Flight Centre - need advice please

[Jussie]

Hi everyone,

My daughter has been given a couple of Flight Centre vouchers and was planning to use them on her next holiday. As they cannot be used online we had to visit our local store to book the flights. To my shock the price displayed was over $40 more expensive than their own website online price ($618 vs $574). Is this even allowed? And yes, all flight details and allowances are exactly the same.
It’s Catch22 as the vouchers can only be used in store at a higher price and there is no option of using them online for a lower price airfare which btw is the same as booking directly with the carrier.
Any advice please? She will be booking the flights but I really need to know if she can insist that the store matches their online price.
Many thanks
Justine

 

[Cynicor]

Absolutely it’s allowed, as long as the online price did not say that it was the in store price. The agent needs to make some money to eat.

 

[DC3]

My daughter has been given a couple of Flight Centre vouchers

Wishing your daughter the best of luck with this

 

[Quickstatus]

It’s Catch22 as the vouchers can only be used in store at a higher price

Not really, the vouchers can only be used for in-store purchases, so it only applies to products that can be purchased in-store.
There are always restrictions with "vouchers" from any company not just FC. Need to read the T&C

I suppose these were given as a Christmas pressie?

 

[Jussie]

Absolutely it’s allowed, as long as the online price did not say that it was the in store price. The agent needs to make some money to eat.

Hi, thanks for the reply. I wouldn't have a problem with the price difference if I was given the choice of using vouchers for both online and in store bookings.

 

[Jussie]

Not really, the vouchers can only be used for in-store purchases, so it only applies to products that can be purchased in-store.
There are always restrictions with "vouchers" from any company not just FC. Need to read the T&C

I suppose these were given as a Christmas pressie?

Yes, Christmas and birthday presents. The same product is available for purchase online but unfortunately there is no option of paying for it using vouchers.

 

[muppet]

Hi, thanks for the reply. I wouldn't have a problem with the price difference if I was given the choice of using vouchers for both online and in store bookings.

Where did these gift cards come from?
The T&Cs seem to indicate they can be used online:

Gift Cards & eGift Cards

www.flightcentre.com.au

 

[Happy Dude]

Yes, Christmas and birthday presents. The same product is available for purchase online but unfortunately there is no option of paying for it using vouchers.

Are you sure they can't be used online? I've bought FC vouchers during Amex promos and online bookings are completed by calling up IIRC.

 

[Quickstatus]

Yes, Christmas and birthday presents

I truly don't know why people give pressies of gift vouchers. It is basically cash but so restrictive as to where it can be spent and how it is spent and has an expiry date. So much easier and better to give cash....

Christmas and birthday presents!. All out kids get both at the same time too as their birthdays are all within a week or so of Christmas
....

Where did these gift cards come from?

This is a common place:
Basically the retailers get a small commission and FC claws this back by making the owner pay for extra at in-store purchase.
Or an instore FC purchase

 

[Jussie]

Where did these gift cards come from?
The T&Cs seem to indicate they can be used online:

Gift Cards & eGift Cards

www.flightcentre.com.au

Unfortunately not these ones ( as stated on the voucher) and they were purchased directly from the Flight Centre.

 

[Jussie]

I truly don't know why people give pressies of gift vouchers. It is basically cash but so restrictive as to where it can be spent and how it is spent and has an expiry date. So much easier and better to give cash....

Christmas and birthday presents!. All out kids get both at the same time too as their birthdays are all within a week or so of Christmas
....

This is a common place:
Basically the retailers get a small commission and FC claws this back by making the owner pay for extra at in-store purchase.
Or an instore FC purchase

View attachment 426800

Hahaha, her birthday and Christmas are 6 months apart and this particular family member must have shares in Flight Centre (j/k)

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Unfortunately not these ones ( as stated on the voucher) and they were purchased directly from the Flight Centre.

If they were purchased directly from Flight Centre I’d give them a call and say that the vouchers you got don’t match the ones on the website! And say you want them switched over! (unless there’s some reason why you opted for ‘in store’ only?)

 

[Forg]

I truly don't know why people give pressies of gift vouchers.

Well the other way to look at it is that any present you didn’t hand-make yourself is just cash except it’s even more limited than “here’s a holiday to anywhere you want” …

 

[Quickstatus]

any present you didn’t hand-make yourself is just cash except it’s even more limited

Best present to give to kids other than a present of special sentimental value is Cash. (or a PayID)

 

[Happy Dude]

Christmas and birthday presents!. All out kids get both at the same time too as their birthdays are all within a week or so of Christmas
....

Not much to do in March around your way eh? Too early for footy, too late for cricket.

 

[kevrosmith]

I truly don't know why people give pressies of gift vouchers. It is basically cash but so restrictive as to where it can be spent and how it is spent and has an expiry date. So much easier and better to give cash....

Christmas and birthday presents!. All out kids get both at the same time too as their birthdays are all within a week or so of Christmas
....

This is a common place:
Basically the retailers get a small commission and FC claws this back by making the owner pay for extra at in-store purchase.
Or an instore FC purchase

View attachment 426800

My wife’s uncle always gifts what he calls “Universal Gift Vouchers”… we commonly refer to it as “Cash”.

 

[odysseus]

Hi everyone,

My daughter has been given a couple of Flight Centre vouchers and was planning to use them on her next holiday. As they cannot be used online we had to visit our local store to book the flights. To my shock the price displayed was over $40 more expensive than their own website online price ($618 vs $574). Is this even allowed? And yes, all flight details and allowances are exactly the same.
It’s Catch22 as the vouchers can only be used in store at a higher price and there is no option of using them online for a lower price airfare which btw is the same as booking directly with the carrier.
Any advice please? She will be booking the flights but I really need to know if she can insist that the store matches their online price.
Many thanks
Justine

Are there any other expenses/purchases to be made on her holiday? e.g. hotels, or attractions/theme parks/tickets? If so, it may be better to purchase the other services through Flight Centre and then you can still book the flights online yourself instead.

Airlines have cut their commission to travel agents, but Flight centre sells the other components as well. The other elements offer higher commissions, so you'll find prices more often comparable or closer to the retail price so you may find it a better way to get value from those vouchers.

 

[Jussie]

Are there any other expenses/purchases to be made on her holiday? e.g. hotels, or attractions/theme parks/tickets? If so, it may be better to purchase the other services through Flight Centre and then you can still book the flights online yourself instead.

Airlines have cut their commission to travel agents, but Flight centre sells the other components as well. The other elements offer higher commissions, so you'll find prices more often comparable or closer to the retail price so you may find it a better way to get value from those vouchers.

Unfortunately not. She is joining us in Europe and we are travelling together for 3 weeks. All accommodation and attractions have been booked independently.