Pick a travel agent how ?

[drron]

Does anyone know a good TA that can either help with making tour bookings and limited flight bookings or just willing will to provide advice on a fee for service/ advice basis. I have never used a TA and I when I went into the local flight centre and they were not that helpful. The goal is to get to Mongolia, Taipei and come back through KL and Singapore. What started as a simple AU-SG flight has grown and as my plans keep changing, I am currently sitting on a few rewards bookings. I should be able to change the QF sectors the other carriers not so sure. Current bookings are:

• ADL-xMEL-SIN, SIN-xSYD-ADL, (all QF)
• ADL-xSYD-TPE, TPE-xKUL-SIN, (QF, CA, KL)
• ADL-xSYD-ICN, ICN-KUL-SIN (QF, KL)

What I am looking to create is ADL-xSYD-ICN-UBN(stop) UBN-ICN-TPE (stop) TPE-xKUL (overnight)-SIN-xSYD-ADL. If I need to go via Japan to get to UBN this may not be off the table.

I like the idea of Mongolia and would like to get to the Gobi Desert and Central Mongolia. Ideally, I would prefer not to enter Korea and would stay at the Airport hotel if required and is open but could go landside if required. Also has anyone flown OM (MIAT) and what are they like, the other options may be OZ or KR but would depend on the schedules.

I would probably fly OZ ICN-UBN-ICN-TPE. Though those flights are on their A330s and the regional ones may not be in great shape but reasonable. Not much dearer than MIAT but fly to UBN on sunday,monday,W and F. From August on my quick search on OZ-I have an account with 0 points- there does seem to be reasonable award availability. i tried looking at SQ but they don't recognise UBN.
Or in Sky team you have Korean.

Easy to overnight near ICN. We have done so twice. Once as we were on a cruise so stayed at the Westin as nearer to the port and once at the Hyatt when an overnight connection on OZ to Europe. One of the best L:M redemptions i made as it was in F. sadly F is no more.

As for a TA that would be a place that few TAs would have been to so had first hand knowledge. A specialist agency for Mongolia likely to be a bit more expensive.

 

[RooFlyer]

Does anyone know a good TA that can either help with making tour bookings and limited flight bookings or just willing will to provide advice on a fee for service/ advice basis. I have never used a TA and I when I went into the local flight centre and they were not that helpful. The goal is to get to Mongolia, Taipei and come back through KL and Singapore. What started as a simple AU-SG flight has grown and as my plans keep changing, I am currently sitting on a few rewards bookings. I should be able to change the QF sectors the other carriers not so sure. Current bookings are:

• ADL-xMEL-SIN, SIN-xSYD-ADL, (all QF)
• ADL-xSYD-TPE, TPE-xKUL-SIN, (QF, CA, KL)
• ADL-xSYD-ICN, ICN-KUL-SIN (QF, KL)

What I am looking to create is ADL-xSYD-ICN-UBN(stop) UBN-ICN-TPE (stop) TPE-xKUL (overnight)-SIN-xSYD-ADL. If I need to go via Japan to get to UBN this may not be off the table.

I like the idea of Mongolia and would like to get to the Gobi Desert and Central Mongolia. Ideally, I would prefer not to enter Korea and would stay at the Airport hotel if required and is open but could go landside if required. Also has anyone flown OM (MIAT) and what are they like, the other options may be OZ or KR but would depend on the schedules.

Are you looking for a TA to tape those existing reward bookings together and fill in the gap with UBN, or you'd scrap the reward bookings and get the TA to construct the full itinerary?

In any event, I'll PM you my TA. If the former, I'm not sure they'd want to do that. They've organised tours for me before, but usually it's through a third party, so tailoring it was a bit untidy. I find Lonely Planet have the names of good local tour operators I usually contact directly & this worked very well in (separately) Azerbaijan, Georgia and Romania.

I found the Grand Hyatt at ICN excellent (not least because I got a stonking big suite); excellent facilities. The 5 Stans of the Silk Road

 

[Matt_01]

I would probably fly OZ ICN-UBN-ICN-TPE.

OZ would be my first choice as I have used them before and have *G status, I am yet to call SQ to see if I can book with points using KF miles and will do so if I can work out tour dates. What is making it a little more difficult in my case is the tour start and end dates, I am not looking to a long tour maybe 8-9 day in total and seems to be doable and then tieing in the flight arrival dates/ times are proving to be a little challenging. This will be a solo trip and do not want the expense of arranging a private tour.

I have been to Korea before so not to fussed if I have to go landside it is just easier to stay airside and not worry about immigration which from memory was not difficult but just adds time.

 

[Matt_01]

Are you looking for a TA to tape those existing reward bookings together and fill in the gap with UBN, or you'd scrap the reward bookings and get the TA to construct the full itinerary?

In any event, I'll PM you my TA. If the former, I'm not sure they'd want to do that. They've organised tours for me before, but usually it's through a third party, so tailoring it was a bit untidy. I find Lonely Planet have the names of good local tour operators I usually contact directly & this worked very well in (separately) Azerbaijan, Georgia and Romania.

I found the Grand Hyatt at ICN excellent (not least because I got a stonking big suite); excellent facilities. The 5 Stans of the Silk Road

For TA help it is mainly around the tours. For the flights I have I would prefer to keep:

• SIN-xSYD-ADL, (QF) this is the return
• TPE-xKUL-SIN, (KL) this would work so I could catch up with a friend in KL for breakfast and is a through flight.
• ADL-xSYD-ICN, ICN-KUL-SIN (QF, KL) these can change as I can change the departure date and the ICN-KUL-SIN can go as it is not my preferred date but gets me back to KL for longer than anticipated and is a backup option in order to catch the SIN-xSYD-ADL flight.

The plan keeps evolving and if I have to drop TPE from the trip so be it.

 

[MARTINE]

I use a travel agent with Travel Associates (they are quick to mention that while being owned by FC, they are not the same). I knew of them via an ex-coworker and have been happy so far

Agree with this
My outstanding agent used to work with the ‘red and white’ (as FC is known by TA) almost 20 yrs ago. She was brilliant so when she invested in TA and ran her own show it was a no-brainer to follow her. She has assisted w middle of night arrangements when there was sudden death in family. She got back every cent we were due from cancelled Covid flights/travel - almost 100k
We had a relationship of trust before so that helped but she proved her value in the service. I also think (even though its part of FC) putting your own money/name into the business is the key difference

 

[flightie.life]

You can find a travel agent and filter by specialty / destination on Travel Agent Finder. Travel Agent Finder - Find & Connect With Aussie Travel Experts

 

[RooFlyer]

Welcome to AFF @flightie.life