BA: All Classes Summer 2011 Sale Fares Loaded – Book By 20/9

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Viewing 11 posts - 16 through 26 (of 26 total)

  • JordanD
    Participant

    Quick question: I’ve got a quote from a Travel Agent for a BA/IB ticket which is cheaper than BA are offering direct (it isn’t on sale due to the fact that IB/LA metal is used).

    Can one bargain with BA using the Travel Agent booking (which has been held by me) for bait?


    RICHARDGALE
    Participant

    Any idea VK?


    continentalclub
    Participant

    The BA fares that ba.com show are the ones that are loaded into the BA system. That said, on multi-carrier itineraries, it’s sometimes worth calling BA to ask for a quote, as the more complex range of fares available to their reservations people can throw up better options.

    You will, however, be charged the offline fee – which may still be less than some agents’ fees for bookings and card usage.

    There will not be, however, any opportunity for ‘bargaining’; the fare that you are offered is the one that the GDS shows to the BA agent.


    AuldReekie39
    Participant

    NTarrant. Your comments are noted but the comparison is not the same. You use the sofa from DFS straight way even if you do not pay for it until next year but the BA lie flat bed will not be available for 11 months and I pay for it now. DFS may have frequent sales but so have BA – this previous BA sale just finished last month.

    I was looking for a way forward and for perhaps solutions. It seems that once you use miles to upgrade the ticket is non-refundable.


    thecartoonman
    Participant

    I purchased 4 tickets in Y to travel to Tokyo in February 2012 in the last sale (July) but now found I could have purchased the same seats on the same flight in the current sale (August) for £200+ less.

    Am I disappointed, yes, but when I purchased the tickets I was happy with the fare and purchased on this basis and at the time it was a good price. If every person kept going back to the airline everytime the fares went against them it would be a complete mess.

    If the fares in this sale had been more would you have contacted the airline offering to pay more – I don’t think so!

    It’s life, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, if it’s any consolation there will probably be people on your flight who have paid much more than you, so sit back and enjoy!


    JordanD
    Participant

    continentalclub – thanks for your comments. Indeed, I’ve had to go offline to get a quote – the website refuses to price up the itinerary in question. In such a case, I’m disappointed the offline fee isn’t waived: I’m only calling up the call centre because their website tells me to (because the website can’t handle the query, I assume). None the less, the price is more than the travel agent on fare basis alone, however when including offline fees and credit card fees (BA) against the credit card fees (Travel Agent), the difference is pretty tight – the credit card fee with BA being much less than the travel agent. As I’ll get triple Amex BA miles by paying directly with BA, it makes the difference effectively zero.

    Regarding fares (a more general comment to AuldReekie, NTarrant and others): the value of the fare may go up as well as done. In the time I’ve been debating my trip to Peru, I’ve been regularly checking fares – as well as going up by £100, there have been days when the fare has slumped £150 from the value it was the day before. No sale, no real reason, just what has happened. As such, you don’t need a sale to be paying a healthy value less than what someone else paid the day before. (All values quoted direct from Iberia website).


    NTarrant
    Participant

    There is also that catch by certain LCC’s and tour operators who increase the price next time you visit because it recognises your computer and what you looked at last time.

    I have had a simular thing JordanD that prices can fluctuate on certain trips with multi-sector sale or no sale.


    FCTraveller
    Participant

    I booked two First Class tickets with the sale two nights ago. I was surprised to see at the time that First fares had a certain flexibility (£200 change fee plus difference in fare and £200 cancellation fee per ticket). CW was no changes no refund as usual. This is the main reason I booked at the sale price. I just tried to book a third one this morning and noticed that the First fare was not changeable and non refundable. I went to Manage My Booking on one of my F tickets, tried to cancel just to see what the cancellation penalty was and low and behold, it’s the entire fare minus the taxes. Has anyone else had the same experience or did anyone else book a First fare with the same flexibility a few days ago. Looks like BA screwed up and are not trying to reneg on what they offered. I will be calling them shortly.


    AuldReekie39
    Participant

    I called BA to clarify if I could change my booking dates of 2 tickets on WT+ upgrading with miles to CW from LGW-MCO-LGW for next year that I made in the June sale to take take advantage of lower fares in the current sale. I was advised that I could change the dates for a £100 fee each and pay the difference in the fare if it was higher than the purchased fare BUT not lower as the fare is non refundable. Cancellation would be the entire fare minus the taxes. The lesson for me is that if in doubt book a flexible fare.


    continentalclub
    Participant

    The current BA, Virgin and AF/KL/DL sales will all end tomorrow, Tuesday 20th September.

    One notable deal showing on the BA site is 5 nights at The Plaza in New York with World Traveller Plus flights from London from £1600pp – with no Saturday night stay requirement.


    VintageKrug
    Participant

    And so, to bed.

Viewing 11 posts - 16 through 26 (of 26 total)
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