Feel like TA is lying?

[EllieandCarl]

Hello,

I emailed the guy who is taking care of our booking at Travel Planners asking for our flight reference number. I want to book bubble seats so aiming to book as soon as the flight is released.

We fly 18th November 2019 with VA from Gatwick and he emailed back saying the ref number will be available mid January - is this correct? I emailed back saying I thought it was 11 months before departure date and he’s gone quiet now. We’ve had a bit of trouble with him ignoring emails since we booked so I guess here we go again!

Just want to make sure I’m right before I call, should I be able to get my booking ref number 11 months before flying?

Thanks in advance!

[Scaramouche]

I believe it's 331 days before your return flight

[THOscar]

Originally Posted by EllieandCarl

Hello,

I emailed the guy who is taking care of our booking at Travel Planners asking for our flight reference number. I want to book bubble seats so aiming to book as soon as the flight is released.

We fly 18th November 2019 with VA from Gatwick and he emailed back saying the ref number will be available mid January - is this correct? I emailed back saying I thought it was 11 months before departure date and he’s gone quiet now. We’ve had a bit of trouble with him ignoring emails since we booked so I guess here we go again!

Just want to make sure I’m right before I call, should I be able to get my booking ref number 11 months before flying?

Thanks in advance!

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If your TA is booking your flights for you I don't see how you have any real control over when they actually book your seat. It wouldn't surprise me if they delayed booking your seats on the basis that they're often at their most expensive when just released.

[Guest]

Originally Posted by THOscar

If your TA is booking your flights for you I don't see how you have any real control over when they actually book your seat. It wouldn't surprise me if they delayed booking your seats on the basis that they're often at their most expensive when just released.

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The above poster has hit the issue on the head. When you book with a TA they don't have to "lock in" your tickets at the point you book, only guarantee that you won't pay anymore.

They can then hedge their bets on booking seats cheaper later.

This changes once you have paid everything in full as then they have an obligation to actually hold the booked items. Until then all you have is a promise you will get it and it won't cost you anymore.

So yes seats can be booked 331 days before your return flight but only once the seat is ticketed. It is totally in the TAs decision when to do this so long as they actually do it at some point before you go.

Most TA however do ticket the flights relatively early as they don't want to be left "holding the baby" if prices fluctuate greatly

[coggie]

Originally Posted by THOscar

If your TA is booking your flights for you I don't see how you have any real control over when they actually book your seat. It wouldn't surprise me if they delayed booking your seats on the basis that they're often at their most expensive when just released.

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Are they? From your experience when do the prices drop

[Love*my*hols]

It will be sometime in January,assuming you are returning home sometime in December.

[scooby99]

Originally Posted by coggie

Are they? From your experience when do the prices drop

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On release day/week, flight prices are usually high; advice is to wait a few days/weeks after release day until they settle down.
Sometimes higher fare class seats are released on day 1 with the lower fare class seats released a few days/weeks later.

[EllieandCarl]

Originally Posted by Guest

The above poster has hit the issue on the head. When you book with a TA they don't have to "lock in" your tickets at the point you book, only guarantee that you won't pay anymore.

They can then hedge their bets on booking seats cheaper later.

This changes once you have paid everything in full as then they have an obligation to actually hold the booked items. Until then all you have is a promise you will get it and it won't cost you anymore.

So yes seats can be booked 331 days before your return flight but only once the seat is ticketed. It is totally in the TAs decision when to do this so long as they actually do it at some point before you go.

Most TA however do ticket the flights relatively early as they don't want to be left "holding the baby" if prices fluctuate greatly

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Thanks very much, he has got back to me and said if I call him the 2nd week of January we can get it sorted, which falls in line with the 331 days from my return date - I feel a bit better now!

[Guest]

We used Travel Planners for a trip this summer and as soon as I booked it I got an online code so I could pick seats. This was flying with United so don't know if it is different with other airlines. We did book it 9 months before we flew so that too may be a reason.

[pluto99]

we booked with a travel agent and got to book seats straight away, booked in july for next april