Booking several airlines on the one ticket - do I need a travel agent?

[ortho85]

We are planning a trip to Europe that will involve several different airlines. Is there a way to do this myself so that it is all on the same ticket, or can you only do this through a TA, or on websites like Skyscanner?

I have read we should avoid sites like Webjet or Skyscanner as they take no responsibility in times of diificulties?

I'm happy using matrix.itasoftware to figure out the legs. We usually book our own travel directly with the airline, but this trip would probably be a mix of airlines. I understand it's best to keep all the bookings on a single ticket, but is there a website to do this yourself ?


Alternatively can anyone suggest a travel agent, either in Queensland or online?

 

[ftm]

It will really depend on the itinerary how much you can get on one ticket. Often a Europe itinerary with multiple stops will have multiple tickets. But what a TA will do is work out the best way to structure them and make sure it all works.

 

[harvyk]

This is definitely a maybe category.
Depending on the carrier combinations, the connection times and other factors you may be able to book all the flights via one of the airline websites in your itin, or use the airline alliance tools (such as the OW itin builder for circle and OW fares) to build an itin which is then ticketed by one of the alliance airlines.

You may also consider travelling on separate tickets, especially if you have multiple days in a location, by making you one major ticket open jaw you can even fit in other flights. So to use an example of this I have coming up, in June I am flying QF to LAX, I have then left it as open jaw in LAX where I'll be making my own way to SFO a couple of days later, where I'll pick up the return flight back to Australia. This then allows me to book directly with AA for a LAX-SFO ticket and the combination was much cheaper than booking the whole lot via QF.

 

[TomVexille]

Happy to suggest one. PM me if you want.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

We are planning a trip to Europe that will involve several different airlines. Is there a way to do this myself so that it is all on the same ticket, or can you only do this through a TA, or on websites like Skyscanner?

I have read we should avoid sites like Webjet or Skyscanner as they take no responsibility in times of diificulties?

I'm happy using matrix.itasoftware to figure out the legs. We usually book our own travel directly with the airline, but this trip would probably be a mix of airlines. I understand it's best to keep all the bookings on a single ticket, but is there a website to do this yourself ?


Alternatively can anyone suggest a travel agent, either in Queensland or online?

I would avoid webjet because of the extraordinary and unusual fees.

As others have said - depends why you need everything on one ticket? If you have stopovers after each day's flying there's no need to have everything on one.

 

[Cynicor]

Also, a TA can't just make something "all on one ticket" by magically wishing it was so.

The fare still has to be valid and for sale with those various carriers. The more you add to it the more likely it is to rocket in price or to not exist in the first place.

I find the web based resellers perfectly fine, and in the case on issues once travelling, control of the itinerary goes to the airlines. Issues prior to travelling have never come up for me, really, but I accept they may occur.

The best question, above, is why do you want it on the one ticket? What are you hoping this will achieve?

If it's protected connections, how many are you attempting in a single day anyway?

 

[williamsf1]

sometimes buying separate tickets ( especially in Europe) can be a lot cheaper as most cheaper fares are not combinable "end on end" and adding a stop over can add to the cost. Also depending on the airline combination , it is not possible to put all airlines on the same ticket stock as they do not have interline eTicket

recommend looking at buying a return ticket - this could be a open jaw ( into one city and out of another) then separate tickets or even train travel combo

 

[ortho85]

Also, a TA can't just make something "all on one ticket" by magically wishing it was so.


The best question, above, is why do you want it on the one ticket? What are you hoping this will achieve?

If it's protected connections, how many are you attempting in a single day anyway?

Yes, that's all we want. We're only looking at flights involving 2 stops each way. Most options mean combinations of two airlines, such as Cathay/Austrian, or Singapore/Lufthansa. We just want some protection if anything goes wrong.

 

[ortho85]

recommend looking at buying a return ticket - this could be a open jaw ( into one city and out of another) then separate tickets or even train travel combo

That's pretty much all we're looking for. The cities I had in mind (in to Bologna, out from Split) may have to change to more major airports to simplify the flights.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Yes, that's all we want. We're only looking at flights involving 2 stops each way. Most options mean combinations of two airlines, such as Cathay/Austrian, or Singapore/Lufthansa. We just want some protection if anything goes wrong.

I see what you mean now.

There's two components here... the main ticket getting you to and from Europe. That will almost always be cheaper buying it as a single published fare from the airline, with the routing and stopovers determined by the airline. You can book this through the airline direct or any number of online travel agencies such as skyscanner or expedia.

If you want to add stops outside the permitted routing, you'll pay a hefty premium if you want those included on the same ticket.

Second component - once you're in europe and you and to fly around europe. Those flights can all be on separate tickets or a combination of separate tickets as you'll usually be stopping in each city and don't therefore need protection for connections. Just build in an overnight stop before connecting back to your main ticket to australia if you want extra security.

Basically the more stops you want to add to a single ticket the more it will cost you if start including more airlines.

Perhaps if you write down your suggested itinerary it would make it easier to give some advice on how to put it all together.

 

[amaroo]

A good TA can do wonders. We've got a booking (actually two, one for us in F and one for the kids in J) for later this year that started life as a QF award booking BNE-SYD-DFW ... 3 months later 8 other sectors have been added involving two other airlines.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

A good TA can do wonders. We've got a booking (actually two, one for us in F and one for the kids in J) for later this year that started life as a QF award booking BNE-SYD-DFW ... 3 months later 8 other sectors have been added involving two other airlines.

But what's the advantage? (unless you have immediate connections to/from the long haul)

 

[ftm]

Yes, that's all we want. We're only looking at flights involving 2 stops each way. Most options mean combinations of two airlines, such as Cathay/Austrian, or Singapore/Lufthansa. We just want some protection if anything goes wrong.

You can combine all those airline on one ticket and get you into Italy and out of Split, again on the one ticket. The suggestions to buy your flights in Europe separately are going to cost you more if you are looking at a Lufthansa/Austrian fare, because you'd get the add ons for free. So you'd be silly not to take them, just so you can do it online.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

You can combine all those airline on one ticket and get you into Italy and out of Split, again on the one ticket. The suggestions to buy your flights in Europe separately are going to cost you more if you are looking at a Lufthansa/Austrian fare, because you'd get the add ons for free. So you'd be silly not to take them, just so you can do it online.

I didn't see the OP's itinerary. Yes the into Bologna and out of Split should go on the principal ticket from Australia. Those will be included in the fare and can easily be done on line (no need for a TA). But if also wanting other tickets to get around Europe, they don't need to be on the principal ticket and unlikely to give any cost saving over buying separate tickets with the bast available fares of the day.

 

[madrooster]

But what's the advantage? (unless you have immediate connections to/from the long haul)

One PNR, one itinerary print out. Where there's immediate connections involved, you would be through-checked.

Eg. CBR-ADL on a VA ticket, ADL-DOH-LHR on a QR ticket, on the same PNR. VA would through-check all the way to LHR even though QR isn't strictly a key partner as such... VA won't through-check on separate PNRs.

Another example ... I've currently got a PNR where SA will be through-checking to QR and BA through-checking to SA.

 

[ortho85]

One PNR, one itinerary print out. Where there's immediate connections involved, you would be through-checked.

Eg. CBR-ADL on a VA ticket, ADL-DOH-LHR on a QR ticket, on the same PNR. VA would through-check all the way to LHR even though QR isn't strictly a key partner as such... VA won't through-check on separate PNRs.

Another example ... I've currently got a PNR where SA will be through-checking to QR and BA through-checking to SA.

Sorry to be really dumb (I am!) but are you saying a TA can book these types of connections, but I can't?

 

[ftm]

Sorry to be really dumb (I am!) but are you saying a TA can book these types of connections, but I can't?

Yes. A TA can put multiple airlines and tickets in the one PNR, which isnt possible online or even with the airlines directly.

 

[amaroo]

Sorry to be really dumb (I am!) but are you saying a TA can book these types of connections, but I can't?

Correct. I'm one of many that can recommend the madrooster for providing exceptional service! Including adding to award flights...

 

[Simo]

A lot of questions I have on what you are trying to achieve...

I would use Alicia Clark and she will make sure it all works

 

[ortho85]

Thanks, again. I'll contact one of the suggested TAs.