Booking A Flight

[wispyerk007]

Hi all, Can someone tell me if it is possible to book a flight at the airport for the U.K. or do i need to go to a travel agent, i.e. are standby tickets still available at the airline offices within the airport. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

[asanee]

standby is a thing of the past-has nothing to do with your point.

for DOMESWTIC this is quite common-simply open eyes, find desk of airline chosen and line up.

For INTernational this is VERY uncommon nowadays-in fact if you would go to US and not UK-it would be highly terrorist-suspect. Unless you can prove for an immediate emergency, like death etc. Only a very few airlines still maintain full ticketing facilities at aiport-as demand is extremely low. AND you get-most often- hit by paying premium price full fare tickets.

If youve got any brains this would be sufficient to tell you that contracting any agent beforehand will save money, emotions, stress and more.

At old DMK there used to be a row of agents just doing that at the train station. Never seen anything like that at Swampy or directly around. As the times of papertickets are long, long gone, its all electronic so the fone also can work. In fact (other as most scary peole seem to think) the only thing you need to check-in is your passpt and the PNR=ref.code.nr of the booking. Do you live that far out in jungleburi? or think that you are comletely unable to preplan for afew days ahead?

[IMA_FARANG]

Yes you can book a flight....but don't expect to go to the airport and just purchase a ticket. But it is possible depending on the airline.

The airline offices are up on the higher floors...depending on the airline they may not be manned (or woman-ed, I guess I should say, since many of the office staff are female) except when that airline has a flight scheduled. Often that might be two hours before a sceduled flight and one hour after the flight departs. But that time is different for each airline.

And, yes, some airlines do have business offices up there and will sell tickets...but often not for same day flights. I can't say for certain which airlines do...you will have to check that yourself.

Don't expect discounts though...you will pay for the "service" of having someone make your booking.

"Standby" tickets are unlikely these days...because any major international airline is hooked world-wide by a reservation system. That system allows them to plan seats and passenger loads and just about insures that an international flight with at least one stopover point will maximise revenue by slotting passemgers into that empty seat at that stopover point. So empty seats for "standby" passengers are rare these days. Still possible though, but you will have to wait for other passengers...if someone doen't make their reservation...."standby" seats MAY be available. But don't count on it. I saw United Airlines sell five standby seats on a flight from Chicago to Narita last July when I travelled back to Bangkok with them...so it still does happen.

Also, most of the major airlines do have business offices in Bangkok. That includes at least some going to the U.K. Do a Google or Yahoo search and get their Bangkok office address....then go and see that airline directly, if you don't want to go through an agent. But again, don't expect discounts.

And don't worry about e-ticket stuff. If you make a resevation, and pay for it with your credit card, your name and travel details are in the computerised reservation system worldwide. So you can book a ticket at the airline business office wherever in Thailand, and that booking is available worldwide on the airline system.

In effect, ypur passport is your ticket.

However, ticket agencies CAN often give you a better fare than booking online. This is because they buy flights ahead and pre-pay the airlines to have those seats reserved for their customers...so the agency can offer a small discount...because they bought the seats at a lower price from the airline.

So don't just reject ticket agencies out of hand. At least talk to them first about fares. You might be surprised.

Another advantage of both ticket agencies and dealing directly with an airline is that ocassionally they will have promotion fares that are NOT offered online.

As an example...United Airlines had a promotion fare in July 2011 at about $200 less than the very same flight fromBangkok to Boston, Massachusetts was shown online.

Of course, that was a short term deal. I got it by going to the United airlines office on Silom road in Bangkok in person/

[wispyerk007]

IMA_FARANG Thanks for the information........I have already made a booking through an agent.