Anyone book flights on Cheapoair.com?

[dznyacct]

Hi ~ Has anyone ever used cheapoair.com to book their flights? I am the "travel agent" for a trip for 6 to Key West next year and cheapoair came up in a kayak.com seach. They offer a $20/ticket discount which can add up for 6 flights, booking each as one ways. Thanks for any experiences that you can share .

 

[Super 27]

I've used them several times and never had a problem.

That said, my girlfriend is a former Delta ticket counter/gate agent, and her advice has always been to avoid that site at all costs. Most airlines decide who will get "invol'd" (i.e. bumped) when the plane is oversold based, at least in part, on the price paid for the ticket and where you got the ticket (i.e. same price but bought direct from the airline is less likely to get bumped than someone who bought through another site). She said that the majority of people she bumped had tickets from Cheapoair. So, just something to keep in mind.

Like I said, I've never personally had a problem so that's just second-hand information. And booking this far out you should be okay - usually people who get bumped bought tickets closer to the last minute.

 

[thiabelle]

I did not have a good experience with Cheapoair. I was sold a business class ticket to China on China Eastern. I should have known the price was too good to be true. I even called to confirm that the price was actually business class and the lady said that sometimes you get lucky on their site and they offer "cheap" business class. I booked because I thought it was a good deal and the flight is soooo long. Well fast forward to JFK and the China Eastern counter. The guy was like "um no- you don't have a business class seat" and I was like- it says business class right there. He said to call my ticketing agent. I could NOT get anyone to answer at Cheapo and I needed to get to China. I don't know if it was Cheapo's fault or China Eastern not honoring the ticket?? But I took the economy seat they gave me and had a fine flight. Just not as comfy as I had hoped. YMMV

 

[jsilvers]

CheapOair charges a $28 service fee for most flights; other agents do not. (For example, I priced a Washington National-Orlando flight on JetBlue - $320 on CheapOair, $292 elsewhere.) Make sure that any "deal" offered to you by CheapOair isn't a misleading illusion.

 

[MillauFr]

I thought it was always better to book directly with the airline. Is Cheapo really offering a price that is less than the airline charges on its own website?