View Full Version : Re: Chris' article today
mtp51
08-25-2005, 08:31 AM
"rescheduled flight, repriced ticket" - once again, this probably would never have happened had the individual booked directly with the airline or a reputable travel agent. Personally, I would never book with Expedia, Travelocity or the like. You are most likely going to receive better service and a quality experience booking with the source. It's worth the extra $$.
I think it all depends on your travel needs. I usually use Expedia as a lot of my flights are last minute or within a couple of weeks of when I need to fly. Expedia get me the absolute lowest fares. I had a travel agent for a while, and most of the time I spent more than I would have done booking online.
I also believe that if the person in question had booked with a travel agent, or directly through the airline, the response may have been the same - again, this is just through personal experience. But I also know that if I do have a problem with an online booking, I won't talk to anybody except a supervisor and am willing (and have) gone higher than that to get a result.
NW CTC
08-25-2005, 08:03 PM
Gulp, that sure as heck wouldn't have happened with any even moderately competent travel agent. As an agent I can tell you that my clients don't have to talk to a supervisor - 98% of the airline issues that arise with their bookings they don't even know about because I deal with them for them without wasting their time giving them something to fret about unnecessarily.
I see what you mean, but what I probably didn't get across very well was that I know what I'm getting into when I use an online booking agency, and if there was a problem it wouldn't bother me to bypass the person that answers the phone so I can get a result.
Trust me, I'm not knocking regular travel agents, but for me as all I do is book flights and not "holidays" it's easier to use a company such as Expedia - but I'm also willing to accept and deal with the consequences of that.