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The secret with FlightCentre, if you must use them, is to do your homework first. Find out what the airlines are charging for particular flights to your preferred destination, and take that to FlightCentre. I did, and they were prepared to beat it. Granted by $1, but beat it they would. However, I prefer to book direct.
My partner and I are currently stuck in Asia with no flight to go home on because of Flight Centre's incompetence.
Their Consumer Risk Manager, Cathy White cannot provide any answers as to why we have to stump up an additional $600 to reinstate our flight which they say has been cancelled! We have paid a great deal for this long-haul flight home that we now cannot use or be refunded for!
We have asked them repeatedly for the terms and conditions of our flight package (beyond what we have, which covers very little) with this airline but they cannot provide them nor admit they are in the wrong for failing to communicate any policies the airline has with their flights.
An absolute disgrace and daylight robbery. We are applying to the NSW Office of Fair Trading that they refund us in full. We will NEVER EVER be using Flight Centre again.
Oh and on the topic of prices...I notice in the news today that the ACCC has just taken them to court again over price - fixing. Appalling! DIY is the way to go clearly!
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Now you can buy a "Euroleopard" for next to nothing. It all sounds very European and reliable but the compliance plate on my neighbour's unit read (if I could have understood the characters) like something from "Peoples Tractor Factory #43", Shanghai. He traded it in fairly quickly.36
And there are lots of links on Google from people who have experienced just that ...The secret with FlightCentre, if you must use them, is to do your homework first. Find out what the airlines are charging for particular flights to your preferred destination, and take that to FlightCentre. I did, and they were prepared to beat it. Granted by $1, but beat it they would. However, I prefer to book direct.
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Yeah they beat me by $1 and gave me the $20 voucher. I said i'd only accept that if i could use the $20 voucher on something for this trip. they agreed, so i then went and got some domestic flight prices on the internet, got them to book those, again gave me a price of $1 better and i then said, i'd like to use my $20 voucher. They agreed, but said they couldn't give me another $20 voucher because i was using one.... and they also gave me some rubbish about using the $20 voucher only on non matched fares. Anyway it all worked out in the end, but I haven't gone back there.39
As long as you are talking about high street travel agents, I totally agree Justin. And I understand that they have more overheads than online travel agents. But can they really expect to get away with charging an extra $400-500 for the same seats on the same flight to the same destination as the airline is charging for those same seats? Agree that a GOOD travel agent can be a godsend when you have a tricky or complex travel itinerary, but for a simple A to B airfare why wouldn't you book direct with the airline?40
When I was living in Solomon Islands, no internet fares were available. I advised visiting friends to use an independent agent I knew who had experience with the destination. A couple of them used Flight Centre because it was closer to home. They were promised an advertised cheap round fare. It was only when they went to pay that they were told, "Sorry, it is only available for short stays" (ie 3 days). Anyone else would have been aware of this and not quoted the cheap fare when they knew the people want to stay for a fortnight.41
I for one will never use Flight Centre again.My partner and I are currently stuck in Asia with no flight to go home on because of Flight Centre's incompetence.
Their Consumer Risk Manager, Cathy White cannot provide any answers as to why we have to stump up an additional $600 to reinstate our flight which they say has been cancelled! We have paid a great deal for this long-haul flight home that we now cannot use or be refunded for!
We have asked them repeatedly for the terms and conditions of our flight package (beyond what we have, which covers very little) with this airline but they cannot provide them nor admit they are in the wrong for failing to communicate any policies the airline has with their flights.
An absolute disgrace and daylight robbery. We are applying to the NSW Office of Fair Trading that they refund us in full. We will NEVER EVER be using Flight Centre again.
Oh and on the topic of prices...I notice in the news today that the ACCC has just taken them to court again over price - fixing. Appalling! DIY is the way to go clearly!
