No airport ticket sales!?
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: London
Programs: GGL/GFL
Posts: 1,032
No airport ticket sales!?
At SYD international. Last minute change of plans and have to buy a walk up ticket. Due to flight times only a V Australia flight fits the schedule. There are no ticket sales at the airport. Now an a very expensive call to the call centre to purchase. Most bizarre- is this normal in OZ? I have never not been able to ticket from an airline at an airport before on several continents....
Corporate TA is asleep, and plans changed enroute to SYD, so town ticket office was not an option.
Corporate TA is asleep, and plans changed enroute to SYD, so town ticket office was not an option.
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: ATL
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#4
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Australia
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Posts: 1,096
Don't know about Qantas, but Virgin Australia have never offered ticket sales via the airport, though they will sell paid upgrades (but they still ring the call centre while you're there to verify prices)
There are net kiosks all around Syd Int so that was another option without the call centre surcharge
There are net kiosks all around Syd Int so that was another option without the call centre surcharge
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: London
Programs: GGL/GFL
Posts: 1,032
Don't know about Qantas, but Virgin Australia have never offered ticket sales via the airport, though they will sell paid upgrades (but they still ring the call centre while you're there to verify prices)
There are net kiosks all around Syd Int so that was another option without the call centre surcharge
There are net kiosks all around Syd Int so that was another option without the call centre surcharge
I went to the service desk when I arrived and was told to go into town to purchase a ticket, after stating I had just come from there, the 'helpful' lady handed me a card with the phone number - absolutely no mention of said kiosks.
While 75% of my flights are sorted in advance the other 25% do require a human and are usually done at the airport prior to boarding. It seems to me those are the types of tickets the airline would want to sell. As for the selling of upgrades, I was told at check in - it could only be done 'on the phone and more than 3 hours before departure'.
All in all, very weird policy that would seem to discourage any sort of business traveller.
#6
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: London, UK
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Posts: 8,156
Don't know about Qantas, but Virgin Australia have never offered ticket sales via the airport, though they will sell paid upgrades (but they still ring the call centre while you're there to verify prices)
There are net kiosks all around Syd Int so that was another option without the call centre surcharge
There are net kiosks all around Syd Int so that was another option without the call centre surcharge
For example, go purchase a ticket from SYD to LHR with a 3 day stop over in AUH. Possible?
Human yes, website no.
#8
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Adelaide,Australia
Posts: 273
A Total Joke.Never put up with this nonsense back in the Ansett/Australian Era of the late Eighties/Early Nineties You could make the booking over the phone and pick up the ticket at the Airport and pay it for there and then.Now You have to do it online or have three days on your side to arrange the last minute flight changes.
#9
In Memoriam
Join Date: May 2001
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Dave
#10
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Melbourne, Mostly
Programs: VA Plat, TK E, HH Dia, IHG Gold
Posts: 487
A Total Joke.Never put up with this nonsense back in the Ansett/Australian Era of the late Eighties/Early Nineties You could make the booking over the phone and pick up the ticket at the Airport and pay it for there and then.Now You have to do it online or have three days on your side to arrange the last minute flight changes.
That said, i can understand why the OP found it frustrating. Surprised there isn't some sort of arrangement that could be made at the airport if not a full ticket office.