Air Travel shop

December 22, 2019 03:45AM

@JASFLALMT wrote:

I am pretty sure she is refunded all of the flight cost and then gives the shopper half.

That's what I meant -- half to him and half to the shopper.

Depends on the flight whether it's worth it. Nice that they'll schedule way out. I don't do them when there's a good possibility I'll get bump pay. However, since this airline is no longer able to overbook flights, that doesn't happen very often.

"Let me offer you my definition of social justice: I keep what I earn and you keep what you earn. Do you disagree? Well then tell me how much of what I earn belongs to you - and why?” ~Walter Williams

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December 22, 2019 09:18PM

Thanks all for sharing your experiences. I'm weighing the options. In some situations, I can see doing the shop is beneficial or in some, using my points or flying regular might be more worth to not have to work. Nevertheless, it's good to have an option and I'd try it at least once to get the experience. For those who did this, were the reports easy to do? Were there many long narratives required?

December 23, 2019 11:26PM

KV, I've done a lot of them. The reports are mostly things you'd notice anyway. The most important thing is whether or not the flight attendant clearly articulates the requirements to those in the emergency seats and gets a verbal confirmation from each one of them. Takes less than an hour; even shorter if you use the kiosk for check-in or don't have checked bags.

December 24, 2019 01:21AM

Perhaps the requirements are different in different areas, but I have always needed to go to the counter and not just use the kiosk.

@iShop123 wrote:

KV, I've done a lot of them. The reports are mostly things you'd notice anyway. The most important thing is whether or not the flight attendant clearly articulates the requirements to those in the emergency seats and gets a verbal confirmation from each one of them. Takes less than an hour; even shorter if you use the kiosk for check-in or don't have checked bags.

December 24, 2019 01:33AM

Yes, the most challenging part is pretending that I don’t know how or want to use a kiosk so I can have a full service line interaction. You also have to arrive a tad earlier to allow for standing in that line. The report is lengthy but it’s not a Coyle hotel by any measure. I started doing more of these when the airline stopped overbooking flights. I skipped it when I took a $60 flight on the airline but have happily done it for $150-$200 flights.

December 24, 2019 07:49AM

Hahaha!!! One time I tried to get in line and the there was a lady at the entrance of the line trying to direct everyone and I felt so silly insisting on going to the desk when she was like, you can print off your ticket at the kiosk! I think I made up something about how I had a question I needed to ask them. I'll usually ask them to print off my ticket and then ask something else like "will there be a lot of open seats?"

@NinS wrote:

Yes, the most challenging part is pretending that I don’t know how or want to use a kiosk so I can have a full service line interaction. You also have to arrive a tad earlier to allow for standing in that line. The report is lengthy but it’s not a Coyle hotel by any measure. I started doing more of these when the airline stopped overbooking flights. I skipped it when I took a $60 flight on the airline but have happily done it for $150-$200 flights.

December 25, 2019 06:16AM

Same experience here with the staff pushing the kiosks. Even when theres no line and multiple agents available! Last time the lady seemed annoyed that I didn't use the kiosk.
The report is fairly easy and worth it in my opinion.

December 26, 2019 12:32AM

It'll be interesting to see whether the forthcoming "retooled" survey reflects the reality that the client is pushing most customers to the kiosk.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/26/2019 12:32AM by NinS.

December 26, 2019 04:10PM

Raise and Cardpool are both reputable.

@MMMM wrote:

Off topic a bit..
.Are there any gift card reselling sites you had good experiences with? I am worried about getting burned....

Thanks

December 26, 2019 04:11PM

Thank you. I'll give them a try.

December 26, 2019 04:15PM

There are some serious credit-card churners who target opportunities to maximize points earnings. In some cases the points earned when are worth buying a card you may not want to use because the earn is high enough.

@JASFLALMT wrote:

Huh? Why would anyone want to resell gift cards, and how can it burn you to just spend them?

@MMMM wrote:

Off topic a bit..
.Are there any gift card reselling sites you had good experiences with? I am worried about getting burned....

Thanks

December 27, 2019 10:40PM

My local airport has a kiosk and they do not let you reach the counter person unless you are checking in a bag. I just report the facts. My reports have been accepted without the check-in counter person interact

December 29, 2019 10:45PM

There are some updates to the program on the site including:

"There are some pending changes coming to the program. As such, at this time, we are only taking reservations for bookings with which travel originates up to the end of December 2019.

If your trip/journey starts in January 2020 onward, we are not taking these reservations at this time. There will NOT be any flights offered for travel in the month of January 2020."

It looks like opportunities will be after January with more carriers but with limited airports.

Evaluating and mailing packages since 1994. I am an undercover connoisseur of customer service, a master of disguise in the aisles, and a sworn enemy of subpar experiences. I blend in, observe, and report—because excellence should never be a mystery.

Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 12/29/2019 11:56PM by RobinMarie.

Moderator Note:

Do not reveal the clients of MSCs per the posting guidelines.

December 30, 2019 03:54PM

Wow, that notice posted on the SQM website is very interesting. Unless six major carriers have all suddenly decided to mystert shop it sounds like it is more of a competition shop. Alas my home airport doesn't seem to qualify, but maybe there will be an opportunity to book a one-way flight home and shop it.

December 30, 2019 04:09PM

This looks like it may be a fantastic program. I hope that they start the US/Canada flights in early 2020. I need some choices there, and this program could well be the answer.

Based in MD, near DC
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel

Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/30/2019 04:10PM by walesmaven.

January 08, 2020 09:45AM

There are a few airlines that are going to be shopped that would require SQM to pay me handsomely in order to ride.

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