Booking Directly thru the airline

[oldmanemu53]

Well just booked my upcoming flight business class .

Went to the same apps I used before Skyscanner etc and even checked out the Airline directly Malaysian Airlines 

The Malaysian Airlines flight was cheaper by $150 on Skyscanner ....but you couldn't choose  your seat until 48 hours before flight 

So was the extra $150 to choose Malaysian directly and book through their website rather than Skyscanner worth it ?

Well I booked and managed to get a seat by myself.,This was paying the EXTRA $150 and I booked DIRECTLY thru Malaysian Airlines,why did I do it ,some would say I was stupid BUT I was allowed to choose the seat NOW rather than wait 2 weeks for the flight 

So guys , Is there any benefit to book directly thru the airline website rather than a 3rd party , Skyscanner,kayak ,Agoda etc etc 

 

Edited June 15, 2023 by oldmanemu53

[joe_momma]

Iny experience if there are any issues with the planned flight, for example protestors sieze the airport or contract COVID and are quarantined, the travel agency is useless and generally unresponsive and the airlines will refuse to work with you as you used an agency (go through them).

 

On the other hand the airlines are generally responsive (perhaps we should exclude Thai airways for those who know).

I now book exclusively with airline, the small savings with an agency do not account for any issues.

[FiveHole]

@joe_momma I have had the experiences.

If using an agency sometimes they book you through different airlines with a connection. If the first flight is delayed the second airline won’t help you or rebook you because you’ve missed your flight. 
Agency savings are not worth the risk. 

[Roadglide]

Lots of times when you book with an agency, you will save money, but have to pay extra on luggage and seating fees.  About the only time an agency is a better deal is if you are traveling light without a checked bag, and don't mind getting stuffed into that middle seat.

[Wiley Coyote]

I prefer to book directly with airline if simple A+B= C and on return C = B+A,all that airlines own services or code shares with One World Partners.

Eg BA+  Qatar- Bangkok 

I prefer to use a travel agent like Trailfinders if the journey does not start at my home airport and/or I have to use several different carriers who do not codeshare and need separate tickets and the airline will not take responsiblity to thru check baggage and  i may have to stopover in another country on my itinerary.

Eg  BA+ Qatar- Bangkok change flights Bngkok Airways Siem Reap or Phnom Penh

[jaynewcastle]

Virtually every single complaint you see on Trip Advisor Air Forum are by people who ignored the advice to book direct with the airline, and instead booked with a 3rd party agent, the vast majority booking with very well known shoddy 3rd party agents with thousands of complaints about them

The only time I have ever actually priced up a flight with one of the shoddy 3rd party agents offering the cheepest prices, by the time you added baggage & seat reservation fee's, the airline was cheaper anyway

 

Nobody booking direct with the airline would ever be described as stupid

[momo5]

8 minutes ago, jaynewcastle said:

Virtually every single complaint you see on Trip Advisor Air Forum are by people who ignored the advice to book direct with the airline, and instead booked with a 3rd party agent, the vast majority booking with very well known shoddy 3rd party agents with thousands of complaints about them

The only time I have ever actually priced up a flight with one of the shoddy 3rd party agents offering the cheepest prices, by the time you added baggage & seat reservation fee's, the airline was cheaper anyway

 

Nobody booking direct with the airline would ever be described as stupid

Agreed.  The true value of booking directly with the airline shines through when you’re stuck in a significant travel disruption.  When things turn away from the ordinary, it’s easier for an airline to turn you away and tell you to deal with whomever sold the ticket.  

[Kandinski]

1 hour ago, oldmanemu53 said:

So guys , Is there any benefit to book directly thru the airline website rather than a 3rd party , Skyscanner,kayak ,Agoda etc etc

For the penny pitcher maybe a (very) few thb. For travellers who want peace in mind: NO

[cheetzie]

I always book direct the airline itself. If you book via a travel agency then the likelihood of a refund is very difficult if the flight is cancelled or delayed by more than a few hours. In my experience, the following airlines are excellent if these issue occur:

Lufthansa

Austrian

Swiss

Finnair

BA

Oman air

i have booked with online agencies before and if the flight had been cancelled or changed by more than a few hours, all I got was an offer of a revised flight date. 

[LeoTex]

I'm another one who only books directly with the airlines.

Like what has been mentioned with disruption with flights, the airline will step up and help.

My airline doesn't fly into Bangkok and use a partner airline for the last leg of my trip as well as the first leg on the return.

Over the years there has been miss connection do to weather and equipment problems and each time my booking airline as step up and put me in a hotel as well as meal voucher and booked me with the next available flight even with a different airline that wasn't a partner airline. 

Another plus is getting updates on any flight time changes.  

[kd_traveller]

I have done both and have had positive experiences with both. I think it depends a lot on who the 3rd party is and what are their "hidden" add ons which can make their flight more expensive when added together.

The 3rd party I used was budgetair in Ireland, they are part of a well established group in Ireland called Club Travel and are not to be confused with an international company with a similar name! 

I got "stuck" in Thailand during COVID and had to keep changing my flights and an email to them each time got it sorted.  In the end I could not fly home with Etihad whom I had booked through budgetair as it would have meant a quarantine hotel for 2 weeks as at that time travel this was a requirement if travelling through the UAE. budgetair then arranged a full refund of the unused return trip within a week. 

On another occasion, I had to return home suddenly due to a family bereavement and this time I had booked directly with the airline and was able to get my flight changed and some flight change fees dropped by dealing direct with the airline and at an hour then if I had booked with budgetair their office would not have been open as it was 4 -5am Irish time.

There are pros and cons for both methods!

[shadscat]

Always book direct if the price is within 10-20% of online travel sites.

[oldmanemu53]

Yes it was $150 more booking direct with Malaysian Airlines than Skyscanner app ..but...I got to choose my seat immediately, I couldn't do that with the Skyscanner app

[Luv2Phuket]

Example of WHY I book directly with the airline:

I just returned from upstate NY, and had some issues with a delayed flight in Philly.  When I tried calling American Airlines for information, their recorded message specially says "if you booked through an agency, please contact that agency."

Translation for me = "you're fucked unless that booking agent can somehow help you."

My flight eventually got back on track, but only after about a 3+ hour delay.  I ended up getting upgraded after the delay (again, something that is probably not happening if booked through an agency), so all's well that ends well.

[Bonkabit]

9 hours ago, jaynewcastle said:

 

The only time I have ever actually priced up a flight with one of the shoddy 3rd party agents offering the cheapest prices, by the time you added baggage & seat reservation fees, the airline was cheaper anyway.

Nobody booking direct with the airline would ever be described as stupid

This practice is called 'drip pricing'. You see an attractive price which attracts your interest. The next screen on your computer has extra for baggage, the next has extra for seat selection and so on including even maybe fee for paying on credit card. 

Moral, compare the total price before booking. Direct booking on the airline's own site is often not much different, as well as being preferable for additional reasons.

Example from personal experience. I was booked to fly on Austrian Air Munich-Vienna-Bangkok. The short Munich-Vienna leg flight ran 30 minutes late, meaning I was too late to catch the onward flight (schedule allowed 45 minutes change time). Airline put me in 4-star hotel overnight, dinner, bed and breakfast, with underwear/socks/toiletries bag. Early next morning flew Qatar Air to Doha-Bangkok. 

Minor inconvenience - I was treated  as well as possible.

[Tarpon]

I always book through the airline since maybe 10 years now. If the shit hits the fan you're on your own if you're booked through third part. I even had one of these go underground and disappear taking my booking and my money with them.

Booking directly with the airline, mostly Finnair, may cost me a few extra Euros but it saves my sleep until takeoff. 

[patman]

Will only book direct. A few years ago my booking with a 3rd party got messed up, and the booking company and the airline was saying it was the others fault. Never again.

[regyai]

A lot of rights with credit cards disappear when you pay a third party

Edited June 16, 2023 by regyai

[A6-GIV]

12 hours ago, joe_momma said:

Iny experience if there are any issues with the planned flight, for example protestors sieze the airport or contract COVID and are quarantined, the travel agency is useless and generally unresponsive and the airlines will refuse to work with you as you used an agency (go through them).

 

On the other hand the airlines are generally responsive (perhaps we should exclude Thai airways for those who know).

I now book exclusively with airline, the small savings with an agency do not account for any issues.

A IATA registered and qualified travel agency is an extension of the airline and they have access to their system either via computer or dedicated phone lines.  So it’s pretty much the same as the airline, adding to the fact that you are their customer and will work for you. Not the same can always be said of airline staff. Travel agents build up experience and know how to navigate.

booking platforms are none of this. Just wholesalers or dealers displaying goods (trips) on their shelves. You see, you chose, you go to cashier and pay. Due to their system, margins, revenues, the less they do, the better is for them.

you will see the differences at the first problem you encounter.

I always prefer the services of a (real and man attended) travel agency even to an airline direct booking which comes second in my priority list.

platforms are a no go for me.

[oldmanemu53]

5 minutes ago, A6-GIV said:

A IATA registered and qualified travel agency is an extension of the airline and they have access to their system either via computer or dedicated phone lines.  So it’s pretty much the same as the airline, adding to the fact that you are their customer and will work for you. Not the same can always be said of airline staff. Travel agents build up experience and know how to navigate.

booking platforms are none of this. Just wholesalers or dealers displaying goods (trips) on their shelves. You see, you chose, you go to cashier and pay. Due to their system, margins, revenues, the less they do, the better is for them.

you will see the differences at the first problem you encounter.

I always prefer the services of a (real and man attended) travel agency even to an airline direct booking which comes second in my priority list.

platforms are a no go for me.

Haven't been to a travel agency office in years !!

Don't seem them much around anymore 😕

[A6-GIV]

30 minutes ago, oldmanemu53 said:

Haven't been to a travel agency office in years !!

Don't seem them much around anymore 😕

WWF  protected. I use mine since 1990 (and had another one from 1980 through 1990). Extensively used them for my work travel, inevitable I used them for private trips too.  Solved tens of problems even during weekends. Sorted delayed connections during my first leg so to be ok for the second leg.  

[fun125]

i have used net flights before and were ok . got me there and back inc hotel .i guess everything ok until something goes wrong . bussinessclass.com is very good too . but lately i,ve been booking direct . but even direct they charge you for booking seats etc . you pay your money take your chance

[Baddave]

I've found that if you book direct with the airline and there's a  problem,you'll end up getting where you need to go,albeit with a delay. 

It also helps if your part of the loyalty program,as instead of waiting in line to deal with the airport staff,you can contact the team that handles the membership side of things and get things moving over the phone or via social media channels. 

For the additional outlay,should the proverbial 💩 hit the fan, then it's one less department to deal with in what may be several time zones difference to whereabout in the world the balls up happens

 

 

[Pinoydave]

For years I was buying flights directly from Emirates……. On at least four flights I was upgraded at the last minute……. I didn’t ask, wasn’t well dressed , can’t think of any other reason why they’d choose me other than I booked directly 

[KyleReading]

I could rip virtually ever post to shreads with hard first hand experience but I'll be polite

Agencies have been superb in my own experience going well beyond what is expected to make changes to sectors requested by me

On the other hand Eva and Etihad when booking direct were an absolute nightmare over similar issues

Lastly the most obvious one that people miss is quite simply if you do have an issue than by using an agent you then have a two pronged attack on the airline. Comments of the airline wont deal with you if booking via an agent is utter bollacks

Once the Amadeus system is uploaded with the 6 character booking reference with "confirmed" on all sectors than the airline contract takes over and of course they will deal with you ! (and do)

Unfortunately the advent of the web has changed the perception and now an "internet myth" has turned into an "internet fact" as regards booking direct with airlines