WACTS/Wings Across Continents Travel

[Natmil]

Has anyone had experience booking airline tickets inside China with this company? Their ticket costs are quite a bargain. I am wondering about their reliability. Would appreciate information. Thanx.

[greatam]

Has anyone had experience booking airline tickets inside China with this company? Their ticket costs are quite a bargain. I am wondering about their reliability. Would appreciate information. Thanx.

 

I have not heard of them and have made three trips to China/Vietnam/Cambodia since October 2005 and am leaving on my fourth next week. I am always looking for a bargain on tickets.

 

I looked at their website and notice they are based in Beijing, but have no connection to CTS (China Travel Service). I have been under the impression that NO travel agency in China may book tickets unless they have SOME kind of connection to CTS (government owned). They may book tickets through a CTS agency, which would be legal, but I would think it adds to costs.

 

I have been using the below agency extensively, for tickets all over SE Asia. They are based in Oklahoma City, of all places. Carolyn Shin is the agent I have been dealing with. It really helps if you have found the flights you want before you call the travel agent. I look up the flights I want, call Carolyn, and she can usually get them cheaper than what I see as published fares.

http://www.itasoftware.com/-log in as "guest"

 

Also, if you are close to a Chinatown in the USA, find a travel agent there. They are able to book intra-China tickets at very reasonable prices.

 

 

USA Gateway Travel

5101 N Classen Blvd Ste 406

Oklahoma City, OK 73118-5258

(405) 842-2919

[Crown Prince]

I can't make your Link work. Do you have another??

Thank you!

[greatam]

Try this: http://www.itasoftware.com/

 

If it doesn't work, just type in http://www.itasoftware.com.

 

This is "backend" software used by the airline industry. It is also used by some online travel services. You CANNOT book tickets.

 

You can: 1. find all the connections and airlines that may work for a given itinerary

2. see what prices are available (not always 100% accurate, as tickets may be selling out as you are looking)

3. get fare code info

4. print all the info, then either go to a TA (who will usually charge a fee) OR go to the airline website and use the book by schedule to duplicate the trip. When you use book by schedule, you will have to read all the fare rules to make sure you are picking flights in the same fare bucket.

 

This software is NOT easy to use unless you understand fare codes and can extrapolate those fare codes to an airline website. But it is valuable in that it shows a lot of airlines not normally available on other sites.

[Crown Prince]

I printed out 33 pp. from the website. Now I have to study it before I try it. It does seem quite involved, but I guess you just have to practice it.

Booking air is such a mystery to me. Thanks for the help. :D

[utell]

I tried the link you gave, to book flight from Beijing to Shanghai. The price showing on the link: http://www.itasoftware.com is over US$140, while the price on http://www.wacts.com is below US$100. I saw one flight even as cheap as US$85, so much cheaper :confused: :(

[greatam]

I tried the link you gave, to book flight from Beijing to Shanghai. The price showing on the link: http://www.itasoftware.com is over US$140, while the price on http://www.wacts.com is below US$100. I saw one flight even as cheap as US$85, so much cheaper :confused: :(

 

The price ITA is showing, unless you change the default city (which is BOS-Boston) are priced as being issued in the US. If you want to price the tickets as purchased in China (or any other country), you will need to change the default issue country.

 

The travel agency- WACTS- you are dealing with is in China, so you are getting China pricing. BUT again I repeat, I see NO connection with CTS. I verified when I was there two weeks ago-all internal China air tickets MUST be issued through a CTS affiliated agency (Chinese government) for a CHINA air carrier. There are plenty of Chinese agencies in the US (any large city has a Chinatown).

 

You can do as you wish, but I would not feel comfortable booking tickets over the internet with a company I know NOTHING about and no one I know has heard of. What happens if the agency states they will deliver tickets to your hotel and they never arrive? Or there is something wrong with the tickets and they are not accepted by the airline at the airport? You're stuck and will have to purchase NEW tickets at the airport (at a last minute purchase price). China (or any place in SE Asia) is NOT the place to skimp on booking tours, tickets and hotels. Unless you speak the language AND know the culture, you could have many more problems than just buying a new airline ticket if something goes wrong. Save money, sure, but save money with a company no one has ever heard of??? I don't think so!!!!

[brandonjordan]

I have not heard of them and have made three trips to China/Vietnam/Cambodia since October 2005 and am leaving on my fourth next week. I am always looking for a bargain on tickets.

 

I looked at their website and notice they are based in Beijing, but have no connection to CTS (China Travel Service). I have been under the impression that NO travel agency in China may book tickets unless they have SOME kind of connection to CTS (government owned). They may book tickets through a CTS agency, which would be legal, but I would think it adds to costs.

 

I have been using the below agency extensively, for tickets all over SE Asia. They are based in Oklahoma City, of all places. Carolyn Shin is the agent I have been dealing with. It really helps if you have found the flights you want before you call the travel agent. I look up the flights I want, call Carolyn, and she can usually get them cheaper than what I see as published fares.

http://www.itasoftware.com/-log in as "guest"

 

Also, if you are close to a Chinatown in the USA, find a travel agent there. They are able to book intra-China tickets at very reasonable prices.

 

 

USA Gateway Travel

5101 N Classen Blvd Ste 406

Oklahoma City, OK 73118-5258

(405) 842-2919

Hello Greatam. We have been in touch over the last month about other issues. I just came across your reference to WACT (Wings Across Continents Travel). They have an office in Chicago as well as Beijing so get internal prices. I am talking to them about tours/guides as well as air. In your previous posts on 2006 you say you never heard of them. Have you heard/learned anything about them since then? Their prices are quite competitive even with the 4% credit card fee they want to charge. I am looking for independent references for them. Can you e-mail me at adele@sircoconsultants.com. Thx.

[bxny]

Has anyone used wacts.com for their China Visa. Seems to be the best price I have found.

[alanmal]

Hello Greatam. We have been in touch over the last month about other issues. I just came across your reference to WACT (Wings Across Continents Travel). They have an office in Chicago as well as Beijing so get internal prices. I am talking to them about tours/guides as well as air. In your previous posts on 2006 you say you never heard of them. Have you heard/learned anything about them since then? Their prices are quite competitive even with the 4% credit card fee they want to charge. I am looking for independent references for them. Can you e-mail me at adele@sircoconsultants.com. Thx.

 

 

Our group used Wacts for Shanghai and Beijing for tour guides 3 years ago off the Sapphire. we were all completly satisfied with their performance. This is their contact info: wacts.com@gmail.com att: Lixia Liu

[brandonjordan]

BXNY, how much did they charge for the China visa? thank you.

[bxny]

They want $130 pp for visa and $20 pp service fee. Does not include special handling. I have not gotten a response about their service so am hesitant to use them. $32pp cheaper than Viking service.

[greatam]

They want $130 pp for visa and $20 pp service fee. Does not include special handling. I have not gotten a response about their service so am hesitant to use them. $32pp cheaper than Viking service.

 

PLUS return shipping fees. AND they want a fax with credit card info. They state they are operating out of Illinois, but sending credit card info via fax is VERY Asian.

 

You may want to look at Timely Visa out of Los Angeles. He has gotten visas for both myself and my employees. He has very good rapport with the Chinese Consulate in Los Angeles and can work miracles (like getting me a multiple entry visa when I should not have had one). A little more costly than the one posted here, but the total shipping fees are certainly cheaper. And he takes personal checks as well as credit cards. You send in the credit card form with your passport and visa application.

 

http://www.timelyvisa.com/