Flights to Florida

[eagleydo]

Just received a response to an enquiry about an offer on flights to Tampa - indirect.(Used link above) Prices were quoted as £409, my query was if any seats were available. The response back was for a direct flight using virgin for just under £1000 a person (albeit with a car which i never requested- not even usable as it was a seven seater, with 6 adults I would need an 8 seater at least)
Sorry to rant but just felt really annoyed. A simple comment like the offer isnt available would have been fine. NB. Offer still onsite

[sammibabe]

Can understand why you're annoyed but I am surprised as we used them a few years ago and they were excellent with quotes and then on to book. Haven't used them since as we have always had Virgin miles for M&M flights. Virgin have gone down hill but with M&M flights we can't get cheaper and the flight is only a means to an end! Worth a phone call?

[Katys Grandad]

There really isn't any advantage to using agents these day and, IMHO, several drawbacks. I haven't used one for many years.

Agents can't usually match and very rarely better flight prices direct from the airline (most airlines give a lowest fare guarantee anyway) and if problems arise, I've always found you receive far better consideration when you've booked directly.

[sammibabe]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by Katys Grandad
There really isn't any advantage to using agents these day and, IMHO, several drawbacks. I haven't used one for many years.

Agents can't usually match and very rarely better flight prices direct from the airline (most airlines give a lowest fare guarantee anyway) and if problems arise, I've always found you receive far better consideration when you've booked directly.
[/quote]

That's worth knowing thanks

[floridadreamvilla.co.uk]

We rely on them telling us when to remove offers as we have no way of telling which are still available and which are not. Did they say it was totally withdrawn or just no seats for your dates (so I know whether to zap it or not)?

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by eagleydo
NB. Offer still onsite
[/quote]

[eagleydo]

Sorry, I don't know. I requested the offer, quoted number and forum and also used form onsite. My response just ignored what I was enquiring about and offered me flights with virgin for 6 people in economy plus car, a couple of other similar quotes (one for less time? don't understand the reason for that one). As for the flight I was asking about they just ignored this.
I presumed therefore no seats were available for my dates, but they neither said this was or was not the case.
Hence the reason I was annoyed.


<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by floridadreamvilla.co.uk
We rely on them telling us when to remove offers as we have no way of telling which are still available and which are not. Did they say it was totally withdrawn or just no seats for your dates (so I know whether to zap it or not)?

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by eagleydo
NB. Offer still onsite
[/quote]
[/quote]

[eagleydo]

This offer still being advertised

[floridadreamvilla.co.uk]

We've not been told it's not available for all dates by the travel agent. They advise us what is current and what is not as we have no way of telling otherwise.
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by eagleydo
This offer still being advertised
[/quote]

[PeteF]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by Katys Grandad
There really isn't any advantage to using agents these day and, IMHO, several drawbacks. I haven't used one for many years.

Agents can't usually match and very rarely better flight prices direct from the airline (most airlines give a lowest fare guarantee anyway) and if problems arise, I've always found you receive far better consideration when you've booked directly.
[/quote]

... and if the airline goes under?

[Sniff]

There really isn't any advantage to using agents these day and, IMHO, several drawbacks. I haven't used one for many years.

Agents can't usually match and very rarely better flight prices direct from the airline (most airlines give a lowest fare guarantee anyway) and if problems arise, I've always found you receive far better consideration when you've booked directly.

That's not really true. Most airlines will give lower prices to an agent which regularly sends hundreds (and probably thousands) of bookings their way each month, compared to a one-off personal booking via the website, even if it is via the airline's own website. They might give you a lowest fare guarantee, but it's likely to be "lowest fare available to an individual booking via our website" won't be anywhere near what they offer to the large distributors.

There are still advantages to booking via an agent (not least ABTA/IATA coverage) and for complicated itineraries there can be definite benefits in using a professional, as they have much more powerful tools available to them than are available via the websites.