I always book long haul flights direct with the airline despite the fare cost is higher . However some friends always book with travel agents and say they never have problems . I am reluctant to use agents because I once used an agent based in India (they have an English contact number so as to appear they are UK based ) and they took nearly 50% over the fare price from my credit card . I got the money back after many calls to the agent and my bank . What are your preferred booking methods ?

Also has anyone flown from London to Bangkok via China flights which are half the cost of direct flights ?

Booking direct with airline is always my choice....when/if the crap hits the fan with cxls or delays good luck getting any timely help from an agent half way around the world.

Those Indian call centers pretending to be travel agents, and which often show up at the top in internet search results when looking for the direct websites or phone numbers for an airline, are almost always 100% scammers that spoof as being part of the airline. In reality, they are not licensed travel agents and have zero affiliation with any airlines. They also have no direct access to the airline agent booking systems. So if they do book a ticket for you, they will just go onto the airline website using your own credit card like a regular passenger and book the ticket for you in your name, the same thing you could have done yourself.

Then, on top of that, they will add a bunch of additional charges to your credit card using their own merchant account, so that money goes directly to them. It happened to a friend of mine. They booked the ticket for him on the airline website and then made around half a dozen additional charges to his credit card totaling close to $10,000. I won’t get into all the details about how he tried to stop those payments, but he caught it immediately, and then the Indians made up all kinds of lies to try to prevent him from canceling the charges. Eventually, he filed disputes with his credit card company, and after about 60 days, all the charges were removed from his credit card and canceled.

Anyway, the point is, yes, the best thing is to book directly with the airlines because if you have a problem at some point and need to make a change to the booking, sometimes the airlines will be more difficult about it if you booked through an agent. But that’s not always the case if you booked using a major booking site.

So, if you book tickets through Booking.com, Agoda, or Trip.com, not a problem. I do that all the time, and it does save a bit of money on certain flights. They are reliable providers, and you can safely book the flights right through their own mobile apps.

Edited August 21Aug 21 by Alpha84

38 minutes ago, superal said:

What are your preferred booking methods ?

Also has anyone flown from London to Bangkok via China flights which are half the cost of direct flights ?

Always direct with airline. Easier if any changes, cancellation or upgrades. Also can choose fare basis if needing to aquire frequent flyer mileage.

We have booked Air China LHR-PEK-BKK mid January 2027 with a 2hr20mins layover. Just £368 GBP per person one-way! Includes seat assignment. Total bargain as THAI Airways wanted nearly double. I'm Star Alliance Gold member so we get all the priveleges of priority check-in/boarding/baggage and lounge access. Planes are A350-900 and B777-300. Quite looking forward to this trip. Heard from a friend that it's good service.

5 minutes ago, soi3eddie said:

We have booked Air China LHR-PEK-BKK mid January 2027 with a 2hr20mins layover. Just £368 GBP per person one-way! Includes seat assignment.

Great Price that there , is it Premium Economy or you back by the toilets in low class for 368 Quid > lounge access is really great for free drinks just be careful of any cream based dishes that could spoil your arrival if you catch my drift .....

4 minutes ago, PhilipHabib said:

Great Price that there , is it Premium Economy or you back by the toilets in low class for 368 Quid > lounge access is really great for free drinks just be careful of any cream based dishes that could spoil your arrival if you catch my drift .....

Not near toilet. Seat row 42. Always use https://seatmaps.com/ when selecting. Not premium.

Edited August 21Aug 21 by soi3eddie

1 hour ago, superal said:

I always book long haul flights direct with the airline despite the fare cost is higher . However some friends always book with travel agents and say they never have problems . I am reluctant to use agents because I once used an agent based in India (they have an English contact number so as to appear they are UK based ) and they took nearly 50% over the fare price from my credit card . I got the money back after many calls to the agent and my bank . What are your preferred booking methods ?

Also has anyone flown from London to Bangkok via China flights which are half the cost of direct flights ?

32-36-42 hours? I'm ok with 17 and less and prefer direct flights but everything above 23 hours is a no go.

10 minutes ago, Hummin said:

32-36-42 hours? I'm ok with 17 and less and prefer direct flights but everything above 23 hours is a no go.

Flying from BKK to LAX next year, with my 12-year-old. Direct is not an option!

8 minutes ago, Hummin said:

32-36-42 hours? I'm ok with 17 and less and prefer direct flights but everything above 23 hours is a no go.

The Air China flights I mentioned above are decent times and timings (hence why we chose). Depart LHR at 17:40hrs and arrive PEK at 11:40hrs. Sub 10 hrs. PEK-BKK departs at 14:00hrs and arrives in Bangkok at 18:05hrs - sub 5 hrs. Total flying less than 15 hrs and only a 2hr20mins layover in PEK.

Of course, I prefer direct non-stop sub 11hrs with THAI or EVA but they were nearly double the cost.

Recent flight durations on the route we are taking (equipment changes for winter schedule);

42 minutes ago, soi3eddie said:

We have booked Air China LHR-PEK-BKK mid January 2027 with a 2hr20mins layover. Just £368 GBP per person one-way!

Exact same flight albeit from Gatwick next month £241 one way...connectiion marginally longer at 2 hours 55 minutes though

Agent ticket as always. Never had the slightest problem with any agent ever. When I have needed to contact to change flights etc etc service has always been impeccable ...virtually all agents are 24/7 chat line now as well

Edited August 21Aug 21 by Chivas

One minor downside with Air China and China Eastern is if you have an agent ticket you cant check in online (personal experience)

I'd hazard a guess China Southern would be the same

1 hour ago, pomchop said:

Booking direct with airline is always my choice....when/if the crap hits the fan with cxls or delays good luck getting any timely help from an agent half way around the world.

Completely the opposite is the reality

46 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

Flying from BKK to LAX next year, with my 12-year-old. Direct is not an option!

He flys from London about the same distance and possibilities as me from Norway

52 minutes ago, Chivas said:

One minor downside with Air China and China Eastern is if you have an agent ticket you cant check in online (personal experience)

I'd hazard a guess China Southern would be the same

Makes no difference with Air China. Their online check in service doesn't work.

1 hour ago, Chivas said:

Exact same flight albeit from Gatwick next month £241 one way...connectiion marginally longer at 2 hours 55 minutes though

Agent ticket as always. Never had the slightest problem with any agent ever. When I have needed to contact to change flights etc etc service has always been impeccable ...virtually all agents are 24/7 chat line now as well

You've likely been using exactly the same agent the whole time. Goodness knows why you keep asserting that all agents as the same. Weird.

7 hours ago, superal said:

What are your preferred booking methods ?

Used ebookers for years till they folded. Just used uk.trip.com successfully, charged in GBP. Much more mixing of airlines than there used to be, but this can work out ok and give more choices.

8 hours ago, Chivas said:

Completely the opposite is the reality

BS

12 hours ago, soi3eddie said:

Always direct with airline. Easier if any changes, cancellation or upgrades. Also can choose fare basis if needing to aquire frequent flyer mileage.

We have booked Air China LHR-PEK-BKK mid January 2027 with a 2hr20mins layover. Just £368 GBP per person one-way! Includes seat assignment. Total bargain as THAI Airways wanted nearly double. I'm Star Alliance Gold member so we get all the priveleges of priority check-in/boarding/baggage and lounge access. Planes are A350-900 and B777-300. Quite looking forward to this trip. Heard from a friend that it's good service.

Thai flies direct to BKK means higher fare and Thai Airways is a different class airline compared to China Air !

I have used both during my days traveling going back to 1980 but these days would not use a service except AMEX. My son now travels for work and said AMEX can get seats on flights when others including the airline do not. He said the cost wasn't much more but the ability to get where they needed him was worth it.

We retired here in 2019 and lord willing that was our final flight...

1 hour ago, TopThai1964 said:

Thai flies direct to BKK means higher fare and Thai Airways is a different class airline compared to China Air !

Yes Air China is far superior and am only saying that partly tongue in cheek

I have had 2 one way flights home on Thai in the last 3 years and to say I was underwhelmed is an understatement (price was excellent though both were around £290 Bangkok London agent booked as always Trip dot com)

One of my Pattaya friends uses them exclusively (and fair enough) but there was a 22 year gap between using them for me and what I remembered from 2001 was not what I got in 2023 !!

Wont be repeating it......on the first one Christmas time (it was actually overnight Christmas day/Boxing day) they didnt have the required amount of flight attendants onboard and actually apologised for it via intercom giving some excuse. I was sat in the rear section and when the food trolley came around the same 2 staff had to go down one aisle serving reverse back up and then go down my side lol

Edited August 22Aug 22 by Chivas

Always quite an emotive subject this agent verses airline

All I would say is before the internet took off around turn of the century where did you buy all your tickets

Agent obviously a physical one or over the telephone with agents via Ceefax information (British TV service) took I'd imagine 99% of the business

Today its 70% via Agents 30% via airline

I still will never understand this fascination with paying more via airline directly and then being on your own when something goes wrong and then the airline being the sole source of assistance. With an agent you have the additional assistance of someone going into bat on your behalf which I gratefully accepted on 2 occasions

As for this internet myth of the airline wont help you if you've booked via an agent absolute complete and utter boll****

You try being in Bangkok and calling an airline office out of normal hours. No answer but all the top agents have 24/7 online chat to assist you. Period

5 times I have contacted different airline directly over minor issues and was sorted immediately. Somehow an internet myth has turned into an internet fact this last 25 years that they wont help you

Thats my starring out not the website lol !

Edited August 22Aug 22 by Chivas

16 hours ago, superal said:

I always book long haul flights direct with the airline despite the fare cost is higher . However some friends always book with travel agents and say they never have problems . I am reluctant to use agents because I once used an agent based in India (they have an English contact number so as to appear they are UK based ) and they took nearly 50% over the fare price from my credit card . I got the money back after many calls to the agent and my bank . What are your preferred booking methods ?

Also has anyone flown from London to Bangkok via China flights which are half the cost of direct flights ?

I recently saw a YouTube video from someone who flew from London on Shenzhen Airlines. 300 pounds one-way, great food (he gave it 8/10 and it looked decent), good on-board service, seat fine. The down side was a seven hour connection time. I believe they do have slumber seats and short-stay hotel accommodation in the airport but he chose to just wander around the place. I don't know what the connection time is back to London.

As for using an agent, no. If there is a problem the airline doesn't want to know and they'll tell you to contact the agent. That is probably best done by phone, which might not be easy.

44 minutes ago, Chivas said:

Always quite an emotive subject this agent verses airline

All I would say is before the internet took off around turn of the century where did you buy all your tickets

Agent obviously a physical one or over the telephone with agents via Ceefax information (British TV service) took I'd imagine 99% of the business

Today its 70% via Agents 30% via airline

I still will never understand this fascination with paying more via airline directly and then being on your own when something goes wrong and then the airline being the sole source of assistance. With an agent you have the additional assistance of someone going into bat on your behalf which I gratefully accepted on 2 occasions

As for this internet myth of the airline wont help you if you've booked via an agent absolute complete and utter boll****

You try being in Bangkok and calling an airline office out of normal hours. No answer but all the top agents have 24/7 online chat to assist you. Period

5 times I have contacted different airline directly over minor issues and was sorted immediately. Somehow an internet myth has turned into an internet fact this last 25 years that they wont help you

Thats my starring out not the website lol !

My own experience with agents has been different. I flew pretty much weekly, nine months a year for a couple of decades, and airlines refused assistance if there was a problem. I soon learned not to use agents. But - in those days there was no 24/7 service from agents. More recent experience is different I guess. But airlines also have 24/7 service, even if you have to call a different country to get it.

I'm not taking the bait fella despite how many different threads you try it on..........x

Usually book on Skyscanner and use the airline price.

Justfly and Cheapoair for many years with no problems. You usually have to deal with them directly if there are any problems, although the airlines can help too. Prices are less and there are some longer layovers but also some options if you pay a little more.

Edited August 22Aug 22 by fredwiggy

The first time I went to Thailand from America, I made the mistake of booking through an agent in LA. The flight to Thailand was confirmed, but the return flight was booked as "standby." She told me that wouldn't be a problem. But as it turned out, it was a problem. I ended up going to the airport four times before they finally let me on a flight.

Ever since that time, I've book directly with the airline, and never book a standby flight.

Think about it. How can a travel agent get you a price LOWER than from the airline directly? Doesn't make any sense. Why would airlines give agents a discount to undercut their own prices?

Sounds like you don't understand business very much.

Anyway I even like to book my local domestic connecting flight through the original airline, too.

For example if It fly on Asiana through Incheon to the US for example, they don't have any domestic US flights but they can book United Airlines, so my luggage goes seamlessly between Bangkok and my final destination without me having to schlep it over to the domestic US airline upon arrival.

Usually the same price as booking separately.

Why do I need a travel agent? I'm not stupid. 😁

27 minutes ago, SiSePuede419 said:

Think about it. How can a travel agent get you a price LOWER than from the airline directly? Doesn't make any sense. Why would airlines give agents a discount to undercut their own prices?

Sounds like you don't understand business very much.

Anyway I even like to book my local domestic connecting flight through the original airline, too.

For example if It fly on Asiana through Incheon to the US for example, they don't have any domestic US flights but they can book United Airlines, so my luggage goes seamlessly between Bangkok and my final destination without me having to schlep it over to the domestic US airline upon arrival.

Usually the same price as booking separately.

Why do I need a travel agent? I'm not stupid. 😁

Agents and consolidators can have privately negotiated fares that are not available on the airline’s own website. They can add their margin and still sell the ticket cheaper than the airline’s published fare. They also make money from additional products , insurance, luggage, seat selection, meals and other extras. Prices also depend on the season, route, availability and when you book. I have found cheaper one way tickets when I do not have a fixed plan, but for direct flights, a round trip booked in reasonable time is usually cheaper, especially if you are looking for flexible tickets or higher fare classes rather than just basic economy.

Trip.com last 3 years for all my flights domestic or international