How do YOU book your ticket to Spain?

[blueskywa]

Hello all,
We were so looking forward to our flight to Madrid from Australia on the 5th April to walk the Madrid, Salvador and Primitivo Caminos.
Now we probably won't be going because the Cheapflights site we booked thru using Fly365 didn't issue our tickets after we'd paid.
We printed off what we thought were the tickets on the 22 January and yesterday with the coronavirus business thought we'd check our booking and guess what? There was no booking!
So, I rang Qatar direct and was told Fly365 has gone into liquidation and left a lot of people up the creek without a paddle. Anyone else affected?
Qatar advised me to book direct with them and although I've never had a problem before with many other bookings thru Cheapflights, Kayak etc, I know what I'll be doing next time.
Just a heads up for anyone not going thru the airline direct.
Buen Camino to all....cheers Lori

 

[Bradypus]

I use kayak.co.uk to search for my flights but then book directly with the airline rather than through a third-party agency. Sometimes a little more expensive but I prefer to be able to deal directly with the airline in the event of any problem.

 

[OzAnnie]

I always use a travel agent (from Australia). Just more comfortable knowing they’re responsible for any booking malfunctions (& connection timings etc) . They get their small fee but I’m happier having this part done by them.

Sorry to hear of your dilemma Loretta
Buen Camino
Annie

Edit: I do notice recently that people appear to be having more good fortune - re-arranging flights when booked direct with airline though

 

[Robo]

I always book direct with the Airline.

Sorry to hear of your situation.

 

[notion900]

@Loretta O'Sullivan very sorry to hear about this. I'm seeing lots of people are out of pocket. Just to be clear, can you confirm who you used, as there is another website called Cheapflights.com / .co.uk which seems to be still trading.

 

[Kanga]

Oh dear, @Loretta O'Sullivan, I am sorry, none of us need that!

I also always now book direct with the airline. I've used travel agents in the past, and also online agents, but I don't think it works out more than a few dollars cheaper, and it is always easier to make changes, if necessary.

 

[blueskywa]

@Loretta O'Sullivan very sorry to hear about this. I'm seeing lots of people are out of pocket. Just to be clear, can you confirm who you used, as there is another website called Cheapflights.com / .co.uk which seems to be still trading.

It's cheapflights.com.au which gives a list of all the flights you can book thru different agents. Obviously good as a search engine for what's available but I've just learnt to go direct to the airline to book.

 

[NorthernLight]

To be really clear, it sounds like you used cheapflights as the search engine but the seller of the ticket was Fly365 ?

I also will use a variety of search engines to see options and then compare on the airline’s website and book on the airline’s website.

Sorry you’ve had this experience, and thanks for giving people a heads up.

 

[CWBuff]

For the sake of repeating what many already said I always book with airline directly after doing the homework via Kayak, Expedia, etc
One interesting thing is that it absolutely pays to check the site of the 'partner' line as well since most of flights are code share nowadays; believe it or not sometimes the price for the same flight could be cheaper
Coming from US I also found that in some instances a very small price difference may give you a good benefit. Last November DW and I flew to Barcelona. The flight for all purposes was Air France but code shared with Delta. If booked on AF it came through practically as Basic Economy - you had to pay for everything
Delta, on the other hand was just couple of $$$ more (and I mean couple) but we had free checked-in baggage and picked our seats
Go figure

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I use kayak.co.uk to search for my flights but then book directly with the airline rather than through a third-party agency. Sometimes a little more expensive but I prefer to be able to deal directly with the airline in the event of any problem.

I always use my kayak app, but you make a good point. I usually dislike the extra hassle involved, but I'm gonna have a rethink on that for the future.

 

[notion900]

it absolutely pays to check the site of the 'partner' line as well

Yes BA and Iberia are notorious for this. Can never understand the price difference.

Also Skyscanner is a good searching website.

 

[CWBuff]

Lots of time the search engine sites will still direct/transfer you to the airline's site to make the purchase, so WTH

 

[Molly Cassidy]

I use kayak.co.uk to search for my flights but then book directly with the airline rather than through a third-party agency. Sometimes a little more expensive but I prefer to be able to deal directly with the airline in the event of any problem.

I use Skyscanner to compare prices. They just redirect you to book with the airline.

 

[NorthernLight]

Some search engines don’t include charter flights in their search, others do, so it helps to check multiple sources.

 

[Bradypus]

I use Skyscanner to compare prices. They just redirect you to book with the airline.

Kayak do the same - they may present several different options (and prices) for booking which include using their own site, a third-party or the airline's own booking site. Usually quite seamless to click through to the airline.

 

[lt56ny]

I always book through the airlines. I will check some of the third party sites to see where there may be cheap fares but then I go directly to the airline to book it. If something happens and there is a cancellation that the airline would supply you with a full refund you may not get it if you book through a third party. You may get some but you aren't going to get the whole thing. There are a whole list of issues that could come up. It just isn't worth it and about 99.9% of the time the airline is the same price. If you see flights that are alot cheaper you probably will have a long or overnight layover. Or worse, if you miss a connecting flight the airline may not rebook you because it was not their route. I advise against it and I learned the hard way once.

 

[blueskywa]

To be really clear, it sounds like you used cheapflights as the search engine but the seller of the ticket was Fly365 ?

I also will use a variety of search engines to see options and then compare on the airline’s website and book on the airline’s website.

Sorry you’ve had this experience, and thanks for giving people a heads up.

Yes you're correct about the search engine and seller.
It's been a lesson well learnt....and tomorrow approach the bank to enquire about the possibilty of a credit card refund???

 

[CWBuff]

Yes you're correct about the search engine and seller.
It's been a lesson well learnt....and tomorrow approach the bank to enquire about the possibilty of a credit card refund???

Or simply file a dispute
Hopefully it will work
Good luck

 

[blueskywa]

Thankyou, will definitely look into it

 

[lt56ny]

Yes BA and Iberia are notorious for this. Can never understand the price difference.

Also Skyscanner is a good searching website.

I was just wondering if you would clarify this about Iberia. I live in Mexico now and Iberia has always had the cheapest flights to Spain and Portugal. I always connect through Mexico City and then on to Madrid or Barcelona or Lisbon or wherever. My choices are usually only Iberia or American and usually Iberia comes out cheaper.

 

[Bradypus]

I was just wondering if you would clarify this about Iberia.

Where two or more airlines 'codeshare' on a route and time slot they may each have their own unique flight number and issue tickets in the name of their company but only one physical aircraft flies the route on behalf of all the companies. So you may buy a ticket from Iberia but actually fly on a BA plane or vice versa. And each company in the codeshare sets its own prices which may be very different. So you could pay £100 to BA and be sitting in the same row with another person holding an Iberia ticket which only cost £60.

 

[lt56ny]

Where two or more airlines 'codeshare' on a route and time slot they may each have their own unique flight number and issue tickets in the name of their company but only one physical aircraft flies the route on behalf of all the companies. So you may buy a ticket from Iberia but actually fly on a BA plane or vice versa. And each company in the codeshare sets its own prices which may be very different. So you could pay £100 to BA and be sitting in the same row with another person holding an Iberia ticket which only cost £60.

Thanks so much. I forgot about that. As I said my flights choices are usually limited to Iberia or American. On Iberia I can only get a boarding pass ahead of time from Iberia. I have to wait until I get to the airport I have to always check in with Interjet (a Mexican airline) because of my Permanent Residence Status and a form I have to give them at the airport when I leave the country. I submit the paperwork in Puerto Vallarta, where I live or in Mexico City. I prefer to do it in PV as the line is always shorter.

 

[Jeff B]

Buying airline tickets is a 'game'. I have found that the prices can change almost daily, and it does not matter which site you use to buy on. Because of this I have learned to check pricing almost every day, and when I see a 'good' price I book it. I do not expect, or think, that I will be able to get the lowest price possible, but rather hope to find something acceptable to me.

 

[trecile]

@Loretta O'Sullivan so sorry that this has happened to you. One of the many reasons why I always book directly with the airline. For those who asked it's fly365 that has gone into liquidation.

Fly365: online flight booking firm goes into administration, leaving travellers out of pocket

Sydney-based company with links to collapsed firm Bestjet wipes website, leaving customers unsure how to recoup their money

www.theguardian.com

I usually use Google Flights to find and compare flights, then go to the airline's website to book.

Google Flights

www.google.com

I know that many people use Skyscanner, Kayak and other search engines. You need to be aware that the 3rd party results that you get are basically ads. Those companies pay the search engines for their results to show up on the site, and aren't necessarily "vetted".

 

[Elle Bieling]

Thank you all for the education. I have never had any issues. I also like to use Momondo.com for a search engine.

 

[gerardcarey]

Hello all,
We were so looking forward to our flight to Madrid from Australia on the 5th April to walk the Madrid, Salvador and Primitivo Caminos.QUOTE]
For September Camino I'm looking at flying Scoot from the Gold Coast via Singapore into Athens. (I've done it previously and they fly fm other AU's cities) A$430 one way at the mo.
Then flying Ryanair fm Athens into Madrid. A$125 one way at the mo. I buy the return ticket separately.
The prices gradually increase, but occasionally decrease, from 6 months out.
Regards
Gerard
PS Who wouldn't want a little break in Greece on the way up or back?
I use Google Flights to investigate flights but book direct with the airlines if price is the same.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Thank you all for the education. I have never had any issues. I also like to use Momondo.com for a search engine.

Me neither, no problems ever, but I think I may change my tune for future flight bookings and go direct to the airline's websites to book.

 

[trecile]

Me neither, no problems ever, but I think I may change my tune for future flight bookings and go direct to the airline's websites to book.

Like Skyscanner and Kayak, Momondo is a search engine with links to airline's sites and 3rd party ticket sellers.
I can see no good reason to insert a middleman between myself and the airline. If anything goes wrong I want to be able to deal directly with the airline.

 

[doctorherman]

Last year I thought I had lost a lot of money when Jet went bust and people who had booked via a third party were reporting they couldn't get their money back. Fortunately, I had booked through Etihad as my outward flight was to be Jet and return by Etihad and I got a full refund. I'd agree that booking directly with an airline makes better sense.

 

[ebrandt]

I use all kinds of sources to shop for the tickets. I like Kayak and I liked Hipmunk (which is shutting down soon or already has). But I use google flights and other places also. The thing is I always then go to the airline site and book the flight through the airline. Always. Sometimes, I can't find the deal. Sometimes its a bit more than quoted on the flight discounting site. But I feel like its the safest way to go.

 

[RJM]

The best booking sites I have used have been hotwire and priceline. I have found some good deals on there. I always check and see if the same deal is available if I book direct with the airline. If it is, I do that as it is then easier to choose seats, make changes etc. No middle man to go through.

 

[Roland49]

I did my research via skyscanner and rome2rio and did book my flights directly via the link to the airline on those websites.
Same for my flight back home, I did book that via skyscanner from Portomarin.

 

[blueskywa]

Thankyou everyone for your input. It's been most helpful for me when I come to make further bookings and I hope for others who weren't aware and could have been caught too.
Still really wanting to get to Madrid on the 5th April and go to Scotland in June as I've paid 20% deposit on a self drive holiday with Nordic Visitor.
Now....to try and recover some money...fingers Xed
Buen Camino

 

[Lizremedy]

Yes BA and Iberia are notorious for this. Can never understand the price difference.

Also Skyscanner is a good searching website.

You mention a problem with BA/ iberia. What problem have you had? Im about to book 3 long haul return flights with them so am worried now.
Thanks
Liz

 

[Molly Cassidy]

You mention a problem with BA/ iberia. What problem have you had? Im about to book 3 long haul return flights with them so am worried now.
Thanks
Liz

Just that one company may charge more for the same flight, so check the prices at BA and Iberia before you book. There's nothing to worry about. The worst that will happen is you'll pay more than you needed to for your flights.

 

[notion900]

am worried now

They are both fine, it's just the code share thing is maddening. I've never understood the business model for charging different prices, it just annoys and confuses people

the prices can change almost daily

I've also heard that even the time of day can affect flight prices, ie 4am is cheap! I've not stayed up to find out though.

 

[LesR]

Hello all,
We were so looking forward to our flight to Madrid from Australia on the 5th April to walk the Madrid, Salvador and Primitivo Caminos.
Now we probably won't be going because the Cheapflights site we booked thru using Fly365 didn't issue our tickets after we'd paid.

I use skyscanner, iwantthatflight, webjet, kayak, etc. to look for options and rough pricing, and then go direct to the airline web page to book my preferred flights.

I anticipated your circumstances - figuring that the airline may well be around long after a booking site closes its doors and disappears off the web (along with my cold hard cash).

Sad, but that is life in the commercial jungle. Hope you find another way to get to the Camino!

 

[Globalroaming074]

I use kayak.co.uk to search for my flights but then book directly with the airline rather than through a third-party agency. Sometimes a little more expensive but I prefer to be able to deal directly with the airline in the event of any problem.

I do the same, except here in Australia I use the momondo app to check flights, but ALWAYS book directly through the airlines website for the same reasons as @Bradypus.

 

[nycwalking]

Hello,

I always book through airline.

Sorry about your troubles.

Hope all works out.

 

[Lindsay53]

I'm from Australia and after a bit of experience I have found the the best way is to use a travel agent for booking overseas travel. You can do it yourself but I have found the hassle is not worth the very small amount you may save plus the risk of losing your money to a dodgy operator. A reputable travel agent can make sure your connections will work and will get you a good deal if you can be flexible with dates.

 

[dougfitz]

It must have been disappointing to the OP to have this happen. I'm not sure that I would avoid online booking just because one provider fails, but I can understand that response.

I have used travel agents, booking web sites and airline web sites in the past. Its a bit horses for courses here. There was a time when more complex multi-city flight plans couldn't easily be booked online. That has changed, and now the more complex booking functions can now be used by anyone. I now make fewer visits to my travel agent, and do tend to use the airline booking systems more, but I am not hard over on this.

 

[camino07]

Thankyou everyone for your input. It's been most helpful for me when I come to make further bookings and I hope for others who weren't aware and could have been caught too.
Still really wanting to get to Madrid on the 5th April and go to Scotland in June as I've paid 20% deposit on a self drive holiday with Nordic Visitor.
Now....to try and recover some money...fingers Xed
Buen Camino

So sorry Loretta for your travel problems. If you haven't already rebooked. My wonderful travel agent,Tammy Houston of Travel associates ,Applecross always does my bookings and I have often contacted her from Santiago when needing to change flights etc. Just a thought.

 

[Bradypus]

There was a time when more complex multi-city flight plans couldn't easily be booked online. That has changed, and now the more complex booking functions can now be used by anyone.

The change is quite astonishing. Last year I made a complex journey from the UK to Australia and back with a 20 hours stopover in Dubai and a three week stay in Japan along the way. A total of five flights which included arriving in Japan in Osaka but departing from Tokyo and arriving in Sydney but departing from Adelaide. All researched, booked and paid-for online on a single ticket from Emirates without once lifting my backside off my chair. Quite amazing for those of us who can still remember pre-internet international travel!

 

[gerip]

I use kayak.co.uk to search for my flights but then book directly with the airline rather than through a third-party agency. Sometimes a little more expensive but I prefer to be able to deal directly with the airline in the event of any problem.

Amen!

 

[gerip]

Buying airline tickets is a 'game'. I have found that the prices can change almost daily, and it does not matter which site you use to buy on. Because of this I have learned to check pricing almost every day, and when I see a 'good' price I book it. I do not expect, or think, that I will be able to get the lowest price possible, but rather hope to find something acceptable to me.

And always browse "privately", so sites can't remember the you've checked them more than once. The price automatically goes up when you return to a site after checking for the best fares. I've forgotten about that a couple of times & been burned.

 

[gerip]

I've also heard that even the time of day can affect flight prices, ie 4am is cheap! I've not stayed up to find out though.

Prices go up at midnight, I think US Eastern Standard Time.

 

[Bagobev]

I use kayak.co.uk to search for my flights but then book directly with the airline rather than through a third-party agency. Sometimes a little more expensive but I prefer to be able to deal directly with the airline in the event of any problem.

I do exactly the same thing for the same reason. I do not want to be stuck at an airport and have to make a call to a third party to sort out my problem. My sister spent four hours on the phone trying to make changes to her flights because he husband needed surgery. She was pulling her hair out by the end of the call. Well worth the extra few dollars for the convenience of speaking with the airlines directly.

 

[trecile]

And always browse "privately", so sites can't remember the you've checked them more than once. The price automatically goes up when you return to a site after checking for the best fares. I've forgotten about that a couple of times & been burned.

Sorry, that's a myth. Sometimes the price goes up because the last ticket in that particular fare "bucket" was sold, but it has nothing to do with cookies.

I never bother with private browsing on air fare searches and often get the same price as the last time I booked.

 

[blueskywa]

So sorry Loretta for your travel problems. If you haven't already rebooked. My wonderful travel agent,Tammy Houston of Travel associates ,Applecross always does my bookings and I have often contacted her from Santiago when needing to change flights etc. Just a thought.

Thanks for that reference. We've decided not to go to Spain this year and were fortunate enough to put our Scotland trip deposit on hold til next year too.
We will take the camper van and go to Tasmania instead. Quite a change!!

 

[blueskywa]

Good news with my transaction dispute after the loss of airfare money due to the agent going into liquidation!!
Put the paperwork in at the end of last week and $2548.33 + a credit of $60.67 which was interest deposited to my account today.
Buen Camino and safe travels to all

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Good news with my transaction dispute after the loss of airfare money due to the agent going into liquidation!!
Put the paperwork in at the end of last week and $2548.33 + a credit of $60.67 which was interest deposited to my account today.
Buen Camino and safe travels to all

Wonderful news for you! My mama used to say "The squeaky wheel gets the oil".