Worth using a travel agent??

[9fingers]

Thanks for all your responses.

We are planning a stop over for several days on the west coast of USA for several days on both legs of the journey.
...
Cheers

Bob

Gee, Bob, if you want to stop in St Louis on the way back I can set you up with some primo shop tours, enough electrical gizmosity to make your hair stand on end, and the best Italian food west of the Mediterranean (no matter what those New Yorkers say).

Kirk

Kirk, That is an interesting offer but we are only in California for a few days this time BUT, SWMBO has a plan for further US holidays once the bank account has recovered so maybe in a year or so who knows?? Italian food and machinery make a very tempting combination!!

Cheers

Bob

 

[9fingers]

Bob I would think seriously about not taking out Holiday Insurance especially if you are visiting the States where cover up to $10m is required!
There's been lots of cases in the news where people haven't bothered and have appealed to friends, the Public etc to get them home. The figures required would bankrupt most people?
I do not know about NZ but in most countries health care is very, very expensive and not free?

Have a look at the M&S offer - it covers most existing complaints without additional fees.
It covers both of us World Wide for £15/m plus lots of free goodies.

Rod

No sign of anything like that on M&S website.
Their price for single trip WITHOUT cover for pre-existing conditions is £719 and for annual policy under the same conditions is £298 - in itself a strange result

So either you have a fantastic offer or you might not have the level of cover that you think. I hope the former naturally

Bob

 

[Harbo]

Bob have a look at this - it may or not cover all your "problems":

http://money.marksandspencer.com/pdf/premiumclubtravelinspolicysummary.pdf

http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-living-abroad/staying-safe/travel-insurance/

Rod

 

[devonwoody]

Our last holiday was just short of 6 months and we tried to get insurance, not a chance at our ages. So we went to Oz., the first week the wife has a fall and needed new hip joints.
Fortunately on arrival in Oz. I had a spare moment and we went into a Medicare Centre and registered as UK citizens.

No cost, but what a relief, we would have had to pay for the operation (and then claim it back).

RogerS. I reckon if I got on the telephone and I was prepared to fly tomorrow (dont tell them that) and there is an empty space you can still get at least 50% off of a long distance flight. They dont like empty seats :wink:
You dont get cheaper tickets booking in advance ever!!!!!!

However I do appreciate its a different world out there, but so it was 10 years ago.

9fingers, I would not risk no insurance for the USA tho.(perhaps you could get a 7 day cover if you apply carefully and not describe your whole itinerary.)

 

[RogerS]

......

RogerS. I reckon if I got on the telephone and I was prepared to fly tomorrow (dont tell them that) and there is an empty space you can still get at least 50% off of a long distance flight. They dont like empty seats :wink:
....

That is true, dw. But equally they also know that if someone is booking late then just maybe they are desperate to be somewhere and so prepared to pay a premium. It is a judgement call. Bob could always go standby :wink:

 

[devonwoody]

Agreed RogerS. If you have got to fly tomorrow you will pay big time.
However Stand by is not what it is cracked up to be either.

I recall half a dozen aussies hanging about for stand by in Sydney and they were not getting cheap fares because they needed to go.

Difficult year this year tho with the Olympics going on so there might not be as many empty seats around. However if there is an empty seat they are desparate to fill it providing the flier doesnt weigh too much :wink:

 

[Lons]

Very short notice flights are fine for single flight trips, and I've done it on short haul pretty successfully but it only works if you are retired with time not an issue IMO. Our last trip would have been a nightmare had we done it that way with 3 countries and several cities involved all an a timescale (even if it was 5 weeks). I would absolutely hate to spend my holiday chasing flights and possibly losing days when I'd rather be visiting the attractions I planned. E.G. a delay for us in Sydney would have scuppered our NZ plans and put us at Lake Taupo smack in the middle of a major cycle race, no accommodation and closed roads.

During our previous visit 2 years ago, my father in law died and we needed to get home from Cairns. The only flights available were at a cost of £3600 for 2 of us one way and it took a lot of effort, a £40 mobile phoe bill and the goodwill of Quantas to get us a flight eventually from Brisbane. Unforseen event, but would I chase around willingly when on holiday? - Not bloody likely!

I've booked my last 3 trips 6 to 10 months in advance at sale prices and know for certain (last minute excepted) that I got the best deals I could. Last trip for example, I had no additional fuel charges or airport taxes added even though they had rocketed.

BTW Bob. I've found the best way to deal with Trailfinders is face to face or by phone if that isn't possible and then you get 1 person working for you.

Bob

 

[Harbo]

As some one who has flown quite a lot long distance, both for leisure and business I beg to differ DW.
And I am talking about reputable scheduled airlines too.
The cheapest flights are the ones booked when they come available (11 months in advance?) or when offered during a sale. They get progressively dearer as the flight date approaches.
I know this because I've always monitored my flights in case I've been ripped off?
A couple of years ago for a business trip to Nassau, 6 weeks ahead the flight was £600 when my firm booked a few days before it was £1900! (and that was steerage).
The same thing happened a on a flight to Accra when I had to fly with KLM!

Rod

 

[devonwoody]

Harbo, its a jungle out there.

I sat next to a 22 year old nurse on a Sydney flight.
I asked her what she paid, £545 she said and booked the same day as me (Christmas Eve) and with the same bucket shop. I paid £245 we flew out New years eve.

I booked a flight with Easy jet to Berlin and return it cost in all £28 and that was around 2 months in advance.

But I am a different fish when it comes to holiday booking, I dont go until I get the right price, my sister will pay what ever fare or cost is asked.

 

[devonwoody]

Another example of high last minute fare is the practice known as bumping.

The airline have a genuine full capacity. but a regular user needs a next day flight, they bump a ticket holder off with a payout and the emergency flight passenger pays top whack.

They also used to oversell capacity and bump ticket holders off with a sweetener.