Paying flight home in my home currency?

[ChristianPFC]

A recurring problem, currently with eurowings: I am in Thailand now and want to book a flight to Germany. I am German, the airline is German, the destination is in Germany, the bank I will use to pay is in Germany, yet the website shows prices in THB and if I'm billed in THB, there will be conversion fees! How can I choose to pay in Euro?

 

I could have someone in Germany (my parents) book the flight for me, but that would involve texting or calling the flight and bank details.

 

If I use a VPN, that could lead eurowings to believe I'm in some other country and bill my in that currency, nothing gained (and might interfere with online banking).

[sanemax]

Go to the German website and book it there ?

[JamJar]

This has everything to do with the fact that you are booking a seat flying outbound from Thailand. 

Just as if I booked a flight via British Airways from Bangkok, I would pay in Baht.

 

So no VPN or otherwise will help you. If you are flying from Thailand you will pay in Thai baht, unless you choose to purchase via a European agent(who will just do the conversion for you anyway).

[JamJar]

If your parents tried to book the same flight they too would be presented with Baht. I don't know what you were thinking.....

[gk10002000]

I have booked and changed fares on EVA while in Thailand, using my USA credit card and USD.  Like others have said it often is possible to get to the site and select the language, currency etc.  Even Expedia which I used once I also changed a flight and paid in USD. 

[JamJar]

1 hour ago, gk10002000 said:

I have booked and changed fares on EVA while in Thailand, using my USA credit card and USD.  Like others have said it often is possible to get to the site and select the language, currency etc.  Even Expedia which I used once I also changed a flight and paid in USD. 

 

Expedia is a travel agent, as I stated earlier.

 

EVA doesn't support your assertion;

 

 

 

 

 

[gk10002000]

1 minute ago, JamJar said:

 

Expedia is a travel agent, as I stated earlier.

 

EVA doesn't support your assertion;

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 minute ago, JamJar said:

 

Expedia is a travel agent, as I stated earlier.

 

EVA doesn't support your assertion;

 

 

 

 

 

I don't know what you mean.  They had my credit card on file, and that's what was used.  Maybe now it is different and they pay more attention to where one is logged in from, etc. 

[JamJar]

1 minute ago, gk10002000 said:

 

I don't know what you mean.  They had my credit card on file, and that's what was used.  Maybe now it is different and they pay more attention to where one is logged in from, etc. 

 

So you are stating that you bought a fare from Thailand to the USA and they billed in in US$ instead of Thai baht, rather than your credit card doing the conversion from Thai baht to US$.

 

If done over the phone and paid via a US office, they can do the conversion,  but that doesn't mean that it will be at a mid-market rate.

 

The best way to deal with it is simply to have a card that levies no fees on international transactions.

[JamJar]

https://n26.com/?lang=de

https://n26.com/eu/

 

Full Mastercard exchange rate without deductions. Sign up and pay straight away

 

Problem solved 

[KittenKong]

7 hours ago, JamJar said:

So no VPN or otherwise will help you. If you are flying from Thailand you will pay in Thai baht, unless you choose to purchase via a European agent(who will just do the conversion for you anyway).

 

This is true, though some agents do seem to use better exchange rates than those available via most credit cards. I always use a UK credit card rather than a debit card for travel-related purchases, for the improved guarantees/protection it offers, so I generally buy via UK travel agents to get the best final price in GBP.

 

As for N26.com, that seems to be very similar to services provided by Revolut and such-like. So more of a pre-paid travel debit card with transfer facilities than a real bank account, and certainly not a credit card with UK credit protection. I have a Revolut card and very handy and cheap it is too, but I would not use it for buying flight tickets or hotels. I did however use it for almost all my incidental expenses (fuel, food, shopping) on a recent trip to the USA and I will be using it again on a European trip soon.

[ChristianPFC]

10 hours ago, sanemax said:

Go to the German website and book it there ?

I tried. They still charge in THB. The address is .com in German language.

 

9 hours ago, JamJar said:

If your parents tried to book the same flight they too would be presented with Baht. I don't know what you were thinking.....

I didn't think of that. I guessed the country from where you book the flight (IP address), not where the flight starts, determines the currency.

 

I booked the flight (Bangkok to Berlin via Cologne for 6829 THB, this will be my cheapest flight ever) and will report back on exchange rate once it's billed on my credit card.

[KhunBENQ]

I know the situation as I have repeatedly searched on the Eurowings site.

 

Agree with post #3.

I wait to see a booking process for a flight from Thailand that ends in a foreign currency (and I tried many ways, local sites and VPN incl).

 

For credit card users that's not a big deal.

Just (usually) an additional fee by the CC company for foreign currency transaction.

 

But you seem to refer to the direct bank transfer to their Euro account offered by Eurowings?

You don't have a credit card.

Don't ask me how this works. I see a foreign currency amount and have to pay to their Euro account.

If you refer to this I am afraid you won't get an answer here.

Contact Eurowings and ask about this case (post here if you have an answer).

[KhunBENQ]

Do you have a Thai bank account?

Some banks offer the possibility do create a "virtual credit card" or "webshopping" card as Kasikorn names it.

I pay all my flight bookings and most of online shopping with this.

Probably similar to other options described above.

[JamJar]

12 hours ago, KittenKong said:

 

This is true, though some agents do seem to use better exchange rates than those available via most credit cards. I always use a UK credit card rather than a debit card for travel-related purchases, for the improved guarantees/protection it offers, so I generally buy via UK travel agents to get the best final price in GBP.

 

As for N26.com, that seems to be very similar to services provided by Revolut and such-like. So more of a pre-paid travel debit card with transfer facilities than a real bank account, and certainly not a credit card with UK credit protection. I have a Revolut card and very handy and cheap it is too, but I would not use it for buying flight tickets or hotels. I did however use it for almost all my incidental expenses (fuel, food, shopping) on a recent trip to the USA and I will be using it again on a European trip soon.

 

 

??

 

The post was for ChristianPFC. So I don't think he is expecting UK credit card protection. N26 is simply for him to avoid pay conversion fees in the future. No protection needed if purchasing via Eurowings. Other options available to him can be found here: https://www.deutscheskonto.org/en/credit-card/no-foreign-transaction-fee-germany/

 

Of course we would utilise other products for the UK, such as the Halifax Clarity.  Revolut is not good for Thailand.

[KittenKong]

9 hours ago, JamJar said:

??

 

The post was for ChristianPFC. So I don't think he is expecting UK credit card protection. N26 is simply for him to avoid pay conversion fees in the future. No protection needed if purchasing via Eurowings.

 

I was making a general comment.

 

Why should protection not be needed for Eurowings? Just because they are owned by a national airline doesn't exempt them from problems. I think that protection is worth having for any purchase.

[JamJar]

37 minutes ago, KittenKong said:

 

I was making a general comment.

 

Why should protection not be needed for Eurowings? Just because they are owned by a national airline doesn't exempt them from problems. I think that protection is worth having for any purchase.

 

Germany doesn't have Section 75 for their credit cards anyway. So what protection would they have with a credit card, that they wouldn't with N26? At least you can open the N26 account in around ten minutes.

[Ricardo]

A friend flew Eurowings one-way from London to Bangkok last winter, he subsequently declared it to have been truly-awful, and will not be flying them again.

 

See also the reviews at  http://www.airlinequality.com/airline-reviews/eurowings/

 

 

[JamJar]

1 hour ago, Ricardo said:

A friend flew Eurowings one-way from London to Bangkok last winter, he subsequently declared it to have been truly-awful, and will not be flying them again.

 

See also the reviews at  http://www.airlinequality.com/airline-reviews/eurowings/

 

 

 

I'm sure Christian knows they aren't the best for seat pitch/width etc. But he is happy with the price an will to sacrifice his comfort for some hours. 

[KhunBENQ]

17 hours ago, JamJar said:

 

I'm sure Christian knows they aren't the best for seat pitch/width etc. But he is happy with the price an will to sacrifice his comfort for some hours. 

I also think that everyone knows that this is a low cost carrier and should be satisfied if arriving safely and on time.

[JamJar]

1 hour ago, KhunBENQ said:

I also think that everyone knows that this is a low cost carrier and should be satisfied if arriving safely and on time.

 

Don't know why you felt the need to stipulate "on time", therefore setting expectations too high. 

 

Probably worth investing a couple of hundred baht on a blanket, since they are unlikely to provide one. Also to pack some foodstuffs to eat on the flight, as I'm sure the food will be poor, if he paid extra in order to have a meal and checked in luggage.

 

Low cost long haul can be ok, if you plan adequately. I flew with Norwegian to Bangkok and didn't suffer.

 

[KittenKong]

On 26/07/2017 at 8:29 AM, JamJar said:

Germany doesn't have Section 75 for their credit cards anyway. So what protection would they have with a credit card, that they wouldn't with N26?

 

Chargeback?

[JamJar]

7 hours ago, KittenKong said:

 

Chargeback?

 

 

Are you asking me or are you suggesting that a German credit card offers chargeback wherein N26 does not?

 

They both offer chargeback.

 

I honestly don't know why you are still going on about this, unless you are German or live in Germany.

You clearly have no idea of the system in Germany. Obviously you jumped to the conclusion that they would have the same laws as we do in the UK.

 

Even we have the option of purchasing SAFI(scheduled airline failure insurance). Sometimes it will be offered on a website for a pound or two or included in your travel insurance.

 

It is up to the German consumer to understand how their system works. 

 

 

[JamJar]

On 2017-7-25 at 2:41 AM, KittenKong said:

 

This is true, though some agents do seem to use better exchange rates than those available via most credit cards. I always use a UK credit card rather than a debit card for travel-related purchases, for the improved guarantees/protection it offers, so I generally buy via UK travel agents to get the best final price in GBP.

 

As for N26.com, that seems to be very similar to services provided by Revolut and such-like. So more of a pre-paid travel debit card with transfer facilities than a real bank account, and certainly not a credit card with UK credit protection. I have a Revolut card and very handy and cheap it is too, but I would not use it for buying flight tickets or hotels. I did however use it for almost all my incidental expenses (fuel, food, shopping) on a recent trip to the USA and I will be using it again on a European trip soon.

 

 

I think your confusion stems from your statement here. You have assumed that it is a prepaid debit card. It is not.

It is a bank with the prerequisite banking licence.  

[ChristianPFC]

The booking is processed.

 

Flight search showed 176 EUR, when I went to book on eurowing's website they charged me 6829 THB. Two days later, on my bank statement:

178,84 € Betrag: -6829,00 THB Kurs: 38,1851

(i.e. 6829 THB was converted to 178.84 EUR at an exchange rate of 38.1851)

on xe.com, between 24 and 26 july 2017 the exchange rate was between 38.86 and 39.13.

 

Thus, I lost about 3 EUR = 120 THB due to unnecessary currency conversion, in combination with unfavorable rate at visa.

 

The flight is still available at 176 EUR (no checked luggage, no food, no entertainment - all these can be booked separately, but I will manage without - anyway that was not my question).

[JamJar]

6 hours ago, ChristianPFC said:

The booking is processed.

 

Flight search showed 176 EUR, when I went to book on eurowing's website they charged me 6829 THB. Two days later, on my bank statement:

178,84 € Betrag: -6829,00 THB Kurs: 38,1851

(i.e. 6829 THB was converted to 178.84 EUR at an exchange rate of 38.1851)

on xe.com, between 24 and 26 july 2017 the exchange rate was between 38.86 and 39.13.

 

Thus, I lost about 3 EUR = 120 THB due to unnecessary currency conversion, in combination with unfavorable rate at visa.

 

The flight is still available at 176 EUR (no checked luggage, no food, no entertainment - all these can be booked separately, but I will manage without - anyway that was not my question).

 

https://www.visaeurope.com/making-payments/exchange-rates

 

As I stated, you can do better with future purchases by using N26

 

The same transaction would have cost you 175.70€ 

 

https://www.mastercard.us/en-us/consumers/get-support/convert-currency.html

[KittenKong]

17 hours ago, JamJar said:

I honestly don't know why you are still going on about this, unless you are German or live in Germany.

You clearly have no idea of the system in Germany. Obviously you jumped to the conclusion that they would have the same laws as we do in the UK.

 

I dont live in Germany and I dont live in the UK either. But I do have a UK credit card and some UK debit cards. I prefer to use them for the reasons given.

 

I was making a general comment about methods of payment and not a specific one about Germany as the topic does not appear to be exclusively related to Germany. If it is specifically related to Germany then it probably should have been asked in a German forum rather than here.

[JamJar]

39 minutes ago, KittenKong said:

 

I dont live in Germany and I dont live in the UK either. But I do have a UK credit card and some UK debit cards. I prefer to use them for the reasons given.

 

I was making a general comment about methods of payment and not a specific one about Germany as the topic does not appear to be exclusively related to Germany. If it is specifically related to Germany then it probably should have been asked in a German forum rather than here.

 

 

If we are discussing generally, I don't use debit cards to pay for anything.  Credit cards only,. For the protection  about which you write.

 

[THAILIBAN]

On 26/07/2017 at 3:48 PM, Ricardo said:

A friend flew Eurowings one-way from London to Bangkok last winter, he subsequently declared it to have been truly-awful, and will not be flying them again.

 

See also the reviews at  http://www.airlinequality.com/airline-reviews/eurowings/

 

 

 

 

People who are on a tight budget will certainly not care much about that if they can get a one-way fare (including a domestic connecting flight!) from BKK to Germany for 6.829 THB

[Ricardo]

On 29/07/2017 at 2:55 PM, THAILIBAN said:

 

 

People who are on a tight budget will certainly not care much about that if they can get a one-way fare (including a domestic connecting flight!) from BKK to Germany for 6.829 THB

 

That was what my friend thought too, until he actually had flown on this airline.

[THAILIBAN]

On 7/30/2017 at 11:46 PM, Ricardo said:

 

That was what my friend thought too, until he actually had flown on this airline.

 

as long as he arrives in one piece.....