Booking Flights Through a Flight Search Website

Pooh's-Honey-Pot

DVC owner since 2020 - VGF, BLT and SSR
Joined
May 31, 2007
Hi all,

Just after a bit of advice as I've only ever booked direct before through either Virgin or BA... if you use a flight search company, such as Kayak or Skyscanner, do you get a proper Virgin e-ticket, as if I had booked direct through Virgin? And if so can you manage your booking online with Virgin just as easily as if you had booked direct?

Also, has anyone ever used TravelUp, as they are coming out cheapest at the moment.

I've been saving up Virgin airmiles all year and have enough for a free flight, but, as usual, despite frequent stalking of the site, I never seem able to actually score a freebie! So looking for best value instead!

Thank you!
 
Just the reviews of TravelUp were enough to put me off using them. From what I could gather, if everything goes to plan, they are fine but any problems and they are less than helpful.

I only ever really book direct with the airline or via a tried and tested credible site like Expedia or eBookers
 
I've heard awful things about travelup. Can you not do miles + money? That should knock a chunk off?
 


Thats what I've decided to do - going to use all my airmiles up on this and then I'm switching to a cashback creditcard (rather than my virgin airmiles one) to put in the holiday account so I don't feel obligated to use Virginin the future!
 


do you get a proper Virgin e-ticket, as if I had booked direct through Virgin? And if so can you manage your booking online with Virgin just as easily as if you had booked direct?

Booking with any site/consolidator/whatever you should get a proper e-ticket, because the airline will issue a ticket. The merchant site merely acts as a middle-man.

but consider that, when you book through a third party, you are tied to that third party. If you prefer, your booking belongs to the third party, it does not belong to you. So any change you could need to make has to be done through the third party, and they might charge you for that even though it would be free, or less expensive, through the airline direct

still, you should be able to manage your booking in things like ordering special/child meals, and possibly choose seats (if free)
but if you need to upgrade, deal with an operational change (change of layover leading of too tight a connection, and so on) that would need to be done through the third party site, and they're not always willing to help


you mention a £20 saving. I would never go through a 3rd party site for such a small amount. And I will even tell you that if the price difference was any bigger, I'd also be very wary of any potential scam, con, or hidden fee

Airline prices are more or less set. Some sites will get you a smaller price, but the discount you get comes at a price, and usually that price is the lack of customer service. If all goes well, all goes well. If you need any customer help, you're on your own.
 
You can get good value from your miles if you book direct with Virgin then use your miles to upgrade to Premium or even 1st (if you have enough!).
 
I personally would never use Travel Up ever again after the bad experience we had with them a couple of years ago. We booked and within 12 hours our flights had changed to another airport and different times, we accepted the changes reluctantly. Our flights were changed a further five times over the following months, my son is disabled and requires his wheelchair at the door of the plane after landing which takes a little extra time. when I voiced concerns that our connecting flight was less than an hour after estimated landing time I was told I was 'being ridiculous' and that we would easily make the connection - we didn't!! We ended up stuck at an airport hotel overnight and lost a day of our holiday, staff were extremely unhelpful.
 
I personally would never use Travel Up ever again after the bad experience we had with them a couple of years ago. We booked and within 12 hours our flights had changed to another airport and different times, we accepted the changes reluctantly. Our flights were changed a further five times over the following months, my son is disabled and requires his wheelchair at the door of the plane after landing which takes a little extra time. when I voiced concerns that our connecting flight was less than an hour after estimated landing time I was told I was 'being ridiculous' and that we would easily make the connection - we didn't!! We ended up stuck at an airport hotel overnight and lost a day of our holiday, staff were extremely unhelpful.

That’s awful, I’m sorry that happened to you.

We’ve gone with Virgin in the end and used our miles plus money up.
 
I haven't used Travel Up so couldn't comment but have used Travel Trolley twice previously and again for our trip in 7 weeks time. There have been flight changes on a couple of occasions due to airline timetable changes but these have been sorted quickly and efficiently with the minimum of disruption. This summer Travel Trolley got in touch with us in January to let us know that BA had changed the time of our return flights meaning we wouldn't make our connection and offered us a couple of solutions. The solution we chose meant leaving MCO for Gatwick on the 5.30 flight rather than the one at about 8pm. DD booked direct with BA for her trip in Florida. Flights our were fine and the day before she was due to return home she checked just to see what time on line check in opened and was horrified to find she no longer had any booking showing for a flight home. Turned out that of course the change that had affected our flights in July also affected hers in October. BA hadn't notified her of this (and when she flew out everything was showing fine on her booking) and had just cancelled her flight home as she wouldn't make her connection. She lost most of the last day of her holiday sorting it out. Like us she ended up on an earlier flight and all was well in the end. Point I'm making is we are well looked after with a 3rd party booking and she was left in the lurch booking direct. BA have acknowledged they mucked up but are still looking to work out what went wrong.

Mrs TT
 
I have used Travel up, no problems, have also used lots of other companies, no problems, once I have the booking reference I log into the airlines website and carry on as normal. Once had a delay on a flight home from San Diego with BA, we were notified direct by BA to my mobile the day of the flight so nothing to do with the booking agent we used. I think as long as you get onto the airlines website and can see your flights and check in on line etc I can't see why you should have a problem as they can see your booking and you can see the seats, meals you have requested etc. But I have always saved a few hundred pounds with 4 or 5 of us flying. When it comes to Disney every little bit helps to go towards spending money!!!
 
Another here who wouldn't use Travelup, read too many bad things. I once did book with them, I knew it was a price error, they rang me soon after to cancel the booking.
I am having a lot of luck in recent years booking one way flights using miles back from the US, we sail to the US then a one way flight home. Done it twice from Florida, next year from Atlanta, cost me £130 plus 22,500 miles for Premium.
 
Another here who wouldn't use Travelup, read too many bad things. I once did book with them, I knew it was a price error, they rang me soon after to cancel the booking.
I am having a lot of luck in recent years booking one way flights using miles back from the US, we sail to the US then a one way flight home. Done it twice from Florida, next year from Atlanta, cost me £130 plus 22,500 miles for Premium.
Where do you sail to?
 
Where do you sail to?
First time was a 14 night cruise from Barcelona to Puerto Rico (cheap flights to Florida) last year 11 nights from Barcelona to New York, cost me $5 plus airmiles to Florida. We have only cruised across with Disney so far but there are many others.
 
First time was a 14 night cruise from Barcelona to Puerto Rico (cheap flights to Florida) last year 11 nights from Barcelona to New York, cost me $5 plus airmiles to Florida. We have only cruised across with Disney so far but there are many others.
Nice!
My struggle would be the amount of holiday days needed to pair the sailing with the stay!
 
Nice!
My struggle would be the amount of holiday days needed to pair the sailing with the stay!
Yes not easy if you only get limited holidays, thankfully our main holiday each year is 24 nights.
Next year doing our main trip a bit different, one way flight to Vancouver for a few nights, Alaskan cruise, then down to Vegas, Nashville, Tupelo, New Orleans & Atlanta.
 
Yes not easy if you only get limited holidays, thankfully our main holiday each year is 24 nights.
Next year doing our main trip a bit different, one way flight to Vancouver for a few nights, Alaskan cruise, then down to Vegas, Nashville, Tupelo, New Orleans & Atlanta.
Wow, 24 nights sounds amazing!
We did Vancouver and an Alaskan cruise (Celebrity) this summer, and have also done Vegas, Nashville and New Orleans in the last couple of years, so feel free to give me a shout if you've not been before and have any questions!
 

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