Has anyone used this flight site before?

pisico

DON'T EVER USE BRAVOFLY
I used their "services". Quoted one price and then... billed a higher price to my credit card. Bravofly billed my American Express within 5 minutes of the booking. I received an alert from Amex that my card was used for a transaction without swiping it. and upon reading it. That 's when I see a higher price to the tune of 80 Euros. Calls to their so call "Customer Service" landed in freelance stringers mobile phones in Hungary. I called 5 times and the guys answering the calls said the same: they cannot change schedules or cancel bookings. I had to wait for emails that never arrived. I sent an email asking to cancel my booking (message I sent less than 24 hours after the booking) and never got a reply. After I sent a message to the effect that I would proceed with legal action Bravofly offered to refund me 548 euros of the 804 I was billed. They also offered a voucher I could use for a year because a refund to my credit card would take from 6 to 12 months.
DON'T USE BRAVOFLY EVER BECAUSE THEIR GAME IS THAT: 1- advertise one price. 2- billed for a higher one- 3-purposely shoddy Customer Service to make you cancel.
4- Cancellation fees are never stated and that is how they make their money. Their business and mission is to do everything the can TO MAKE YOU CANCEL YOUR BOOKING AND KEEP THE CANCELLATION FEE
ANYONE KNOWS HOW TO FILE A COMPLAINT WITH THE SQUEAKY CLEAN SWISS AUTHORITIES THAT ALLOW THIS SCAM?

pisico

See post 12 by me please to read the entire ongoing saga

DON'T EVER USE BRAVOFLY
I used their "services". Quoted one price and then... billed a higher price to my credit card. Bravofly billed my American Express within 5 minutes of the booking. I received an alert from Amex that my card was used for a transaction without swiping it. and upon reading it. That 's when I see a higher price to the tune of 80 Euros. Calls to their so call "Customer Service" landed in freelance stringers mobile phones in Hungary. I called 5 times and the guys answering the calls said the same: they cannot change schedules or cancel bookings. I had to wait for emails that never arrived. I sent an email asking to cancel my booking (message I sent less than 24 hours after the booking) and never got a reply.

codger wrote: »

BravoFly is part of an Italian conglomerate. Although the group's various websites refer to their headquarters being in Amsterdam, the company is in fact Swiss registered by virtue of an address in the Italian / Swiss border town of Chiasso.

Any UK consumer complaint against BravoFly that might ultimately require legal redress must be resolved through a Swiss court.

BravoFly appears to function as a screen scraper in that it uses its own proprietary search engine to trawl -- ostensibly -- for up-to-date European flight and hotel accomm prices.

But BravoFly's operating model is different from the norm.

For example: one of the best flight screen scrapers is SkyScanner. It locates flights and prices, updates the prices to "live" status and then, if the SkyScanner user wishes to make a booking, transfers that booking over to the airline website concerned. Any monies paid are therefore paid direct to the airline.

By contrast, flight bookers like, for example, Airflights, or Travel Republic, handle the entire process, so that what you see on screen is what you pay.

BravoFly follows neither of the above practices.

It quotes a price and asks you to make your booking if that price is acceptable. Your booking, therefore, is with BravoFly.

But because BravoFly is NOT a flight booking agency (like Airflights) there is no guarantee at the time you make your payment that the price is actually valid -- and so there is no guarantee that your flight booking is actually valid.


After payment, you will receive a reservation reference number. But this is not an airline booking number. Instead, it is BravoFly's own customer order number. You must now await a further email from BravoFly confirming that your flight booking has been verified by the airline involved.

Whilst this may well turn out to be trouble-free, in a recent instance of which we have personal knowledge, the fundamental weakness of the BravoFly "model" was exposed, viz:

A booking was made on a Friday afternoon for a flight leaving the UK the following Monday. After payment, BravoFly advised by email of payment confirmation and their own reference number, and also advised that the airline's own actual confirmation would follow soon.

No such confirmation arrived. As time was short, a call was made to BravoFly's customer service desk on the Saturday morning. But the line rang out unanswered because customer service is available from Monday to Friday only.

And if the connection had been made, BravoFly charges a standard £1.50p per minute for providing that customer service.

A call was then made to the airline in question to check the status of the booking. The airline reported that it had received no booking from BravoFly.

Later that morning, BravoFly emailed to say it had cancelled the booking. It said the price being charged by the airline was significantly higher than BravoFly had expected. BravoFly would refund the monies paid in due course.

Nevertheless, BravoFly was still quoting the same price, for the same flight, with the same airline, 24 hours later, when even a cursory check of that airline's own website showed that the "real" flight price was still £100 more.

BravoFly's practice of quoting and then charging for flights whose prices it is seemingly unable to verify at the time of payment is unacceptable.

As is the £1.50p per minute telephone charge.

Considering the number of excellent UK-based flight search / flight booking websites already in existence, and the ATOL and ABTA protection offered (BravoFly is neither ATOL nor ABTA registered / licensed) it remains a puzzle as to why this Italian / Swiss company has opened a UK website at all.

miss.lc

DO NOT USE BRAVOFLY!

BOOKING ID: 481311045

I am extremely disappointed by the service I am encountering since booking a flight with Bravo Fly. Unfortunately, I was informed that I would need to undergo surgery a week after the date of my outbound flight. This medical emergency was unforeseen and very unsettling situation and I have medical certificates confirming the surgery and the date of treatment.

I contacted Kenya Airways on 12.10.15 regarding changing my flight, who directed me to contact bravo fly as I booked through this travel group. I have spoken with Bravo Fly via phone and email on more than ten occasions since 13.10.15.

I was led to believe by Bravo Fly that I had been placed as a high priority case and that a member of the team were conversing with Kenya Airways in order to waver the extortionate fee of 845.35 EUR that had been proposed for changing my flight. I was also assured that I would receive a call as soon as possible.

With no response from the team, I had to make contact with Bravo Fly once more, receiving a response that I would receive a call back as soon as possible. Again no phone call received.

At this point I reverted back to Kenya Airways including them into my email to Bravo Fly, in a bid to try resolves the situation. Again, Kenya Airways were unable to help and Bravo Fly simply said they would be in touch.

It is no less than 24 hours before my scheduled flight date and I still received no response from Bravo Fly! I had to, AGAIN, contact Bravo Fly to find out what is going on. I was told the process would be expedited as my flight date is so near!

I am thoroughly disappointed and shocked at the service that Bravo Fly are providing. In previous correspondence, I communicated that this is my first experience with Bravo Fly and I am feeling generally disappointed with the timeframe and service Bravo Fly have presented. Sadly, it is now making me not want to use this service nor recommend it in the future. And, again, I would appreciate if a member of your team can contact me as soon as possible to resolve this situation.

The team member I spoke with last was unable to inform me of what will happen to my outbound flight if Bravo Fly have not resolved this matter by then. I am still waiting for this matter to be resolved.

duchy

Claim on your travel insurance

Caz3121

agreed. Exactly what your travel insurance is there for. Airlines are not obliged to overrule the fare rules on medical reasons, they will refer you to your insurer

annsiew

DO NOT USE BRAVOFLY
I managed to book to the wrong airport because the website gave the wrong name of the airport, but cannot get any satisfaction from Bravofly or a refund on my flight so I can rebook. Not a member of ABTA, and their customer service is useless - each stage of the conversation takes about 3-4 days because they take your question by phone but answer by email - USLESS.

richardw

Hi annsiew and welcome to MSE, thanks for your post and feedback.
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