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Anyone experience Southall Travel?

Discussion in 'Travel Tips and Advice' started by Kuya, Jun 14, 2011.

  1. Kuya
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    Kuya The Geeky One Staff Member

    Read a ton of bad reviews for these guys, and some good ones. But the ones that scare me are the ones where they double sell a flight so they end up telling someone to rearrange their flight with little time to amend their schedule..

    Their website is here

    Just wondering:erm:
  2. TheTeach
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    TheTeach Le Maître Senior Member

    Not used them Sean - but I note the ABTA and IATA at the bottom of their homepage - therefore, should be trustworthy.

    However, I stand to be corrected on that.

    Al.:england:
  3. Micawber
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    Micawber Renowned Lifetime Member

    Kuya, it's always worth checking the deals direct with airlines. Often you'll be pleasantly surprised.
  4. oss
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    oss Somewhere Staff Member

    I would only ever book direct with an airline these days, little point in trying to go through a travel agent in my view.
  5. KeithAngel
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    KeithAngel 2063 Lifetime Member

    Need to be pragmatic if your booking early I would always try the cheapest deal if you pay with credit card your covered if it goes tits up and still have plenty of time to rebook never happened to me in 6 years ive used crystal travel last two times no probs
  6. Micawber
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    Micawber Renowned Lifetime Member

    I've used Crystal Travel a few times (despite some bad reviews) and not had any issues or reasons to be unhappy.
    The last two times I've used them they worked out about £35 more expensive than Cathay Pacific Direct......but we got 35kg baggage allowance then next time we got 40kg baggage. Worth every penny considering the stuff that my wife brings back .
  7. oss
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    oss Somewhere Staff Member

    This is the last year I get a good baggage allowance, for almost 6 years (once I had built up status) I've had 30 kg allowance and then recently KLM changed it to effectively 46kg for elites even the lower level elites, but I drop out of Silver status next April and lose the allowance, at that point I will seriously consider other airlines although I will still have a lot of miles to protect so I may stay loyal to KLM, you have to fly once every 20 months or you lose your miles and the miles are worth a lot of money.

    Does anyone use Skyscanner to plan their trips as an alternative to travel agents?

    I tend to just use the direct sites but Skyscanner seems pretty good.
  8. Micawber
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    Micawber Renowned Lifetime Member

    Nice link oss, thanks :like:

    Many years ago, when I spent most of my time in the air, I always used those really big thick books that listed all flights,all airlines,all destinations and schedules etc etc Oh and most of the seating plans.

    What were those books called? anyone remember? the colour was blue if I recall.
    Anyway, the question is do these books exist on line these days? Where?
  9. Kuya
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    Kuya The Geeky One Staff Member

    Been checking Skyscanner to check up on prices (pretty sure "travelsupermarket" use the skyscanner search network under licence...
  10. Kuya
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    Kuya The Geeky One Staff Member

    *massive boost*

    Going to book a flight in the next month or so, has anyone since this first post used Southall Travel?
  11. oss
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    oss Somewhere Staff Member

    Never used them mate, I'm still of the same opinion as before safer to book direct with the airline, travel agents make sense when you want a package holiday in places that are traditional UK holiday destinations like Spain and the likes but for what we need when there is no hotel required you often will get a better deal booking direct with the airline.

    I've just switched from KLM for the first time in 9 years, next flight is Emirates and I got it for just 644 quid return, most of their flights were available at that price at a horizon of about 2 months, closer and they go up quickly, even got what I would consider a premium economy seat at the front of the plane for that price.

    Not looking forward to the 7 - 3.5 - 8 (hours) flight pattern though as it will make it really hard to sleep, but I was hell of a lucky to get just a 3.5 hour layover in both directions, many of them were 7, 10 or even 17 hour stops at Dubai.
  12. Markham
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    Markham Guest

    As it happens, I'm in the process of booking a round-trip from Davao to London with PAL which, if I commence before the end of this month, will cost me around 20% less as PAL's introductory promotion ends then. Southall Travel's site quoted me £1,071 but I don't know if that includes all surcharges and taxes. For some reason Southall Travel does not select connecting flights, or even the closest connections, resulting in an 8 hour layover for the outward journey and 23 hour layover for the return. No thanks!

    But here's the astonishing thing. If I book the last flight on a Friday night to Manila (which arrives at 1.30am), I have just over 4 hours delay before the London plane on the Saturday morning. On the return, PAL's closest connection is 3 hours which is fine. If the entire round-trip is made in one booking, the cost (for Business Class) is £1,795 including all taxes and surcharges. But if I book the domestic sectors separately from the international flight but using the very same flight numbers, the total cost is just £846! Riddle me that one!

    By the way, I hope Southall Travel appreciates all the publicity is is getting from this thread!
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 8, 2014
  13. oss
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    oss Somewhere Staff Member

    You're looking at a promo that gives you a business class PAL seat at 846 quid return, seriously?

    Something seriously wrong there on the booking system, £1795 would have been a superb business class price MNL-LHR but with connections as well it's unbelievable, but £846 I would
    have called that impossible :D

    Cheapest business class return to Manila I ever got was £1150 on KLM (apart from the 4 or 5 times I was upgraded for free :D)
  14. Markham
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    Markham Guest

    Yes, Jim and I was surprised. If you want to check it out, my outbound from Davao to Manila is the last flight on 21st February which, from memory, arrives around 1.30am in Manila. Then on to London on the 22nd and return exactly one month later, 22nd March, arriving mid-afternoon and onwards that evening to Davao.

    PAL's promo for the London flight finishes on 28th February and all outbound travel must start on or before that date.
  15. Methersgate
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    Methersgate Well-Known Member Lifetime Member

    Yes, I have used Southall Travel a few times; I have not had a problem with them.
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