Travel agents still get special deals !

[Evan]

Travel agents still get some special deals i see

On my SIN-HKG-PVG return trip the best internet specials were SGD$3100 approx, full Y, thats the best on the CX web site or ITS travel planner etc would find... yet a travel agent somehow booked V class for under SGD$1000.

I have no idea... i am a little say because the full Y to J upgrade was only a few hundred $$ and work was paying the Y fare... but they would never pay it and fly me SQ for half the price anyway.

Interesting my itinery still showed the full Y fare, but E-Ticket shows the full Y fare but in class V even though only paid V class, some sort of travel agent deal... going to ask about the cost of upgrade just in case something funny it happening and i can still get it really cheap.

Anyway just a thumbs up to travel agents for a good find... and keeping me on a CX flight instead of some dodgy Chinese airline... or NW, Northwest have some really cheap flights in Asia at the moment ! , no idea why.

E

 

[JohnK]

That is very true but not all travel agents have access to the same deals. I generally use 2-3 travel agents in BKK and will go with the one that can offer the best price.

Just recently I purchased a BKK-SIN return in CX business class with a BKK travel agent for just over A$400. The best price I could get on the CX website was well over A$800 and I did not see the airfare I wanted on Zuji or Expedia.

The lesson to be learned is to always shop around before purchasing an airfare.

 

[Evan]

John,
Thats a good price. As you say pays to shop around.
In some countries travel agents do great business. And i know i am happy to use them if the price is right, usually because they offer something more, like arranging invites for visas etc. Lets how they may ride out the current trend for all internet sales because i know a lot of people do like to use them. 95% of what i purchase myself is internet but still its not always the case if i need something special.
E

 

[lovetravellingoz]

The lesson to be learned is to always shop around before purchasing an airfare.

Out of interest is this advice equally applicable if you are buying in Oz?

Or is it more if you can buy in certain overseas loactions?

And if so...which cities/countries have you fond it to be so?


PS I have found that TA's often have really good flight airfare combinations specials that I might buy rather than buying an airfare direct myself.

These can often be extended and use as the starting point fora holiday where you make your own land arrangements after the first 3/week.

 

[JohnK]

Out of interest is this advice equally applicable if you are buying in Oz?

I think so but it depends on your destination. Last year I was able to purchase a very cheap airfare SYD-ATH-SKG return on SQ from a travel agent. This airfare was not available online.

Also I would consider BestFlights as a travel agent and they have some good airline combination deals from time to time.

Or is it more if you can buy in certain overseas loactions?

I don't know why but some travel agents in Thailand come up with these ridiculously cheap airfares. Everytime I am ready to purchase the next trip I send an email to 6-7 travel agents. Generally 2-3 of these travel agents will respond with a good airfare deal at certain times.

Last year I was looking at business class airfares back to Australia and one particular travel agent was able to offer BKK-HKG-SYD business class return on CX for ~A$2800 with a stopover in HKG. This airfare was listed on the CX website for well over A$4000.

And if so...which cities/countries have you fond it to be so?

My only experience overseas is with Thailand. I have heard of similar savings using travel agents in Taiwan.

I have tried sending emails to travel agents in Singapore but they have not able to match QF/BA website airfares.

 

[beardoc]

How did you all start emailing all these travel agents out of Australia - how did you find the travel agents to enquire with in the first place? Were they recommended to you?

 

[JohnK]

The ones I use now I was able to find through Google. After a few emails you get a feel for who knows what they are doing. The rest you discard.

The rest have been recommended from the various websites I visit. So far these have not yielded anything worthwhile.

I have also had some experience in dealing with small agents that work out of various tourist hotels in Thailand. They source their airfares from bucket shops and can come up with the occassional gem.

For me so far it is all about being in the right place at the right time.