Anyone use www.cheapoair.com

[glrydays]

Anyone ever buy air from them? I am skeptical given the name....

[FlyerTalker]

You might want to do a search of this forum. Try the "Search This Forum" drop down from the main Cruise Air forum page.

[Ethel5]

Anyone ever buy air from them? I am skeptical given the name....

 

I have used them twice for international travel without problems. Just remember there are no flight changes, cancellations, name changes etc. Once you buy it, you own it.

[6rugrats]

You might want to read the posting guidelines. It's against board policies to discuss specific travel agencies. I don't think you'll find any threads discussing this company, as they will all have been pulled by the moderators.

[Ethel5]

You might want to read the posting guidelines. It's against board policies to discuss specific travel agencies. I don't think you'll find any threads discussing this company, as they will all have been pulled by the moderators.

 

I believe you can answer specific questions but not general questions such as "Does anyone know a good travel agent?"

 

It also fact that Cheapoair is not a travel agency but an air consolidator and is in a class with Bookingbuddy, ITAflights etc.

[cb at sea]

Before you book with a 3rd party, check out that specific flight directly thru the airline's website....it's usually the same price, or less, and you'll be dealing directly with the provider of the service you're paying for.

[6rugrats]

Cheapoair is not a travel agency but an air consolidator and is in a class with Bookingbuddy, ITAflights etc.

You cannot book flights on ITA, BookingBuddy, etc. They are not consolidators; they are merely search engines.

 

You can book flights on Cheapoair, which, IMO, makes it a TA. The moderators and you can disagree.

[Ethel5]

You cannot book flights on ITA, BookingBuddy, etc. They are not consolidators; they are merely search engines.

 

You can book flights on Cheapoair, which, IMO, makes it a TA. The moderators and you can disagree.

 

You are correct re: ITA etc. As far as Cheapoair etc-it's not worth arguing about.

[Bowie MeMe]

I had a real BIG problem with the afore mentioned so called discount ticket seller. Their format does not allow you to enter your name properly! When your name MUST match your passport and you need a Jr to fulfill that requirement you have a horrible problem. I called within 10 minutes of booking with C---- because my phone number was wrong with a digit dropped. They would not allow a change unless I paid $50 for the change -- this was 10 minutes and a phone number missing a digit:mad: In confirming that it was I who had a reservation, I found that they had dropped my middle name (no spot on form for middle name) and they had no Jr. on my husband so it was his father not HIM. 4 calls and many many repeats of the same information and 55 minutes of holding to my guns with 3 different "supervisors" finally got one to just cancel my reservation with no penalty (penalty for canceling is full price of ticket --several thousand dollars for both tickets which they said had to consider it as one purchase for 2 tickets). What a BAD experience and scary that I would loose so much money. Even scarier is that I show up for my cruise air and I can't board because of the ticket name problem.

 

After I got the email with the cancelled ticket confirmation, I bought the ticket from the airline for $20 less and with NO FEES. It was not a deal and seemed for an hour to be a disaster.

[frugaltravel]

Do a search for "cheapoair reviews" then you will run faster than you have ever run in your life. I always wonder why people buy travel at the absolute lowest price possible, while not doing that with most any other product. Kind of boggles my mind.

 

You can book flights on Cheapoair, which, IMO, makes it a TA. The moderators and you can disagree.

 

Since when have you become a moderator? Congratulations :D

[FlyerTalker]

I always wonder why people buy travel at the absolute lowest price possible, while not doing that with most any other product. Kind of boggles my mind.

Because, during the purchasing process, they view it solely as a commodity item. AA is interchangeable with UA, with DL. Travelocity is interchangable with Expedia, with the airline's own site, with Acme Air Tickets.

 

It is only when something goes wrong, or the flight experience is less than fine, that perhaps, and I use that advisedly, consumers recognize that maybe there might be something different about various carriers and purchasing channels. But that also requires actually knowing something about the process and what's involved. How many people want to know. Far fewer than those researching their new phone purchase, or TV or computer.

 

AA found this out the hard way. Consumers often said that their big complaint was lack of legroom onboard. So, AA took out seats and gave more room. Did consumers reward AA for their action - nope! The "cheapest price" mentality kept hold, so AA put back the seats, and more. The public wanted cheap tickets, wanted to buy on price; so the airlines gave that to them. You want to check a bag? Have a snack? Pony up the cash. Want a blanket and pillow? Bring your own. We don't give them to you because you won't economically reward us with your business if we do.

 

IMO, anyone who buys on price alone deserves everything they get....or don't get. And if that makes me a mean jerk, well....

[Ethel5]

...........................................................

IMO, anyone who buys on price alone deserves everything they get....or don't get. And if that makes me a mean jerk, well....

 

I haven't had a problem with buying discounted air. When I'm sitting on that plane, they don't know where I purchased my ticket and I get treated the same as any other passenger. I had a miserable flight on USAir but not due to the price I paid, but the attitude of the CA's. I had an awesome flight on Swiss, again nothing to do with the price. I simply can't afford to pay for air that cost as much as the cruise and will continue to use consolidators when they offer cheaper rates than the airlines themselves. BUT, I am prepared to deal with the conditions set forth.

[Globaliser]

I always wonder why people buy travel at the absolute lowest price possible ...

What, isn't cheaper always better? :D

[Globaliser]

I haven't had a problem with buying discounted air. When I'm sitting on that plane, they don't know where I purchased my ticket and I get treated the same as any other passenger.

But as you can see from Bowie MeMe's story, what happens on the flight is only half the story. If you buy dirt cheap tickets, you might get treated like dirt before the flight, perhaps to the extent of the booking being screwed up so badly that you can't even fly. What good is that?

[Ethel5]

But as you can see from Bowie MeMe's story, what happens on the flight is only half the story. If you buy dirt cheap tickets, you might get treated like dirt before the flight, perhaps to the extent of the booking being screwed up so badly that you can't even fly. What good is that?

 

That's why I buy insurance and fly in 2-3 days early on international flights.

[Ethel5]

What, isn't cheaper always better? :D

 

Of course not! I enjoy a great steak house but when I go to Mickey D's, I know what to expect.

[Globaliser]

That's why I buy insurance and fly in 2-3 days early on international flights.

Even that is not much good if the problem with the agent is that they've screwed up the name on the ticket so that the ticket is effectively worthless to you and you can't fly on it at all. Having a booking that you can't use is no better even if it is 2-3 days before the cruise.

 

If you're aware of the risks, that's fine.

 

But the problem was with your suggestion that a ticket bought from the dodgiest discounter is just as good as a ticket bought from the airline, because once you're on board, the service is the same whatever the price of your ticket: that simply ignores all the other bits of the travel process where things might go wrong.