Korean Job Discussion Forums

[beast]

Why is it that they never know the prices for anything more distant than three months in advance? In any other country in the world you can walk into a travel agent and slap down a Visa and walk out with a ticket in your hand for a flight one year in advance. Also, they run those ads for cheap flights in the newspapers all year round. The prices never seem to change in the newspaper, yet when I ask what the price is from here to there in September, they all tell me they won't know the price until July. Then I tell them I can buy that same ticket online right now, so if the airline has set the price, why don't they have a price? It's got nothing to do with currency fluctuations or oil prices either. All airlines in the world have to deal with this same issue. Is it because there is so much competition in Korea and the agencies all mutually agreed to do this so as not to undercut eachother? Anyone know the answer?

[fatpat]

it is very annoying. I have a flight booked to Hong Kong on the 9th April and they still don't know the bloody price. Everytime I ring up, they say the price comes out next week. I don't understand either.

[Tiger Beer]

Those are discount travel agents, right?

Travel agents NEVER know the price until the airline itself releases it to them (at their discount price).. but I believe the airline itself would know and have the full-fare price.

Or am I wrong about this?

But yeah.. the cheaper tickets its a bit frustrating to wait until the last minute.

On the plus side.. make several reservations at several different places on different days.. and you can always cancel the more expensive ones.

[just because]

[J.B. Clamence]

TB and JB are right. If you want discount prices, you have to wait for them. You can go ahead and buy a ticket now if you are willing to pay full fare, but I wouldn't recommend it. It should be possible to make a reservation without being quoted a price, and then paying when the discount price is published. I've done it many times.

[Homer]

beast,

Be patient...as it was mentionned in this thread agents depend on airlines to set their own discount fares.

If you want your ticket that far in advance...buy it now and pay full-fare.

Up to you really.

[bucheon bum]

it is incredibly stupid though. I have never seen any place like Korea in regards to buying airline tickets.

[Natalia]

[hogwonguy1979]

I got a price from Xanadu travel for July to the US and have already paid for and got my e tickets, even checked with United and got my seat assignments (they put me in economy plus ). So I pay maybe 100K more, I got the seats on the flights I wanted on the day I wanted. Since I'm flying in from BKK (there were no cheaper flights from BKK to the US and I was redeeming ff miles to BKK) and getting in on a certian day I wanted to be assured I got the flight out the next day.

Has anybody tried online agents here that are all in Korean?

[Homer]

Used whypaymore.kr this time (first time) and it worked perfectly. The price was very reasonable too for the time of year (June) and destination (TO).