Scandal Over Flight Prices. Its An Auction!

[Korat Correct]

Airlines give agents prices of tickets they cannot offer themselves.Agents pass on discounts to customers.

Travel companies offer a flight ticket at one price, but if you say you have, say 600bht, cheaper with another company they will often match it or beat it.

Its an auction!

The are no scruples,there is no integrity among the travel companies.

For the price of an email or phone call, falang should remember that the first price offered is probably not the last for any given flight on any given date.

I can name names. I can give details. I have it in email print.

Take extreme caution before accepting a ticket price. You may well be paying over the odds.

Edited August 28, 2006 by Korat Correct

[Korat Correct]

Thanks Tosser.

I always knew the road to hel_l was paved with good intentions.

Re Issan posting

Edited August 28, 2006 by Korat Correct

[Papa_Lazarou]

Yes it is an auction. You get your price quote from one agent or the airline direct, then hawk it to the next agent, who will try to beat it by cutting their commission.

This is a GOOD thing for passengers and everyone travelling should take advantage of this.

[Totster]

Thanks Tosser.

I always knew the road to hel_l was paved with good intentions.

Re Issan posting

I think you may have accidentally spelt my name wrong...

totster

[tominchaam]

Airlines give agents prices of tickets they cannot offer themselves.Agents pass on discounts to customers.

Travel companies offer a flight ticket at one price, but if you say you have, say 600bht, cheaper with another company they will often match it or beat it.

Its an auction!

The are no scruples,there is no integrity among the travel companies.

To sell air tickets is a business and it is a very competitive business. You should be happy all are not quoting the same price – guess at what level that would be! Do shop around and you might find a price that suits you. But do not expect to always find the lowest price – never mind if you are looking for air tickets or something else. Some agents make special deals with the airlines which they have to live up to – that opens sometimes up for very good deals for end users. So be happy the agents pass on discounts to customers (your words).

By the way remember the lowest price is not always the lowest price when everything is taken into consideration! A good deal to the seller as well as the buyer is normally what is good to both – that is to build up a good business relation for the future.

[Felt 35]

Last October I had to go to Europe for two weeks.

Travel agency in Phuket wanted 39K.

Bought it for 32k on the airlines web page.

Thats more than 20% in commision for one singel ticket.

Buy online, save money and time!

[tominchaam]

Last October I had to go to Europe for two weeks.

Travel agency in Phuket wanted 39K.

Bought it for 32k on the airlines web page.

Thats more than 20% in commision for one singel ticket.

Buy online, save money and time!

Next time it might be just the other way round! Always check around and you are more likely to find a good price.

[londonthai]

always shop around - it takes a lot of time but will save you money.

there are many different airlines, different fare classes and airlines publish their updated fares every week.

probably the best is to have a friend in a good travel agency to look for a special deals for you and snap it when the price is right. Travel agents do travel for a fraction of what we are paying.

[jdinasia]

Geeze Korat ----

Prices can change on the same flight more than once an hour <from the airlines>

There are MULTIPLE venues to buy tickets Travel agents .... Consolidators .... Bucket shops .... Couriers etc etc etc.

There is nothing new in this.

But the reason for having sub-forums like "Travel" is that travel related things belong there! That way people interested in Travel related things know where to go to read and aren't inundated with Farming in Isaan. Vice versa ... people interested in Isaan aren't inundated "how to get a cheap flight". So please ... cut the mods some slack for doing their jobs well!

[londonthai]

there are different prices for farangs than for thai - so worth sending your thai friend first and after confirmed quatation and paying deposit (provisional booking) going to the travel agent yourself.

(korat - no need to duplicate your posts on several forums, you really did not discover America, making a profit that's how capitalism works)

[keda]

Yes it is an auction. You get your price quote from one agent or the airline direct, then hawk it to the next agent, who will try to beat it by cutting their commission.

This is a GOOD thing for passengers and everyone travelling should take advantage of this.

Too true...my agent discovered (via tirak) that I travel infrequently, but that I book local and domestic tickets by the dozen for visiting friends, and also that I've been using the same nearby and larger travel agent for almost 5 years.

Coulda knocked me over with a feather, because many Thais tend to think of today and let tomorrow take care of itself, but this saved me some 2500 on next month's introductory commission-free BKK-LHR-BKK, and in return will be earning said forward-thinking agent even more, on future bookings.

keda

[In the Rai!]

Travel agents work off commission, thats the way they work just like a car salesman (not as greasy). Years ago they used to get antwhere from 10 - 30% commisssion on a ticket. Nowadays with the introduction of web based online booking engines, non commissionable airlines and the huge petrol and security taxes in place, thus has decreased the amount of commission to be made. Now they will be happy to make 10%.

Travel agents make nothing off taxes and it is illigal to charge anything higher than the tax level. It is because of these tax increases that the prices of the ticket component has dropped considerably over the past few years but with the higher taxes it just works out around the same.

As for the comment about agencies having deals in place with airlines. This is very true however unless you are talking about massive internationl chains like Flightcentre etc who have thousands of retail offices world wide not to mention wholesale and corperate offices than these deals are not very significant. Your big players like Flightcentre etc have massive targets set with these major airlines, and if these targets are hit they will receive a massive superoveride (a baloon payment for reaching this target) which is basically a reward for hitting the target. I am talking huge $$$$. Massive incentives for getting your consultants to push a particular airline over another.

Getting back to the travel agents making their money (or lack of) that 10% does not go into their pocket. In most cases it goes to the agency owner and the consultant will get a smaller % of it again. They are target driven and consultants have to hit these targets so if times are tough sometimes some consultants will and do put a little bit more on it than usual to try and hit their targets.

Knowing the industry very well I would simply suggest to anyone who doesnt know that much about how travel agents work to go online and have a look at the airlines websites first. (make sure it is the website of the country you are in)eg Singapore airlines.com.th

Check out the prices, print them off and go into a travel agency. Always ask for the cheapest regardless of availibility. That way they can never say I didnt give you that price because there were no seats.

In my opinion it is always a good idea to find a travel agent that you like and is good at what they do. If you find one you like than let them know that you live here and travel twice a year etc and what you expect price wise. I myself wouldnt care if the price is around the internet price so long as they are advising me the imformation of the fare I need (restrictions, are date changes allowed, baggage allowances, visa imformation etc.) It is amazing how many dont give you any of this. Imagine buying a ticket and not knowing you cant change the return date. You would be pretty pissed off with the agent.

So I think that while price does matter a little the imformation that an agent can share is far worth the few extra baht or $$$ thats for sure. You just have to find a good one. They are out there!

In The Rai!

[dereklev]

It is not just in Thailand.

In England it is same same...

I check for price and availability on the net, then I phone Travel Agent A who offer a better price and more importantly a more flexible ticket.

Then I speak to Travel Agent B and tell them the price I have been quoted and they always offer me a lower price...

[Gary A]

It's a system called capitalism. The goal is to get as much money from customers as possible. I got an offer from North West telling me that I could get 20,000 free frequent flyer miles if I buy a ticket NOW. The cost of that ticket? $3,869. I bought my ticket from China Airlines for $873.60. Competition is a healthy thing. Just shop around and be an informed buyer.

[listenup]

On-line is always the cheapest in my opinion! I have NEVER had an agent on the street beat the rate I can get from the web. Always shop on-line!

[In the Rai!]

Listenup,

definately not true, Online maybe be cheaper for those not savy enough in the travel industry. If you go in to an agent and ask for a price they will try and make a $$$. But if you go online print off some prices and than go to the agent I bet my bottom $$ most (not all) will beat it for you.(reluctantly)

In The Rai!

[fxm88]

Yes it is an auction. You get your price quote from one agent or the airline direct, then hawk it to the next agent, who will try to beat it by cutting their commission.

Technically that's a reverse auction. Just be thankful they don't do yield management over here.

[TBWG]

[quote name='Felt 35'

Buy online, save money and time!

Hi

I regularly check internet sites for best prices to BKK.

Here in the UK we have just got over a bank holiday weekend, in the lead up to the weekend Emirates were showing ticket prices plus taxes of £38 and this has been constant for sometime. All of a sudden on the bank holiday Monday the taxes shot up to £124 (ticket price remained unchanged) then on the Tuesday reverted to original £38.

Bit of opportunism here, as weather was not too good I wonder how many people spent there time surfing the net and paid over the odds?

Worth remembering.

TBWG

[In the Rai!]

The system is easy and they(airlines) certainly are not trying to rip you off!

With the increased taxes being absolutely riducous they have cut their margins considerably, that is why so many airlines are in financial difficulty. It works on a tier system. They release so many seats at the cheapest level, when they are sold than the next level is sold and so on until it reaches the highest level. Example of this is air asia which is instant purchase. Major holidays will be booked out weeks in advance but if you go on a regular weekend you can pick up some pretty cheap tickets if you book early enough.

It really is a great system for those who know well in advance but those who must travel last minute generally get the shortest straw.

In The Rai!

[h90]

Airlines give agents prices of tickets they cannot offer themselves.Agents pass on discounts to customers.

Travel companies offer a flight ticket at one price, but if you say you have, say 600bht, cheaper with another company they will often match it or beat it.

Its an auction!

The are no scruples,there is no integrity among the travel companies.

For the price of an email or phone call, falang should remember that the first price offered is probably not the last for any given flight on any given date.

I can name names. I can give details. I have it in email print.

Take extreme caution before accepting a ticket price. You may well be paying over the odds.

what makes you upset on that, or what is different than buying a car, computer, TV or even a gun in Thailand or even in Farangistan.

You would not belive what you can get when you purchase a car (my father did 20 %), or buy a TV for 2000 US$, money cash in the hand. Tell 1800 yes or no? Shops with an owner there even in Farangistan discount that.

Why not on tickets....