Booking with Third Party Sites
So I found a flight on skyscanner for British Airways that I've been eyeing for quite a while. However, it is a basic economy ticket which means that it doesn't come with a checked bag and seat selection included in the price. I was wondering if I could purchase the ticket off of the third party site, put in the code and selection into British Airways' site, and add on a bag and seat selection onto it for my trip for an extra fee? I wanted to do this since I've been searching for the ticket for awhile on British Airways' site but they seem to not have it, or it's very expensive.
I figure that adding on the baggage fees and seat selection will equate to just me paying the same price as a main cabin ticket, which comes with one free checked bag and seat selection.
Thanks in advance!
Best Answer
I have done that many times, with many airlines (although not with BA), and it was never an issue.
Generally, if you have a valid ticket, the airline gladly sells you additional luggage allowance, that cost you between 30 and 120 $ per leg, rarely more.
You can also simply show up with luggage, and pay at the check-in counter, but many airlines take a higher price for that.
Note though that I found never a third party booking that was cheaper than a direct booking with the airline. Typically, they only seem cheaper, until you try to checkout, and they add funny fees or taxes.
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Should you book through third party?
Booking flights via third-party websites comes with certain risks. So, remember this \u2014 do your research first. Firstly, find out if the travel site in question is trustworthy. Secondly, find out if there's a booking fee, and what are the conditions in case you wish to change or cancel your flight.Is booking com a third party website?
The surprising thing is when we come across the opposite finding which, up until now, has gone unnoticed in the industry media: rooms on Booking.com provided by third parties. This is called Booking.Why do hotels use third party websites?
Third-party sites allow this ease of price comparison. For hotels, it is important to ensure that your website is user-friendly and enables price comparing. This could attract the brand loyal consumer who is looking for ease of reservation process.Should I book with airline or third party?
The bottom line is: it's more expensive to change your flight through a third-party flight than booking directly through an airline. If you're changing your flight within 24 hours of booking, however, it will most likely be free. Expedia, for example, allows cancellations and changes within 24-hours of booking.MISTAKES PEOPLE MAKE WHEN BOOKING TRAVEL THROUGH THIRD-PARTY WEBSITES | EXPEDIA, PRICELINE, TRIP.COM
More answers regarding booking with Third Party Sites
Answer 2
How long is a piece of string?
This will depend on the fare class of the ticket and the booking site and even the same booking site might have different rules for the same flight on different dates due to the fare class they can source from the airline at that time.
As a general rule of thumb ( there are exceptions ) trying to “fool the system” is never a good idea and will eventually bite you in the behind.
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