Booking website question

[problemfarang]

Hi guys,

I was checking some airways to buy a ticket from their official websites. The one i want is around 35K baht.

then i checked booking . com and found the same flight 25K and as you can understand i was like what?!

 

i never used this website before. If anyone used this website could tell me they are real or not. If real why they sell 10K cheaper? Whats the catch if there is one?

can i fully trust this website and use my credit card? i dont worry about hacking thing but i worry when i go to the plane they will tell me this is not a real ticket or booking! Or a not nice surprise. 

 

thank you

[treetops]

You need to give more details about the airline, routing, dates etc to allow people to fully assess what you've been offered.

 

Booking.com have been around for a while and are part of the same group as Priceline, Agoda and more so a reasonable reputation.  You can probably check their reviews on line.

[problemfarang]

12 minutes ago, treetops said:

You need to give more details about the airline, routing, dates etc to allow people to fully assess what you've been offered.

 

Booking.com have been around for a while and are part of the same group as Priceline, Agoda and more so a reasonable reputation.  You can probably check their reviews on line.

 

thank you, i checked from websites just as you said. Nothing bad and actually many serious places says its the best.

 

thanks again. i think i will buy the ticket

[DFPhuket]

Check if the cheaper fare includes the same amount of luggage, etc. as the airline website. Also, go all the way thru the booking up to the point where you add you credit card to see if there are additional administrative fees that are added and not listed in the original price. It does seem odd that you're finding such a significant fare difference. 

[wwest5829]

3 hours ago, problemfarang said:

 

thank you, i checked from websites just as you said. Nothing bad and actually many serious places says its the best.

 

thanks again. i think i will buy the ticket

Never used them for airfares but have used them repeatedly over the years for lodging. Currently staying a month in an apartment booked through them.

[jimn]

You need to check that the ticket you are buying is exactly the same and includes luggage etc. Online booking websites are safe and cheaper if all goes to plan. However if you need to change you ticket in any shape or form, this is when the problems begin. If you are 100% sure you will not need to change the booking then go ahead.

[khunPer]

You can normally find a number of different prices from the same airline, on the route, at the same date(s). The price differences are depending of the booking class, which might be luggage allowance, possibilities for changing ticket with or without fees, refund or not for unused tickets or legs, and earned bonus points, just to give some examples.

 

If you know that you don't need to change dates or having the ticket refunded, and the included luggage is Okay for you, then you can look for the cheapest option; otherwise check carefully if the offered ticked is what you need and want.

[geisha]

I fly regularly and have never found a better price on a booking site for flights.  Usually on an airline website, you have all different prices as said above, refundable or not, luggage or only carry on, and worst problem of all, if the flight is not direct , you could be facing a huge layover somewhere or flights that go from 3 am to early morning . This can prolong your flight, already long, by half a day or more. Also in some places getting to the airport for those flights can be difficult .( bus/train taxi). 
 I always  take the most comfortable option  and only a ticket that’s refundable or date change possible, especially with Covid still rife or personal problem. Is the airline a good one ? Easy to check on the review sites. 

[problemfarang]

3 hours ago, DFPhuket said:

Check if the cheaper fare includes the same amount of luggage, etc. as the airline website. Also, go all the way thru the booking up to the point where you add you credit card to see if there are additional administrative fees that are added and not listed in the original price. It does seem odd that you're finding such a significant fare difference. 

 

good idea. thanks

 

1 hour ago, khunPer said:

You can normally find a number of different prices from the same airline, on the route, at the same date(s). The price differences are depending of the booking class, which might be luggage allowance, possibilities for changing ticket with or without fees, refund or not for unused tickets or legs, and earned bonus points, just to give some examples.

 

If you know that you don't need to change dates or having the ticket refunded, and the included luggage is Okay for you, then you can look for the cheapest option; otherwise check carefully if the offered ticked is what you need and want.

 

thanks for the info

 

the luggage is 30kg + can take 1 bag on plane. 

[nglodnig]

There two possible explanations a) the booking.com website is a charity and trying to make travel easier for us all b) you get what you pay for.

 

For example, most airlines will allow you change the dates on your ticket (sometimes for a fee) but booking agencies - rarely so. My daughter booked a flight with one of thses sites and then realiszed she had put the wrong date down. Calling their customer "service" the smarmy operator said it was a condition pointed out in the booking - no date changes allowed. She had been forced to pay for "insurance" which would refund her fare for a cancellation for say medical reasons - but not wrong date. Worthless.

 

When you book through the airline website your contract is with them. Going through an external agency means you have no relationship with the airline.

 

Of course if there are no problems you are still sat on the same seat going to the same destination whether it is agency or airline. Fingers crossed.

[nglodnig]

Why can't I edit? This is getting annoying. The airline obviously could be over-charging of course.

[Sparktrader]

Didnt know booking.com did flights

[KhaoYai]

4 hours ago, geisha said:

I fly regularly and have never found a better price on a booking site for flights.

Are you serious? Never? I've had the opposite experience and rarely found a better price on an airline's website - I always check them and if the airline are within £30 of the agent, I go direct. The agents are often £100 - £150 cheaper and I always set the search to include luggage.

 

Its something that annoys me - I don't understand why an airline cannot give, say its regular customers,the same prices as they give agents.  I belive it used to be that agents gave some form of guarantee about buying a certain amount of flights but following a discusson with an agent a couple of years ago, I understand that's no longer true.

 

For example, if you use a site like travelsupermarket.com - they come up with the fare and also list a few other comparisons including the airline.  From their website right now:

 

MAN-BKK-BKK-MAN 19/06 to 05/07 on Qatar:

 

World Air Fares £571

 

20 others at upwards of that with Qatar direct coming in at £677 - exactly the same flight.

 

I can't speak for others but Qatar offer free changes whether the flight is booked with them or an agent.

Edited April 20, 2022 by KhaoYai

[Sparktrader]

9 minutes ago, KhaoYai said:

Are you serious? Never? I've had the opposite experience and rarely found a better price on an airline's website - I always check them and if the airline are within £30 of the agent, I go direct. The agents are often £100 - £150 cheaper and I always set the search to include luggage.

 

Its something that annoys me - I don't understand why an airline cannot give, say its regular customers,the same prices as they give agents.  I belive it used to be that agents gave some form of guarantee about buying a certain amount of flights but following a discusson with an agent a couple of years ago, I understand that's no longer true.

Agents get quotas. Often $100 cheaper. Direct only cheap with like Air Asia or Scoot. Discount ones.

 

Thai cheaper with agent.

[problemfarang]

UPDATE:

after i tried 3 times booking . com my credit card (kasikorn bank) it declined. i was really shocked. Called the bank and kind of argued with them about this (and i must say they know me very well) Because my card limit is really enough and i mean it. and actually this was the first time i had a problem with kasikorn bank in 17 years. It is my favorite bank. I hate bangkok bank. i had many many problems with them and they just cannot fix it bunch of imbeciles.. 

 

anyway it turned out that kasikorn was right! i was so embarrassed. booking . com is having issues with visa cards!!! they just cannot confirm them from the bank for some reason. 

 

so after that i went to expedia . co . th .. WOW 2 minutes and actually CHEAPER than booking . com around 2000 baht! i even got SMS and email from the airlines confirming my booking and i even chose my seat for free!! so he airlines official website was 35K, booking was 27K expedia was 25K.. lol i was wondering if i look more maybe could find more cheaper ahaha and this is urgent booking. its next week

 

i just shared my experience. Im sure it might be different for you. 

 

thank you all

Edited April 20, 2022 by problemfarang

[KhaoYai]

1 hour ago, problemfarang said:

anyway it turned out that kasikorn was right! i was so embarrassed. booking . com is having issues with visa cards!!! they just cannot confirm them from the bank for some reason. 

I had a problem using my Kasikorn card with booking.com in February 2018. Never got to the bottom of it - booking,com blaming the bank, bank blaming booking.com. Switched to their sister company Agoda and booked the same hotel without a problem.

[NoshowJones]

16 hours ago, DFPhuket said:

Check if the cheaper fare includes the same amount of luggage, etc. as the airline website. Also, go all the way thru the booking up to the point where you add you credit card to see if there are additional administrative fees that are added and not listed in the original price. It does seem odd that you're finding such a significant fare difference. 

I saved about 5000 Baht by booking at the airlines office than booking online.