Travel agent gone AWOL

[drron]

OP, was there any disagreement with the TA before he stopped responding to you? Any heated words or dispute that may have led to a "I'm not serving you" approach?

This is my thought exactly.

 

[drron]

Regardless I still find it very strange this agent has absolutely no online presence and the op doesn't even have an eticket receipt.

We used him a lot in the past and he was always contactable and friendly.
People have forgotten how good he arranged travel home for many on this site during Coviid.

 

[MARTINE]

We used him a lot in the past and he was always contactable and friendly.
People have forgotten how good he arranged travel home for many on this site during Coviid.

Hope he is OK and account not hacked although the ticket is in the system

 

[Aussie_flyer]

We used him a lot in the past and he was always contactable and friendly.
People have forgotten how good he arranged travel home for many on this site during Coviid.

Yes I understand that, he was very reputable here.

 

[offshore171]

Certainly a cautionary tale in relation to dealing with a TA, in particular a small sole operator TA.

Why is it so hard to get the booking "unbound" once the TA is uncontactable? Is it that they lose their commission if the booking is delinked from them?

I'm surprised there's not a clear process for this scenario. A sole operator could need emergency surgery, be in a car accident etc. All manner of unforeseen situations where they become incommunicado. The customer appears to have no way out at that point?

 

[Pushka]

This is my thought exactly.

Maybe so but there is a commercial agreement at play and all businesses have to deal with customers whom they'd never have as a friend.

And disagreements - there are always two sides. That doesn't make ghosting appropriate when there is a commercial relationship. Did you just ditch patients because you didn't like them?

We used him a lot in the past and he was always contactable and friendly.
People have forgotten how good he arranged travel home for many on this site during Coviid.

But I'm hearing this isn't always the case.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Certainly a cautionary tale in relation to dealing with a TA, in particular a small sole operator TA.

Why is it so hard to get the booking "unbound" once the TA is uncontactable? Is it that they lose their commission if the booking is delinked from them?

I'm surprised there's not a clear process for this scenario. A sole operator could need emergency surgery, be in a car accident etc. All manner of unforeseen situations where they become incommunicado. The customer appears to have no way out at that point?

The fee for the gent was separate.

There are commercial and agency agreements between the airlines and their agents. But it doesn’t mean those are unbreakable.

It’s getting the right person at the airline to help out. Call centres follow a script.

Airlines can, and do, step in when it suits the, for example cancelling mistake fares. And they step in when required to do so by consumer law, for example EU261.

They can also step in here if they need to.

 

[freqflyer77]

No matter what has happened behind the scenes, or what we don't know about the situation, surely it's in the agent's best interests to respond (if possible) to the OP now the post has been active over a week. Get it resolved and have this removed.

Threads like this aren't exactly great for the business or its reputation, nor for the reputation of AFF, who have chosen to affiliate themselves with the agent.

 

[Brissy1]

Certainly a cautionary tale in relation to dealing with a TA, in particular a small sole operator TA.

Why is it so hard to get the booking "unbound" once the TA is uncontactable? Is it that they lose their commission if the booking is delinked from them?

I'm surprised there's not a clear process for this scenario. A sole operator could need emergency surgery, be in a car accident etc. All manner of unforeseen situations where they become incommunicado. The customer appears to have no way out at that point?

Perhaps the OP could convince qf that the TA is no longer operating. I believe that then airlines are willing to put in some effort.
Simply saying that can't contact is clearly insufficient

 

[offshore171]

Simply saying that can't contact is clearly insufficient

From what I can see, the OP has had extensive, repeated contact with QF and provided them with a litany of attempts to communicate with the Travel Agent.

What is a customer expected to do at this point? I'm surprised there doesn't appear to be a process for this.

Obviously there needs to be some gatekeeping "hoops", but at this point you'd think a supervisor at QF could send the customer a link to make a "declaration" of some description, affirming that the customer has made all reasonable attempts to contact their agent over X weeks etc.

At this point, once the declaration is "signed" by the customer, then the booking would be released into the customer's direct control.

That's the sort of process I would expect. Instead it appears to be a black hole?

 

[Quickstatus]

Could someone who has a regular travel agent ask their travel agent about any possible avenues of redress.

"What can someone who has a TA related booking do if the sole operator TA is uncontactable and the client need to change their tickets"

Paging @RooFlyer

 

[Hunter4vr]

No matter what has happened behind the scenes, or what we don't know about the situation, surely it's in the agent's best interests to respond (if possible) to the OP now the post has been active over a week. Get it resolved and have this removed.

Threads like this aren't exactly great for the business or its reputation, nor for the reputation of AFF, who have chosen to affiliate themselves with the agent.

Yeah a simple Google search for the agency now brings up this thread as the first result, can't be great for future business.

 

[andrewh3]

Am trying this option but no response from QF so far

 

[MEL_Traveller]

… but at this point you'd think a supervisor at QF could send the customer a link to make a "declaration" of some

and that’s the issue… how do you actually get to a supervisor at Qantas? At least through the regular call centre?

Maybe the OP could try Facebook messenger? IIRC they are pretty responsive?

 

[Lux]

and that’s the issue… how do you actually get to a supervisor at Qantas? At least through the regular call centre?

Maybe the OP could try Facebook messenger? IIRC they are pretty responsive?

Ultimately they will seek authority in writing, so for non-urgent departures I would recommend the OP waits for them to respond to his email, which is the email address the airline has provided for similar issues.

 

[Aussie_flyer]

Could someone who has a regular travel agent ask their travel agent about any possible avenues of redress.

"What can someone who has a TA related booking do if the sole operator TA is uncontactable and the client need to change their tickets"

Paging @RooFlyer

There's not many sole trader T/A's that are not attached to a bigger agency network somehow and they would have this branding etc. Then you would have recourse with that host agency.