Booking flights

[flossybeth]

I've always used sites like Skyscanner/Kayak when looking at flight prices but now I am actually booking a flight to the UK for November I'm not sure how safe a third party booking system is? Skyscanner came up with a $100 cheaper than direct with Singapore Airlines but I'm not sure how well rated Skidoo are - I've read reviews that suggest they delay your payment and then make you re-book at a higher price.

Does anyone use a third party or suggest the best way to book?

 

[cliffy]

Recent years, I have always booked with airline direct, and they have always dealt welll with any issues.  I have never managed to actually get cheaper flights than they offered by the time I put in the variations and stopovers I wanted. Sometimes I have booked through partner airlines for the same flights at a cheaper price. I always look.  Emirates is having a sale for flights to end Nov. atm

Used to book with b & m travel agency, until we did one trip with awful  "recommended" hotels and flight errors by them. 

[snifter]

I used Skyscanner for one my trips to the UK but can't recall who I booked through. Had no issues with the tickets or payment being delayed.

I do prefer and up till that trip had always booked direct with the airline. Usually can find a decent deal that compares price wise. Most recent trip I booked direct as they had the same price listed (more or less) on their website for the dates I wanted. I think it was $50 or so difference. 

Travel time wise, Emirates seem to be doing the most direct shorter transits these days. Singapore tend to have long layovers which is fine if you have time or want to stop off there for 8 hours plus but we didn't. Longest we had to wait in Dubai was 2.5 hours and it gave us enough time to get off one flight, go through security, find our gate on the board and head there. Once there, had a drink and freshened up and boarded a bit after. 

 

[llessur]

We used Aunt Betty when we booked our upcoming visit back to the UK. It's the online arm of Flight Centre and gave us a really good price on some good Qatar flights - cheaper than Webjet, Skyscanner etc could come up with. No hassles so far, haven't flown yet though!

 

[Tamara (Homes Down Under)]

I have used skyscanner and webjet on a couple of occasions and not had any issues.

I have also booked many flights on Singapore airlines through their own website.

If it's peace of mind you are looking for, and maybe a small saving you could price match a flight with Flight Centre. They beat a web price by $50 for an overseas flight for one of my trips and you have their guarantees.

[flossybeth]

Thanks all, I booked direct with Singapore in the end - it's an 8 hour stop over in Singapore but the flight times were best all round.

@Tamara (Homes Down Under) it's not so much a small saving I'm after it's more I'm not terribly keen to spend anything at all but it's my Mum's 70th and there's an expectation (even from the other side of the world I can feel my Mum's stare  )

[Abi]

Haha I know about that. It's our first year here and my mum's 50th. She is not happy with me. Glad you got sorted out, it's always worth mentioning the lower price seen elsewhere just to see if they can match it.

[Tamara (Homes Down Under)]

I called in to Flight Centre earlier today and confirmed with them their policy regarding price guarantee...they will beat any other price even if it's only by a few Dollars. Take in your proof and they will process your flights = peace of mind compared to some internet fares.

[flossybeth]

That's handy to know for when we all go back next year - we'll be looking for all the savings we can then.

[cliffy]

Recently wanted to book a flight that was not a straightforward return to UK and tried with some airlines direct, but it just wouldn't give me what I wanted.  

Went to travel agent in Marion and she booked it, not without a few hassles, but it does what we want and we saved a fair amount on trying to book similar with the airline direct. All we have to do now is get insurance to cover my husbands 'existing' complaints!!

 

[Tamara (Homes Down Under)]

I recently booked some online flights for my father in law and companion and I booked with Emirates for a visit early next year. I was surprised that the charges for a prebooking their seats was another 50 pounds per trip....have been advised to wait until 48 hours before and then book them for free.

[snifter]

9 hours ago, Tamara (Homes Down Under) said:

I recently booked some online flights for my father in law and companion and I booked with Emirates for a visit early next year. I was surprised that the charges for a prebooking their seats was another 50 pounds per trip....have been advised to wait until 48 hours before and then book them for free.

Yup. If you buy the economy seats at the cheaper prices (ie the specials or deals) then you have to pay extra to choose your seat. You get the saving of the cheaper ticket but pay extra for other things so it sometimes doesn't work out as much of a saving if you go for the pre booking payment option. TBH most people booking in economy are probably in the same boat and when I've flown with Emirates I've found the 48 hour deadline fine to log in and reserve a seat. You don't get the bulkhead or the extra legroom ones as people usually snap those up but most others to choose from. Last time we flew we had an entire row to ourselves. 4 seats, 2 people, for the first leg to Dubai. We flew Qantas from Dubai to London and booked those also at the 48 hour point iirc and got decent ones. On the way back we had a row to ourselves again from Dubai to Adelaide. 

Suggest checking the Emirates site and seeing what has been booked out so far or showing as reserved (via the ticket info etc. I did this and hardly any filled up in the weeks leading up to flying. Had they started booking out I'd maybe have paid but as they didn't, I left it. 

 

[Tamara (Homes Down Under)]

Thanks for that.

I think that they may bite the bullet and pay the extra for the seats...but I will hear about the extra cost for the rest of my life! I am quite happy to wait for the 48 hour period but for elderly people who are traveling together the anxiety may work on them.

To be honest I was really surprised that there was a seat booking fee on Emirates. There wasn't one on Qatar and it's expected on the budget airlines like Jetstar etc.

My daughter and her ever growing family recently booked cheap flights on Jetstar and went to the Gold Coast and she refused to pay to pre book seat. She figured that they can't have young children sat away from parents and so far it's always worked out for her.

The interesting thing about the Qatar flight was that seats shown to be booked ended up being empty and there was loads of choice on that flight so not always too sure whether to believe all the allocations shown on their flights!

[cliffy]

My daughter and family flew Emirates Adl to Brussels last week. Did not prebook seats, checked in latish and had no problem being seated together in a row of four. I think she may have been happy to have been apart from her young ones, but no airline would do that. As long as both people are on one booking I think there would be no problem.

We flew Qatar a few days earlier and, although we had chosen our seats last May, at no cost, they were changed on the Doha -Brussels leg anyway and we ended up in the middle aisle. It was dark some of yhe way and the blinds were down, so it didnt worry us.

[flossybeth]

Tamara I always used to think when my 3 were younger that if we were split up on a flight people would soon be happy to move around!  and although we never had any issues when my husband flew back from the UK a few years ago with Malaysian and he helped a lady with 3 very small children who was very grateful because her husband had been upgraded and left her to sit in economy by herself!