Changing flights when purchased through travel company

VonLuck

I'm just wondering if it's possible to change flights that have been booked through a travel company without incurring any major fees? I tried contacting the company but they say to change any part of my multi-trip holiday I will be charged a minimum of €150! It seems very steep.

Can I contact the airlines directly and change it that way or am I stuck with having to do it through the travel company?

Atlantic Dawn

It all depends on the terms and conditions and what airlines they are booked with. You can normally check in and look at the booking once you have purchased the flights through he travel company.

VonLuck

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

It all depends on the terms and conditions and what airlines they are booked with. You can normally check in and look at the booking once you have purchased the flights through he travel company.

I have contacted the travel company directly and they say there is a charge of €150 to change any flight. It's not clear if that's because I never opted for being able to change my flight at the time of booking.

Should I contact the airline? All I have is a flight number for each flight.

friendlybee

Hi

I can tell you what it is. I used to work in the travel industry.

For a booking on flights via a travel agent changes to the flight (if the fare allows it) needs to be done through the same travel agent if first leg of the flight has not been used yet.

The changes to the flight always have a condition if any and change fee always apply BUT with a difference in the fare between the old and new itinerary. Each airline has their own change fee fixed plus the fare difference.

Absolutely no point contacting the airline direct as it is a travel agent booking as long as the first leg of the journey have yet to be used.

If the first flight has already been used then the airline can make changes for you. Again change fee will apply plus possible extra cost subject to availablity. Again if the fare rules does allow changes to the ticket.

If someone has booked a flight wholly using the airline website such as Ryanair or Aerlingus then you contact the airline direct because it is their booking.

Hope it helps

VonLuck

friendlybee wrote: »

Hi

I can tell you what it is. I used to work in the travel industry.

For a booking on flights via a travel agent changes to the flight (if the fare allows it) needs to be done through the same travel agent if first leg of the flight has not been used yet.

The changes to the flight always have a condition if any and change fee always apply BUT with a difference in the fare between the old and new itinerary. Each airline has their own change fee fixed plus the fare difference.

Absolutely no point contacting the airline direct as it is a travel agent booking as long as the first leg of the journey have yet to be used.

If the first flight has already been used then the airline can make changes for you. Again change fee will apply plus possible extra cost subject to availablity. Again if the fare rules does allow changes to the ticket.

If someone has booked a flight wholly using the airline website such as Ryanair or Aerlingus then you contact the airline direct because it is their booking.

Hope it helps

Thank you. If I am understanding this correctly, if I want to have the airline change my flight I would have to start the first leg of my journey?

What I'm not so sure on is the fee the travel company is trying to charge me. Initially they said it would cost me €25 in order to be able to make changes. Then after viewing my booking they told me that it would cost a minimum of €150 to change any flight. Is that not a bit unusual, given that I never told them which flight I wanted to change? Are they just trying to gouge me?

friendlybee

Hi VonLuck

If you have used the first leg of your journey then the airline will do the rest of the changes for you.

I believe the 25 is the travel agents fee and the 150 fee is of the airline's change fee plus the difference in fare if any. And the travel agent is not gouging you on anything. It is just the way they work.

Which part of the flight do you wish to change?

VonLuck

friendlybee wrote: »

Hi VonLuck

If you have used the first leg of your journey then the airline will do the rest of the changes for you.

I believe the 25 is the travel agents fee and the 150 fee is of the airline's change fee plus the difference in fare if any. And the travel agent is not gouging you on anything. It is just the way they work.

Which part of the flight do you wish to change?

It seems very high, that's why I thought they were gouging me. I was going to contact the airline directly, but you have to phone them and they don't have an Irish office.

I want to change an internal flight to allow myself an extra day to sight see some locations. It's not critical, I just booked the flights in a hurry as the prices were increasing and thought it best to lock in a decent price. I hadn't fully planned my trip, just the main destinations. Seems to have backfired!

friendlybee

Ah that's unfortunate when one books so quickly without thinking. Hope something will come out in the end

BuffyBot

I've seen change fees much higher. 150 is actually relatively reasonable on the greater scale.

ProudDUB

I agree. That doesn't seem majorly exorbitant, compared to what most of the major airlines charge to change a booking.

VonLuck

It doesn't seem much, but the change is higher than the price of the individual flight! I'd nearly be better off booking another flight for about €100!

athtrasna

VonLuck wrote: »

It doesn't seem much, but the change is higher than the price of the individual flight! I'd nearly be better off booking another flight for about €100!

Be careful. This may invalidate the rest of the flights on your itinerary.

ProudDUB

VonLuck wrote: »

It doesn't seem much, but the change is higher than the price of the individual flight! I'd nearly be better off booking another flight for about €100!

Well, if that is what you have to do, do it. Chalk it down for future reference for future trips. Changing a flight (after you have already booked and paid for it) is rarely easy or cheap.

However, if you are going to book another flight, check with your travel agent first. You need to find out if your not showing up for one leg of your trip, invalidates the rest of them, especially if it is the first leg of a return journey.

If you don't show up for one leg of the trip, the airline may presume that you aren't going to show up for the rest of them, so they'll cancel your entire booking and re sell the seats to someone else. They have no way of knowing that you are getting from point A to point B by a different means, but that you still need your bookings to points C & D to remain intact.

Only your travel agent can tell you for sure, what the terms and conditions of your booking are. We can only advise you in the general sense.

friendlybee

ProudDUB wrote: »

VonLuck wrote: »

It doesn't seem much, but the change is higher than the price of the individual flight! I'd nearly be better off booking another flight for about 100!

Well, if that is what you have to do, do it. Chalk it down for future reference for future trips. Changing a flight (after you have already booked and paid for it) is rarely easy or cheap.

However, if you are going to book another flight, check with your travel agent first. You need to find out if your not showing up for one leg of your trip, invalidates the rest of them, especially if it is the first leg of a return journey.

If you don't show up for one leg of the trip, the airline may presume that you aren't going to show up for the rest of them, so they'll cancel your entire booking and re sell the seats to someone else. They have no way of knowing that you are getting from point A to point B by a different means, but that you still need your bookings to points C & D to remain intact.

Only your travel agent can tell you for sure, what the terms and conditions of your booking are. We can only advise you in the general sense.

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