Are Airlines totally stupid????

[Pauldo]

Well I've spent about six hours on the web trying to source a suitable ticket to collect the mum in law with.

Travelocity seemed to have redesigned their website overnight, and a bunch of flights have dissappeared. Plus the format has changed.

I found some good stuff on Emirates, but though I can buy return tickets from the UK to Manila for £640 I can not find a MNL to England one way for less than £1000 :angry: :o .

I finally booked two returns, intending to just not use the first leg of one ticket. Then I called travelocity up to check all was well, and was informed I can NOT use the return leg unless the outward leg of the ticket has been used first.

I explained I was happy to suck up the full cost if they would just cancel the first leg, but NO, in usual call centre ignorance they have decided it can not be done :angry:

Now we're stuck, as every ticket from Manila in January is over £1000, and I then have to try and find myself a suitable ticket to match it. I can't risk flying there and hoping to book us two tickets from that end either. I know my luck at that sort of thing.

I just wish the old girl was in good enough shape to catch a plane on her own, but she'd probably disappear into the bowels of NAIA, never to be seen again, if left to catch the plane alone.

[Admin]

http://www.opodo.co.uk/

[walesrob]

Originally posted by Pauldo@Dec 1 2005, 03:22 PM
Well I've spent about six hours on the web trying to source a suitable ticket to collect the mum in law with.

Travelocity seemed to have redesigned their website overnight, and a bunch of flights have dissappeared. Plus the format has changed.

I found some good stuff on Emirates, but though I can buy return tickets from the UK to Manila for £640 I can not find a MNL to England one way for less than £1000 :angry: :o .

I finally booked two returns, intending to just not use the first leg of one ticket. Then I called travelocity up to check all was well, and was informed I can NOT use the return leg unless the outward leg of the ticket has been used first.

I explained I was happy to suck up the full cost if they would just cancel the first leg, but NO, in usual call centre ignorance they have decided it can not be done :angry:

Now we're stuck, as every ticket from Manila in January is over £1000, and I then have to try and find myself a suitable ticket to match it. I can't risk flying there and hoping to book us two tickets from that end either. I know my luck at that sort of thing.

I just wish the old girl was in good enough shape to catch a plane on her own, but she'd probably disappear into the bowels of NAIA, never to be seen again, if left to catch the plane alone.
Quoted post


Paul why dont you a one-way from Manila to Hong Kong, then get a one-way Hong Kong to London. I've done this a few times, and these guys
Aero HKG (http://www.aerohkg.com/)http://www.aerohkg.com/
have o/w back to London with BA, Virgin or CX for only £190 (I just checked now for 10 Jamuary 06). Don't forget you've got more flights to choose from on this routing..They also do HK to Manila as well, email them for prices...

[Pauldo]

Originally posted by admin@Dec 1 2005, 04:32 PM
http://www.opodo.co.uk/
Quoted post


Thank mate. I just spent a while in Opodo but they still seem to want best part of £2000 for the trip. I wouldn't mind laying that sort of change down for a family holiday, but for just collecting somebody it all seems astronomical :(

Travelocity were going to do the whole deal for about £1000, until last night, when November turned into December, and it all seemed to go ballistic. :(

[Pauldo]

Originally posted by walesrob@Dec 1 2005, 04:43 PM
Paul why dont you a one-way from Manila to Hong Kong, then get a one-way Hong Kong to London. I've done this a few times, and these guys
Aero HKG (http://www.aerohkg.com/)http://www.aerohkg.com/
have o/w back to London with BA, Virgin or CX for only £190 (I just checked now for 10 Jamuary 06). Don't forget you've got more flights to choose from on this routing..They also do HK to Manila as well, email them for prices...
Quoted post


Rob,
I might look into doing that, but I've been assuming the on line ticket people will run through every combination of flights, through Hong Kong, Singapore, whatever.

There's just so many possible variables to feed in to get the combination which works for us and is priced right. I can get a flight for me at a good price, and I can get one for the mum in law, but trying to get flights on the same plane coming back is where it all falls apart. It all seemed like a great idea a few days ago, but now it is a big head ache.

If I could fly into Manila on a one way ticket, then sort the returns out in the PI it would probably be a lot cheaper, but you're supposed to have an onward ticket to get in, though I've only ever been asked to show it once.

I don't know how they would check on E tickets, when there is no paper, just a number?

Cheers, Paul

[deepete]

got fed up talking to myself

[walesrob]

Originally posted by Pauldo@Dec 1 2005, 04:50 PM
but you're supposed to have an onward ticket to get in, though I've only ever been asked to show it once.

I don't know how they would check on E tickets, when there is no paper, just a number?

Cheers, Paul
Quoted post


Thats the official line, but as you say its rarely imposed, and its worth risking it anyway. I've done it before, I flew o/w into Manila with Gulf Air, and took Singapore Airlines back to Manchester. As long as you can provide proof you have funds available - ie a credit card, they'll be happy.

Now, with the Hong Kong - UK flights, I'd say you'd have a good chance you could get either the same flights or something very close. Why do I say this?

The daily departure evening schedule for UK bound flights looks like this:

BA26 leaves HK 23.25 arrives LHR 0435
VS201 (Virgin) leaves HK 23.35 arrives LHR 0450
BA32 leaves HK 23.45 arrives LHR 0500
CX251 (Cathay Pacific) leaves HK 23.50, arrives 0505
BA 28 leaves HK 00.40, arrives 0550
CX255 leaves 00.45 arrives 0605

so even if you cant get the same aircraft, you'll both end up in Heathrow T3 (in the case of Virgin and Cathay) or T1 (for BA) flights more or less within 30 minutes of each other.

Hope this helps...

[Pauldo]

Originally posted by walesrob@Dec 1 2005, 07:02 PM
Thats the official line, but as you say its rarely imposed, and its worth risking it anyway. I've done it before, I flew o/w into Manila with Gulf Air, and took Singapore Airlines back to Manchester. As long as you can provide proof you have funds available - ie a credit card, they'll be happy.

Now, with the Hong Kong - UK flights, I'd say you'd have a good chance you could get either the same flights or something very close. Why do I say this?

The daily departure evening schedule for UK bound flights looks like this:

BA26 leaves HK 23.25 arrives LHR 0435
VS201 (Virgin) leaves HK 23.35 arrives LHR 0450
BA32 leaves HK 23.45 arrives LHR 0500
CX251 (Cathay Pacific) leaves HK 23.50, arrives 0505
BA 28 leaves HK 00.40, arrives 0550
CX255 leaves 00.45 arrives 0605

so even if you cant get the same aircraft, you'll both end up in Heathrow T3 (in the case of Virgin and Cathay) or T1 (for BA) flights more or less within 30 minutes of each other.

Hope this helps...
Quoted post

Thanks for that Rob. I must admit, my head is aching from peering into a computer screen for god knows how many hours, entering combinations of varying flight requirements :(

I might just ask the in laws to inquire about flights from their end, via Hong Kong. There seems to be some brain lock amongst on-line travel agencies that they can't use HongKong. Everything I've seen so far seems to go via Singapore, Dubai or Bahrain.

Cheers, Paul

[Admin]

Doesn't that tell you something about Hong Kong? :lol:

[walesrob]

Originally posted by admin@Dec 1 2005, 08:42 PM
Doesn't that tell you something about Hong Kong? :lol:
Quoted post


No, it just means that theres more money to be made via Middle East, ie Dubai, Doha or Bahrain. Direct flights tend to be more expensive, and Virgin, BA and Cathay (and Qantas) have the London-Hong Kong routes nicely sewn-up between them.

Theres a bit more competition on indirect routes hence the variation in prices.

A new Hong Kong based airline has just started, I think its called Oasis or something like that and they are offering fares of £100 one-way Gatwick to Hong Kong offering an Easyjet style of service. Hmm, lets see, your stuck on a jumbo for 12 hours and you have to pay for meals and drinks... :huh:

[Admin]

I take a packed lunch & pot noodle on Singapore Airlines :rolleyes:

[Pauldo]

Originally posted by deepete@Dec 1 2005, 06:44 PM
got fed up talking to myself
Quoted post

We'll speak to ya :D ;)

Anyway, I reckon Travelocity must have phuked up their website last night when they did their big re-vamp thing, as it shows ZERO one way Emirates flights out of Manila. Looked into a couple of other sights and there appears to be plenty on sale.

Course, having said that there won't be a single one left when my wife tries booking them tomorrow morning :o :unsure:

[Pauldo]

Originally posted by Pauldo@Dec 2 2005, 04:23 AM
We'll speak to ya :D ;)

Anyway, I reckon Travelocity must have phuked up their website last night when they did their big re-vamp thing, as it shows ZERO one way Emirates flights out of Manila. Looked into a couple of other sights and there appears to be plenty on sale.

Course, having said that there won't be a single one left when my wife tries booking them tomorrow morning :o :unsure:
Quoted post


In exasperation I gave the credit card details to the wife over the phone last night and told her to go do her thing in the Filipino airplane ticket community.

She rang round her circle of friends and connections and this morning I got an e mail telling me she had booked and paid for suitable tickets, for just over a grand. Flying on Emirates, leave UK late December, come back with Mum early January. Done deal :D

Hmm, these Filipinas do have their uses afterall :D :D :o ;) B)