STA ripping passengers blind + winge... heres proof

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Went to get a few quotes yesterday for some LONE's I'm planning next month...

STATRVL: $3779 + student card + 2.2% for CC + TAX (553)
FLIGHTC: $3279 + TAX (498) (same flights/routing as STA...go figure)


Thought I'd get a price for a miami trip next month too since I was at it..

STATRVL: $3171 + 368 tax - WTF?
FLIGHTC: $2900 + 346 tax ???? (same routing as above)
QANTAS.com - $2500 INCLUDING TAX + CODESHARES! ??!

harveyworld and amex are not even worth mentioning.
Bestflights never respond to my email and booking requests >:\

I am soo ready to give up on trying to book intl flights... can anyone recommend a decent travel agent?

</cough>
 
It's a minefield out there, but a good agent will save money, but you have to ask and know what you want too. I guess its a question of how willing you are to shop around and save, but also fare flexibility, etc.

I have had the same agent in Sydney for 20+ years - they are invaluable.
 
infoworks said:
It's a minefield out there, but a good agent will save money, but you have to ask and know what you want too. I guess its a question of how willing you are to shop around and save, but also fare flexibility, etc.

I have had the same agent in Sydney for 20+ years - they are invaluable.

With their commissions being stripped from July 1 they are even rarer now!
 
Also worth remembering that FlightCentre has a policy of undercutting others to the point of losing money on a fare, so their prices can be unrealistically low (in commercial terms). I'm not sure what margins they operate on for normal quoted fares, but they'll certainly undercut others to the point of loss if they are told their own fare can be beaten by another agency. Of course, the consumer benefits, but it can distort what the 'best' fares are.
 
The few times I have gotten or seen FC quotes, my agent has been able to beat them - I suspect they have created more of a myth than reality.

Also recently they had to change their slogan because they were not the cheapest - the ACCC got stuck into them.

There have been a lot of posts at Tripso http://www.tripso.com/archives/2005/06/get_a_deal_from_1.html on using agents.
 
d00t said:
Went to get a few quotes yesterday for some LONE's I'm planning next month...

STATRVL: $3779 + student card + 2.2% for CC + TAX (553)
FLIGHTC: $3279 + TAX (498) (same flights/routing as STA...go figure)


Thought I'd get a price for a miami trip next month too since I was at it..

STATRVL: $3171 + 368 tax - WTF?
FLIGHTC: $2900 + 346 tax ???? (same routing as above)
QANTAS.com - $2500 INCLUDING TAX + CODESHARES! ??!

harveyworld and amex are not even worth mentioning.
Bestflights never respond to my email and booking requests >:\

I am soo ready to give up on trying to book intl flights... can anyone recommend a decent travel agent?

</cough>

This is for Cheap Int fares, try crying else where
 
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One small benefit of such a relationahip is that, because of the value of my International business with them, they are doing my domestic travel arrangements without fees. Most agents are adding $10-$30+ onto domestic Oz travel tickets, not unlike the airlines if you deal with any "voice".
 
not sure what to write here, but STA has tried to rip me off by hundreds$$ today by disguising extra agent fees as fuel surcharges imposed by the airlines.

Another business that won't be seeing another cent of my money ever again.
 
The term "taxes" has covered a multitude of sins by airlines - fuel surcharges, airports - handling fees, govenments (all around the world) - departure taxes, security levies, etc and agents - fees!

I regularly ask for a breakdown of the "taxes" just to be sure...
 
Last year Flight Centre had an airfare $70 cheaper than I could purchase on Zuji. However, the taxes just happened to be about $50 dearer on than on Zuji. They did correct it after I pointed it out to them, but most travellers wouldn't bother. Always wise to check on zuji or the airline website if you can't trust your TA to charge taxes correctly. Sometimes and honest mistake, other times not.
 
well I caught them out by calling QF to confirm the actual TAX amount, and the amount QF told me VS what STA charged me don't match.

The agent wrote down what the difference was for before I paid for it as "fuel booking surcharge imposed by qantas"... making it a straight out lie in order to complete the transaction. Should be an interesting day...
 
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