Greek-to-me

Has anyone subscribed for $60 annually to BestFares.com? If so, are you satisfied with their fares and service? Their advertised rates to Europe seem too good to be true. I would like to know if it is worth joining their service, as I am interested in traveling to Greece sometime this summer. Thank you.

T

Greek--- <BR> <BR>Beware Bestfares.com. <BR>They advertise all of these titillating fares (Europe for $169 RT) and tell non-members that they are only open to members (ie; those who have shelled out the $59.99). <BR> <BR>I actually paid the fee to get the advertised fare, and guess what? They happened to be sold out of that particular fare. The agent told me that they hadn't had that fare for months, but there it was again the next day, with another urgent reminder that it would only be good until 6pm. <BR> <BR>It's a classic bait and switch scam. I called them back immediately and demanded my refund, which they gave with no argument. <BR> <BR>If you don't get your fare, call back and demand your refund. I got my statement this month, and they had indeed credited my account.

Jim Rosenberg

BestFares can be worth the money for people who need a focused approach toward tuning in to travel bargains. I never used their agency services since I tend to focus on a relatively narrow group of carriers. (Also, the one time I attempted to actually book something, I spent a lot of time on hold before simply giving up). Since the inception of BestFares, information technology has improved to the point where I can follow what I need to quite easily. Also, in the past, BestFares provided coupons that actually offset the membership cost for me. These general-type perks offered are either no longer available, not as valuable to me in my particular situation, or I have alternate means to obtain them. On the plus side, BestFares can provide you with a lot of information and insight. If you learn a few new things or happen to book a ticket at a big savings, the investment clearly has a return. On the minus side, $60 isn't chicken feed and a savvy traveler can get a night in a two or three-star Paris hotel for that, which is what I do with that money now.

steve

I get my money's worth each year. There may be other places to find out the information, burt not as concise. The fares have always been available, but not always on my first choice of dates

Sandy

I've posted this many times before but here goes again . . . if they make a mistake, they won't fix it. Always pay by cc so you can protest if something goes wrong. <BR> <BR>I bought a ticket to San Jose, Costa Rica and they sent me a ticket to San Jose, California . . . <BR> <BR>Sandy

ldsant

I joined them two years in a row - bad decision. I never recouped one penny of my "membership dues." Also, when I tried to use them once it was a disaster. I agree with the other posters - use the various sites on the internet or a really good travel agent to get better fares. They aren't worth it. Plus, many of their fares are for TWA only which, as we all know, has declared bankruptcy.

xxxxx

Bestfares.com was the worst waste of money I'd ever spent on a travel-related item. Attempted to use them many times, and: 1) their phone agents were extremely bad to the point that they were totally unfamiliar with basic airports and cities, 2) the advertised fares were NEVER available, 3) the fares quoted were ALWAYS higher than what I could get on my own calling the airlines, 4) it is IMPOSSIBLE to get thru customer service, 5) if you have a problem after you purchase a ticket, you need an MBA to decipher their procedures and a detective to track down the right person/phone number. In conclusion, RUN away as fast as you can. All they are is an eye-catchy site with a glossy bad magazine.

Gina

I don't think Bestfares is anything miraculous, but I've belonged for a couple of years and have always managed to more than recoup the cost of my membership with them. Example: a $215 R/T fare to New Orleans during Mardi Gras (just came back yesterday--woo hoo! What an experience!), at a time when the best rate I could get through any other channel--and believe me, I tried 'em all--was around $260 plus. <BR> <BR>I haven't ever tried to make changes (never had any mistakes made on Bestfares-issued tickets, either by them or by me) or get refunds, so I can't speak to those processes. I can only say that so far, it's been worthwhile for me. I will say that some of their phone operators are indeed...problematic. (To say the least.) I'm slapping myself because during the booking of my Rome-Tunisia tickets, I found an *excellent* Bestfares agent, so talented, competent and easy to deal with that I wanted to hire her myself. I got her name, direct line and agent #...and proceeded to lose the sticky note with all that information. So one recommendation: if there's a fare you really want but you get an agent who's utterly useless (which happened to me before I found and lost this gem), try calling back once or twice and "agent-shopping." You may well find someone who's truly excellent (it's a real mixed bag on their phone lines), at which point *tattoo* their information on your computer. <BR>