86910 status miles for US$1740+taxes
#46
Join Date: Mar 2001
Programs: AA EXP, BA Gold, UA LT-Gold, SPG Plat, HH Dia, Hyatt Dia, MR Gold
Posts: 2,221
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by kawoh:
Price: USD 1794.00 - Korean Air
(couldn't find any availability though in Sep, haven't tried the others, surprisingly OZ didn't come up).
[This message has been edited by kawoh (edited 05-25-2003).]</font>
Price: USD 1794.00 - Korean Air
(couldn't find any availability though in Sep, haven't tried the others, surprisingly OZ didn't come up).
[This message has been edited by kawoh (edited 05-25-2003).]</font>
Is anyone going for it, or know how to get the fare?
#49
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2002
Programs: UA 1MM, SPG Lifetime Platinum, Marriott Gold, IHG Platinum
Posts: 2,796
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by justforfun:
Mackinnons Travels Ltd. (R) Mackinnons Bldg, 4 Leyden Bastian Rd 1 Telephone (94)(1) 448065/329887
American Express Travel Service 104 Dharmapala Mawatha Col.7 PO Box: 2092 Telephone (94)(1) 681220
</font>
Mackinnons Travels Ltd. (R) Mackinnons Bldg, 4 Leyden Bastian Rd 1 Telephone (94)(1) 448065/329887
American Express Travel Service 104 Dharmapala Mawatha Col.7 PO Box: 2092 Telephone (94)(1) 681220
</font>
1. The American Express Travel Service office listed above is not a travel agency and transfers callers who wish to buy tickets to Mackinnons Travels Ltd.
2. The phone system in Sri Lanka is much worse than in the former Soviet Union (where I live). I could not get a decent connection and always lost the connection I did get before anyone could help me. Hopefully, they have an email address.
This page includes a longer list of travel agencies in Sri Lanka, but I will continue to try Mackinnons first because of the perceived trustworthiness of the American Express connection.
#50
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2002
Programs: UA 1MM, SPG Lifetime Platinum, Marriott Gold, IHG Platinum
Posts: 2,796
Mackinnons website has an online booking engine, though it doesn't work for me. I've filled in the contact request form.
#51
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Currently in Bloomington, IN, but Normally NYC, CDG, and even POZ or wherever FT takes me.
Programs: Northwest Airlines. MTA pay-per-ride Metrocard; zero-balance Oyster card.
Posts: 14,018
zvezda i will try monday evening (tue CMB time) and report here. Let me know (email is in my profile) what dates you are able to get - I'm looking at November...
Thanks again, if this works, it will be a fantastic trip....
Thanks again, if this works, it will be a fantastic trip....
#53
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: NYC/PSP
Programs: AA EXP, A3 Gold
Posts: 4,103
I think the MacKinnons site will be our answer. It seems rather professional and allows provisions for tickets to be mailed to other countries. The fact that we can't actually book on-line is probably just a glitch, which could be resolved by a human contact there. I'm very optimistic about this.
#56
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: NYC/PSP
Programs: AA EXP, A3 Gold
Posts: 4,103
Not much to report yet. Have been trying to book tickets on the Mackinnons website. Good news is that I am able to confirm a reservation(amadeus # and everything). Bad news is that no fare information is given. Have shot them a few emails and am awaiting a response.
#57
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Chicago
Posts: 2,682
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by zvezda:
The SITO/SOTO HIP check is similar but instead of being calculated only for stopover points (plus origin and destination), it is calculated for all ticketed points. That means, in this case, if ticketed outside Sri Lanka, that the fare would be the highest of SIN-LAX, SIN-SFO, ICN-LAX, and ICN-SFO even if there are no stopovers. That's why this needs to be ticketed in Sri Lanka.
</font>
The SITO/SOTO HIP check is similar but instead of being calculated only for stopover points (plus origin and destination), it is calculated for all ticketed points. That means, in this case, if ticketed outside Sri Lanka, that the fare would be the highest of SIN-LAX, SIN-SFO, ICN-LAX, and ICN-SFO even if there are no stopovers. That's why this needs to be ticketed in Sri Lanka.
</font>
I thought I understood this fare correctly until I read your post about the HIP check. I was getting much higher fares if I did cmb-BKK via India. I was also getting much higher fares on AA codeshares and JAL. I tried doing these over the atlantic and the fare would always be far higher than quoted even though expedia would tell me that it was applying the fare that I was trying to get. The fare rules would do something like tell me the NUC was 864.00, but then expedia would say the price is like $2200. Is this because of the HIP check. I don't understand why some fare are pricing out as I expect and others are much higher. Also is this HIP check native to Sri lanka. I have never noted such problem when buying ticketd for India to US.
#58
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2002
Programs: UA 1MM, SPG Lifetime Platinum, Marriott Gold, IHG Platinum
Posts: 2,796
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by hindukid:
The fare rules would do something like tell me the NUC was 864.00, but then expedia would say the price is like $2200. Is this because of the HIP check?</font>
The fare rules would do something like tell me the NUC was 864.00, but then expedia would say the price is like $2200. Is this because of the HIP check?</font>
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by hindukid:
Also is this HIP check native to Sri lanka?</font>
Also is this HIP check native to Sri lanka?</font>
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by hindukid:
I have never noted such problem when buying ticketd for India to US.</font>
I have never noted such problem when buying ticketd for India to US.</font>
#60
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: NYC/PSP
Programs: AA EXP, A3 Gold
Posts: 4,103
Still no word form Mackinnons, but here's a thought. Out of the blue, this random agency in CMB has received dozens of requests from people living abroad. They may be a bit suspicious and are hesitant about responding to any of them. Maybe we shouldn't send any new inquiries. Once someone has a positive response from them, it should be posted here and then everyone can go ahead and make bookings. Until then, I think the more we bombard them, the fewer our chances are for flying around the world in first class on a poorman's budget. Just a thought. Please feel free to disagree.