Oneworld travel agent charges
Sep 6, 2008 | 1:09 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 19
Oneworld travel agent charges
I got quoted Ł1915 plus tax (Ł800)by Trailfinders for
LHR-JNB-HKG-DEL-HKG-KUL-CGK-SYD-AUK-SYD-EZE-LIM-SCL-MAD-LHR
however they also add a Ł150 "Trailfinders Service Charge"
Is this normal? Do all TA add some sort of fee for booking ONE tickets - are there any which charge less but are still reputable?
Also what do you think of the route - (I am doing S Africa India SE Asia incl Bali OZ/NZ and S America in 12 months)
the reason for going SYD-AUK-SYD is that I don't want to be in NZ in their winter - if I do NZ first I can be there in autumn and then go to OZ
Thanks for your help
LHR-JNB-HKG-DEL-HKG-KUL-CGK-SYD-AUK-SYD-EZE-LIM-SCL-MAD-LHR
however they also add a Ł150 "Trailfinders Service Charge"
Is this normal? Do all TA add some sort of fee for booking ONE tickets - are there any which charge less but are still reputable?
Also what do you think of the route - (I am doing S Africa India SE Asia incl Bali OZ/NZ and S America in 12 months)
the reason for going SYD-AUK-SYD is that I don't want to be in NZ in their winter - if I do NZ first I can be there in autumn and then go to OZ
Thanks for your help
Sep 6, 2008 | 1:51 pm
#2
Moderator, OneWorld
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: SEA
Programs: RAA RIP; AA ExEXP
Posts: 12,521
Welcome to FT!
It's customary for Trailfinders, as far as I know. Trailfinders and STA (if eligible) are evidently the biggest TAs for RTWs; no idea if STA's fees are similar.
Is that quote inclusive of fuel surcharges and other taxes?
The route is fine as long as you're happy with it. BTW the code for Auckland is AKL; AUK is Alukanuk - where I've been, a rather remote village on the Lower Yukon in Alaska.
It's customary for Trailfinders, as far as I know. Trailfinders and STA (if eligible) are evidently the biggest TAs for RTWs; no idea if STA's fees are similar.
Is that quote inclusive of fuel surcharges and other taxes?
The route is fine as long as you're happy with it. BTW the code for Auckland is AKL; AUK is Alukanuk - where I've been, a rather remote village on the Lower Yukon in Alaska.
Sep 6, 2008 | 2:15 pm
#3
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Dublin / Zurich
Programs: AA PLT
Posts: 179
The Trailfinders service charge is a bit of a rip-off, in my case they didn't disclose it in advance then added a similar charge per person! I canceled the whole itinerary and booked with ebookers instead, they had a 35 EUR service fee at the time.
I would have bought it from AA but they did not have time to issue the paper tickets.
Any OW airline should be able to issue a xONEx, AA is recommend.
I would have bought it from AA but they did not have time to issue the paper tickets.
Any OW airline should be able to issue a xONEx, AA is recommend.
Sep 6, 2008 | 3:07 pm
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2007
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Posts: 14,571
Agents do charge varying fees, as this is their source of revenue.
AA RTW desk is very good, but IIRC, they usually require (or at least prefer) at least one long haul, over water segment to be on AA metal for them to be involved. This has been discussed here previously, but I can't recall the thread.
AA RTW desk is very good, but IIRC, they usually require (or at least prefer) at least one long haul, over water segment to be on AA metal for them to be involved. This has been discussed here previously, but I can't recall the thread.
Sep 6, 2008 | 3:44 pm
#5
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Sep 6, 2008 | 7:34 pm
#8
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: SYD
Posts: 3,045
They still do. I was on the phone with AA SYD (the actual CTO, not the call centre) the other day whilst they were trying to reissue my DONE4. And they mentioned that they still do paper tix under certain circumstances, eg open dated coupons, airports that don't accept etix etc.
Sep 6, 2008 | 8:36 pm
#9
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Yup. Just bought a 12 segment AONE4 from Mindpearl in CPT, including one surface segment. Last four were open. According to Mindpearl, open segments = paper ticket. Even better, this was an old fashioned ticket, three consecutive four-segment handwritten tickets on 001 stock, complete with red carbon. I hadn't seen one of these in years, -- neither had the check-in agents at LAX.
Sep 6, 2008 | 9:05 pm
#10
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: New York
Programs: Starwood, SQ PPS, BA EXEC
Posts: 136
Attn QF 009
I'll send you a seperate message too, but I did not know AA had an office in Sydney...Do you have their number and it could come in handy....
As to the originator of this thread
As far as I know, agents have been charging fees for at least 10 years....Is this your first trip in a while?
I'll send you a seperate message too, but I did not know AA had an office in Sydney...Do you have their number and it could come in handy....
As to the originator of this thread
As far as I know, agents have been charging fees for at least 10 years....Is this your first trip in a while?
Sep 7, 2008 | 6:16 am
#11
Join Date: Jan 2008
Programs: QFF WP
Posts: 379
Agents do charge varying fees, as this is their source of revenue.
AA RTW desk is very good, but IIRC, they usually require (or at least prefer) at least one long haul, over water segment to be on AA metal for them to be involved. This has been discussed here previously, but I can't recall the thread.
AA RTW desk is very good, but IIRC, they usually require (or at least prefer) at least one long haul, over water segment to be on AA metal for them to be involved. This has been discussed here previously, but I can't recall the thread.
Sep 7, 2008 | 11:10 am
#13
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: SYD
Posts: 3,045
http://www.aa.com/aa/i18nForward.do?...oneContact.jsp
You can't actually contact the SYD office directly. You'd talk to the call centre in BNE, which will queue your booking to SYD for ticketing. I got the call from SYD CTO as the BNE people didn't insert my CC details correctly, and they wanted my mailing address just in case they couldn't produce an eticket.
Sep 7, 2008 | 8:01 pm
#14
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The AA sydney office is not open to the public, nor are telephone numbers for it publically available. They do deal with bookings (e.g. issue tickets, receipts etc) from there; I have dealt with them this year in relation to some LONE4s. e.g. FAXing a CC authorization form;