Job Discussion Forums

[gaijinalways]

I'd be wary of using a bucket shop in Japan. My friend got burned when he bought a cheap ticket. When he showed up at the airport, he was told the agency had gone bankrupt, so there were no ticket to be issued. He had to cash in his miles to go home for xmas, not something he had planned on doing.

He latert went to the bankruptcy hearing, but since the owner was insolvent, guess how much of a refund he got ?

[JL]

Duly noted about the "bucket shops." I guess for getting to Japan, we'll stick with the Japanese run agency in L.A. we used last time. Still, if Aspara has personal experience with the website she posted, and it went well each time, then I'd still be inclined to look into some of those firms, once I'm in Japan. Gaijinalways, you do touch on a problem in dealing with Japanese travel discounters: they book you into a group tour, and only issue you a "voucher." You don't get your actual ticket until you reach the group's counter set up at the airport. With the economy in the toilet, no doubt your friend's experience won't be the last time that will happen to somebody.

But what about "e-ticketing." Has its emergence changed any of this? I'd think it would make the "voucher" system obsolete. I've used e tickets here in the states, but not in Japan, yet? Anyone?

[gaijinalways]

I mentioned earlier that HIS has started issueing e-tickets for their group flights. As to Aspara's choice, you might want to PM her directly and get the names of the places she has dealt with. I'm not sure if saving a few bucks by going through a small agency is worth the hassle (and the risk), but it's your time, money and your decision.

Also she didn't mention about payment. Sometimes heavily discounted fares from small agencies require more up front and earlier payments than some of the larger agencies, though HIS does require a deposit at some point and full payment before they issue your ticket. But sometimes this can be as little as 3 weeks in advance, so this is another issue to consider.

[Apsara]

For the last 3 years or more, whichever travel agent I have flown with, I have been issued an e-ticket- no more lining up at the collection counter at Narita. I haven't had any issues with e-tickets any time I've used them.

The travel agencies on the sites I mentioned followed the standard pattern of 20,000 yen deposit at the time of booking with the balance to be paid around 4 weeks before travel.

I have even seen flights offered by H.I.S. on that site as well as small unknown agencies. It did occur to me when I booked through the site last time (went to Australia for Christmas) that an agency could go bankrupt and I might have no idea until I turned up at Narita and found I wasn't booked on a flight, but so far, so good.

Gaijinalways, was it Hit travel your friend got burnt by, by any chance? A lot of people seem to have been affected by their collapse.

[JL]

My understanding of an e ticket, is that once it has been issued, it is valid for boarding your flight. That is why I raised this point. With only a voucher, I can understand how if the airline weren't paid, there would be no ticket for you at Narita. But once you have an e ticket in your hot little hand, who cares if the intermediary travel agency then goes bankrupt? In Japan, are agencies actually able to issue tickets before they've paid the airline? That hasn't been my experience, stateside. For our travel to Japan, we had to wait till a bank check cleared before the e tickets were recorded. More recently, we purchased one over the net, but the charges went through our credit card, once again, before the e tkt. was recorded.

[Apsara]

e-tickets are usually issued once the full amount has been paid.

[gaijinalways]

Aspara, that was actually 'Sweet Travel', a small bucket shop. Hit travel wasn't small, so that was a big shock when that company went down.

[Sour Grape]

Love the comments buyers have written for this:

http://www.amazon.com/Playmobil-3172-Security-Check-Point/dp/B0002CYTL2

[gaijinalways]

Priceless comments, but not exactly thread related unless you're buying your plane tickets from a toy company ? That or you're only taking virtual trips, which only require good web or TV programming .

[Sour Grape]

True - the connection is rather loose (plane related stuff) but we don't have a thread for general mildly amusing links.

[gaijinalways]

Good point, I suppose you have to sneak things in where you can .

[JL]

Good job, guys. You both made me laugh. And a "humor" thread sounds like a good idea. Or would the forum police nix that? They already nixed one thread today, I noticed. (In fact, speaking of the Law) Discount air travel? Oh yeah --I'm all for it!