NEVER use austravel (Austravel)

Member Name: catmeow

Product:	Austravel
Date:	03/04/08 (100 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Can't think of any

Disadvantages: Unhelpful staff, errors, incompetence.

I've used Austravel three times to travel from the UK to NZ. The first time went OK and so the next year I booked with them again. I found the person I dealt with not very helpful (gave me very expensive options and said all the lower priced seats were sold out which was clearly untrue as I booked 11 months ahead). Eventually I sorted out a flight that wasn't that convenient but was OK (oh why oh why did I not just call somewhere else?? - I was newish to the UK and didn't realise yet the huge amount of competition out there). I booked and then rang a few days later with second thoughts about another option for dates. I spoke to a manager who told me that the original dates I had wanted were available and had been all along but that the flight had been ticketed that day and it was expensive to reticket. So I went ahead and then on the return journey the travel agent had made an error which meant I had to return a day early to the Uk which was really inconvenient as it cut my time in NZ even shorter and I'd arranged transport home from the airport. The company did apologise, and you might find this hard to understand, but I HADN'T LEARNT MY LESSON!!! and out of a totally and utterly misguided loyalty to Austravel booked through them a third time. Again it wasn't very easy - I was booking a year ahead as that's the way that works best for me when I go back to NZ for christmas, and when I phoned they kept saying the flights would be out the next day, or in a few days and to call again (or they said they would call me but never did). I kept calling and then all of a sudden they said the flights had come out a few days ago but that all the good fares were snapped up within a few days. I did manage to book something and paid and booked my leave. I was SO relieved as it had been a total pain to book. Two weeks later I get a call to say that they have made a mistake and I'm not booked at all. The girl was new and her supervisor had taken two weeks to check it and she'd done it wrong. Despite repeatedly calling the supervisor/ anyone who would talk to me (she never returned my calls (all the while retaining my money)), so eventually I wrote to the manager insisting on my money back and explaining the situation. The money was refunded and I very happily went and booked my own flight direct online with singapore airlines.
The moral of the story: I need to wise up! and, NEVER USE AUSTRAVEL.

Summary: Please save yourself a lot of hassle and book elsewhere.