Thai Inter vs Bucket Shops

[Big Boy]

We've had a bit of a family emergency, and as a result I've booked a return flight with Thai Inter for my wife - depart Heathrow 13 Jul 09, returning 10 Aug 09. The price was £492 inc tax.

Out of interest, I enquired with Thai Inter direct, to see how much they would charge for the same ticket - cost £3,736.80 inc tax.



I remember somebody posting a picture recently of an empty Thai Inter flight to Thailand. Quoting silly prices like this, it's no wonder people are going elsewhere.

[Big Boy]

Seeing the price on the above post, I can now see that the return trip has quoted for Business Class (which I had specified Economy only).

I've chosen a slightly different flight for the return journey (economy this time) and the price still comes in at a staggering £746.80.

[STEVE G]

That sounds more like it BB, at short notice most airlines will just charge full fair which is going to be around 700 pounds.
Actually I was looking for a ticket for next month and there are not as many bargains around as there was a couple of months ago.

[Big Boy]

As the quotes were obtained at about the same time, how can Thai Inter justify charging almost double? ie:

- Bucket Shop - £307 + £185 tax

- Thai Inter - £561 + £185.80 tax

A staggering difference of £254.80 - outrageous. Maybe they sell dried squid in their spare time

You can't say that all airlines are the same because I've recently bought tickets for my son to visit Japan, and it was cheaper to go directly to the airline.

[migrant]

Big Boy,

It probably doesn't work anymore, but thought I'd mention it.

I had to fly on a family emergency about 15 years ago on short notice, my mother had passed away. The fares were staggering. I mentioned to the agent about just not being my day, as my reason came out the agent said, "oh, on a family emergency like that we give a discount" and they did.

These days it probably doesn't exist, but there ya go.

[Roel]

Big Bog. The fares on Thai Airways own website are rack rates. Only for show and for the odd customer who has money to burn or is ignorant.
These rack rates must show you how good the deal is you get from the bucket shops. Works the same with hotels.

The big travel organizations insist that the hotels publish inflated rack rates. They also insist that the hotel actually charges these rates for direct bookings and walk-ins. Needless to say that does not always happen. Simply a marketing tool.

[Chas]

Bucket shop??




.

[dtaai-maai]

Big Bog.

My daughter came at very short notice last week. Having tried to book via the internet only to find that the quoted prices weren't available, she bought a Thai Air R/T through a travel agent for 570 quid for a flight three days later. Considering it's a direct flight on a good airline, I didn't think that was too bad.

[lomuamart]

I think that "bucket shop" travel agents buy seats in advance from the airlines and then sell them to us at whatever they can get. It used to be that the later you approached them for a booking, the cheaper the price.
It's happened to me that the person I'm sitting next to on a flight has paid an awful lot more than I have. I suppose that sometimes it's been the other way round.

[Terry]

Many years ago back in the UK, I used to use 'Trail Finders' in Earls' Court.

Always got a cheaper price from them rather than going direct to an airline.

Lomu is correct in the way that these 'Bucket Shops' operate.

Good on 'em I say

[SPAM]

Just looked on the KAYAK sight and there are still flight ex LHR to BKK for about £370 inc taxes for July, £357 for Aug and £360 in September.
These are not direct flights but will only take about 15 Hrs instead of 11.
I@ve used most of these Arab / Indian airlines and the service is excellent.

[Big Boy]

Big Bog

[Big Boy]

My daughter came at very short notice last week. Having tried to book via the internet only to find that the quoted prices weren't available, she bought a Thai Air R/T through a travel agent for 570 quid for a flight three days later. Considering it's a direct flight on a good airline, I didn't think that was too bad.

Not as good as £492 though

[Jim]

I received this from Eva last week:

Dear Evergreen Club member:



Sales now on – London to Bangkok & Taipei

EVA Air is cutting prices on Economy, Elite & Business return class tickets. You will not find a better deal with any other carrier! Hurry up and book now! The offer lasts only until 17th July 2009.

Please remember that we offer direct flight six times a week with touch screen personal TV with high resolution and the fully interactive star Gallery comprising of movies, music, TV programmers and video games in every cabin!

Destination
Travel Period From

London Heathrow (LHR)
Economy
Elite
Business

Bangkok
11AUG-09DEC2009
GBP427.00
GBP568.00
GBP1098.00

Taipei
11AUG-09DEC2009
GBP450.00
GBP640.00
GBP1190.00


Seems supply and demand laws are at last pulling prices lower.

[STEVE G]

As the quotes were obtained at about the same time, how can Thai Inter justify charging almost double? ie:

- Bucket Shop - £307 + £185 tax

- Thai Inter - £561 + £185.80 tax

A staggering difference of £254.80 - outrageous. Maybe they sell dried squid in their spare time

You can't say that all airlines are the same because I've recently bought tickets for my son to visit Japan, and it was cheaper to go directly to the airline.

BB, most large airlines like flag carriers are held to archaic pricing agreements that restrict their ability to discount tickets sold in countries other than their own.
This was originally to stop them from undercutting other countries flag carriers.
They get around this by selling the ticket nominally at full price through travel agents, but giving a large commission that the agent then passes most of back to the customer as a discount.
Because the whole thing has become pretty much rendered redundant, many airlines have set up internet subsidiaries that allow them to do the same thing direct.
I was at Dublin airport a few years ago trying to get a BA flight back to the UK. I went to the BA desk and was quoted a silly price, but when the guy behind the counter saw the look on my face he told me “I'm not supposed to tell use this, but if you go to the Air Lingus counter over there you will get the same ticket for half the price.” and he was right.