Booking Directly thru the airline

[SteveX08]

On 16/06/2023 at 00:19, oldmanemu53 said:

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

I travelled Melbourne-Bangkok in April with Malaysian.  Searched for flight through Skyscanner, ended up purchasing on Trip.com for about the same price difference (about $150 cheaper the airline).  I was able to choose a seat at the time of booking.  I could modify it anytime on the airline website up until I checked in…

[gtoluvr]

I booked through my Chase travel portal and when I decided to cut my vacation short I called them and they took care of the airline changes. 

[plahgat]

Being probably one of the poorest mongers on here I always have to watch my spendings! 😁

Hence I always fly economy class and always book cheaply via a 3rd party Internet agency, which ever Momondo.com shows has the cheapest tickets.

I prefer to save my money to use it at my destination instead.

I don´t care what seat they put me in as the few if any "good" seats in economy class are often fully booked far in advance anyway!

Only things I look for outside of a cheap price is that the flight is either nonstop or 1 stop maximum, so that I can reach my destination as quick as possible!

I never pay for any of the "extras" and always go as cheaply I can, and have been lucky so far! 

Only once during over 30 years of flying to Thailand have I been placed in a middle seat, and even once was upgraded to "Deluxe Class" on EVA Air! 😜

 

 

 

[Joeleg]

In my years of travel, where there is a delay or missed segment, Airport staff will tell passengers to go thru the agency if they booked thru agency. A nightmare. There always the Airline rep or a authorised 3 party rep at the airport for those who book directly. 

 

[KyleReading]

On 06/12/2023 at 16:36, plahgat said:

Being probably one of the poorest mongers on here I always have to watch my spendings! 😁

Hence I always fly economy class and always book cheaply via a 3rd party Internet agency, which ever Momondo.com shows has the cheapest tickets.

I prefer to save my money to use it at my destination instead.

I don´t care what seat they put me in as the few if any "good" seats in economy class are often fully booked far in advance anyway!

Only things I look for outside of a cheap price is that the flight is either nonstop or 1 stop maximum, so that I can reach my destination as quick as possible!

I never pay for any of the "extras" and always go as cheaply I can, and have been lucky so far! 

Only once during over 30 years of flying to Thailand have I been placed in a middle seat, and even once was upgraded to "Deluxe Class" on EVA Air! 😜

 

 

 

And as I've said a dozen and one times if something does go awry you have a two pronged attack from the agent and the airline itself to sort it out

People who claim that the airline wont deal with you if booked through an agent are beyond idiocy....THEY are the carrier not the agents lol

In fact with over 168 ( so 336 all up) London Bangkok London flights I have only ever booked direct 5 times and on two of those occasions I had a problem with the airline direct on ticketing !!

Somehow this booking direct only approach  has become an absolute internet "fact" rather than the internet "myth" it 10000% it is

[KyleReading]

Perhaps @thainet could explain his of her mirth ??

Am genuinely all ears if there is anything you didnt understand and I will happily further explain to you

I suspect the flight count is not the reason for mirth but should it be that is spread over 34 years

Edited December 25, 2023 by KyleReading

[Greg_B]

In 2022, I got "Covid" while on holiday and I had booked directly with Qatar Airways, it was a blessing in disguise as getting things sorted was done online and in a "chat box". I had to re-schedule twice and at no charge.

In 2023, everything was great until the return trip transfer at ZRH and the flight took a maintenance cancelation.

Since UAL wasn't there, I had to deal with Swiss Air (code-share) and things didn't get sorted completely until after I got back. I had to get my room and re-book my flight over the internet. They did pay for the room after a few complaints and gave me 50,000 FF miles to soothe the bad feelings.

I can't imagine how a third party would have helped me with these issues. (I hope for better luck in 2024)

 

 

 

[Geordie59]

I always check prices on Skyscanner or Google Flights then book directly with the airline. The price may be higher most times but it is well worth it if you have any issues regarding schedule, changes, baggage etc. 
 

[Evil Penevil]

I can only add my voice (and experience) to the advice to book directly with the airline.  Two cases in point:

1) I flew through Tokyo Narita on my way to Bangkok two days after the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.  Dozens of passengers were still stranded at Narita because they'd booked through consolidators and other dodgy Internet entities.  Some were sleeping on flattened cardboard boxes and holding up signs begging for food money.

My onward flight to Bangkok had been canceled in the aftermath of the tsunami because the   plane and crew had been trapped in Bangkok.  As I had booked directly with what was then Continental, they got me on Japan Airlines flight out of Hanada Airport and I arrived at Swampy with only a six-hour delay. Continental had arranged bus transport between Narita and Hanada.

I believe Continental helped everyone on that flight, but those who had booked directly got priority.  However, if there was any other sort of hassle with the ticket, then the passengers faced the hopeless task of contacting the consolidator for help.

2) When my mom was 87 and fading, my younger sister decided to take a leave of absence from her job in the U.K. and spend a few months with our mother.  Unfortunately, mom passed away two weeks before my sister was scheduled to arrive in the U.S.  She'd bought the ticket through a consolidator at a savings of 50 pounds and the flight dates couldn't be changed.  The consolidator didn't even respond to her messages.  The airline said its policies forbid them from rescheduling her, that any changes had to come from the consolidator.

I delayed the memorial service for Mom by two weeks so my sister could attend.  It was impossible to get the return date altered and I had to loan her money to buy a ticket for a return flight.  If my sister had bought her ticket directly through the airline, they would have changed even the cheapest non-refundable ticket due to a death in the family.

@KyleReading There's a huge difference between IATA licensed travel agents and the consolidators and small Internet travel platforms many people use.  Some posters are using "agent" as a synonym for all third-party ticket-selling entities.  It's clear licensed agents can often help with ticket and flight problems, while consolidators almost never can.

However, in cases involving heavily discounted non-refundable tickets, even licensed agents may not be able to persuade the airlines to make changes.  It's ALWAYS within an airline's discretion to change any sort of ticket it sells; it's just that they can't be forced to with non-refundable tickets.

Evil

Edited December 25, 2023 by Evil Penevil

[Bruce Mangosteen]

I virtually always book through an actual travel agency.  It makes booking a breeze, and gives you someone to call when you have a problem. 

However, as I came to find out recently, it's important to find an agency that has good international experience.

After returning to the US and settling in the southeast, I made my first trip back to Thailand this past August.  I asked the company I work for, a big multinational steel producer, to put me in touch with the travel agency they use for business travel.  It immediately became quite clear that they had absolutely no idea how to book an international flight, and I ended up finding an itinerary on Kayak and dictating it in minute detail to them.  I did their work and they got the commission.  

I contacted them again to book my upcoming flight, hoping that the agent had learned something in the interim, and she was again useless.  So, I got on google and found an agency that had international experience, making sure to select an individual agent whose profile included international travel.  After a single introductory email, she in a flash found a better itinerary than I was finding on Kayak and Skyscanner, and at a similar price.  Chatted with her on the phone and it was immediately clear she knew what she was talking about.  Booked!

BTW, I agree with those who say that the airline will work with you regardless.  For example, I had a hassle in customs during my return trip my last time, and JetBlue rebooked me right away at their service desk.  I documented this in my associated TR.

Edited December 25, 2023 by Bruce Mangosteen