If you use Kayak.com, etc. I found that by purchasing from Airfare.com is not the most cooperative company to deal with when having problems or questions regarding your ticket - now that they have your money. Just ask on the helpline for suggestions regarding some of the consolidated companies offering tickets cheaper. Although my ticket did cost about $100-200 less than the other's I was dealing with, I think I would rather spend the extra to make sure I have good customer service. I've used Just Fares out of Seattle for Ireland trips with no problems. They were one of the companies that was about $200 higher so that's why I didn't use them. I'm going to England where I NEED to save money in planning. Any other suggestions of saving while in England would be greatly appreciated. Thanks to Rick for the tip on skipping the $20.00 breakfasts at the B&B's and having a picnic breakfast. I've emailed the hotel in London to see if they would quote me a lower room rate without breakfast. I can do with a croissant and tea where the locals go.
Posted by
victoria, Canada
11507 posts
Hello, Miss B,,
I personally have not used Kayak as the prices they quoted me were not cheaper then the price I got by going directly onto our own( Canadian) low cost airlines own website. I had my address on "fare alert" and the fares they kept sending sucked compared to what I was able to get, so I am not big on having anyone else do the legwork but me.
Saving money is a huge issue for all us overseas travellers, read these boards and you will glean lots of money saving tips.
Have fun and do lots of reading!
Posted by
Nottingham, UK
658 posts
Let’s be clear about what a consolidator ticket is. A consolidator ( or ITX as it’s known in airline lingo ) is part of a stack of tickets given to an agency by an airline as a reward for great sales performance. They are often given at phenomenally low rates to the agency and the rules say that the actual cost CANNOT be printed on the ticket; the agency can, however, charge what they like for these tickets. The rules regarding changes and refunds are a private matter between the airline and the agency. Even then, those rules will only be known by the airline sales agent and the manager of the agency, they are a highly guarded industrial secret and the agency is unlikely to tell the people on their desk what the actually are, often they will just tell staff -no changes and no refunds! That’s what a consolidator actually is.
Posted by
Nottingham, UK
658 posts
Then there are bulk purchase tickets. An agency buys an amount ( normally in bundles of 20 ) of tickets on certain flights on certain days. They buy at a bulk rate low price and try to sell like crazy - it’s the old policy that made Mr Woolworth a millionaire. If they find themselves near to departure date and still holding stock, they will try and offload to internet sites, often at cost price or slightly below. When the internet booking site buys these tickets they are only interested in price, often they don’t bother to find out about the rules on the ticket and will sell them as - no changes and no refunds! These tickets are the ones most commonly available on internet search engines.
Posted by
Nottingham, UK
658 posts
I mean no disrespect to the people who work at the front end of any agency BUT in many cases they are people coming into the industry for the very first time. Some of them will have degrees and diplomas in tourism and travel but there is a huge gap between the classroom theory and the dog-eat-dog reality of the travel industry. Often they will be the last people to be told what the real rules on a ticket are. Their job is to sell, not to ask questions. There are many, many really good internet sites, but when you purchase a ticket from an internet search site you should always assume them to be - no change and no refunds! Do not assume that the front line staff of these businesses will know anything about the real terms and conditions of what you have bought. Caveat emptor!
Posted by
OP
525 posts
Thanks Al for the travel lesson. I've used consolidators before but guess I haven't had any problems because nothing was changed on our itinerary. My husband's last name is missing the "W" in the middle of our name. NWA says they can't change it because it would be a "legal" name change. Airfare.com is giving me some problems to just reprint the itinerary with the "W". If I'm understanding them correctly, they want to charge $300 for an itinerary change. I'm not changing my flights, just a name spelling correction. We'll see what happens now after my 3rd call to them. I'm just concerned going through security when the name doesn't match the passport. I'd hate to be denied boarding the plane to London for our vacation. Your comments were enlightening. Thanks again.
Posted by
Niagara Wine Country, Canada
808 posts
I respectfully disagree with Al's impression of Travel & Tourism graduates. That has not been my experience and my fellow Graduates would beg to differ.
Most of us do Co-op work experience as a requirement for Graduation. We are ready to start our Careers with real life job experience.
If you end up working the Counters for peanuts...something has gone very wrong. Few Check-in employess have a College education. That would be really sad to study 2-3 years and end up there doing a job that does not warrent the huge financial investment.
I do agree, however, that the position of Passenger Service Agent (Check-in counter) is an entry level position. It does not require a College education. Some may have it but many do not. Those who have it will be Management or very quickly move on to other skilled positions within the Industry.
So we shouldn't assume that Travel & Tourism Graduates end up there. Sorry, Al. Otherwise, I agree with the rest.
Yours In Hospitality,
F/A