Travel agent torture

[thai3]

I will not name the agent as some branches may give a reasonable service,but here is what happened to me with the agent at the Tai Pan Hotel soi 23:

Buy air ticket on Thursday sixth, me: "when will ticket come", her: "oh, maybe this afternoon"

No ticket that afternoon.

Friday, same story, "come back Saturday, ticket here".

On Saturday they tell me "cannot issue ticket as baby is sick",a six month old writing out the tickets? Someone else tells me the problem is that Garuda computer no work. "Come back Monday ticket here 100%".

The excuse on Monday is still Garuda computer no good, so I phone up the Airline. They tell me they will not issue the ticket until the agent pays them. Agent swears blind they have paid. Garuda say computers are OK!

By Tuesday I am getting a little bit pissed off, especially when instead of the promised ticket 100% they ask for my passport which they say they need to fax to Garuda. Me: "why you no do before", "we not know have to do"

"OK so when will the ticket come", "two hours boy bring to your Hotel this afternoon"(tues).

Needless to say the ticket does not show up.By Wednesday I am asking myself how people can live in a place where nobody seems to be able to speak anything like the truth. On wed morning go back yet again to the Tai Pan, "you no have ticket?" "NO HAVE"

She phones up someome and tells me the boy could not find soi 15, (two sois away), so did not deliver it. "so where is ticket now?", "he will bring your Hotel in one hour, 100% certain". Three hours later the ticket not having turned up I storm into the Tai Pan trying not to make this the first time in LOS that I really lose my temper. As I go in I spot her buggering off out the back.Nobody knows where she is, so I ask the Hotel Manager for her mobile. Run up to the 5th floor to use the public phone, which of course does not work. Back downstairs the Manager takes pity on me and phones her. Tells me she has gone to the end of the street to get the ticket!!

After half an hour she comes back, " oh I take ticket your Hotel, must just missed you"

Back at the Hotel the holy grail is there sure enough,100% sure. The date of issue of course is today 12th.The delivery boy would have had quite a job to deliver it before, even if he did know where soi 15 was.

If you value your sanity do not use this service. I expect someone else thinks they are great, not me.-peter

[Guest]

Peter:

sounds like they were incompetent and trying to save face. ( not a good combo, no matter now common in a thailand)

I have had good luck just calling the airline and making the reservation on the phone with my credit card. ( in bkk, using TG to hkt and back many times)

 

I just show up at the airport and pick up my ticket.

Unless the travel agency was giving a good discount, why bother with them.

I notice the few times I used a thai travel agency. ( needed an extra ticket on Jal) they even charged extra for using a cc.

also, my experience with Garuda was not so good some years ago. flew from lax to sin on united air, I had an oversize/weight bag

( had my sales materials in it) , United charged me $42 extra for it. ( not so bad)

but in sin, garuda charge me just over $250 for it from sin to jakarta. ( btw, it was the day the US declared war in the gulf ( talk about having the feeling of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, headed for a muslim nation).

but still, the $250+ seemed outragious for the distance traveled.

 

hope you made ur flight

[thai3]

I foolishly thought it would save time and hassle to use them. They did charge for cc use.I think they were trying to hang onto the money as long as possible.Next time I'll just phone the airline.-Peter

 

quote:

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Originally posted by pasathai:

Peter:

Unless the travel agency was giving a good discount, why bother with them.

 

hope you made ur flight

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