Does anyone use 3rd party booking sites to get better fares?

[Dannyism]

My example is using skyscanner, which directs me to various other websites - They are offering flights melbourne to paris for ~1300, on the virgin site all I can find is ~2000. What is going on? What are the pitfalls of booking using a 3rd party? Am I going to wind up with ****ty fare classes? The dates were for January 2017 some time.

• Fly.net.au702
  
  $1,333​
  Select
• Skiddoo.com.au1355
  
  $1,338​
  Select
• Aunt Betty937
  
  $1,357​
  Select
• BYOjet3094Book on Skyscanner
  
  
  $1,357​
  Book
• STA Travel897
  
  $1,367​
  Select
• Expedia3595
  
  $1,367$1,404​
• Select
• Virgin Australia550
  $2000

 

[trippin_the_rift]

Don't forget you'll have credit card fees through Virgin

If it's the same fare class and you don't anticipate making any changes then I would have no problem booking through a third party.

 

[JohnK]

I searched for airfares earlier in the week SYD-BKK return and Qantas was ~$900.

I then searched on Skyscanner and a number of sites had airfares less up to $750 return. I checked Google and there are some bad reviews. I don't want to risk it.

 

[RooFlyer]

My example is using skyscanner, which directs me to various other websites - They are offering flights melbourne to paris for ~1300, on the virgin site all I can find is ~2000. What is going on? What are the pitfalls of booking using a 3rd party? <snip>

I'd suggest the pitfalls of going through a third party is that if anything goes amiss - delay, flight cancellation, etc ... there is someone between you and the airline. And that someone, having gotten their cash, may not actually give a toss about your situation * "You get what you pay for"

I take the view that there is more to international travel than the cash price. I'm happy to pay a bit extra for piece of mind that when the poo hits the fan, I don't have some website-front to look after me.

* Do you read all the T&Cs?

 

[Dannyism]

I think that having someone between you and the money is ok if you are prepared to wait for a refund or are prepared to have little to no abilty to change.

My main concerns is getting stuck with less or no SC. I cant seem to get the third party sites to tell me the fare class of the flights. Need those elevate fare class tickets to keep up wp one more year