Hello friends. Looking to travel to Asia in April. I've looking around the net and found great deals with bunch of agencies I never heard of. How can you tell if these guys are for real? What's the catch? Can someone recommend a good one?
Type the names of these companies into the search box on this page. Discussed frequently.
^^^ +1
Gerald, many (most) of those agencies sell tickets using bartered frequent flier miles. This is against the terms and conditions of the airlines and, if caught would mean your ticket would be cancelled and leave you stranded (sometimes at the airport and even when checking on for your return flight).
Does that happen? Yes, and it's happening more frequently as the airlines (especially the US carriers) are clamping down.
You can get legitimate discounted business class fares directly from the airlines when they run sales. BA recently had a business class sale, and it may still be going on.
US BizTraveler: Thank you for taking the time. I did check out British Air. They're at $8,400 per person for my dates :( Definitely out of my budget.
Could you possibly explain bartered miles? I've flown using my friend's miles before, and did not have any problems. That was domestic though... Not sure if that matters.
If you were using your friends miles then is questioned at the airport you knew someting about him.
If using a strangers miles on a route that has no connection to that person they may well ask a few question at check in. When you do not know the answers your ticket isgone.
The person selling could also be found out and their account and all tickets cancelled. The airlines have people lurking on Ebay etc, who track down the sellers !
bongoblog: Dully noted, makes sense. Seems like there's some gray area.
Surely you know if the ticket you got from these online discounted fare places, is an award ticket? Do they try to hide the fact that it's an award ticket? Who wouldn't know the difference? Does that mean people don't mind using these "illegitimate" tickets? Otherwise, how the hell do these guys stay in business?
Perhaps try using an airfare search engine like skyscanner.net, which now has a business class search function. It will show you the cheapest carriers. Instead of booking through a 3rd party, it's recommended you do it through the airline directly.
It also helps to sign up for airline mailing lists to find out promos.
One other thing -- when you say 'Asia', you might be able to be flexible. Big hubs like Bangkok, Singapore, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur and even places like Jakarta have cheap connections to other Asian cities, often on budget carriers. So, for example, you might find a great deal in business to a city that could be, say, US$500 cheaper than to the city you want to go to, then pick up a cheap ticket, perhaps less than US$100 on a budget carrier like AirAsia or Jetstar. Flights within Asia are so short that this might work for you.
Where are you going and what's your rough budget? Do you need to stop anywhere en route? How long do you intend to be gone?
>> If you were using your friends miles then is questioned at the airport you knew someting about him. <<
Bingo. It's perfectly ok to gift an award ticket to a friend, as long as you receive no payment for the ticket.
I've gifted a couple of flights to friends no problem. But last time (2010) my friend commented that at check in that the agent chatted about me and the flights I'd taken ("she was really friendly but she asked a lot about you"). Because she's a good friend she essentially knew the answers and there was no problem. But I'd doubt you'd know as much about a stranger selling you a mileage ticket as a good friend of yours.
Gerald, most folks wouldn't know it was an award ticket, as it will look just like any other eTicket. The only way to know (assuming the agent didn't tell you when you bought it) would be to look up the fare class listed. And probably 70% of travelers have no idea of what that is or where to find it on their booking or how to look it up for the airline in question.
I actually requested a few quotes quite a while back just for grins, then followed up on the quotes with some more questions, one of which was about it being an award ticket. One admitted right up front that it was, the other two avoided the issue with a more generic "it is a legal ticket" reply.
Surely you know if the ticket you got from these online discounted fare places, is an award ticket?
------in a world where people post here with comments that make you wonder how they ever got a job to earn the money, no, many wouldn't, they wouldn't even know what one is and if they did they probably wouldn't think it would apply to them and in any case, you can't easily tell.
Do they try to hide the fact that it's an award ticket?
------They won't advertise the fact it is. From what ive read they will say if asked, but few will ask since most people wouldnt know what an award ticket is anyway
Who wouldn't know the difference?
------ the people who don't know what an award ticket is? Or who just see "oooh shiny lower price" and don't think "what could possibly be the catch"
Does that mean people don't mind using these "illegitimate" tickets?
----- yep, all those who only care about price and look no further.
Otherwise, how the hell do these guys stay in business?
----- these are also pretty small businesses. Run out of someone's house usually. In any case look at the third party big businesses continually with issues here doesn't seem to stop an endless supply of mugs who di zero research before buying.
