jimmielin

Which airlines refuse to work on tickets even on the day of travel?

The few times I've needed a TA (to book complex, multi-airline, circle-trip itineraries), the airlines involved (BA, AA, JJ/LA) were always able to do changes to the ticket without even mentioning the TA part when I needed it after T-24 or day-of-travel.

LATAM even proactively offered a couple times at the check-in desk, when I arrived early, whether I wanted to take an earlier flight (and many times it was like "you have 30 minutes before boarding, go now!") and did necessary changes to the booking quite easily.

OccasionalFlyerPerson

I would guess that the profit margin for tickets sold through an agent is smaller than those sold directly by the airline. Both because the tickets might be cheaper and also the TA takes a cut. So, I would guess that the airline can't afford to give the same level of service for the cheaper ticket than they can for the more expensive ticket.

s0ssos

So on a more expensive ticket you get more service? Are we on the Air Canada forum?

OccasionalFlyerPerson

No, I didn't say that at all. Please go back and re-read my post.

keitherson

Off-hand from personal experience:

Virgin Australia
Emirates

jan_believes

Experience from the other side of the counter. Info offered per domestic or at least American companies only.

If one uses a third party website to buy ticket and agrees through the fine print, that their travel plan AND ticket is a "done deal", i.e., no changes, via small print or even unread normal font, the airline will advise changes go through the origin of the ticket purchase. The exception IS changes due to various types of airline schedule changes, to include liable mechanical problems.

If the weather the day before caused the crew to be late arriving and your flight with your third party bought ticket doesn't allow changes, the airline takes a tough stance in that the weather is "beyond control". They will help those with airline tickets bought with the airline, but they will go lazy on the third party customers as they have enough passengers to take care of. Now, a travel agent, like a corp. one, stays in the priority group with regular helpful accommodation advice, and next available rebook.

The only problem is the inadequate training or the agent mindset of "no, your ticket is different" during a bona fide covered airline responsible activity, i.e., mechanical. I have seen that. It is wrong. The ticket covers the carriage when the airline is responsible. The airline limits when it is responsible and that can be multiplied through again, agents with incorrect mindset. Third party ticket holders get that first.

Anything I have overlooked or mistakenly stated will be edited as readers correct. Also, my info is dated as I have not been behind said counter in about 8 years now. It's why I don't weigh in much with advice due to the likelihood of changes of which I am unaware. (My one exception is when working with SATO, I had two service members in Calif., that received my same advice to do thus and so, and one did and got out during the AA cancellation vortex with weather in ORD and DFW at same time. He got back to the East coast WITH HIS BAG, while the other one stayed in line waiting for the overwhelmed agents.)

Having said that, I do not go through third party websites (clustered in with old school/corp agents by agent observation) to book no matter what the discount and I would not advise others to book through them.

Keep your rights with a direct booking with the airlines OR with regular approved travel agencies.

irishguy28

It's a consequence of your decision to deal with a travel agent rather than with the airline directly.

If you want to deal with the airline then you should buy tickets directly from them.

Of course, it is often cheaper to buy a ticket from an agent - but then, you must deal with that agent.

Andriyko

Maybe that's true for U.S. based travel agents but it is not for European ones. I know only of a few airlines that would touch an agency ticket. If I buy a ticket from a travel agent and then go directly to the airline to make a change and have the ticket reissued, and then I can't travel and want a refund, how would the travel agent issue a refund if it no longer has the ticket? This is what actually happened to me a few years ago. I bought a ticket on Expedia for travel on TK, and then made a change directly with TK, and then had to cancel. It took months of back and forth between Expedia and TK before I got my money (less the penalty) back. Expedia claimed that it did not have the ticket (correct), while TK claimed that it did not have the money (also correct). I believe this is the reason why most airlines won't touch agency tickets unless within 24 hours of travel - it makes things complicated.

Agents now charge their own commissions, which I think is fairer for the modern times then the system that used to exist.

pinniped

How often, in practice in the current day, is it really cheaper to buy a ticket from an agent? (For non-students, anyway.) My own experience has been that I occasionally have to use an agent for payment processing, but the fares were the same...and it was a normal mileage-earning, published fare.

Are bucket shop fares still a thing? I remember seeing them advertised (often ex-London) long ago, but don't see them much anymore. Or maybe I'm just not looking in the right places, which is entirely possible since I more in the mileage game these days as opposed to my former student-travel days...

rrapynot

I've seen a few cheap fares lately that I haven't been able to reproduce on the airlines's website. Dealing with the consequences of that right now... Orbitz add a frustrating layer of Indian call-centers between me and the airline.

wandering_fred

My last xONEx ticket suffered greatly from AA's schedule changes Mar-June.

In the end I talked AA into changing the PNR but had to go back to the TA and issuing airline to get the ticket re-issued. This was before travel. Then the QR middle east embargo descended on the ticket...........

Happy wandering

Fred

IntFF

Years ago I bought a domestic Air NZ ticket via the Internet (I do not remember of on Air NZ site or other site).
I had some problem and called Air NZ and an agent told me: You bought it on the Internet, call the Internet.

obscure2k

Closing this thread. Too many off topic posts on a thread which had not seen any activity in 4 years.
Obscure2k
TravelBuzz Moderator