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Post by mich64 on Nov 20, 2017 20:32:16 GMT
I am now in the habit of checking in on-line 24 hours prior to our flights and printing our boarding passes from home or from the hotel computer. I do not know if it makes a difference, but I feel we have less of a chance of our seats being changed once we check in at the airport. We also make sure we are at our home airport 1.5 hours prior to our flight (we are only required to be there 1 hour before) mostly because of my issues with crowds, but I also feel it would be easier to address if there were any seating problems at that time. When we used to drive to Toronto to board flights there, we would allow 5 hours for a 4 hour drive which usually put us at the airport 4 hours before our departing flight as well which again puts us near the front of the line.
Tod, I too still prefer to use a travel agent and arrive with my flight information and seat choice for her to book on our behalf.
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Post by bixaorellana on Nov 22, 2017 14:15:41 GMT
Mich, I was forced to do that when I recently booked a flight, but it was because the airline's website was so bad that it kept crashing. I used to prefer travel agents, but now they are pretty much doing what we could do ourselves on our home computers.
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Post by mich64 on Nov 23, 2017 17:46:58 GMT
Mich, I was forced to do that when I recently booked a flight, but it was because the airline's website was so bad that it kept crashing. I used to prefer travel agents, but now they are pretty much doing what we could do ourselves on our home computers. Bixa, I think it is going to take me a little longer to trust myself booking my flights on-line. Of all the flights we have taken the only two where I experienced problems with are the ones that I booked myself. I know it is coincidental and the problems were with the Airlines cancelling the flights, it will just take me time to feel comfortable doing it again, I expect I will be visiting my travel agent again in the spring of 2018.
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Post by whatagain on Nov 23, 2017 19:37:44 GMT
We used a travel agent for Argentina and it was very successful. I however booked the flights myself made the reservations myself and booked the hotels myself too. For the first time I made no blunder with the hotels. And chose them well for most.
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Post by bjd on Nov 23, 2017 20:16:15 GMT
We used a travel agent for Argentina and it was very successful. I however booked the flights myself made the reservations myself and booked the hotels myself too. For the first time I made no blunder with the hotels. And chose them well for most. So what did the travel agent do? Give you some brochures?
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Post by Kimby on Nov 23, 2017 21:13:15 GMT
I feel sorry for those people who chose careers as travel agents. The internet has made them almost irrelevant.
We ALWAYS book our own tickets, and check in online, printing boarding passes on our own computer if we are at home. The one time I got involuntarily bumped from an oversold flight, I had checked in online, but had no printer to print the passes. When I got to the airport, they announced the flight was oversold and they were seeking volunteers to take $400 for giving up their seats and flying on a later flight. Enough people volunteered that only three of us were actually forced off the flight. The gate agent said that what determines who gets bumped is “what time your boarding pass was issued” but that sounds like BS to me. I suspect it had to do with my flying alone. At any rate, by not volunteering but getting bumped anyway, I was compensated $800 cash, plus a $50 merchandise voucher I could spend anywhere in the Minneapolis airport (I bought a book and a phone charger) and TWO meal vouchers. I had to cool my heels for 10 hours at MSP, but at $85 an hour + meals, it was the highest wage I earned in my life - for doing nothing!
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Post by whatagain on Nov 23, 2017 22:23:53 GMT
Well our guy did the following : - checked the proposed itinerary - added one day here etc - proposed some hotels - proposed and organised excursions (lots in Patagonia and in Iguazu) - organised the transfers (hotels airports pick ups for airports) - booked the car Answered my mails.
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Post by mich64 on Nov 23, 2017 23:23:06 GMT
I feel sorry for those people who chose careers as travel agents. The internet has made them almost irrelevant. We ALWAYS book our own tickets, and check in online, printing boarding passes on our own computer if we are at home. The one time I got involuntarily bumped from an oversold flight, I had checked in online, but had no printer to print the passes. When I got to the airport, they announced the flight was oversold and they were seeking volunteers to take $400 for giving up their seats and flying on a later flight. Enough people volunteered that only three of us were actually forced off the flight. The gate agent said that what determines who gets bumped is “what time your boarding pass was issued” but that sounds like BS to me. I suspect it had to do with my flying alone. At any rate, by not volunteering but getting bumped anyway, I was compensated $800 cash, plus a $50 merchandise voucher I could spend anywhere in the Minneapolis airport (I bought a book and a phone charger) and TWO meal vouchers. I had to cool my heels for 10 hours at MSP, but at $85 an hour + meals, it was the highest wage I earned in my life - for doing nothing! Kimby did you have a car rental and hotel reservation you had to rebook after being bumped? That is a fear I have until I get that boarding pass, mind you I only am most concerned on our departing flight, I think I would be okay with problems being encountered on our return flight. We have never been in the situation where they announced the flight being oversold and looking for volunteers to change to a later flight.
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Post by Kimby on Nov 23, 2017 23:56:50 GMT
I was on my way home, so wasn’t too concerned. Just had to tell Mr. Kimby to hold off for 10 hours before coming to the airport to pick me up.
I have had problems where a connecting flight was cancelled due to bad weather and I had to overnight enroute, with a pre-paid hotel room waiting for me at the other end. Fortunately my sister was heading to the same city by car and was able to use my room, then pick me up when my rescheduled flight arrived the next morning.
Adventures in traveling!
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Post by Kimby on Nov 23, 2017 23:59:47 GMT
I think the overbooking thing is happening much more frequently these days, as airlines seek to minimize empty seats and maximize profits. We frequently get invited to volunteer to accept a later flight for $300 as we check in online 24 hours ahead.
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Post by mich64 on Nov 24, 2017 2:51:51 GMT
For years we flew charter flights and never heard of problems like that on those flights but this year we tried something different to avoid the drive to Toronto. There are risks to this but like you say Kimby, "adventures in traveling!"
We also went from our usual 10 days to 14 so we looked for accommodations half way through that had a washer and dryer so we were able to pack lighter which was also good because we had a combination of car travel and train travel. I added an empty backpack in one bag to fit the few things we bought, it is easier when we reach customs to have all the items and receipts together in a carryon bag.
Kimby it was fortunate that your sister could use your accommodation!
When we landed in Milan, the third party partner that unloads the luggage for the airline we chose had trouble opening the cargo hold so we were delayed 4 hours waiting for our luggage. I had to call Hertz to let them know what was going on so they would hold our car and then we had a 3 hour drive to Levanto. We normally do not drive that far a distance from our arrival airport but since there were 4 of us we had 2 assigned to be able to drive the vehicle to divide the time if one or the other became tired. But we never expected a four hour delay for our luggage! They kept telling us it was not a strike, but it was a work stoppage, that was a new experience!
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Post by Kimby on Nov 24, 2017 3:58:04 GMT
Adventures indeed, mich!
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Post by onlyMark on Nov 24, 2017 5:04:34 GMT
We do quite a bit of travelling but the last time I used a travel agent was in 2000 when we saw a package to the Dominican Republic in a shop window and decided it'd be just the thing for us.
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Post by questa on Nov 24, 2017 5:53:00 GMT
Flying to St Petersberg I found myself caught up in 'industrial action' at Copenhagen Airport. It lasted about 3 hours but I didn't mind as it was a pretty place to explore. Great views and still had retained some of the polished timber flooring. A copy of the famous "Little Mermaid" statue from the Hans Christian Andersen story watches the world scurry past.
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Post by tod2 on Nov 24, 2017 6:34:24 GMT
Kimby, this bumping people off a flight seems to have been going on for over 30 years in the US. I have only experienced it once and it was nerve-wracking to say the least. In our case the three of us were not just flying to Atlanta, but for our long-haul connecting flight back to South Africa. The air hostess & other personel went onto the aircraft time and time again begging for three seats so we could board. It was a darn close shave. I have never heard of bumping people off here - when the flight is full that's it.
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Post by onlyMark on Nov 24, 2017 7:39:55 GMT
In all the flights I've made I've only ever once experienced someone going round asking people not to fly for money etc. That time I really needed to fly otherwise I'd have volunteered.
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Post by Kimby on Nov 24, 2017 11:42:43 GMT
tod2 said: “I have never heard of bumping people off here - when the flight is full that's it.”
To be clear, nobody was actually removed from the aircraft. All the horse trading and drama happened in the gate area before boarding.
Most American airlines try to never fly with an empty seat. So they count on some no-shows when they sell more tickets than they have seats. The last to buy tickets will not receive seat assignments till they arrive at the airport.
I think that upgrades to first class may also factor in - people who trade frequent-flyer miles and/or cash for a first class seat on the day of travel, leaving their coach seat available.
Whatever causes the oversold situation, you just want to check in online as soon as it’s allowed (24 hours ahead), and get to the airport and gate about an hour ahead. Usually once you’ve checked in for your first flight, you’re good for your connecting flights, too, but my bump was from a connecting flight. Very unusual.
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Post by tod2 on Nov 30, 2017 12:26:57 GMT
tod2 said: “I have never heard of bumping people off here - when the flight is full that's it.” No horse trading at the gate here either. I can see why - our national carrier South African Airlines is dead broke and in debt. "Sep 29, 2017 - A day before it had to repay its debt to US lender Citibank, government has bailed out struggling national carrier South African Airways (SAA) with R3-billion. The cash injection will prevent the airline from defaulting on its loans. “Government has approved the transfer of funds from the National Revenue .."
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