Triple Check Details When Booking On LIne

[parry 58]

Booked a flight last week MAN-BKK through Holiday Genie, who, according to Skyscanners, offered the best price.

I normally check the details very carefully before I press the pay button but now being an "expert" and always booking the same flight, on this occasion I gave them a cursory once over and pressed pay. Big Mistake.

I had booked myself a 10 hour stopover in Abu Dhabi coming home instead of the usual 2. Both flights were the same price I had just selected the wrong one. I realised my mistake 2 minutes later when I read the confirmatory email and immediately rang Holiday Genie who said I was fucked unless I pay and extra £150 which would rise to £275 if I left it til tomorrow. After a bit of negotiation and after the salesman alleged he spoke to the airline (he didn't I checked) and his boss (he didn't he has form for lying and that is the sort of thing car salesmen say) they charged me £115 to change the flight to what I wanted.

I am not moaning, its my own stupid fault, its just a warning to take your time and be careful. This is the 18th time I have booked on line and my blasé attitude cost me an extra £115. What a tit

Edited April 17, 2013 by parry

[steamer 158]

Something similar happened to me when the fooking airline had me landing in LaGuardia and taking off from JFK with just a tiny window and not enough time for customs. Of course it cost me more to change the ticket.

[Sinistersinner 223]

I think it has happened to a lot more people than they will admit too.....

 

Like you (the OP) said, it's always best to check the details over and over again..

 

Fortunately for me, I've caught a few mistakes before I hit the "Buy now" Button..

 

 

Good Luck to everyone.....

[ZARIS 20]

fair comment.

 

I do all my bookings online for years now. Normally searches go in lowest price first order, therefore the first thing I look for is layover times. Many of the cheap flights from OZ fly to the airlines country of origin first.ie- singapore airlines goes sydney sing, air asia goes sydney KL, cathay goes sydney hong kng etc.

 

What I have found is that if you fly with your destinations airline there are generally a greater number of direct flights.ie- thailand- thai airways, indonesia- garuda etc.

I went to bali recently and flew garuda which was 120$ more than air asia but was a 6 hour direct flight instead of a 18 hour layover in KL.

 

Also the customs officials were actually on the plane so we did immigration on the plane so after landing it was pick up bags and straight through to the exits. A big plus in my book.

The air asia flight which arrived before us were still queued at immigration.

[Kev 173]

Also the customs officials were actually on the plane so we did immigration on the plane so after landing it was pick up bags and straight through to the exits. A big plus in my book.

The air asia flight which arrived before us were still queued at immigration.

Shite now that is a bloody good idea, all the direct airlines should do the same, I'm sure their customs officials would apprteciate getting out of the airport as well.

Edited April 17, 2013 by Kev

[short 215]

I doubt that would hold up as a legal contract. I would have contested the credit card charge.

[jacko 8,696]

I doubt that would hold up as a legal contract. I would have contested the credit card charge.

Yes I thought that.... block it out of spite.

These agents do come up with some silly transit times, but then again, if you go straight to the airline's websites, they do too.

Who the hell wants to sit around in awful Abu Dhabi airport for 10+ hours on the way to Bangkok, or on the way back with just the bus-fare in your pocket. I have noticed a lot of sites now highlight the total journey time, so I always ensure that is in the expected 15-16 hour range.

£115 to change it. I think you should have checked, since it was the return leg, if Etihad might have permitted a change for 2000 baht, after you had arrived.

Beware too, changes seem to be getting more expensive with the carriers.

Edited April 17, 2013 by jacko

[js007 795]

That sounds exactly like the kind of stupid thing I would do. Sometimes I'm just a scatterbrain, and sometimes I think I should probably use my reading glasses when doing something important.

 

Not to long ago I was trying to take some money out of my brokerage and instead, I deposited some. Of course, that screwed up my checking account.

[LocalYokul 177]

I think I would have toughed out the 10 hours in Abu Dhabi, maybe go to a gold souk or two.

Edited April 18, 2013 by LocalYokul

[jacko 8,696]

That sounds exactly like the kind of stupid thing I would do. Sometimes I'm just a scatterbrain, and sometimes I think I should probably use my reading glasses when doing something important.

 

Not to long ago I was trying to take some money out of my brokerage and instead, I deposited some. Of course, that screwed up my checking account.

My worst was booking a hotel room using Agoda, and not noticing the extra charge of a compulsory Gala Dinner for 2 which got tagged on, and the booking was non-refundable as it was at the last minute. That cost me! Should be a 1 hour cooling down period where you can go to your credit card and cancel!

[js007 795]

My worst was booking a hotel room using Agoda, and not noticing the extra charge of a compulsory Gala Dinner for 2 which got tagged on, and the booking was non-refundable as it was at the last minute. That cost me! Should be a 1 hour cooling down period where you can go to your credit card and cancel!

 

i forget the details, but one time I ordered something wrong but the vendor wouldn't stop the order. So, I called the credit card company and the charge hadn't gone through. The lady was nice enough to cancel the whole account and give me a new card and account number. The charge didn't go through and the vendor didn't sell me anything.

[parry 58]

I think I would have toughed out the 10 hours in Abu Dhabi, maybe go to a gold souk or two.

 

Yes I thought about that one, 10 hours is a ball ache and it also meant getting into Manchester at 3.30pm instead of 7am and Im working next day so would have been in even more of a rush etc

[parry 58]

I doubt that would hold up as a legal contract. I would have contested the credit card charge.

 

Im not sure mate, in the small print it states that as soon as they issue an invoice ( ie straight away) I have a legal obligation.

[VPI78 11,457]

Im not sure mate, in the small print it states that as soon as they issue an invoice ( ie straight away) I have a legal obligation.

Andy Rooney was a commentator on the CBS New show titled "60 minutes." One of my favorite quotes from him is "Nothing in fine print is good news."

[nkped 1,208]

Back when you actually got paper tickets, I hit the purchase button on Travelocity without realizing my account still showed an old address 3,000 miles away. The folks who lived there were nice enough to send them back to Travelocity. Don't know if the guy tried to get a kitchen pass to go to Bangkok by himself.

 

FWIW, my next trip is on EVA and the fare rules show a USD100 cancellation fee.