I have had great responses from Sean at Interlink many times but when I asked about around the world fares he told me he was very busy these days and didn’t have time to give me all of the information.
I have been using Superstar Travel in Taipei for over 3 years. I was referred by a co-worker. Janet and Debby are great with their English and respond quickly. They help to try and secure seats on many different carriers until the flight rates are available for the season requested.
they mail tickets out to you as soon as the bank transfer is confirmed
Wow, sounds like Wei is working for one of the agencies. Cut the others down to build yourself up.
I have used Tong Lien Travel in Taipei(don’t know the address off hand) for 14 years now and have had very good success. Ask for Ellie Chen(She is the one who handles foriegners). The numbers are: 02 2592 - 9657 and 02 2593 - 0327. She is very helpful. Good luck to all and happy travelling.
Sean at Interlink just got me to Paris for 10 days (June) in business class for NT$49k all in (inc tax) on Vietnam Airlines with a stop in my favourite city in the world, Hanoi. The next cheapest was EVA Econ Deluxe at NT$47k, and the best of the economies was NT$35 on Singapore. There is a web fare on KLM to AMS for NT$32, but it’s booked solid until the year 4003. I didn’t check China Scarelines.
Agents are on pretty piss-poor commissions for flights-only. I have a feeling if you deal with the same guy for years, and cut him some slack even if he’s a couple of thou over now and again, he’ll remember the loyalty. I’ve spent well over a hundred grand on plane tickets this year already with my travel agent and I’ll prolly drop another hundred at Christmas. That has got to count for something. I hope!
Plus, I have had bad experiences before with travel agents and I’ve found Sean to be reliable. Yes, he’s very busy. I suspect it’s because people ask for him by name.
Well, I am using Astor now and I am struggling with margaret. She is quite slow to answer and if I call her, she insists that she has no time to check and I should wait … I already purchased tickets from her before, always similar. Anyway, it seems they are all the same !
They were one of the three that took down my details and didn’t get back to me.
Brian[/quote]
Are you talking about the same Peter Lawrence, British guy, in Kaoshiung? The name sounds familiar so correct me if I’m wrong, but if it’s the same guy I was speaking with, I wasn’t impressed. So what if he speaks English. He was so full of himself and his agency that he forgot I was booking a flight.
I asked him how he was going to get me the ticket and he was stunned. He said most of the business he got was from outside of Kaoshiung. Like I was supposed to know that?
Then I asked him about the shuttle from Tainan to Kaoshiung airport, which I had taken twice previously with agencies in Tainan, and he knew nothing about it! Unbelievable. The shuttle saves about two hours traveling time, not to mention door-to-door service.
Then, instead of trying to help me out, he went into a detailed pompous-ass explanation of why they don’t use the shuttle. I finally had to hang up on him.
I’ve dealt exclusively with Margaret from Astor for almost 4 years and have had no problems whatsoever (Touch wood!) She’s very honest, efficient and has done a lot of leg work for me when trying to get good deals. Last year I got a business class fare to Oz for just under $30k with Cathay.
Will find her email addy and post it here when I do.
Had a really nasty experience with another ‘well known’ agent when my step dad died in 2003. I’d booked an emergency flight home but in the meantime a friend had booked and paid for a flight with another agent.
When I called the ‘well known’ agent to cancel the other ticket, she abused me and told me that I ‘had to pay her $500 for screwing her around’. Nice touch. Won’t be using that one again.
I tried to use Interlink, but after dealing with the unfriendly, rude woman on the phone - and being unable to talk to Sean (who was helping me with my travel arangements), and after a very poor e-mail that failed to show me information I needed - and had talked to Sean about - it was one of the worst experience I’ve had with a travel agency.
I turned to Champion Travel and - so far - answers were provided and both Sheree and Lori were patient and friendly. The major negative was Lori had no fucking clue that an American needed a visa to go to China. A MAJOR red light sprung when I had to not only tell her that we did, but explained WHY it remains this way. Lori had me booked for a connecting flight in Macau - where (at the airport) it’s impossible to grab a travel visa into China. Sheree had to set that straight.
Anyway, Sheree handled most of the initial contact, and within the next 24 hours I will allow their contact and professionalism determine if I give my business to them or if I look elsewhere.
Interlink is - as we call it in wrestling - “the drizzeling shits.”
I sent Sheree an email at midnight asking for prices to Hong Kong for a day. She sent back already before 10 am with a price list (8360) and itenerary.
I used David’s once, in 1996. Never again.
After failing to get me visa (not their fault - the Commies were having a five-yearly central party committee meeting that week and my presence wasn’t required; my Taiwanese travelling-companion-to-be was welcome, however), they demanded NT$500 for service, so consequently have had none of mine since.
I use Ellie at Tong Lien Travel, usually only for flights, and can recommend her. Easy to make flight bookings via email, and she uses the efficient www.virtuallythere.com to confirm bookings.
I went with Champion after the Interlink folks turned out to be assholes who could not answer any questions without a guarantee that you’d give them your business, and then they never made a timely repsonse (how hard is it to look something up on the computer) and charged more than other agents. They also insisted that certain things were “the way things are,” regarding visas I’ve obtained before through others. Rude, rude people.
Champion - Lori or Shiree - both gave me instant answers, lower prices, didn’t bullshit (if they didn’t have an answer they’d say they didn’t know - and often tried to find hte answer to a question ANYWAY), kept consistent comunicaiton during the business tranactions and were friendly every time. Total professionals. I’ll be using them again in the future.
I wish a pox upon Interlink. Typically bad for “bad Taiwanese business behavior”. Unacceptable.
I’ve just got a fantastic deal with Leo Chou ( dai Kai) for flying back to the UK and back through India with a 6 week stopover and flying in/ out of different cities in India. I called him around 6, with what admittedly was probably a fairly strange route request. He called me back this morning around 11 am with a fantastic price (the same as you’d pay for a normal UK Taiwan return- only with a huge flexible stop over in India!!!).
He is totally helpful and efficent . I have a lot of freinds who swear by him for good prices and service. Leo 02 2703 2227. (also excellent english)
I’m going to have to give a bad report for eztravel.com.tw on the latest trip back to Malaysia. Due to the typhoon on Sept 1st, we had to re-book. None of the tickets were used.
However, getting a refund or a replacement has proven to be a major headache. After multiple calls, we learned that they use various travel agents to purchase tickets. No, our tickets are not refundable nor replaceable (wtf?). The best they offered was to have us talk with the airline agent IN KUALA LUMPUR (but I bought your ticket in Taipei? hello? :loco:) to see if they can do something for us.
Screw eztravel.com. I won’t use them ever again even though they’ve got internet booking and is convenient.
i emailed a few agents with a TPE to HK quote. all wrote back promptly with similar pricings.
whilst i didnt fly at that time the service from all of them was terrific with me establishing an ongoing dialogue with peter lawrence. he seems a sincere agent looking to provide good service to the expat community, even out of his gaoxiong home turf.
Caveat… Re - on line ticket purchase.
Some folks offer to sell their tickets.
Read the fine print.
Many tickets say 'can not be exchanged," etc.
When are seats available? Nov. & March are ‘slow’ times w/ cheaper
fares.
Busy times: summer, Jan. 1, & New Year’s e.g. c Jan 29 / 0 6
Paul speaks fluent English and he has served the foreign community for many years. I shopped around and found his service to be the cheapest. Phone Paul on 0933905065 Linsen North Road.
