How to book Google Flights fare without calling BA
Aug 11, 2018, 5:45 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: London
Programs: Qantas; Virgin Australia; Le Club Accor; Marriott
Posts: 117
How to book Google Flights fare without calling BA
Quick question, pulled up a fare on GF that is only bookable by phone. Flight Centre haven’t been able to pull up the price. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to book through OTA opposed to speaking to BA or Cathay.
https://goo.gl/flights/MgMZX
https://goo.gl/flights/MgMZX
Aug 11, 2018, 8:19 pm
#6
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: HOU
Programs: AA EXP, UA 1K
Posts: 285
It's been my experience that when Google Flights says book by phone it really means Google Flights isn't reading the fare rules correctly and that combo of flights and fares isn't bookable at all. The fact that a travel agent couldn't get it to price either seems to be pointing in that direction.
Aug 12, 2018, 12:20 am
#8
Join Date: May 2017
Location: Glasgow and Asia
Programs: BAEC Gold, Hotels.com Gold
Posts: 510
You are better phoning up BA (don't use the 0844 number from a mobile or you will need a second mortgage). Alternative numbers are available. Don't try and call the status lines unless you have status, they ask you to verify it now.
I see n reason why the fare is not available because if you strip out one of the shorter flights you get similar options on other OW carriers. Commonly phoning BA will give you a crazy price because they need to book things like the cathay flight in an expensive class.
EG. My WT+ flight form GLA-LHR-HKG-TPE then TPE-HKG-PEK then PEK-LHR-GLA in a couple of weeks was £2,600 but I dropped the TPE-HKG-PEK leg and save £900. Then book that leg direct with CX for about £180 in Economy flex or £220 in PE flex.
Call BA and see what they can do and ask them if one leg is a crazy price. Look at the linking sectors to get a rough price in advance and if the BA price is complementary then go for it.
I see n reason why the fare is not available because if you strip out one of the shorter flights you get similar options on other OW carriers. Commonly phoning BA will give you a crazy price because they need to book things like the cathay flight in an expensive class.
EG. My WT+ flight form GLA-LHR-HKG-TPE then TPE-HKG-PEK then PEK-LHR-GLA in a couple of weeks was £2,600 but I dropped the TPE-HKG-PEK leg and save £900. Then book that leg direct with CX for about £180 in Economy flex or £220 in PE flex.
Call BA and see what they can do and ask them if one leg is a crazy price. Look at the linking sectors to get a rough price in advance and if the BA price is complementary then go for it.
Aug 12, 2018, 3:18 am
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: London
Programs: Qantas; Virgin Australia; Le Club Accor; Marriott
Posts: 117
Thanks all.
Aug 12, 2018, 5:43 am
#11
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 2,378
Aug 12, 2018, 8:00 am
#13
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Dubai
Posts: 54
You are better phoning up BA (don't use the 0844 number from a mobile or you will need a second mortgage). Alternative numbers are available. Don't try and call the status lines unless you have status, they ask you to verify it now.
I see n reason why the fare is not available because if you strip out one of the shorter flights you get similar options on other OW carriers. Commonly phoning BA will give you a crazy price because they need to book things like the cathay flight in an expensive class.
EG. My WT+ flight form GLA-LHR-HKG-TPE then TPE-HKG-PEK then PEK-LHR-GLA in a couple of weeks was £2,600 but I dropped the TPE-HKG-PEK leg and save £900. Then book that leg direct with CX for about £180 in Economy flex or £220 in PE flex.
Call BA and see what they can do and ask them if one leg is a crazy price. Look at the linking sectors to get a rough price in advance and if the BA price is complementary then go for it.
I see n reason why the fare is not available because if you strip out one of the shorter flights you get similar options on other OW carriers. Commonly phoning BA will give you a crazy price because they need to book things like the cathay flight in an expensive class.
EG. My WT+ flight form GLA-LHR-HKG-TPE then TPE-HKG-PEK then PEK-LHR-GLA in a couple of weeks was £2,600 but I dropped the TPE-HKG-PEK leg and save £900. Then book that leg direct with CX for about £180 in Economy flex or £220 in PE flex.
Call BA and see what they can do and ask them if one leg is a crazy price. Look at the linking sectors to get a rough price in advance and if the BA price is complementary then go for it.
It was a last-minute trip and the direct flights on BA and SQ were over £4,500. Google Flights found me the above routing for £2,400 with the SIN-BKK in CX on an A350 that went on to HKG. When I tried to book it online on BA as a multi-city booking it showed no flight. When I tried online with Finnair it gave me nearly the right price but it substituted Jeststar for the CX flight. I called up BA and after a lot of huffing and puffing they came back with a price of...[drum roll] £8,700! I then called Finnair (where I have no direct status) and a very helpful person managed to book the whole itinerary in C (with zero change or cancellation fees) for the GF price plus a small booking fee. I flew it this week and all worked smoothly. The long haul Finnair flights were on lovely A350s too and the first couple of flights have credited to my BAEC account after 5 days.
Aug 12, 2018, 9:55 pm
#14
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Edi
Posts: 2,203