Pilotaydin From Turkey, joined Sep 2004, 2498 posts, RR: 50 Posted (6 years 7 months 4 days 15 hours ago) and read 13017 times:
im going to VALENCIA VLC i think, after new years, so i went to my travel agent and told them i want a ticket with star alliance etc.... and i get my e-ticket today in my inbox and guess what....
istanbul-munich-VENICE with Air Dolomiti....
i mean come on, the word VENEDIK and VALENSIYA in turkish are nowhere near and i remember the guy saying ahhh spain! haha
now im worried there might not be room on the specific dates ive asked for because i took my days off and booked my hotel lol
anyone else have this happen? i can understand Genoa and Geneva
The only time there is too much fuel onboard, is when you're on fire!
well it could mean that there isn't room on the flights that he wanted... and there for he could loose some of the money he's spent on hotels, possibly flights, and hes already put in for days off work.
I guess it depends on the loads and the travel agent as to what will happen... hope it all works out mate!
~Cheers-
~~Kyle H.
to some people the sky is the limit, to aviation enthusiasts, its home!
Kiwiandrew From New Zealand, joined Jun 2005, 8435 posts, RR: 14 Reply 3, posted (6 years 7 months 4 days 15 hours ago) and read 12955 times:
This is exactly why all the travel agents I trained had it drummed into them that they MUST show/or email client an itinerary BEFORE agreeing to ticket the flights
Moderation in all things ... including moderation ;-)
No, but a PSA once tried to check me in to HAN when holding a ticket for Han(n)over (HAJ).
Since that occasion, I keep an eye onto the baggage tags once they are printed and check if they carry the right IATA-code.
On another occasion, a travel agent working for the "in-plant travel agency" they operate for my employer didn't stick to the flights I had selected. They once again tried to sell me a 45-minute connection in CDG (HAJ-CDG-ATL), but I made them change the flights ...
-HT
Carpe diem ! Life is too short to waste your time ! Keep in mind, that today is the first day of the rest of your life !
Mandala499 From Indonesia, joined Aug 2001, 6211 posts, RR: 74 Reply 5, posted (6 years 7 months 4 days 14 hours ago) and read 12809 times:
I always check the codes even when checking in...
Even when booking, I give the agent specific IATA codes... Hence no excuse for a mistake, unless it's on my part.
However, giving agents geography lessons can reduce this risk waaaaay further... coz some minority really do need it!
Mandala499
When losing situational awareness, pray Cumulus Granitus isn't nearby !
Leskova From Germany, joined Oct 2003, 6075 posts, RR: 72 Reply 6, posted (6 years 7 months 4 days 13 hours ago) and read 12795 times:
Quoting Alaskaqantas (Reply 2): well it could mean that there isn't room on the flights that he wanted... and there for he could loose some of the money he's spent on hotels, possibly flights, and hes already put in for days off work.
The agent didn't book what you wanted, ask him to change it.
Quoting Kiwiandrew (Reply 3): This is exactly why all the travel agents I trained had it drummed into them that they MUST show/or email client an itinerary BEFORE agreeing to ticket the flights
It's the same in my case - always confirm with the client before you finalize something... back when I was in sales, this once saved me from a Las Palmas/La Palma mixup.
It's also something that all the agencies the company I work for has do - never pass the 'point of no return' before you're certain that you've booked what the client wants.
It's a really simple rule - and it works well, if you adhere to it.
As I said - just ask the agent to correct the mistake... after all... he should be aware that Venice simply doesn't work when you want to go to Valencia... and since he replied with "Spain", he really should see his error.
And, just as a previous poster already mentioned, it's really not just travel agents messing up like this - I one had to wait for two weeks for SAA to get my suitcase back to me, because one of their check in agents placed me on an Air Botswana flight to Maun, but my suitcase on an SAA flight to Jo'berg.
In short - mistakes happen. They're annoying - no doubt about that. But this, in absolutely no way, is something specific to travel agents. We're not dimwits, we're not complete idiots, we're not morons out to screw every customer that walks into our shop... most of us are people doing our best to get the best deal for our clients, trying to get them where they want the most comfortable and most affordable way. And, believe it or not, at the same time we're also human beings that, on occasion, make mistakes.
And I guess I don't really need to point out that pilots aren't flawless either... you're humans as well...
Called US Airways reservations several months ago . . . . needed to go to BHM - which is in Alabama and the gent was already to ticket me to BHX - which is in England.
Hazards of outsourcing your US reservations to the Philipines . I mean, if you're going to outsource, at least give the poor bastards a map!
TymnBalewne From United States of America, joined Mar 2005, 913 posts, RR: 1 Reply 8, posted (6 years 7 months 4 days 11 hours ago) and read 12511 times:
When I worked at IAD (Dulles) we would, with regularity, get people from overseas coming off our plane expecting to be in Dallas.
ChiGB1973 From United States of America, joined Mar 2004, 1605 posts, RR: 1 Reply 10, posted (6 years 7 months 4 days 9 hours ago) and read 12288 times:
Quoting ANCFlyer (Reply 7): Hazards of outsourcing your US reservations to the Philippines . I mean, if you're going to outsource, at least give the poor bastards a map!
I lived in BHM and unless I specifically said Alabama or people caught my accent, some thought I meant England. Why did you call reservations and not book on-line? It saves you a few bucks.
I also wonder, why go through a travel agency? I have been to Turkey a few times, but never had to arrange my own itinerary. Why not book it yourself on-line?
Not to down travel agencies, far from that, I just wonder what advantages it has these days.
Access-Air From United States of America, joined Sep 2000, 1939 posts, RR: 15 Reply 11, posted (6 years 7 months 4 days 9 hours ago) and read 12248 times:
Called US Airways reservations several months ago . . . . needed to go to BHM - which is in Alabama and the gent was already to ticket me to BHX - which is in England.
Hazards of outsourcing your US reservations to the Philipines irked . I mean, if you're going to outsource, at least give the poor bastards a map!
ANCFlyer, Next time follow the prompts to International Reservations....If you do that you should always get someone in the US.....
In our Travel Agency, I am the person that basically makes sure that Itineraries are recapped with clients.....We have had a few mishaps with clients not being recapped and I have had to fix the problems....
I have been in the business for 17 years and I just dont like having clean up after someone's stupid mistakes....Im quite the "Office Nazi" about certain things and I will go ballistic if someone does not follow certain procedures...Thank goodness that we have all had enuff experience that problems of this sort dont happen too often....
All I know is that most clients in most cases dont even have a clue as to where anything is geographically and will sometimes give us the wrong destination...Like a lady this past week e-mailed us telling us they wanted to go to Atlantic, Georgia.....We looked and there is no Atlantic in the whole state of Georgia.... She finally told us that was to attend an Archery convention...So smart cookie I am, I "googled" Archery Conventions 2007 and came up with one in, where else?? ATLANTA, Georgia precisesly the same dates she wanted to travel......See, what we deal with????
My Other favourites are the people that call and make a reservation in say June for November travel....We go over every slingle last detail even fax or e-mail over a copy of the intineray for them to look at. They will pay for the reservation over the phone with their credit card. SO, once again we recap that itinerary....We ask if they want us to send it to them...."No", they tell us, "just keep it there because I might loose it." So we keep it in our file...The months carry on until about October they will call and ask why WE didnt send the ticket and we have remind them why THEY left it there.....We offer to send it to them, they say, "No, Ill be in later today to pick it up." Well still they dont come in to pick it up....However, we are a busy agency and dont have time dedicate to just one booking...We figure that they prolly got busy, like us and couldnt make it in....They do call and ask us if they can just leave it there until right before they leave.....We tell them ok....And that we will hold it for them...
So, about 2 days before this person is to travel they come in the agency to pick up......Low and behold we once again recap the intinerary....They screw up their face and say, "Those are the wrong dates!!!" They search for a calendar on my desk under the glass....."I wanted to go on this day...." We go back to our notes and by goodness the dates on the intinerary are EXACTLY what they had ordered....Their excuse is, "Oh I must have been looking at last years calendar..." However, to them WE Screwed up NOT them.....
Our travel agency will own up to mistake if we screw up, but if a client is wishy-washy about what they are doing....or only pay half attention or are too frigging LAZY to make a personal appearance in our office they dont have any right to blame us if a mistake is made....We travel agents, thanks to the squeeze put on us by the airlines, only have 24 hours time to VOID an error on an airline ticket and start again...after that someone has to pay.
We take EVERY Precaution to make sure that mistakes never happen....I detest having to get on and grovel and beg an airline for help and thats exactly what they make you do this side of making a pact with satan......
Airlines used to be happy to help us, now all they see us as is minor annoyance..
As for you guys that give a travel agent an ICAO code for travel.....I dont know about you, but I would say that is YOUR problem...We travel agents stateside dont mess with that ICAO four letter code BS....we still use the IATA 3 letter codes. Besides, use the name of the city and explain which airport dont be foolish and just drop a code and hope the agent "Gets it" If you do, then too bad, YOU have created half of your probem.....some of us are old school and we like to hear names of cities, not codes....If we dont uinder stand the name of a city, spell it phonetically to us...to ther is NO question...
But yeah, ANCFlyer, try the International desks...they seem to man those with agents in the US.....I too, detest having to talk to an outsourced reservation office as they have to put you on hold for EVERY thing you ask them....Most are as helpful as a pair of tits on a bull......In most cases, I know more about the airline they are working for than they do......
Lastly, Pilotaydin, Next time please make sure you recap the reservations with the travel agent before you give the authority to issue your ticket....Reservations are a DUAL responsibility.....The client's responsibility to give accurate information to the agent to book it and to ask them to go over your intinerary with you BEFORE you give a credit card....
It is Our repsonsibility to make sure we get the proper dates, cities and complexities of your planned trip. It is also our responsibilty the RECAP your reservation with you BEFORE you pay for it....If you agent Does NOT recap your booking for you then dont be shy about asking.. I am quite sure they would be happy to......By you assuming that everything is ok and them assuming everything is okay, well....Look what happened to you....
ClassicLover From Ireland, joined Mar 2004, 4528 posts, RR: 25 Reply 13, posted (6 years 7 months 4 days 8 hours ago) and read 12038 times:
Quoting Pilotaydin (Thread starter): im going to VALENCIA VLC i think, after new years, so i went to my travel agent and told them i want a ticket with star alliance etc.... and i get my e-ticket today in my inbox and guess what....
Boeing744 From Canada, joined Jun 2005, 1774 posts, RR: 25 Reply 14, posted (6 years 7 months 4 days 8 hours ago) and read 12009 times:
Quoting HT (Reply 4): No, but a PSA once tried to check me in to HAN when holding a ticket for Han(n)over (HAJ).
Since that occasion, I keep an eye onto the baggage tags once they are printed and check if they carry the right IATA-code.
Quoting Leskova (Reply 6): And, just as a previous poster already mentioned, it's really not just travel agents messing up like this - I one had to wait for two weeks for SAA to get my suitcase back to me, because one of their check in agents placed me on an Air Botswana flight to Maun, but my suitcase on an SAA flight to Jo'berg.
Yep, I've had this problem too, with AC. I was going to London ON (YXU), but my bags went to Ottawa (YOW).
Thats why you continuously update their PNR with anything and everything, include comments on when/how the pax will pick up their tickets if they are not e-tickets. It's nice to have a print out handy when you get your arse chewed. You just hold it up and show it to them....usually shuts them up...
Quoting ChiGB1973 (Reply 10): Not to down travel agencies, far from that, I just wonder what advantages it has these days.
Well if you're an individual traveller I can see going right to the source to book a ticket. However, many airliners have "service charge" when booking through their websites. Why? What service did they provide? The pax is the one who spent his/her time typing in the itinerary, checking dates, etc.and they still charge for it? How is that any different from a travel agent tacking on a few bucks for their service. After all the agent is the one who took the time to go through all the reservation systems to find a good deal.
Also, in my business we simply don't have the capacity to book 500-600 tickets every year on our own. So we go through a travel agent. They still know a few tricks many experienced travellers aren't aware of.
As someone also stated...the airlines tend to treat travel agents as some sort of enemy. They tend to forget they were dependent on their survival for decades.
Hawaiian717 From United States of America, joined May 1999, 3095 posts, RR: 8 Reply 17, posted (6 years 7 months 4 days 7 hours ago) and read 11678 times:
Quoting Cgnnrw (Reply 16): However, many airliners have "service charge" when booking through their websites.
In the United States it is the opposite. The service charge exists if you try to book over the phone rather than online. What really gets me though is when they try to charge the service charge for something the website can't or won't do.
One time my parents were booking an international Delta SkyMiles award ticket. One went through online fine but for the other an error message came up telling us to call. So we called and they completed the reservation, but the charge they quoted us (you have to pay taxes on the international award tickets) was $10 more than the one that was completed online. We had to get a supervisor to credit the $10.
As far as the issue of incorrect bookings, it goes both ways. I've seen plenty of people book online and get things wrong. Sometimes it is the wrong date (scroll wheel apparently caused problems), but sometimes even the wrong city: ORF versus PHF versus OFK was a common problem. But I've also seen agent mistakes, one time I had a call from a customer who had a reservation on hold departing from ITO, but the agent had her originating in OGG -- the wrong island!
HT From Germany, joined May 2005, 6475 posts, RR: 26 Reply 18, posted (6 years 7 months 4 days 6 hours ago) and read 11519 times:
Quoting Access-Air (Reply 11): As for you guys that give a travel agent an ICAO code for travel.....I dont know about you, but I would say that is YOUR problem...We travel agents stateside dont mess with that ICAO four letter code BS....we still use the IATA 3 letter codes.
Shouldn't be a BIG problem to toggle between IATA and IACO-codes planning a trip with scheduled carriers within the US ..
-HT
Carpe diem ! Life is too short to waste your time ! Keep in mind, that today is the first day of the rest of your life !
Hawaiian717 From United States of America, joined May 1999, 3095 posts, RR: 8 Reply 19, posted (6 years 7 months 4 days 6 hours ago) and read 11496 times:
Quoting HT (Reply 18): Shouldn't be a BIG problem to toggle between IATA and IACO-codes planning a trip with scheduled carriers within the US
well seeing as you're an aviation consultant...i guess your words are biblical..
what the heck do you mean so what? i fly 110 hours a month duty at 180, i barely have time to check up on my own personal issues and the time im travelling around are the holidays, my hotel is already paid for, i guess you're super rich if you can write all this off as a so what....
if it was a so what moment for me, i wouldn't have posted it, so what is the point in you saying so what? what has it done? nothing...except probably make you feel like your issues are "real" and others' are mini lol
The only time there is too much fuel onboard, is when you're on fire!
It's sometimes worse. I had once a pax on the U2 AMS-GVA who was more than sure he booked the flight to Genoa Italy !!! Even though I showed him our network map to prove we never had any flight to GOA (Genoa and not Goa India, GOI) from anywhere, he kept saying he booked a flight to GOA instead of GVA !!!!!! Poor one, I wonder what he did after landing in GVA ?
ChiGB1973 From United States of America, joined Mar 2004, 1605 posts, RR: 1 Reply 22, posted (6 years 7 months 4 days 5 hours ago) and read 10517 times:
Quoting HBJZA (Reply 21): Poor one, I wonder what he did after landing in GVA ?
At this point, what else is there to do but get a chalet and go skiing.
Avion346 From United States of America, joined Nov 2003, 184 posts, RR: 1 Reply 23, posted (6 years 7 months 4 days 4 hours ago) and read 9990 times:
The bags can definitely be a problem too, especially when the ramp agents had A LOT of bags to off-load and send downline quickly. We often got DFW bags when I worked in DTW, and I'm sure vice versa. At least it's somewhat understandable...
JAGflyer From Canada, joined Aug 2004, 3329 posts, RR: 4 Reply 24, posted (6 years 7 months 4 days 4 hours ago) and read 9954 times:
Another reason why TAs are not needed. Book your own tickets and get the job done right, the way you want!
Supported the beer and soda can industry, recycle old airplanes!
25 PER744: To counter the whole 'why use a travel agent?' theme on this thread, whilst I book the vast majority of my trips myself, there are times when a travel
26 LH121GLA: " target=_blank>http://www.checkmytrip.com That's assuming your flight was booked on the Amadeus GDS. Had it been booked on Galileo, Sabre or Worldspa
27 LH121GLA: Unfortunately, people like you annoy me. Yes by all means make your own travel arangements online - but should things take a turn for the worse with
28 Aa757first: First of all, "Atlantic, Georgia" would indicate it's pretty obvious that the customer wanted to fly to ATL after a search indicated there is no Atla
29 Alaskaqantas: I have respect for you mate, but not all humans are perfect, some don't want to help you anymore, in jeopardy of possibly looking like an idiot in fr
30 NorthstarBoy: there are definitely befefits to using travel agencies, most travel agencies employ some kind of after hours service, so that when you're trying to ge
31 Wjcandee: Except as to that "21/10/2006" European date thingy. Here in the US, that isn't a date, so we can figure out that it's October 21. How about if you s
32 BNinMSY: Let's see... hmmmmmm 1. They can often get a better fare than an airline website - I'd say 80% of the time. Because they are creative and not a robot
34 Danild: I'm a Travel Agent and I have to say it's your fault as much as the travel agent who booked it. Valencia in spanish does sound like Venecia, however
35 Halophila: Although not the case here, we have little choice but to use a travel agent for business travel. Yes, you can make your own travel arrangements and p
36 ANCFlyer: Thanks for that . . . and I shall keep A-Netter M180UP handy as well, as he was the ONLY agent US Air had that managed to unscrew the reservation and
37 Pilotaydin: im happy it sounds the same in spanish, but im from turkey and the person doing this is turkish....so how is it relevant?
38 BigOrange: That's scary considering they don't even fly to BHX. How did they propose getting you there, codeshare with National Express buses from MAN??
39 Danild: I don't speak turkish... but both destinations names are from latin languages so if you pronounce them in turkish anywhere similar to Italian, Spanis
40 DTWAGENT: As a travel agent. If this is truly a mistake on their part. Let them know NOW. They would have to redo the ticket and I believe if you push them enou
41 Swissy: It looks like a "simple" mistake from the agent and should be fixed asap or you will enjoy Venice..... just came back from there, 8 days with my wife,
42 BY188B: those pesky travel agents at it again! http://friskodude.blogspot.com/2006/.../perils-of-thai-travel-agents.html
43 BAW716: Well, having been a IATA registered international travel consultant now for 28 years, I guess I have trouble understanding how someone could miss VLC
44 ORD2pm: well, sounds like a travel agent making commercial for travel agencies. Hey, why not?
45 WesternA318: LOL I once called NCL for a cruise in the Caribbean. Me: "I'd like tobook on your 6-day Western Caribbean package, with an add-on from Salt Lake City
46 HT: I understand your comment if you replace VEN by VCE ... ROFL ! -HT
48 BAW716: HT... I wondered how many people would pick that up!! I actually did that on purpose. There is no city that has VEN as a code. Of course, after 28 yea
49 Pilotaydin: by the way i sorted it all out, thankfully there were just enough seats left for our whole group, apparently the same issue existed for myself and 15
51 Jetblast25: I was on my way to Kabul recently and the TA gave me a routing printout showing an overnight layover in ISB/Istanbul. Which is fine, Americans don't n
52 Rogerthat: Nothing beats a good travel agent. On a recent round the world trip, the agent saved me over 2,000 USD by breaking the trip in BOM and pricing the ret
53 VC10BOAC: Umm.. Mr smart cookie... wasn't it obvious that she meant Atlanta? Note to myself... Stay away from Atlanta, they have morons running around with dea
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. I mean, if you're going to outsource, at least give the poor bastards a map!
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