Booking flights from the Uk via US/Aussie Expedia Sites

evilpikachu2000

rip-off britain indeed. sorry about the constant replies about this but i want to check that everything is in order. I had a look on yahoo answers and I received a few replies. all mainly saying it was fine but some saying that i should make sure my purchase doesn't violate the fare rules. I suppose he means terms and conditions.

expedia.com.au actually has an option for non aussie residents so im sure its fine - as long as the dont bump up the exchange rate at the last minute!

markccfc

evilpikachu2000 wrote: »

rip-off britain indeed. sorry about the constant replies about this but i want to check that everything is in order. I had a look on yahoo answers and I received a few replies. all mainly saying it was fine but some saying that i should make sure my purchase doesn't violate the fare rules. I suppose he means terms and conditions.

expedia.com.au actually has an option for non aussie residents so im sure its fine - as long as the dont bump up the exchange rate at the last minute!

Well i took a chance and booked via Expedia's Australian website.

Have to wait to see the bill from the airlines now as that money isn't taken by Expedia but by Northwest (KLM) and Air France.

Booked with the hotel i was planning to stay at saved over £120 against the UK website. Granted flying out is via Amsterdam, but that's no hardship for the saving.

Will report once i get the bill from the airlines to make sure i haven't been skinned for any hidden extras.

donny_osmonds_mad_fan

just thought i would go to the usa expedia site and this is what it says on the home page when you type in expedia.com

It appears that you are currently located in the United Kingdom. Shoppers living in the United Kingdom who visit Expedia's U.S. site will not be able to purchase airline tickets or holidays. If you are living in the United Kingdom, please go to Expedia's UK site where you can purchase airline tickets and find content and promotions created specifically for our United Kingdom customers.

going to price up on com.au though lol

Aidenr

the only thing I can think of is taxes/VAT in the local country - but thats a long shot!
some main airline carrier sites (like the one I work for) sometimes will only accept a local postal code (US being an example) as the sales tax is different in each state, but that does not always work.

As said on previous posts, if it works DO IT
lol

evilpikachu2000

let us know how it goes, i'm thinking about booking tonight though so the good deals don't disappear

Sam_Bee

markccfc wrote: »

Thought i'd try on Expedia's sites for UK, Canada, USA, New Zealand and Australia for :-

London (Any) to Los Angeles Nov 27 - Dec 4

Cheapest flights available were :-

Canada - $479 (£239) - 1-Stop Out, Direct Back
UK - £320 - Direct
USA - $479 (£240) - 1-Stop Out, Direct Back
New Zealand $563 (£214) - 1-Stop Out, 1-Stop Back
Australia $412 (£201) - 1-Stop Out, Direct Back

What's the catch ? Why is it that Expedia Australia can offer a flight fully inclusive of tax for £201 - yet the cheapest UK option is £320.

I don't get it. Rip off Britain ?

I'd also love to know how Expedia Australia can offer it for £201, considering that airport tax on a direct flight to LA hovers around £300.

I'm not sure if it's rip-off Britain, or ripping off the tax man!

In fact, it's not rip off Britain, i've made my mind up. It's somehow getting out of paying something legitimate (which i'm not saying is a good or a bad thing!), but i'd like you to show the information (airlines, times, breakdown of costs etc) to see if I can work it out better.

donny_osmonds_mad_fan

I so should not have checked lol our trip to vegas for 5 worked out £700 cheaper, rang ebookers who we had booked with at the best price we could find after watching flights for weeks, said we would only get the taxes refunded which were £1200 (which is what the oz were charging anyways for the whole thing) so for my trip it seemed almost to the pound it worked out taxes only they were charging...not worth me cancelling as I would have lost 700 which is what I would have saved...but that said who knows it may well not have been the price at the time I booked so not too overly worried plus we didnt have to save the money it was part of a payout from a previous employer, think I may feel different it was hard earned cash lol

mind you I searched for various other trips I want to do and it comes out similar prices to uk sites, and weirdly searched nyc the time I am going to las vegas as a price comparrison and that came out way more and similar price save a few pounds either way as the uk sites....not sure if there are some glitches or just good bargains lol

cant wait to find out the outcome...will keep an eye on that for further trips

Voyager2002

I have difficulty believing that the price difference was really as great as appears. Remember that the rules on displaying fares (and sneakily adding on tax at the last moment before taking payment) are different in different countries, so what you saw may well be very different from what you would have to pay.

I have often priced up my travels on foreign-based websites. At one point I thought I had found a real bargain on Zuji (Travelocity for Hong Kong and the Far East) but when I calculated the total cost, using an up to date exchange rate, I found that it was within a few pence of the total asked by Travelocity's UK site.

evilpikachu2000

ok, i'm all set...i'm gonna do it, but I have a new worry! which is whether once i've paid up the flight and taxes on expedia.com.au would I be charged again at check-in for the difference between oz tax and uk tax - as it seems the tax is the only thing which is keeping the price so high on the co.uk sites.

thanks for everything so fair :T

donny_osmonds_mad_fan

I went through right upto the point of putting on payment, it says price given includes all taxes fees and local charges (or whatever the wording is like that)

evil, the price the airport charges in taxes is the price they charge....be it buying your ticket in the uk, usa etc that should remain a steady and constant, if anything it may sound like the airlines are maybe lowering their actual fares....now the fuel are included in the taxes fees etc but who knows it could well be a glitch that is not adding the fares, it certainly is on my journey based on last nights exchange rate, so even allowing for a lesser exchange rate it would be pounds not hundreds of pounds difference and it is very weird that it is only on some flights. I did also find cheaper flights to new york yet everything else around the days I chose were 500-600 GBP yet those other days worked out at 250 gbp when there is no reason, no holidays etc to make them higher, even when prices are historically very low due to low loads which again makes me think it is some kind of pricing glitch only charging for taxes maybe.

if you have the money evil, and are willing to pay the higher price if they ask, then go for it. I imagine they would ask for it prior to departure anyway. If it was their pricing error then they should surely allow a cancellation and full refund.

It does say on their website if you are calling from overseas call this number, so it offers a facility to overseas customers.....just do it lol