Flight centre vs Skyscanner online.

[ozjuice]

Very entertaining thread with some awesome tongue in cheek comments. So much help and advice and perceverence and some very determined assistance.....I laughed quite a lot but felt guilty for it! haha is this serious?

 

[barbra]

Departing on the 27th will be more expensive than flying out on the 28th. Stick with the 28th of December.

As TomVexille has said, Skiddoo is just the website you would use to book the flights, which are operated by Finnair.

Again thanks Matt so much i preciate your help tonight. Yes i will stick with the
28th of dec to get to europe on the 29th still plenty of time from new years eve and everything sorted out with food buying.

So give me an update to what i have to do a quick highlight. I am hoping to get this booking under way this weekend. For tongiht and tomorrow just having closer looks without rushing it out. Also remember first i must go to finnair website in order to do like you said brisbane to berlin. Rovaniemi to brisbane all this as in Basic or pro. It seems Pro litttle higher price but has more benefits to add on as in extra bag and free cancelation and or change something i believe. But after all that has been cleared out and choosen i have to re do more booking for the separate tickets. But i must be aware what time i got into helsinki in the first place before making separated bookings because if i arrive example helsinki at 230pm my next flight which is a way way to rovaniemi could depart at 1pm or 30minutes later before landing in helsinki so things like this i must be totally look out carefully. plus i dont want to arrive in rovaniemi at late at night because this means i have more then 5 or so hours stuck in helsinki airport which is alot of hours. I beleive having 2 hours at helsinki gives me enough time to collect bag... go back to check in give them my luggage and collect tickets and back again. 2HOURS is good. Just not 1 hour in between just in case my flight from berlin to helsinki is delay or not getting to helsinki right on time. I need space in between at least 2 hours. But not 1hour. otherwise i may have to rush everything the moment i get to helsinki.

 

[Steady]

Maybe Mattg could book the flights for you Barbra and you could pay him back tomorrow?

 

[Mattg]

The cheapest "basic" fare is fine, provided you intend to actually travel on the dates you've booked.

To be clear, there is no need to pick up your bags in Helsinki on any of your connections there if you book what has been suggested already.

 

[barbra]

The cheapest "basic" fare is fine, provided you intend to actually travel on the dates you've booked.

To be clear, there is no need to pick up your bags in Helsinki on any of your connections there if you book what has been suggested already.

Hi again
Thats good to know. But it is a separate ticket which means i still have to collect luggage when i touch down in helsinki. Why do you think separate tickets are for ? If mistaken please correct me on that. However it be nice if my luggages would go straight to rovaniemi. But think again if im going with air berlin from berlin to helsinki and then finnair helsinki to rovaniemi. Which is all a separate tickets. How will the booking determin where im going after helsinki. As air berlin and finnair are diferent companies and im paying separated tickets. It be nice to combine them all though.

But any flight that will get me to rovaniemi before 6pm ? And at least have a max of 2 hours at helsinki just in case it means i must collect bags. Just incase there is this unexpected with the booking thing. It seems what you show me means i have to be at helsinki over 5 hours wait in order to get to rovaniemi at 10pm at night little rather late at night.

The one you show me sounds very good and the price is fantastic only one problem. it gets me to rovaniemi very late at night at 10pm not a really good thing perhaps anything less then that ? Around 6pm. And same time waiting almost 6 long hours in helsinki just to wait for the next flight. Far too long. I dont want to step out of the airport at all. So im trying to figure other times in that list.

 

[Mattg]

Hi again
Thats good to know. But it is a separate ticket which means i still have to collect luggage when i touch down in helsinki. Why do you think separate tickets are for ? If mistaken please correct me on that. However it be nice if my luggages would go straight to rovaniemi. But think again if im going with air berlin from berlin to helsinki and then finnair helsinki to rovaniemi. Which is all a separate tickets. How will the booking determin where im going after helsinki. As air berlin and finnair are diferent companies and im paying separated tickets. It be nice to combine them all though.

The Skiddoo link I provided a few posts back is for travel on Finnair (both legs). Your bags will be checked all the way through to Rovaniemi if you book this. The tickets are NOT separate.

 

[barbra]

The Skiddoo link I provided a few posts back is for travel on Finnair (both legs). Your bags will be checked all the way through to Rovaniemi if you book this. The tickets are NOT separate.

I understood and thanks to you matt. Im learning much alot today here thanks to people like you.

Only issue is the lengh of wait in between and the getting to and from times. If only there was a way to get there by 6pm i saw one but the price looks around that 800.00 australian dollars per adult. I will see what i can do. And by the way... If my luggage goes straight to rovaniemi. Then what sort of separate ticket is this? Sounds like just a one combine full ticket for everything rather then separated which is rather confusing some what.

And surely i dont have to pickup a ticket from helsinki to rovaniemi is this correct ? By the sound of all this at this stage it does not sound much of a separate ticket but more of a combine eveything into one sort of to speak because the luggage goes to rovanimi... and what about the tickets ? Sounds complicated if i didn't new I just explain it to him my partner he reckons it sounds rather complicated everything.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Barbra - the issue of a single or separate tickets is causing you some concern, and you shouldn't worry about this.

For the best price, you will have Australia-Europe-Australia all on one ticket, then a separate ticket for your Europe side trips. How do you know if you are looking at separate tickets? Anytime all the flights display on one page, they will be on one ticket. Even if you transfer between Qantas and Finnair, if they all show on the one page, this will be one ticket.

you will know if you have separate tickets if you need to go to another site and do a separate search for new or different flights.

Even if you have separate tickets, if you are flying all Oneworld Airlines (Finnair and Air Berlin), there is no need to worry - your bags will be checked all the way to your final destination for that day. This is because Oneworld alliance airlines have an agreement to check your bags.

At check-in in Australia you will show both tickets and the agent will do everything else for you. Thousands of people use separate tickets everyday, exactly like this, without worry.

The only issue with separate tickets is your connection time. You need to make sure there is plenty of time in case in arriving flight is late. If you are stopping over for a few days before using the separate ticket there is absolutely no issue.

If you go to Flight centre and ask for everything on one ticket, they will do that for you, but you will pay a lot of money. You can also go to Flight centre, or simply ring Finnair or Qantas, and ask them for the cheapest way to do your itinerary, even if that means separate tickets. They will help you with that but may charge you an assistance fee. But the assistance fee is a small price to pay for the huge savings.

 

[Craigie]

Mattg, if we ever meet in person I'm going to buy you a beer (or your choice of poison). The patience shown is well beyond me!

 

[barbra]

Hi good morning gentlemen

Well last night i was learning how it was done. Only THANKS to you people explaining it exactly how it should of been done. I was so grateful that i got pretty much hooked on how it was done. Now that ive learn from it because thanks to you people in this forum i can now do it anytime with the booking. Only a few hiccups now and then but let me explain.

The way i did it last night only by playing around and that separate ticket from berlin to finland it seems to be exactly what my last trip was done by a travel agency. But of course i was the only one traveling so 1 adult on economy. I looked back on the alternary i had as a copy of my last travel notice how the actual berlin to rovaniemi ticket was in different paper rather then the everything all combine. Now i knew this would defently have to be a separated ticket but no means to pickup the luggage to helsinki. So it felt much like a 1 big combine ticket never the less.. However i told flight centre when i made that booking (please be sure do NOT make me separate tickets) she understood. But from what she did she indeed made it separately to help me of the cost which is OK by me because the triip i made didn't even notice it was a separated ticket but it did looked so on the paper. But thats ok because i got my destinations perfectly without hassles. BUT what i do NOT agree with flight centre is the lie and or secrets they do. She should of told me it was a separated ticket from berlin to finland but no pickup luggage from helsinki. At least she could of be more precises at least the most ?

So since i recall that booking i did from flight centre vs how i do it online last night by playing around with those sites it seems exact the very same style as the last trip if made. However... it cost me 4,800ish dollars all up by flight centre with using a visa debit card. Which may of charge e aprox 87.00 dollars which is quite normal for fees using credit cards. Plus paying more then likely somewhere along the line in the full price aprox 40.00 do to do damn job for me just for that. 40.00 approx for flight center assistance to do the job for you.

Totall price last trip was that 4,800ish dollars plus important for getting travel insurance of 230.00 dollars which i yet see it expensive but worth getting rather then been sorry later.

They did charge me quite a lot. I am very suprise how my very first time i did this exact trip over 2 years ago online and no separate tickets what so ever.. only just 3.800.00 return one adult ticket. After that year everything went up like a rocket on price. So everything seems expensive. I am not sure why it cost me less over 2 year ago and ever since it cost so much now.

------------------------

I am willing to book this trip online and the way you folks have explain it to me exactly and it seems quite revelant and easy enoguh to say over a hot coffe here at home. But however agaion have to look at the prices. It seems that how i did it last night 2 tickets together in total its almost aprox or 5,289.00 all up for the Brisbane to berlin and Rovaniemi to Brisbane. flying from 28th of december from BNE. And yet more frustration this will fly directly to HONGKONG instead of Singapore which i prefer much easier for me in Singapore international airport.

Then do that separate ticket from berlin to rovaniemi (stop at helsinki a few hours) and that cost aprox $829.00 all up for 2 adults together.

All this sub total at this stage: 6.118.00 australian dollars all up Which is OK. but still over expensive but what can you do about it. But still a few hickups for those flights

Of course it has to be finnair and not air france or iberia. as i notice it cost less if i went with Iberia.. this means berlin to spain madrid and madrid to finland just alittle ridiculously to go around in circles while finland is not far from germany in the first place. So i cross those off. And focus on the airberlin and finnair.

So the pickups i was referring to are the actual time arrivals.

Can you find something the same price or less but to get me in Rovaniemi before 6pm at night ? Can you find one that will NOT get me to cairns before leading to asia. Well how i found it it does not have cairsn but be careful on that part.
Can you find me one that is not 5 or 6 hours waiting in HONGKONG? If the only way to get to is just HK. can i find one that i dont have to wait in HK airport for 5 hours or longer but perhaps more of a 4 hours is sufficient enough. But it would be nice if it went to singapore and wait there as they have a transit hotel inside the airport which i love. Not sure how the HK system works because when i went there by coming back to australia HK airport was so many people i got disorientated around and all i had to do was seat on the floor like everyone did which felt very wrong. Too many people and no relaxing there.

So see if you can catch a good thing an the timing. ?

Also flight centre always tells me well you see love prices changes every time every days even every few minutes and or hours.

How come when i look at it online the price don't change what so ever but they say when they do it prices may jump up and or may come down any time without predictions. Is this actually true what they say ? Because last night and today this morning what im looking at theres no change on price.

Anyhow i like to make the booking sometime ahead just that the price thing you see.. And worse because that flight willing to get me to rovaniemi late at night at 10 oclock which is 22:05 at night. Instead of 1750pm. So need to figuire and fix that to be sure.

I have mae no bookings i may book this weekend or wait a few days more. Just see what happens

Preference date from travel begins 27th or 28th but im focusing from the 28th from brisbane,
10 nights berlin 6 nights rovaniemi



thanks memebrs
Barbra



p.s imsure if i went to flight centre they going to do the same job by adding obviously the 40.00 on top for letting them do the job for me. So instead i rather do this online thanks for the help by the members of this forum. However i am yet not sure if you people think thats a good price or a too expensive worth or or not worth it.

I know there are ways to make that price very much cheap Which means fly with airfrance or something rather just not very good way to get to the destinations because doing this one will means you have to go to france in order to get to berlin and then berlin to spain in order to get to finland. So not good to do that because its a full time doing and lots of headaches but still will cost lots less then expected unfortunately not a good way to travel going back and forward all the times.

 

[barbra]

6.118.00 thats the sub total cost if i had to pay right now for everything. But that is brisbane to HK and then i have to wait many hours in that airport which i dont like and prefer singapore instead. Unless we are looking at cost more to travel to singapore now.

Then the issue is getting to rovaniemi at 22:00 which is late. I rather get to Rovaniemi around 1750 pm instead of earlier or late. Earlier means i have to wait at helsinki aprox 9 hours or so waiting inside the airport just beyond joke. The price is ok. But not ok on 2 of those small things.

If i was you what would You HAVE done for this trip?

 

[davdent]

Hugely entertaining!

This is a real crack up. As I said before, Flight Centre needs you. But be especially careful of those separate tickets, HKG is obviously not on, certainly not on the 27th (or is that the 28th), probably ok out of SYD with a BNE side trip but just not at 10pm because by the time the meal is served it will be too late to watch a movie.

Very funny indeed!!

 

[Mattg]

I think around $6,000 for 2 people is reasonable for what you are trying to do (especially since you are travelling just after Christmas).

With regards to the connection time in Helsinki - it is a little long, but it's the only thing I can find on the day you want to travel for a semi-reasonable price. There is a shorter connection available on that day with Finnair but the price is $1550 each. If you would consider going on the 9th though instead of the 8th of January, then you could get better connections and an earlier arrival into RVN for the lower price: https://booking.skiddoo.com.au/flig...redirectid=gQQbTNwYEeW2gzV_BlmOyQ#/passengers

 

[TomVexille]

Mattg, if we ever meet in person I'm going to buy you a beer (or your choice of poison). The patience shown is well beyond me!

I'll second that sentiment. It's help like this that makes AFF great

 

[barbra]

I understood. I will still wait to get more replys to what i wrote this morning over coffee this morning.

But then again well yes i could for the 9th jan but then its only getting slightly late after.

And what would one does in helsinki airpot for over some what 5 or 6 hours waiting ? Not even i be able to go via a business lounge.. perhaps shower there and eat for free. The last trip i made finnair promoted me online to use the business lounge on my way to brisbane so since i ahd a 4hour wait at helsinki i was able to pay in advance around 80 euros or so to use the business lounge. It was rather empty but very comfortable there was private showers and everything it is the very last thing i wanted to do a hot shower but of course i was only 1 self traveler.

I don't think i would get the same offer as i am only going to rovaniemi and not outbound. I dont no but i know what helsinki airport is.. rather small so not sure what to do other then seat on a chair and have coffee and wait too long which leads me frustration. Because there isn't much to do in helsinki airport and much more waiting that long is tiring which is understandable.
What can you really do much about it. It be nice to be in a private place in the airport. But i don't think that would work because it be helsinki to rovaniemi anyways. And yet again 22:00 to get there is late. Meals like you said are gone. By the time i get there it be late or off to sleep. Anyways what happens if i wait tomorrow or a few days will the prices and things change everyday or every hour online on all this flights ?

thanks regards
Barbra

 

[Mattg]

I understood. I will still wait to get more replys to what i wrote this morning over coffee this morning.

But then again well yes i could for the 9th jan but then its only getting slightly late after.

And what would one does in helsinki airpot for over some what 5 or 6 hours waiting ? Not even i be able to go via a business lounge.. perhaps shower there and eat for free. The last trip i made finnair promoted me online to use the business lounge on my way to brisbane so since i ahd a 4hour wait at helsinki i was able to pay in advance around 80 euros or so to use the business lounge. It was rather empty but very comfortable there was private showers and everything it is the very last thing i wanted to do a hot shower but of course i was only 1 self traveler.

I don't think i would get the same offer as i am only going to rovaniemi and not outbound. I dont no but i know what helsinki airport is.. rather small so not sure what to do other then seat on a chair and have coffee and wait too long which leads me frustration. Because there isn't much to do in helsinki airport and much more waiting that long is tiring which is understandable.
What can you really do much about it. It be nice to be in a private place in the airport. But i don't think that would work because it be helsinki to rovaniemi anyways. And yet again 22:00 to get there is late. Meals like you said are gone. By the time i get there it be late or off to sleep. Anyways what happens if i wait tomorrow or a few days will the prices and things change everyday or every hour online on all this flights ?

thanks regards
Barbra

You can pay to use the Finnair lounge in Helsinki. Flying to Rovaniemi you would be able to use the "Finnair lounge in the Schengen Area": Lounges | Helsinki-Vantaa airport | Information and services | Finnair - Australia

And I don't think the prices will change in the next couple of days, so need to rush too​ much.

 

[Boca68]

I understood. I will still wait to get more replys to what i wrote this morning over coffee this morning.

But then again well yes i could for the 9th jan but then its only getting slightly late after.

And what would one does in helsinki airpot for over some what 5 or 6 hours waiting ? Not even i be able to go via a business lounge.. perhaps shower there and eat for free. The last trip i made finnair promoted me online to use the business lounge on my way to brisbane so since i ahd a 4hour wait at helsinki i was able to pay in advance around 80 euros or so to use the business lounge. It was rather empty but very comfortable there was private showers and everything it is the very last thing i wanted to do a hot shower but of course i was only 1 self traveler.

I don't think i would get the same offer as i am only going to rovaniemi and not outbound. I dont no but i know what helsinki airport is.. rather small so not sure what to do other then seat on a chair and have coffee and wait too long which leads me frustration. Because there isn't much to do in helsinki airport and much more waiting that long is tiring which is understandable.
What can you really do much about it. It be nice to be in a private place in the airport. But i don't think that would work because it be helsinki to rovaniemi anyways. And yet again 22:00 to get there is late. Meals like you said are gone. By the time i get there it be late or off to sleep. Anyways what happens if i wait tomorrow or a few days will the prices and things change everyday or every hour online on all this flights ?

thanks regards
Barbra

Barbra, if you look at the Helsinki Airport website services page, https://www.finavia.fi/en/helsinki-airport/services/ they do have some good options for a long layover.

A Suvanto Lounge area and GoSleep pods. So as far as airports go, it has beter options than most. Yes, 9 hours is a long time, but I think Helsinki would be among one of the better, if you had to do that.

P.S.- Mattg has given you some great options and a lot of his time. Sometimes you just have to balance the options available to you. And at Christmas time, the price is very good. And the timing and ticketing, is about the best you will get.

Good luck.

 

[barbra]

Barbra, if you look at the Helsinki Airport website services page, https://www.finavia.fi/en/helsinki-airport/services/ they do have some good options for a long layover.

A Suvanto Lounge area and GoSleep pods. So as far as airports go, it has better options than most. Yes, 9 hours is a long time, but I think Helsinki would be among one of the better, if you had to do that.

P.S.- Mattg has given you some great options and a lot of his time. Sometimes you just have to balance the options available to you. And at Christmas time, the price is very good. And the timing and ticketing, is about the best you will get.

Good luck.

Thanks to MATTG and Boca and the rest
I will see what i can do and thanks in regards to the business lounge. That's not the non one is it where i have to egt my stamp before entering the terminal and into the lounge ? This is for the berlin to helsinki as in helsinki waiitng for the next flight to rovaniemi.

Well im trying to avoid that 9 hour wait or so. Then again im under budget then i have to go pay hotel and im half short. I will figuire it out and yes it is frustrating but this will not stop me from having a good trip otherwise.. Not sure why but its just constantly on the look out for this prices perhaps its a normal thing when booking it yourself online and you want to try keep reserching even if it just shows the very same thing over and over and not much you can do unless you pay higher amount.

Thanks people i will see what i will do. The business lounge sounds the last thing that comes to mind which i would use that for sure if i was to spent hours on end at helsinki airport.

I understand there could be things to do but i personally may be slightly tired and this and that so i would rather have something rpivate and seat and or lay down alittle bit. Private showers the best thing to have what so ever if this is offered in that business lounge. I am no business person. The non business lounge whatever it is actual call on my way back to australia in helsinki they had private showers. I wonder if the one you mention has private showers as well.

Anyhow yes been a december thing can be a headaches in between.

How come flight centre kept saying well the prices always change all the times everydays the price may be diferent the yesturday is this true or they just wanting me to pay them ? But im sure i wont be dealing with travel agencies.. Its always alittle fun more wiser more smarter to do it online know days and you actually archive and learn something when you have done so. Without the assistance of a rudeness person at flightcentre. Which most of them with all due respect are all young far too young.

If anything goes let me know guys. I will re check things up tonight and tomorrow just to see hat i should do and calculate. Also ill end up paying more for travel insurance... never stops there with prices unfortunally but travel insurance is the thing i would need what so ever even if i had to pay 200.00 each. I can not cross out travel insurance.

Also the last thing my passport is due in june i think this year my trip begins in december. So if i do this trip pay online and knowingt here is Airberlin included. Does this mean once i have renew my passport i must call all the way to germany for air berlin to give them my update new passport to update it to my booking rather then just finnair ?

take care talk later'
Regards
Barbra

p.s those small coccoon shape go to sleep thing i saw it in helsinki airport.. Not really a good thing with what i heard from the reviews maybe its ok to try but if im using business lounge it be like lay on the sofas have a small nap or something. Rather then close yourelf in a tight crid cocoon go to sleep shape thing.

 

[Mattg]

I'm not sure why you think you need to wait 9 hours in Helsinki. The Finnair flights I have suggested you book leave a connection time of 5 hours and 45 minutes.

Admittedly this is longer than usual, but not 9 hours. The total travel time from Berlin to Rovaniemi is 9 hours.

 

[barbra]

To everyone and Mattg

How come the travel agency found some flights but not the actual internal flights as in the separate one for the berlin to finland ? How come he said he couldnt find anything by finnair or dont have no update of it as yet to make me a quote. He did made a quote for the longer trips but not the actual internal trip.

Strange enough why do i see it available anytime online easy enough and flight centre still needs to work on that to give me a full quote.. What is actually going on right there ? Are they telling me there is no info prices on flights to berlin to finland by finnair ? or at least to say do they actually know what they actually doing... I think they had trouble with the actual berlin to helsinki more likely. I can even do way better then that and im not a profesional so what is going on right there just strange by flight centre.

Just wanted to get a quote only but they could not work on the berlin to helsinki. I think they could for the helsinki to rovaniemi. So thats strange. Any advice on this are welcome!

Since yesturday i learn how to and today i see flghts to helsinki. How could it be not with flight centre. Are they only just thinking that if they only search finnair to helsinki they might ? Well maybe they didn't look carefully enough such as air berlin as an example... Strange that. I'm not suprise unless i must believe them. He said he will sent the other quote as soon as posible by all means... I only got the long haul flights just under 6.000 all up but not the actual fiuguiring yet for the internal flight... Unless they lieing to me or they dont want me to buy anything.

He said at first sometimes flights dont update prices as yet. so he was wondering as he was using his computer working it out for me. And desided to get back to me soon with that. Strange enough you people just liek me from home online can do much better then this. Maybe flight centre are using a much different technical software for their bookings perhaps.