[Anonymous]

[PhilipHart]

Dear Travel Manager,

I have spotted a very nice Fare Basis through ExpertFlyer – IBWEO4WA – and have concocted a nifty routing to take in two required business stops and a couple of side trips.

However, as it is pretty complex, it is doubtful that I would be able to use any of the Carrier or online Travel Agent websites to make the booking.

So what should I do?

Contact the Carrier by phone? Contact a local Travel Agent? Contact a national Travel Agent?

I would gladly use a local Travel Agent (to provide some business for the local economy), but am concerned that they might find the complexity too daunting, or insufficiently rewarding for the amount of work – although I would happily pay a fee.

All thoughts gratefully received.

Philip.

ps, for those interested, the routing would be: DUB-PHL-MSP-PHX-SFO-PHX/DFW-STL-CLT-PHL-LHR-LCY-DUB in Business Class (First Class in US) for a base fare of £1237 + £150 for stopovers + Taxes.

[BigDog.]

Tim Fitzgerald posts here regularly, always willing to help forum members providing expert knowledge and valuable insights. Suggest you should try contacting him directly…

http://www.tctravelmanagement.co.uk/tim.fitzgerald

[MartynSinclair]

BigDog +1

very knowledgeable and a really nice guy.. always willing to help, even if no ticket is purchased..

[Tim2soza]

BigDog +1

[Senator]

I tend to call the issuing carrier for this and book it over the phone. I have done this with BA and United who have charged me nothing. I have also done the same with Lufthansa and Swiss, who have charged me the equivalent of £25 for the pleasure. I have no issue with this fee, I got what I wanted.

This looks like a mix of US Airways, American and BA. Whichever carrier have at least one of the trans-Atlantic flights I would call. I have great success in getting BA to book for me.

Before I call, I pick my own flights using ExpertFlyer and look for:
BA short-haul: J-class inventory
BA/AA long-haul: I-class inventory
US long-haul: Z-class inventory
AA/US domestic: A-class inventory

Then I call the carrier.. It does require some planning, but the best $9.99 I spend each month is my ExpertFlyer subscription 🙂

[PhilipHart]

Hi All,

Many thanks for your suggestions.

@BigDog, thank you for reminding me of Tim. I have read his comments on BT, but couldn’t recall his name. And the search capability wasn’t as useful as I had hoped.

@MartynSinclair, @Tim2sms, thanks for confirming @BigDog’s suggestion.

@Senator, I have – as you suggest – already selected the flights I want to make, and have checked inventory, etc. The last step is just to make the booking!

The flights are indeed AA/BA, and I did try to call AA, but there were some (let us say) language difficulties which did not inspire with confidence. One of the flights is on BA, so maybe I will give them a call.

BTW, I visited my local travel agent – no name, no pack drill – and that was an equally unpromising avenue as AA – though for different reasons 🙁

[SimonS1]

I would say you need a business focused travel agent as opposed to a high street (holiday type) agent. Tim is very good and exactly what to look for.

[batterytraveller]

Hipmunk Alloa you to mess around with routing codes to price a complex itinerary. When I’ve done it from the states it completes the booking through Priceline. I discovered a great routing PIT-MEL with a stop in London which ITA matrix could see but no one else could but I was able to construct it in hipmunk and book it. Be careful checking your itinerary, it’s really easy to screw it up.

[mkcol74]

I’d either phone BA or book it on aa.com

[LuganoPirate]

I’d also recommend Tim, unhesitatingly.

[Author]

Posts