Cathay Pacific flight - some questions

[anxious_ant]

It's been a good few years since I have been on a plane, however I am looking forward to visiting a few cities in Asia next year with the family.
I have used online flight comparison sites and have found that Cathay Pacific provides the best prices and times for multi-city flights.

I do have a few questions around the process, which I hope someone could kindly advise.

1) Direct vs. Agent : There is about £800 price difference booking directly from Cathay Pacific, vs. online agent. Online agent is cheaper, for the same flights. Are there any risks booking with online agents?

2) ATOL protection : As I am only booking multi city flights, and not any accommodation/car hire etc., am I right to say this does not apply to me? I will of course be purchasing travel insurance. Also appreciate if anyone could recommend decent travel insurance for family going to SE Asia

3) Seat booking : We are planning to book economy tickets to keep the price down. This does incur additional costs for reserving seats. We prefer to sit close together if possible. Does anyone know how this process works, and how much it would cost roughly for LHR to HKG flight? There are options to upgrade the ticket to next grade which does include seats and most cabin luaggage, however total is nearly £1,000 more and this would be too much of a stretch for me.

4) Payment method : It is better to pay for the tickets using credit card? Due to the sum, I am planning to pay using my debit card if possible

5) Prepaid cards : OT but I am planning on getting a prepaid Visa card to avoid taking too much cash around. Does anyone have any recommendations for SE Asia?

Sorry for all the questions! It's been good few years since I have taken a holiday which involves long distance flight. Just want to ensure I cover all bases.

[HotJambalaya]

anxious_ant said:

It's been a good few years since I have been on a plane, however I am looking forward to visiting a few cities in Asia next year with the family.
I have used online flight comparison sites and have found that Cathay Pacific provides the best prices and times for multi-city flights.

I do have a few questions around the process, which I hope someone could kindly advise.

1) Direct vs. Agent : There is about £800 price difference booking directly from Cathay Pacific, vs. online agent. Online agent is cheaper, for the same flights. Are there any risks booking with online agents?

2) ATOL protection : As I am only booking multi city flights, and not any accommodation/car hire etc., am I right to say this does not apply to me? I will of course be purchasing travel insurance. Also appreciate if anyone could recommend decent travel insurance for family going to SE Asia

3) Seat booking : We are planning to book economy tickets to keep the price down. This does incur additional costs for reserving seats. We prefer to sit close together if possible. Does anyone know how this process works, and how much it would cost roughly for LHR to HKG flight? There are options to upgrade the ticket to next grade which does include seats and most cabin luaggage, however total is nearly £1,000 more and this would be too much of a stretch for me.

4) Payment method : It is better to pay for the tickets using credit card? Due to the sum, I am planning to pay using my debit card if possible

5) Prepaid cards : OT but I am planning on getting a prepaid Visa card to avoid taking too much cash around. Does anyone have any recommendations for SE Asia?

Sorry for all the questions! It's been good few years since I have taken a holiday which involves long distance flight. Just want to ensure I cover all bases.

For that amount i'd use the agent, but beware, any changes you want to make will be at the mercy of the travel agent, not the airline, and they could be hard to get hold of, and basically if you want to cancel, you can kiss your money good bye.

I also cant stress this enough, use a CREDIT CARD to make the bookings, as you have far more protection.

for fx cards, check revolut & monzo

[Mr Pointy]

Personally I always prefer booking with the airline as you'll be able to deal direct with them rather than through a agent if there are any delys or issues - join the rewads club as well. How fixed are your dates & tickets? If there's any chance you'll need to make changes then you might want flexible tickets, although they will costs more. Always pay by credit card.

[shirt]

1) as above, any changes to itinerary (including missed connection due to previous flight delay) have to go via the agent including any change fee and fare difference. Direct you can just deal with their transfer desk. For pricing, check you’re getting like for like (I.e fully flexible fare).

3) you can usually reserve seats for free when online check opens 3 days ahead of time. Otherwise arrive in good time and ask to be seated together. Unless it’s absolutely full with people who’ve paid for preferred seats you’ll be fine.

Edited by shirt on Saturday 23 December 18:57

[anxious_ant]

Thanks all for the replies, appreciate it. I have decided to book directly with Cathay to be safe. It’s multi destination flights with no connecting flights, however there is a peace of mind that it’s easier and quicker to seek assistance if so required.

I might have to shell out to buy seats, at least for the long haul flights. I am travelling during peak season (summer holidays) and I don’t think it would be likely to be allocated seats together.

[Ynox]

A lot of the cheap travel agents on the likes of Skyscanner are a bit dodgy. I personally prefer to book direct, this is a bit of a throwback from Covid time but it's simpler if you need to reschedule etc. Who is the agent? Worth a Google to see what people think (I've heard of horror stories).

Insurance wise I just use my bank account insurance (which is with Aviva). I'd just look on Moneysupermarket or similar, get £10m medical cover though.

Seat booking cost depends on airline. On CX's website you'll see the fees. In _theory_ you'll probably be sat together without paying this, but if you have young kids or similar with you and it'd be a nightmare if you're not, I'd pay. Personally I pay if I'm travelling with my wife and nearly 2 year old - saves the stress.

Payment method - I'd always use a credit card personally - *especially* if taking a gamble on the cheap online travel agent fares. If booking direct with Cathay then using a debit card is OK (although I'd still recommend a credit card for Section 75 protection).

Prepaid cards - I use Wise.com when travelling. Simply wire money from my account to it and then get a fantastic exchange rate. It works well.

[recordman]

I've booked flights on Cathay through Trailfinders. Didn't cost me any more than booking with the airline directly and much easier when making multi-sector flights.

Always use a credit card for payment and when abroad I use Halifax Clarity credit card or Starling debit card for purchases.

[djc206]

Have you looked at just the london to Hong Kong flights with Cathay and then booking the other flights with other Asian airlines to see what the price difference is? If you’ve not got connecting flights just multi city there’s little benefit in handing a premium airline like Cathay your money for the short haul legs, there are plenty of budget carriers in Asia who will get you around for pennies.

Always use a credit card.

Personally after being bitten I don’t use agents any more, I always book direct.

[anxious_ant]

djc206 said:

Have you looked at just the london to Hong Kong flights with Cathay and then booking the other flights with other Asian airlines to see what the price difference is? If you’ve not got connecting flights just multi city there’s little benefit in handing a premium airline like Cathay your money for the short haul legs, there are plenty of budget carriers in Asia who will get you around for pennies.

Always use a credit card.

Personally after being bitten I don’t use agents any more, I always book direct.

Great suggestion, I will see if there are other airlines for the shorter legs within SE Asia. I have started searching using the comparison websites like Expedia and SkyScanner and so far it seems the Cathay flights have the right times and also comes up to be cheaper for direct flights.

[InitialDave]

It's seeing if BA can do anything that suits what you need, sticking a hotel in the mix even for a few days of the trip should get you under the ATOL umbrella, and they have a pretty good deal on holidays where you only have to put a deposit down and pay the balance before a couple of months prior to departure.

For travel cards, I have a Revolut which I've found to work just fine in Japan, and if you bank with HSBC, they have their own equivalent "global money" card that I've found to be decent.

[djc206]

anxious_ant said:

Great suggestion, I will see if there are other airlines for the shorter legs within SE Asia. I have started searching using the comparison websites like Expedia and SkyScanner and so far it seems the Cathay flights have the right times and also comes up to be cheaper for direct flights.

For reputable companies try looking on Google flights. I find it a lot more user friendly than skyscanner and it makes it clear what luggage etc you get included in the fares.

Cathay are a great airline so definitely worth flying with them if you can.

If you have a BA exec club account make sure you add your number to your Cathay booking and set up accounts for all of your family members and link them too. They’re a oneworld airline and although you won’t collect a huge number of avios travelling in economy with them between a number of you it could add up to something useful, they can be spent on car hire, hotels and even wine these days so you might as well get something back.

Cathay are giving 1.87% cashback through Quidco at present as well. Again probably not going to amount to a huge amount but better than nowt.

[Griffith4ever]

anxious_ant said:

It's been a good few years since I have been on a plane, however I am looking forward to visiting a few cities in Asia next year with the family.
I have used online flight comparison sites and have found that Cathay Pacific provides the best prices and times for multi-city flights.

I do have a few questions around the process, which I hope someone could kindly advise.

1) Direct vs. Agent : There is about £800 price difference booking directly from Cathay Pacific, vs. online agent. Online agent is cheaper, for the same flights. Are there any risks booking with online agents?

2) ATOL protection : As I am only booking multi city flights, and not any accommodation/car hire etc., am I right to say this does not apply to me? I will of course be purchasing travel insurance. Also appreciate if anyone could recommend decent travel insurance for family going to SE Asia

3) Seat booking : We are planning to book economy tickets to keep the price down. This does incur additional costs for reserving seats. We prefer to sit close together if possible. Does anyone know how this process works, and how much it would cost roughly for LHR to HKG flight? There are options to upgrade the ticket to next grade which does include seats and most cabin luaggage, however total is nearly £1,000 more and this would be too much of a stretch for me.

4) Payment method : It is better to pay for the tickets using credit card? Due to the sum, I am planning to pay using my debit card if possible

5) Prepaid cards : OT but I am planning on getting a prepaid Visa card to avoid taking too much cash around. Does anyone have any recommendations for SE Asia?

Sorry for all the questions! It's been good few years since I have taken a holiday which involves long distance flight. Just want to ensure I cover all bases.

Can't believe you've paid £800 extra to book direct. The agents give you the booking reference code so you can have full access to your flight including extras such as seat choices and baggage. Mad.

Atol means nothing if you have not also booked accom with the same co.

Seats: whatever floats your boat. You'll all move around anyway unless the plane is full.

Payment: makes no odds.

Prepaid card: Wise or Starling.

Edited by Griffith4ever on Sunday 24th December 00:05

[djc206]

Griffith4ever said:

Can't believe you've paid £800 extra to book direct. The agents give you the booking reference code so you can have full access to your flight including extras such as seat choices and baggage. Mad.

Atol means nothing if you have not also booked accom with the same co.

Seats: whatever floats your boat. You'll all move around anyway unless the plane is full.

Payment: makes no odds.

Prepaid card: Wise or Starling.

Edited by Griffith4ever on Sunday 24th December 00:05

An £800 difference seems extremely high, my money is on the agent not being legit or there being a discrepancy in fare bucket or something else. It just seems implausible.

There’s a world of difference when things go wrong between booking with direct and booking with an agent. I’ve had huge issues with Expedia booked flights before that resulted in several thousand in outlay, an insurance claim and months of threatening legal action before I finally got my money back. Not worth the hassle for what normally amounts to a few quid which if you chat to the airline they’d likely price match anyway. £800 I’d probably revise my position for but as above I don’t believe if you clicked through on that purchase that it would be the same flights, it’s a lot of money.

[anxious_ant]

The 2 agents are Carlton Leisure & TravelUp, found via search on Expedia. I did click through and at the time the price was definitely cheaper compared to Cathay’s website.

Apologies about the price difference, it was £600-ish. I was comparing to a different flight time on Cathay.

Edited by anxious_ant on Sunday 24th December 00:48

[djc206]

anxious_ant said:

The 2 agents are Carlton Leisure & TravelUp, found via search on Expedia. I did click through and at the time the price was definitely cheaper compared to Cathay’s website.

Apologies about the price difference, it was £600-ish. I was comparing to a different flight time on Cathay.

Edited by anxious_ant on Sunday 24th December 00:48

Well I stand corrected. Both of those agents are legit.

[Griffith4ever]

djc206 said:

anxious_ant said:

The 2 agents are Carlton Leisure & TravelUp, found via search on Expedia. I did click through and at the time the price was definitely cheaper compared to Cathay’s website.

Apologies about the price difference, it was £600-ish. I was comparing to a different flight time on Cathay.

Edited by anxious_ant on Sunday 24th December 00:48

Well I stand corrected. Both of those agents are legit.

Aye, and comparing different flights. Explains the huge difference.

For reference, I'll use airlines direct if the difference is small, but as it grows, I use agents. Whichever comes in cheapest for the same flight! I've found as long as you get the reference code from them you can manage your own flight. I have had to get one to deal with a minor issue but it was dealt with quickly.

[djc206]

Griffith4ever said:

Aye, and comparing different flights. Explains the huge difference.

For reference, I'll use airlines direct if the difference is small, but as it grows, I use agents. Whichever comes in cheapest for the same flight! I've found as long as you get the reference code from them you can manage your own flight. I have had to get one to deal with a minor issue but it was dealt with quickly.

Having the reference code (PNR) is not the be all and end all in my experience. One would hope with a decent airline like Cathay you’re right but my experience with Malaysian and a friends recent experience with AA/BA the PNR was as much use as a chocolate teapot in seeking a resolution to major issues, both of us were referred back to the people who sold us the ticket with the airlines completely divesting themselves of responsibility.

I always have a look on skyscanner even though I find it to be a hateful bit of software just to see and every too good to be true fare I’ve found has been exactly that. The OP might have found the motherlode with a £600 difference though so I’ll keep checking my own fares in the hope that I find similar!

Worth checking if the airline you’re looking at has a price match, I know BA do. They’ll double the difference if you’re an exec club member.

[WyrleyD]

djc206 said:

anxious_ant said:

The 2 agents are Carlton Leisure & TravelUp, found via search on Expedia. I did click through and at the time the price was definitely cheaper compared to Cathay’s website.

Apologies about the price difference, it was £600-ish. I was comparing to a different flight time on Cathay.

Edited by anxious_ant on Sunday 24th December 00:48

Well I stand corrected. Both of those agents are legit.

Well, I had a nightmare with the second one. Got royally messed around when we had some flights cancelled mid-way through a long trip and they were virtually impossible to get hold of by telephone (never answered, just cut off after a long wait) and emails just went into a black hole so we had to book new flights to get home. It took over 18 months of wrangling and the involvement of Resolver to get the money back. If you want to use an agent then use Trailfinders, old established and very good we didn't use them that time because the itinerary was a bit unusual.

[djc206]

WyrleyD said:

Well, I had a nightmare with the second one. Got royally messed around when we had some flights cancelled mid-way through a long trip and they were virtually impossible to get hold of by telephone (never answered, just cut off after a long wait) and emails just went into a black hole so we had to book new flights to get home. It took over 18 months of wrangling and the involvement of Resolver to get the money back. If you want to use an agent then use Trailfinders, old established and very good we didn't use them that time because the itinerary was a bit unusual.

Ouch. Similar to my previous burnt fingers experience.

This is always my fear with agents. A straight up return to Malaga I might take a chance, a multi flight trip to the other side of the world I’m wary of. The last thing you need when you’re several thousand miles from home is to spend a day trying to get through to Expedia on the phone at considerable expense when you could just approach the airline ticketing desk and resolve your issue in seconds if you’ve booked direct.

But £600….I’d be tempted against my better judgement

[WyrleyD]

djc206 said:

WyrleyD said:

Well, I had a nightmare with the second one. Got royally messed around when we had some flights cancelled mid-way through a long trip and they were virtually impossible to get hold of by telephone (never answered, just cut off after a long wait) and emails just went into a black hole so we had to book new flights to get home. It took over 18 months of wrangling and the involvement of Resolver to get the money back. If you want to use an agent then use Trailfinders, old established and very good we didn't use them that time because the itinerary was a bit unusual.

Ouch. Similar to my previous burnt fingers experience.

This is always my fear with agents. A straight up return to Malaga I might take a chance, a multi flight trip to the other side of the world I’m wary of. The last thing you need when you’re several thousand miles from home is to spend a day trying to get through to Expedia on the phone at considerable expense when you could just approach the airline ticketing desk and resolve your issue in seconds if you’ve booked direct.

But £600….I’d be tempted against my better judgement

Yes, that was the problem, the airline wasn't interested as we'd booked through an agent so all problems have to dealt with by them.
In contrast we went on another unusual itinerary in October but booked direct with Lufthansa who were very accommodating regarding the routing and guess what, one of our return flights was cancelled on the day of departure but this time the check-in agent sorted it right away and rerouted us through Athens then an onward flight with Aegean and also got put in the Aegean club lounge for four hours , superb service.