:

Since I’ve never used Flight Ease I’m trying to understand what the benefit is.  Comparing using FE and doing it on my own, the FE cost is only a few dollars less.  I understand I could change or cancel my flight up until final payment which is 4 months before my cruise.  After that point I can’t get my money back if I want to cancel, correct?  If I book a refundable fare myself I can cancel all the way up to the day the flight leaves.  Is there something I’m missing?  I’m flying in 3 days early so not worried about missing my cruise.  Seems like a no-brainer to book it myself.  

I just checked my reservation and I can continue to change my flights for a couple weeks after final payment.

 

A little over a year ago I had flights booked through Flight Ease for First Class.  Then the airline changed equipment on one flight and I was bumped back to economy.  Then they changed equipment on the second flight and I was bumped back to economy.  No change in price, though.  This was well after final  payment and the deadline to change flights.  I called FE and they approved changing my flights.  I not only changed the flights, but also changed the airline.  

[SusieKIslandGirl]

I just checked the Air Canada website and the Seattle-Vancouver-Singapore flight I have through Flight Ease wasn't offered. Leaving from Vancouver with one stop, the one-way price was $2370. My roundtrip flight total was $2282, both quoted in Premium  Economy.

[Roz]

@SusieKIslandGirl, when I did my searches from Seattle and Vancouver,  I only asked for nonstop flights.  That would explain why it said no flights are available. 

[SusieKIslandGirl]

I looked a couple of hours ago and flights from Seattle were available on Delta, PE, flex but I forgot the price already.

[Eric from San Diego]

18 hours ago, Roz said:

@SusieKIslandGirl, when I did my searches from Seattle and Vancouver,  I only asked for nonstop flights.  That would explain why it said no flights are available. 

Singapore is very far away - 17 hours from LA.   The only American carrier that flys to singapore is United with one nonstop per day from San Francisco.    Singapore Airlines flys nonstop from LAX, SFO and JFK.   They fly to singapore from other cities, but the flight will stop somewhere.   If you see a Delta or American flight to Singapore, it will be a codeshare on another airline .such as Korean, Cathay, Japan Airlines, China Airlines.   

[Roz]

@Eric from San Diego, you're absolutely right.  That's what I've found in my research. 

[SusieKIslandGirl]

Only 16 hours, 35 minutes from Vancouver! 😁

[ChinaShrek]

If you pay for your cruise with HAl gift cards, you will save 10% off of your flight. That could be hundreds of dollars.

[Roz]

18 hours ago, ChinaShrek said:

If you pay for your cruise with HAl gift cards, you will save 10% off of your flight. That could be hundreds of dollars.

I've done that a few times in the past, but I've heard there could be issues with insurance claims if the cruise was paid for with gift cards.  Don't know if that's true or not.