Travel Agent Booked Biz Class - turns out he used his points and took cash for himself

Status
Not open for further replies.

Iggy_type_r

Newbie
Joined
Jul 19, 2014
Posts
5
Hi all, wanted to ask... is this stuff legit or should I take the agent for a shakedown? We paid good price (cheap, not insanely cheap) for 2 biz class tickets AU to EU and back and when we went to SingAir to find out where the points are were told that the flights were booked using points... WTF... has anyone had this happen to them>?
 
Welcome to AFF.

It's probably not illegal but it may be against a FF programs terms.

And you wouldn't find me using one of those websites...
 
I understand that this is how some of the agents that sell really cheap business class seats operate. It's how they are able to offer prices way below retail.

I am not sure if that is the case for you, however.
 
Heya it was a luxury travel agent in Bayside of Melbourne not a website. I'll have a conversation with the agent first see what he has to say no need to name names yet :)
 
I would at least be expecting the SQ/VA points to be credited to your account. Or the equivalent in value.
 
Welcome to AFF.

It's probably not illegal but it may be against a FF programs terms.

And you wouldn't find me using one of those websites...

I suspect it is illegal if they don’t disclose all of the information necessary to make an informed decision.
My simple solution would be to front the TA , ask him to pony up with the FF miles or a call to the ombudsman will be happening. My understanding is that it’s borderline illegal anyway.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Heya it was a luxury travel agent in Bayside of Melbourne not a website. I'll have a conversation with the agent first see what he has to say no need to name names yet :)

AFF community, I suspect this one is a lost cause, at least until the OP wakes up and understands what actually happened to them.

They describe the agent as a "luxury travel agent". "Luxury"?? That is just a word that anyone can append to their online site. The cold fact appears to be that the Op bought a cheap "premium" ticket via an online "luxury travel agent" that used illegal points to secure the flight. As a points ticket, not only is the OP not due points earn, but they are lucky that the airline did not cancel the ticket itself.

I am quietly confident that the airline is not misinformed when they say the seats were points redemptions.......
 
AFF community, I suspect this one is a lost cause, at least until the OP wakes up and understands what actually happened to them.

They describe the agent as a "luxury travel agent". "Luxury"?? That is just a word that anyone can append to their online site. The cold fact appears to be that the Op bought a cheap "premium" ticket via an online "luxury travel agent" that used illegal points to secure the flight. As a points ticket, not only is the OP not due points earn, but they are lucky that the airline did not cancel the ticket itself.

I am quietly confident that the airline is not misinformed when they say the seats were points redemptions.......
Well the OP has said it is a bricks and mortar store, not an OTA.

Poor form in any case.
 
Well the OP has said it is a bricks and mortar store, not an OTA.

Poor form in any case.

The OP also thinks the travel agent "used his own points". Can someone with mor etime explain to the OP how this works - the whole illegal purchasing of points and subsequent third-party redemptions...........
 
The OP also thinks the travel agent "used his own points". Can someone with mor etime explain to the OP how this works - the whole illegal purchasing of points and subsequent third-party redemptions...........

While I mostly agree with you, there are legitimate ways for businesses to buy points from airlines to distribute as they wish.
 
The Frequent Flyer Concierge team takes the hard work out of finding reward seat availability. Using their expert knowledge and specialised tools, they'll help you book a great trip that maximises the value for your points.

AFF Supporters can remove this and all advertisements

Noting how these scenarios usually play out the OP should be very thankful they actually got to fly in the class they paid for on the dates booked.

What often happens is that they purchaser ends up totally out of pocket having been refused boarding at the airport.

Forget the points and enjoy the memories.
 
There are “travel agents” who harvest points to offer “cheap” premium travel. Without any further information it is hard to provide proper feedback to the OP.
 
Last edited:
AFF community, I suspect this one is a lost cause, at least until the OP wakes up and understands what actually happened to them.

They describe the agent as a "luxury travel agent". "Luxury"?? That is just a word that anyone can append to their online site. The cold fact appears to be that the Op bought a cheap "premium" ticket via an online "luxury travel agent" that used illegal points to secure the flight. As a points ticket, not only is the OP not due points earn, but they are lucky that the airline did not cancel the ticket itself.

I am quietly confident that the airline is not misinformed when they say the seats were points redemptions.......

A travel agent can buy points from Lifemiles, American Airlines, Alaska Airlines - and more. They can even buy them in the name of the passenger travelling. That means points can be entirely legitimate.

There is nothing illegal in using points to buy someone else a ticket... unless the points have been hacked, stolen, or similarly fraudulently obtained.

Airlines may have it against their terms and conditions that you cannot buy, sell or barter points. But if you do anyway, it's nothing more than a breach of contract. There is nothing illegal in it. There is no law on the statute books preventing you doing whatever you want with points.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Enhance your AFF viewing experience!!

From just $6 we'll remove all advertisements so that you can enjoy a cleaner and uninterupted viewing experience.

And you'll be supporting us so that we can continue to provide this valuable resource :)


Sample AFF with no advertisements? More..
Back
Top