Agree with tom911

Looks like you got lucky on a VERY sketchy transaction with what appears to be a very sketchy company.

EmailKid

sketchy transaction!
 

It's ok for you sitting in your ivory tower, but the facts remain that ITN/ASAP would not do business using an Australian issued credit card when the flights were not to or from US soil. What would you suggest I do? Pay an additional $3000 to $5000 to purchase the same tickets from an Australian travel agent? That's the reality of it. What I did do was investigate how long the company had been trading, it's membership to IATA etc. I knew there was a level of risk. I assessed it and made a judgement call to accept the risk. I reckon I got it right. Assessing the level of risk - Yes; Sketchy - No. The transaction is not sketchy and I don't believe ITN/ASAP is sketchy. On what factual basis do you call ASAP sketchy?

ASAP/ITN processes and systems may not be as slick as many others....but the price is certainly slick. We found cases where ASAP's price and/or flight options were no better (or worse) than other agents. In these cases we shopped around and purchased elsewhere.

As I said in my last post, not being able to use an Australian issued credit card is not unique to ITN/ASAP. Many US companies I've dealt with for personal purchases do the same. I suspect it is due to differences between the US and Australian credit card law around disputes. Many get around this by using Paypal.

From the previous posts in this thread. I congratulate you on being the FIRST one to post AGAIN after having a successful transaction with ASAP. Granted a few of the posters who got shafted also only posted once.

But even the posters who said that ASAP was still lower after they WOULD NOT HONOR their advertised price said that they had to call, and COULD NOT get the price that lured them in the first place.

That and wiring money sounds sketchy to me. Glad it worked out for you. If it were me, I'd go with a legitimate company and either pay more or fly coach for a price I was happy with.

But that's me ...

EmailKid

And if they filed for bankruptcy prior to paying for your tickets, what recourse would you have other than being listed as a creditor and hoping for some portion of your money back in court?

Why are you limited to Australian TAs? Travel agencies exist all over the world that will accept credit cards.

What do you suggest I do?
 

So what do you suggest I do? You're both putting forward lots of Ifs, Buts and disaster scenarios but I don't see any constructive suggestions on how I should have paid for the fares.

As for "go with a legitimate company and either pay more or fly coach for a price I was happy with". Firstly, ASAP is a legitimate company. I have the proof of that. Second, I don't have $3000 spare to pay a 'legitimate' company and Third, if you would prefer to fly Coach in preference to Business for a 23 hour flight then you're on your own with that.

Clearly you believe that the company is stable and financially secure, based on your research, and your money is safe and will be forwarded to the airlines you're flying. I just don't see enough in your post for me to evaluate objectively that I should send a company thousands of dollars in cash and that my money will be 100% safe. The fact that we're even using the word "risk" sends up smoke signals. There should be no risk in booking air travel. I'm not willing to accept the risk and would not book with such a company no matter what the cost savings. You've made your analysis and decided it's safe to send them money. I would not send them thousands of dollars in cash and, as a consequence, would miss out on the good airfare you found with them.

I recall there was a U.S. airline consolidator that went bankrupt about 10 years ago and left customers stranded. Check out this article in the Washington Post from 1999 that seems to be it and their comments about Euram Travel Center. They also have some explanation about the various agency codes and what they mean (ASTA, ARC). The U.S. Department of Transportation also has a page on them HERE. So, at least in once case, there has been a bankruptcy filed by an airline consolidator.

Would you recommend this company to family and friends and tell them that their money is 100% safe and not at risk? Even a bigger question: did you get frequent flyer miles for all your flights?

Hope we haven't lost another first time poster. I'm interested in the answer to my questions at the end of the prior post if you'd respond.

Yes and sometimes
 

Yes, we would and have recommended asaptickets to family and friends. Our experience was positive and we will use them again to see what deal we can get.

Re flyer miles for the fares. We got points for some of the flights.....those with Oneworld or Virgin. We are not Star Alliance members and since there are no domestic Star Alliance airlines in Australia the opportunity to earn and use points with them is limited. One of us fly interstate every week for work with Qantas so we get plenty of points to use there. Sadly Qantas are replacing all of their holiday destinations with their low cost carrier Jetstar. Fly Jetstar once and you won't want to do it again.

We may have been apprehensive about our business class tickets with ASAP before we left. In hindsight we had nothing to worry about. What we should have worried about was our cruise on the Costa Concordia. A couple of weeks after we sailed on her she sunk!

not impressed, either
 

responded to a offer for $989 RT ORD-TLV and the prices they offered were no better than what is online. (1385-$1400 or $735-$830 OW) I was told they would call me back "if they found something better within the next hour". Clearly the risk is not worth it

Wow so much confusions going on here. I have posted on this forum for quite some years now and recently came across a need to buy a C ticket out of my own pocket. I am gonna take one for the team and use ASAP and tell you guys my experience. I hope it can settle once and for all the legitimacy of this company.

Thanks for TOFTT, but I thought this was already settled ;) :rolleyes:

Well, let us know anyways.

EmailKid

Not impressed.

I already know I can book BKK to YVR for $1028 off Korean Airlines website and this site offers me $ 1058 +$50 off =$1008

I'd rather deal direct with the airline.

Alex

In my book, if payment over the wire and not credit card is a big no.

Also interested to see most people who claims they are ok to good are FTers with low post count... makes me wonder.... :rolleyes:

If you search "asap tickets" on google or yahoo, the FT thread comes up as the third response on both of those sites. No doubt a lot of new members are coming over from those links.