NOTHING extra from well-known large bricks & mortar TA!

[Bluekat74]

For my third cruise, I'm back with the company I booked the first time through. I tried an online agent for my second cruise, but found I missed getting the little extras like Lanyards, Luggage tags and wallets plus all my documents printed. Also a big pull back to the TA was getting Qantas Frequent Flier points. I like to do most of the things myself, and book everything else direct with the companies but figure the FF points and twinky toys will continue to take me back to the TA.

 

Kylie

[Aus Traveller]

For my third cruise, I'm back with the company I booked the first time through. I tried an online agent for my second cruise, but found I missed getting the little extras like Lanyards, Luggage tags and wallets plus all my documents printed. Also a big pull back to the TA was getting Qantas Frequent Flier points. I like to do most of the things myself, and book everything else direct with the companies but figure the FF points and twinky toys will continue to take me back to the TA.

 

Kylie

The TAs we have booked with recently have added extras to the invoice without discussing it with us - cost to print and send the tickets, travel insurance when we already have an annual policy. I wasn't impressed.

[icat2000]

The TAs we have booked with recently have added extras to the invoice without discussing it with us - cost to print and send the tickets, travel insurance when we already have an annual policy. I wasn't impressed.

 

That is really disgusting when they do that. Whatever happened to service. They getting a commission and then they whack on disbursement type charges. I would never consider using that TA again, who tried to sneak in costs to an invoice.

[Kiwi Kruzer]

Some TA's cant help shooting themselves in the foot.:eek:

 

Others go that little step extra.....

 

On one cruise from Singapore to Sydney we ended up booking ,cruise,flight and hotel from our agent because she had the besst deal.

As a thank you she shouted us High Tea at Raffles while we were in Singapore.

That was a really nice touch .

We found out later that it was a promotion from the Singapore Tourist Bureau, so it did not cost the agent anything , (except her time in booking it) but won her lots of kudos from her clients.

 

[Wastegirl]

Booked my first cruise with HAL through my TA, extremely helpful as we were complete novices. The TA helped us with cabin location, itinerary, when to get into port, etc etc.

 

Second HAL cruise we booked on board, got the FCC and then linked it back to our TA so they got their fee. For this cruise my TA has done nothing, they sent me a copy of the invoice and I paid through them, by Direct Debit as there was a charge if I did so by credit card. The TA will print out our documents, give us a wallet and that will be all.

 

So for our third HAL cruise I booked directly on line with HAL and did not link it back to our TA. Paid deposit direct to HAL by credit card, no extra charge - final payment will be the same. Got given $150 OBC, automatically, never got that with our TA. Rang them several times, got through straight away to an office in Sydney and the staff there were very helpful. Got their new promotion added to my current booking, no problems.

 

The moral of this story - use a TA to book a new experience where you have no previous knowledge of what to do. Use a TA if you have a complex set of booking requirements, let them do the leg work. However once you are experienced enough, book direct yourself.

[The_Big_M]

The TAs we have booked with recently have added extras to the invoice without discussing it with us - cost to print and send the tickets, travel insurance when we already have an annual policy. I wasn't impressed.

 

I'm sure you're disputing that. I would... and wouldn't use that TA again.

[mr walker]

The moral of this story - use a TA to book a new experience where you have no previous knowledge of what to do. Use a TA if you have a complex set of booking requirements, let them do the leg work. However once you are experienced enough, book direct yourself.

 

Good advice indeed.

[Aus Traveller]

I'm sure you're disputing that. I would... and wouldn't use that TA again.

 

I had the 'extras' removed before we paid. Maybe it was just a co-incidence, but they didn't email or post the invoice. I phoned to pay the balance by credit card and the TA mentioned the amount. It didn't sound right so I queried it and very matter-of-fact, she reeled off the figures that made up the total. I was very surprised and told her I wasn't very happy that they would add items without discussing it. She claimed we had discussed it, etc. etc. As if we would have paid for an insurance policy with them when we have an annual policy? Yeah, right! Obviously we paid just the amount owing on the cruise with no add-ons.

[MicCanberra]

The moral of this story - use a TA to book a new experience where you have no previous knowledge of what to do. Use a TA if you have a complex set of booking requirements, let them do the leg work. However once you are experienced enough, book direct yourself.

Yes, unless the online/TA company has an offer with some great deals and extra perks that the cruise line's site is not offering.:D

[The_Big_M]

She claimed we had discussed it, etc. etc. As if we would have paid for an insurance policy with them when we have an annual policy? Yeah, right! Obviously we paid just the amount owing on the cruise with no add-ons.

 

And they make things up as well?

 

Sounds like you were very unfortunate with the agent you dealt with. Glad you got it sorted without issue though (but had to be on the ball to pick it up.)