Airfare.com is an online booking agent offering deeply discounted airline tickets by buying in bulk and selling to the consumer for a lower rate. Their website boasts possible savings of up to 70% off of regularly priced tickets. Yet their reputation has been called in question dozens of times over the past few years, causing the company to finally take action in July of this year.
The Indifferent
On most domestic flights, Airfare.com does not differ in price from the major ticketing websites such as Travelocity, Priceline, or Orbitz. In fact, in some cases Airfare.com returned a higher price than the other sites.
When it comes to international flights, if you are planning ahead, Airfare.com again offered no great reduction in price. A roundtrip flight from Memphis to Paris in early December would cost $851 through Airfare.com, and $887 through its competitors thats only a 4% savings. So where is the 70% discount that the company boasts on their website?
The Great
If you are flying internationally last-minute or one-way, thats when the real savings begin to show. To fly to Paris this weekend, a round trip ticket would cost you $1072 with Airfare.com, as opposed the regularly listed $1558. Thats 31% off ticket price.
A one-way international ticket offers even bigger savings. While the major ticketing sites list a ticket price of $1598, Airfare.com offers one for $563 a very dramatic 65% off regular price. A one-way ticket can be ideal for students studying abroad, and other long stay travelers with undetermined return dates.
The Bad
While many have been tempted over the years by the obvious savings the company offers, there are some drawbacks to using Airfare.com. To start, when you book your ticket, some of the most deeply discounted fares will not list what airline you are flying, stating only Major US Carrier, though this may not bother some people.
Perhaps more important to note, however, is that the purchased tickets are non-refundable and non-re-routable. Meaning, even if you have a family emergency, you cannot get your money back. To change your itinerary, there is a $200 fee for domestic flights and $350 per ticket for international flights, plus the difference in fare if the new ticket is more expensive than the original.
The Ugly
There has also been some controversy over the years about some shady policies employed by Airfare.com, as well as a deplorable customer service reputation. There is a whole chain of conversation on the Frommer's travel forum entitled "Beware of Airfare.com," alleging serious charges of identity theft and fraud. Another thread on the company-consumer bridge website GetSatisfaction.com, entitled Airfare.com will lie to you to keep their money, details unorganized and inefficient business practices resulting in lost reservations and tickets issued for the wrong days. Complaints to the FTC and the BBB seem a frequent occurrence.
Some almost comical accusations are leveled against the company on the Consumer Affairs website, including reports that the Airfare.com customer service department is in fact just one man employing different names and accents! (Discover Cards recent Peggy commercials come to mind)
However, the complaints and chatter about the company seem to end in late July when, it appears, a major overhaul of the companys customer relations policy came into effect. After years of unanswered public anger and frustration, the Airfare.com staff seems to be taking to these threads en masse, answering each claim, and promising better service in the future.
What now?
Full disclosure: This author recently purchased a transatlantic ticket from Airfare.com for 30% off of regular price, and flew last week without a hitch. Did I just get lucky?
Has anyone used the new-and-(hopefully)-improved Airfare.com recently? Has the company been able to turn its reputation around? Care to share your experience be it good, indifferent, or ugly? Please comment below.
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Price comparison search was conducted using Priceline.com, Orbitz.com, and Travelocity.com (hereafter referred to as Companies X) versus Airfare.com for the same itinerary. Results: i.) MEM to NYC 9/24 9/27: (X)$456 vs. $513; ii.) MEM to PAR 12/3 12/10: (X)$887 vs. $851; iii.) MEM to PAR 9/25 10/4: (X)$1558 vs. $1072; iv.) MEM to PAR 12/23: (X)$1598 vs. $563.
Photograph kindly provided by Marina Avila through a Creative Commons license.
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