Questions about booking air travel through Onetravel.com
 

Good morning all.

I found a good airfare, roundtrip from LAX to CDG during August for $583 by using Sidestep. When I go to book, they transfer me to Onetravel.com to book these United Airline flights.

The outbound flight has a 35 min. layover with a plane change (both United flights, though) in Dulles.

Now, my questions:

1. How does booking with Onetravel work? There is very little information available efore you provide credit card info.

2. What if I miss my connection at Dulles to CDG? Will United put me on the next flight or will they refer me to Onetravel?

I appreciate any info. you can provide, as I have never booked through anything but the airline directly or a consolidator with whom I have worked for many years.

Thanks!

Hi ire,

>The outbound flight has a 35 min. layover with a plane change (both United flights, though) in Dulles....<

That's probably why it's so cheap.

I wouldn't exect to arrive at CDG with my luggage.

I would be concerned that I would make the flight.

Have you also tried www.mobissimo.com?

((I))

PS,

I have used onetravel a few times and have had good experience.

You get an email confirmation. Use that number to check with the airline to make sure that they have you in their computer.

You can also reserve your seats.

Yes, Ira, I have tried everything, including Mobissimo, and they've had nothing close. The next best airfare so far is $900. But, I am obsessed and will keep looking, because I want this so badly.

So, would you counsel against this deal?

Why not call onetravel.com and/or United to ask if they'll put you on the next flight?

Did you check the schedules online?

Is the layover time really 35 minutes?

I somehow doubt that the closeness of connections is driving the price of tickets which is often dependent on the amount of competition in a particular market and how much business the airline(s) is/are giving the consolidators.

Regardless, I would call OneTravel and ask them to price out the itinerary using the flights you want to use and see what the answer is. I would NOT rely on United to put you on some sort of later flight.

Didn't I once read somewhere (here?) that a connection needs to be at least 50 minutes to be a legal connection?

Definitely try to call< I think, and see what they have available. I've bought from them in the past with success but have also had a lot of trouble getting the advertised fare. My guess, based on experience, is that the one fare that seems to be so much lower than the others, won't exist once you finish keying in the credit card info.

111op, curious thought, that. I'd be really surprised if there was one constant used for "legal" connections.

Outbound, I can connect through O'Hare on AA very quickly to London as my arrival and depart are very close in the terminal. I can be at the departure gate in under 10 mins after deplaning from STL. Coming back, it's much longer, as there are different terminals.

And if connecting LAX and having to connect through the Tom Bradley terminal can be done in 50 mins, I'd sure which someone would show me how! :) I <i>thought</i> I'd read that various airports each had their own &quot;legal&quot; connection times, but could well be wrong there.

According to UA's timetable (downloadable in PDF file), minimum domestic-international connection time at IAD is 35 minutes. Therefore, you connection is &quot;legal&quot;.

If you miss your flight, then UA will put you on the next possible connection. There's only one IAD-CDG flight per day, but it leaves relatively early at 5:50pm. There are later flights to London and Frankfurt that they can put you on to connect to Paris.

You will deal with UA directly. Don't need to contact Onetravel.

Well, what's another 15 minutes? :-)

I agree with you, Clifton, that the fare may not be bookable anyway. I've been tempted by Orbitz too many times (clicked on fares that were actually not available). But Orbitz does this before asking for the cc info -- don't know how onetravel.com does this as I've never booked anything on it.

Some posters have posted that they have entered their card info on OneTravel and then been told no inventory is available. I can't recall if any had to wait for the answer after inputting their info, but I think that's also happened.

Thanks for your replies. I haven't had the chance to call anyone, but I did check Mobissimo, and they now show the same itinerary/price. Does that change your mind at all about its availability?

My hesitation about calling the airline is, does the agent who gets my call really know anything? Last night when I called UAL, the agent said the connection was legal, but I might want to book a different flight to be safe. At that time, I didn't think to ask what would happen if I missed the connection (it was very late!). I did ask her to price the itinerary, which came out to over $1000.

I'll do some more investigating and let you know what I find.

Well, I did it! I booked a solo trip to Paris for August! WOOHOO!!! I am so jazzed!!! (Does anyone say that anymore?)

Because of the low price, I decided to take the risk of missing the connection, after confirming that it leaves from the same terminal I'll arrive into. Expecting my luggage to make it is another story! Guess I might have to try doing it all as carry-on, but I doubt I can! I might also look into shipping my luggage ahead.

Based on what I read here, I was half expecting the request to be denied, but put in my cc info, pushed the button, and out popped a confirmation number!

Now, must start looking for hotels that offer summer discounts... What fun!!!

Boy, people are great! When I called United to see if they had my reservation, the agent offered to change my LAX - IAD flight so that I arrive at 2, with plenty of time to make my connection! He did this for free. I feel SO lucky.

Congrats! How long did it take you to find out if your ticket was approved?

WillTravel, it was immediate. As soon I clicked after entering cc info, it came back approved and confirmed. the screen did say that they would contact me IF there was no availability. That's why I called UAL myself (because I'm obsessive/compulsive) and they confirmed the res., ACTUALLY CHANGED THE FLIGHTS TO HELP ME, and assigned me seats.

I asked the guy what I would have paid had I booked with them -- more than $1000.

I'm now hooked on Onetravel!

Hi Iregeo
&gt;When I called United to see if they had my reservation, the agent offered to change my LAX - IAD flight so that I arrive at 2, with plenty of time to make my connection! &lt;

Good for you!

((I))

Do you get mileage credit on Onetravel tix?

Wow!