Can Travel Agents Undercut BA Flights Quotes?

bluebottle23

Firstly, I'm aware of the Travel Agents Beat my Quote thread but thought I'd ask here before I go there with my quote.

I'm looking to book flights to Kelowna (YLW) in Canada from Edinburgh (EDI) on 22nd Aug. I will be returning on 8th September - but from Vancouver (YVR). For clarity I want to avoid going via the USA.

I can get the flights for £722 with Opodo.

Is it likely I a travel agent can beat that price? Is it worth my while bothering?

TBH Im not sure I want to pay more than £650 so may just fly to YVR initially and greyhound it to Kelowna.

Incapuppy

Just put the details in the Beat My Quote thread :0)

PS: have you looked at the likes of Canadian Affair for a quote if its just a Vancouver return?

omelette451

Are you fussy about airlines? Your post makes no mention of any particular company but your title does... Anyway, with reference to BA, no travel agents can't undercut the airline's own fares. BA has a 'lowest price here' guarantee, so if you do get a better quotation somewhere else let the airline know and they'll beat it.

richardw

omelette451 wrote: »

BA has a 'lowest price here' guarantee, so if you do get a better quotation somewhere else let the airline know and they'll beat it.

I'd be astonished if BA has payed out once under their guarantee, because the booking class is usually different with the agent and this is excluded from the guarantee.

omelette451

richardw wrote: »

I'd be astonished if BA has payed out once under their guarantee, because the booking class is usually different with the agent and this is excluded from the guarantee.

I don't know how often they've paid out, but generally they take it as cabin class rather than the particular letter given to the booking class. Obviously that condition is there as a get-out clause if needed, but I have heard of them agreeing to match website booking engines when they've undercut them for an economy seat (though it was agreed in advance rather than retrospectively paying out; I'm not sure if that makes a difference). I also know that they treated it as a 'computer error' as their systems are designed automatically to find and match most of its web-based competition...

richardw

omelette451 wrote: »

I don't know how often they've paid out, but generally they take it as cabin class rather than the particular letter given to the booking class. ..

It is booking class, not travel class, there have been examples of this on this forum in the past, I wouldn't suggest that getting a retrospective refund from BA is at all probable.

Blue264

richardw wrote: »

It is booking class, not travel class, there have been examples of this on this forum in the past, I wouldn't suggest that getting a retrospective refund from BA is at all probable.

Agreed. It is the booking class rather than the cabin class which matters.

richardw

omelette451 wrote: »

BA has a 'lowest price here' guarantee, so if you do get a better quotation somewhere else let the airline know and they'll beat it.

or say it is a different booking class and then say er nope.

bluebottle23

omelette451 wrote: »

Are you fussy about airlines? Your post makes no mention of any particular company but your title does... Anyway, with reference to BA, no travel agents can't undercut the airline's own fares. BA has a 'lowest price here' guarantee, so if you do get a better quotation somewhere else let the airline know and they'll beat it.

Not fussy about miles at all, just I've identified flights that suit and they are with BA.

duchy

Try putting it into www.kayak.com also check the internal flight as a seperate ticket rather than a through fare as this often works out cheaper.

BA's guarantee is definitely by booking class not cabin class and yes some agents will have cheaper fares to Vancouver as they have a wholesaler" rate with BA. I suspect you'll get better prices from other carriers than for BA though.

Check fares a couple of days later too though as fares drop to the US around 24 August so it may also be true of Canada.

Sometimes it works out cheaper buying the ticket in CAD so also quote using Canadian sites like www.expedia.ca

littlereddevil

richardw wrote: »

I'd be astonished if BA has payed out once under their guarantee, because the booking class is usually different with the agent and this is excluded from the guarantee.

I have never been paid by Ba guarantee but I have found BA flights cheaper quite often on netflights