Change a flight date with GOTOGATE

someanonbloke

Hi, I recently booked a ticket to Delhi with Jet airlines through GOTOGATE (via Skyscanner).

I may have to change the outbound date.

I called the airline but they stated that I had to speak to the agent.

On GOTOGATE's site it says this:

Can I rebook my flight, hotel or rental car?
We always follow the rules of the suppliers in question. In most cases, rebooking is not possible.

Flight: In cases where it is possible we can only change to a new date; it is normally never possible to change destination or route. We have no possibility of upgrading tickets with bonus points, for example; in this case you must contact the airline.

Naturally, I wasn't able to get through to anyone on the phone and am waiting for an email response, which'll probably take a few days.

In the past, I've booked through agents and don't recall problems with changing dates etc. There's usually a fee of £50-100, right?

This greater agency control over the conditions of the tickets seems to be a new thing..another market for the management.

jpsartre

Plenty of complaints about Gotogate out there. If you book from an agent they always have control of your ticket so changes has to go through them and there's nothing new about that. It's another reason to book direct from the airline. The fee for the change will depend on the ticket you have, the fee charged by the airline and the agent, and the difference in price between your old and new itinerary. Only GTG can tell you the exact price.

someanonbloke

https://www.trustpilot.com/review/gotogate.co.uk

Price seems to be £95 for a date change according to a review on Trustpilot though not without hassle. Cheers.

budgetflyer

And probably the difference in fare too. I would be surprised if you got away with only £95.

Caz3121

agreed - you will have the change fee and fare difference from the airline (assuming the ticket is changeable) and then a gotogate admin fee on top

If you want to deal direct with the airline and avoid third party admin fees, you need to book direct with the airline

someanonbloke

I don't remember it being this much hassle to change a flight date. In the past I've only ever dealt with the airline in regards to this issue. I mean what happens if once you're abroad and you have to change your flight date, and gotogate is not available to take your call? This needs looking at. I mean once you've bought the ticket, it's your ticket!! This is obviously some supra-imposed management scheme.

Caz3121

this is what you agree to when you decide to book through a third party and have them in between you and the airline which is why most people will recommend booking direct with the airline
Did you consider the possibility of having to make changes when you booked the ticket to ensure that it can be changed and understand the costs in doing so?

someanonbloke

They just replied (18hrs response time):

Dear Sir/Madam,

Thank you for your email.

I would like to inform you that to make any changes in your reservation as per the airlines rules and regulations the charges of the airlines are 150 GBP and our service fee 85 GBP and the fare difference of the new flight.You are welcome to contact us again if you have any further questions.

I doubt I get refunded the fare difference if the new flight is less.

someanonbloke

Airline were charging nearly 40% more than the agent and so I can hardly be blamed for biting the hook. The question is how is it that these agents can undercut the airline so much? What control do the agents have that the airlines don't?

Voyager2002

someanonbloke wrote: »

I don't remember it being this much hassle to change a flight date. In the past I've only ever dealt with the airline in regards to this issue. I mean what happens if once you're abroad and you have to change your flight date, and gotogate is not available to take your call? This needs looking at. I mean once you've bought the ticket, it's your ticket!! This is obviously some supra-imposed management scheme.

That is the way things used to be, but not now.

Anyway: if you have not yet bought a ticket and know that you will need flexibility, see what the airlines can offer you. If you have already got your ticket and paid the agent, try to avoid changing your return date. If that is unavoidable, then 1. once you are abroad telephone the airline's local office and see if they can help you; 2. if that fails you will have to do what the agent suggests and pay their fees.

My experience: in 2004 I bought, through an agent, a ticket on Emirates (who allowed changes of return date). I changed my return date without problems, simply by calling them. A year later another agent offered me a ticket on Cathay Pacific where the fee for a date change would have been a hundred pounds. I decided this was too much and asked the agent to find a flexible ticket. The extra cost was not much, and in fact I made several date changes before I eventually returned, again dealing directly with the airline.

tomtontom

someanonbloke wrote: »

Airline were charging nearly 40% more than the agent and so I can hardly be blamed for biting the hook. The question is how is it that these agents can undercut the airline so much? What control do the agents have that the airlines don't?

Agents sometimes have access to tickets in a different fare bucket.

The lowest price is not always the best value. Different tickets will have different terms, as you have now discovered.