Bestflights.com

[MAX_1]

I have been browsing bestfights.com and find it is one of the best travel sites to get information from.
I did a google search and found some horrible service complaints about bestflights.
Has anyone dealt with bestflights and what has been your impression,pros and cons?

 

[drron]

It depends on what you are using them for-not worth it on standard fares-eg we did air asia flights in Thailand recently.The bestflights price was the air Asia web price plus their $A19.95 booking fee so no point using them.
However last year we were looking for a connecting flight from Hanoi to Bangkok-I use bestflights like flight centre-ie find the best price then book direct-however they came up with an AF J fare that was cheaper than virtually all the Y fares so I booked with them-had no problems at all.

 

[NYCguy]

So how did that AF sector go, drron?

 

[k_sheep]

I will never, ever use them again, even if it saves thousands. This is an email I sent after being stranded in Siem reap as a young female. They stuffed up passport copies.



*********
Both copies have been sent. We are now in cambodia, and unable to send them.

It was many, many weeks ago when I started to raise this issue. In fact, I mentioned at the time of booking we were planning on starting the trip in Siem Reap. Several times you or other people have promised to call me back, and it never happened. I have been continuously having to chase you up, which is completely unacceptable given we have spent over $3500 on bestflights just for this trip. I have resorted to calling Intrepid directly several times just to confirm we were actually booked for the trip, given the incompetence we have been shown. I even had to chase up with 2 phone calls to get some form of invoice, which does not even include essential information, like who it was booked for.

It was not until the 13th of november that after at least 5 phone calls that I managed to speak to someone who told me I needed to send through a copy of the name changed passport, which I immediately did. On the 14th I again had to call, and was told you needed my passport too - which I immediately faxed through.

I'm sure it's not enough, and I'm sure the details will magically disappear again, but our passport details again are....
************


No reply. Brilliant customer service.

Also, for the next 6 months, $14.95 would constantly be credited and debited from my credit card, 3 times each, for no reason.

Never again.

 

[drron]

So how did that AF sector go, drron?

For~$A200 each it was acceptable.As a J experience certainly not the best-here is what i wrote at the time-
"Onto the plane.J cabin is the first 6 rows.We are in row 7-a single row of J seats behind the galley-AF joins the ranks of airlines seating drron in the last row.FAs are an equal mix of male and female-not a great idea as they spend most of the time talking to each other.Even the champagne is served in an ordinary drinking glass,food very forgettable"
But a simple 1 sector trip at a price i could not get direct through AF so i was happy.
k_sheep-this is the point I was making-if an intrepid tour why not book direct with Intrepid?Maybe research on bestflights but....

 

[k_sheep]

Bestflights was offering 10% or something off intrepid trips. Next time I'll just pony up the dough :-| Actually I'm a bit more savvy now, I won't do an organised tour!

 

[drron]

Bestflights was offering 10% or something off intrepid trips. Next time I'll just pony up the dough :-| Actually I'm a bit more savvy now, I won't do an organised tour!

Now that is sensible!

 

[jgm]

I used Bestflights last year for a mixed class trip to the UK.

So far, I haven't been able to find pricing on these anywhere else, including the airlines invovled.

 

[apophis21]

Bestflights is a division of Harvey World Travel, though i dont think they want too many people knowing that, I have found that most of the bestflights prices are available from the Harvey World website, or drop into the nearest Harvey World shop

 

[Dave Noble]

For~$A200 each it was acceptable.As a J experience certainly not the best-here is what i wrote at the time-
"Onto the plane.J cabin is the first 6 rows.We are in row 7-a single row of J seats behind the galley-AF joins the ranks of airlines seating drron in the last row.FAs are an equal mix of male and female-not a great idea as they spend most of the time talking to each other.Even the champagne is served in an ordinary drinking glass,food very forgettable"
But a simple 1 sector trip at a price i could not get direct through AF so i was happy.
k_sheep-this is the point I was making-if an intrepid tour why not book direct with Intrepid?Maybe research on bestflights but....

I did an AF flight on a 340 a week or so ago and deliberately chose row 7 in the mini cabin of 1 row. To me seemed the best row in the house with more space than any other row. Deliberately chose that row and would choose it next time

Service wise, I found that AF's service was very good and attentive, though the food on the 1 hour BKK-SGN sector was nothing special

AF J seemed most decent to me and would consider them for long haul travel

Dave

 

[dajop]

Service wise, I found that AF's service was very good and attentive,

I did HAN-BKK last year on them in J , the inflight service was good and attentive. However, after landing - those of us who had jackets had to ferret around the coat cupboards looking for them to retrieve them. That is not the norm, if one is used to Asian carriers (or QF for that matter).

 

[ked999]

seems to have sidetracked into appraisal of experience on a particular airline - which no travel agent has control over.

Have used them a few times - no problems. Others I know have complained of hefty cancellation fees. As others say, its hit and miss depending on the staff member (like any travel agent).

 

[drron]

I did an AF flight on a 340 a week or so ago and deliberately chose row 7 in the mini cabin of 1 row. To me seemed the best row in the house with more space than any other row. Deliberately chose that row and would choose it next time

Service wise, I found that AF's service was very good and attentive, though the food on the 1 hour BKK-SGN sector was nothing special

AF J seemed most decent to me and would consider them for long haul travel

Dave

What I didnt say there were 2 young children in the mini cabin-it becomes a nightmare then.The male FA was trying to chat up one of his female co workers the whole trip.I didnt appreciate being served with him looking the other way and talking to her the whole time.

 

[stryker]

Bestflights is a division of Harvey World Travel, though i dont think they want too many people knowing that, I have found that most of the bestflights prices are available from the Harvey World website, or drop into the nearest Harvey World shop

That's very interesting.

Haven't used either of them and don't expect I ever will.

But who knows?

 

[annann]

Learn from my mistake and never EVER book with Best Flights. (This is long...sorry!)

I had a 8 month saga with my booking. I booked a RTW flight (basic 5 flights) after providing the flights numbers & dates. The agent advised me that it would be a few hundred cheaper with AA flight numbers (QF metal) and I said no. (I wanted to upgrade with points)

I went into my booking a few weeks later and noticed that they had changed the QF numbesr to AA flight numbers. I called them and thought they would simply fix it. They wouldn't. They accused me of changing my mind even though I had the original email with QF flights. I spoke to the agent, then a team leader multiple times and kept calling back because they wouldn't return my calls to get this fixed. They simply wouldn't change it and were really rude. On top of that they charged me as if it were a QF booking (few hundred more!), instead of the AA price.

After sending the original booking request & QF print out with the original QF flight numbers to the managing director of Best Flights they finally changed the ticket. I however did not receive a call or a return letter. I just checked the booking a few weeks later and the QF flights appeared!

I wish I could say that was the end but it wasn't!


I had the cancel the flight due to a major illness. I emailed the agent and advised her. She said that the cancellation fee was just under $2000 for 2 people. I was shocked that it was so high but wanted this agony to be over so I said ok. They said it should be about 6 to 8 weeks for the refund.

While waiting for the refund I did a little check. I called up Best Flights (spoke to a different agent) and asked them to quote me on a flight (the extact same one with the same dates/airlines) and asked them what the cancellation fee would be. They quoted me the cancellation fee was approx $1000 for 2 people. Half what they were charging me. I just wanted it over with so I didn't both with bringing it up with them, I know it sounds crazy but I really wanted it over with.

I called after 10 weeks to be told that it was on its way. Every month I would call and be given another excuse. Finally in December (I cancelled the flights in June) I was told that they received the money from the airline. First they tried to deposit it into my credit card, no luck. Then a different credit card, no luck. Then I gave them my bank details, no luck. I kept calling and the agent just couldn't understand why the money hadn't come through. Finally she said we will send a cheque. It's January by now, they send "two" cheques, neither of which I received.

I had, had it! I send through an email after speaking to my solicitor that if I did not received the money by the end of business a few days later that I would be taking legal action. I also mentioned the fact that I had called and found out that I was being overcharged for the cancellation fee.

By magic, the exact day of the deadline, the money appeared along with a credit for the overcharging of the cancellation charge.

So learn from my mistake....and don't book with best flights.