Should I use Flight Centre/Travel Agent or make booking myself?

[becinbloom]

Hi There
Just wanted to see what general thoughts were on using a travel agent such as Flight Centre for booking flights from SYD - LHR return in May ....

I have a friend who works at F.C. but not sure if i like the sound of using an agent or not....

hoping we are eligble or by miracle get an upgrade on one or some of the flights... does using an agent lessen out chances of any upgrades or better seating?

Thanks
Bec from Sydney

 

[Deleted member]

I suspect that unless you have status, or lots of FF points ( for a points upgrade) a " miracle" upgrade as you put it , will be just that. A miracle

 

[becinbloom]

we are both bronze status still but both with just over 90k points...

 

[SeatBackForward]

Hi There
Just wanted to see what general thoughts were on using a travel agent such as Flight Centre for booking flights from SYD - LHR return in May ....

I have a friend who works at F.C. but not sure if i like the sound of using an agent or not....

hoping we are eligble or by miracle get an upgrade on one or some of the flights... does using an agent lessen out chances of any upgrades or better seating?

Thanks
Bec from Sydney

My own opinion is, that if you know what flights you want, you're better of going direct with the airlines, because if there are any problems, its easier to deal with them directly than to have to deal with an agent who may lump their fees on top of anything the airline charges.

If your friend can get you a price thats cheaper than you can get yourself, then why not take advantage of it? I doubt using an agent makes any difference, and as for seating, you can always opt to pay more to have advanced seat selection.

 

[becinbloom]

My own opinion is, that if you know what flights you want, you're better of going direct with the airlines, because if there are any problems, its easier to deal with them directly than to have to deal with an agent who may lump their fees on top of anything the airline charges.

If your friend can get you a price thats cheaper than you can get yourself, then why not take advantage of it? I doubt using an agent makes any difference, and as for seating, you can always opt to pay more to have advanced seat selection.

Thank you SEATBACKFORWARD you have been such a huge help .... i think im booking QF 1 AND QF 2 today SYD-LHR return - May 12th - May 18th ...fingers crossed we get a good seat - havent flown economy long haul in a long time...

 

[Limewood]

we are both bronze status still but both with just over 90k points...

Sorry Bronze is bottom feeder, have my chance and bucklys.

In regard to international flights as said, I'd be thinking book direct with airlines, any probs easier to sort.

 

[Pushka]

Many WP's have never received an upgrade so not much chance. Points don't count. Think Woolies and Credit cards. The airlines upgrade status flyers.

I'd book direct as it's so much easier to make changes and get information when no travel agent is involved and you know what you want.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Thank you SEATBACKFORWARD you have been such a huge help .... i think im booking QF 1 AND QF 2 today SYD-LHR return - May 12th - May 18th ...fingers crossed we get a good seat - havent flown economy long haul in a long time...

you can pay an extra charge to reserve the seat you want... so no worries about whether you will get something good or not

 

[harvyk]

I quite liked booking through F.C. when I had a friend who worked there... Let's just say I might not have had the highest status, but I'm pretty sure the VIP checkbox was being ticked on my behalf by my friend, I was most disappointed when he left F.C. an I went back to doing my own bookings, there was a notable decline in service...

Of course as always YMMV...

 

[Quickstatus]

My experience is that QF customer service call centert is very good. Real knowledgeable Aussies taking your call and you rarely have to be transferred to another person unlike some other call centres like Phone companies. They are available 24 hrs worldwide unlike FC or any other TA. Bronze - assume you will never get upgrade especially if you purchase an el cheapo super discount Y. That way if you do get an upgrade it will be a pleasant surprise. They upgrade according to status and quality of your ticket.

Having said that, a TA is important for complicated itineraries and as with any relationship the more you put in the more you get out.

My friend who is WP1 and CL got his upgrade request denied for SYD-LAX cos Bon Jovi was flying in F with his entourage. Even with status you will be denied for a real VIP with no status

 

[boomy]

For simple bookings I recommend dealing directly with the airline, especially if it's QF which has a very friendly call centre.
I would also recommend paying for an exit row seat. It's a long flight and it can make the journey much more comfortable.

 

[puppysparkes]

Thank you SEATBACKFORWARD you have been such a huge help .... i think im booking QF 1 AND QF 2 today SYD-LHR return - May 12th - May 18th ...fingers crossed we get a good seat - havent flown economy long haul in a long time...

If you are booking via the QF website and paying by credit card, use the voucher option to avoid booking fees. The basics are: Purchase voucher and list both travelling pax on the voucher. Wait for the voucher to be emailed to you. Click on the link and make the booking as per usual. Follow the link and read the T&C's carefully to ensure they are inline with your travel requirements Buy a Gift Voucher | Qantas

 

[drron]

I wouldn't rule out FC if you trust your friend.I am not sure what FC's policy is regarding time of payment but I use a TA for airfares even though I pick the date,time and particular flights I want because I prefer to book early but not having to pay until close to the date of flying.
We have received upgrades when using a TA-it has no bearing on whether you will or wont be upgraded.
Miracle upgrades do happen.Our first upgrade to J on Qantas happened before we were QFF members-but that was a long time ago.
Our first upgrade to F was on AA when neither of us had status and we were on an award flight-that is not supposed to happen and indeed was a miracle upgrade.Of course miracles are rare.
As to problems our TA is great and problems are often resolved before we know about them-eg when QF was grounded our TA had switched us to a BA flight before we even knew of the grounding.

As always with travel it is horses for courses.We are all unique and our needs and confidence levels are all different.So go with what you are most comfortable with.But do put in an upgrade request-you lose nothing if unsuccessful but you have got to be in it to win it.

 

[drewbles]

My friend who is WP1 and CL got his upgrade request denied for SYD-LAX cos Bon Jovi was flying in F with his entourage. Even with status you will be denied [-]for a real VIP with no status[/-]

More likely 'because someone has paid with cash to book the entire cabin'

 

[ozbeachbabe]

I quite liked booking through F.C. when I had a friend who worked there... Let's just say I might not have had the highest status, but I'm pretty sure the VIP checkbox was being ticked on my behalf by my friend, I was most disappointed when he left F.C. an I went back to doing my own bookings, there was a notable decline in service...

Of course as always YMMV...

Generally speaking a pax's tier status is a good clue to an airline who is a VIP or not. I don't think too many airlines would take much notice of who a FC says is a VIP.

 

[harvyk]

Generally speaking a pax's tier status is a good clue to an airline who is a VIP or not. I don't think too many airlines would take much notice of who a FC says is a VIP.

I realise my evidence is anecdotal at best, and that correlation does not equal causation, just relaying my experience by using a friend who works at FC... As I said, YMMV...

 

[Quickstatus]

More likely 'because someone has paid with cash to book the entire cabin'

True. A real VIP does not need status because like Oprah, bon Jove, Degeneres, Jolie, they are likely to pay for all the Seats in the F cabin at the F fully flexible price. WP1/CL is like bronze when up against these pax.

 

[browski]

The problem with using a travel agent is that they won't give you all the possible flight options - and you probably won't receive the cheapest price.
The problem with booking yourself is that you don't know all the flight options, nor do you know the comparative prices.

However, if you know the flight option you want (like those people who will only ever fly Qantas) and you have a feel for market price, then IMO it is best to book yourself.

There are other options than the 2 you listed (TA or self-booking), but you'd need to be an experienced FF to take advantage of those.

 

[legroom]

Thank you SEATBACKFORWARD you have been such a huge help .... i think im booking QF 1 AND QF 2 today SYD-LHR return - May 12th - May 18th ...fingers crossed we get a good seat - havent flown economy long haul in a long time...

To many AFFers, such a trip (SYD LHR rtn) should be best booked directly with the airlines where you have no agent's fees and get to deal with seat selection directly (pay $$ and get an exit row seat etc...).

Complicated itinerary (say SYD to Kilimanjaro JRO) probably requires some help for the uninitiated.

But I appreciate people has different skill set and they would act differently.

 

[samuel337]

Generally speaking a pax's tier status is a good clue to an airline who is a VIP or not. I don't think too many airlines would take much notice of who a FC says is a VIP.

A friend that used to work at FC used to get a few perks here and there even though they had no status, presumably because the airline wanted to make a good impression so they would sell more flights from them. Not sure how the airline knew though.