Can an agent really guarantee a VA flight 11+ months before?

Hi all,

I know scheduled flights do not go on sale before 11 months from return date. I also know that Virgin Holidays have a pre-allocation which allows them to sell packages with guaranteed flights.

Some agents offer advanced registration. This seems to me that you are just paying for them to check flight prices when they come out and booking them if they are as quoted or cheaper. Surely you can easily do this yourself and possibly more reliably?

Anyway. A couple of other agents have said they can guarantee the prices and have an allocation. Is this right? Its a bit more money than the advanced reg option, but we wouldnt mind that if we know its 100% confirmed. Specifically talking about Pillinger Travel and American Specialists Ltd.

Any ideas? Do other agents have allocations for VA flights like Virgin Holidays do?

[Darren Wheeler]

Sounds very much like 'buyer beware'

The 336 day rule is very strict. VH can only request seats as there is no guarantee of availability.

Mmmmmm ok.

So is it a better bet to go for the advance registration option? The flights are MAN-MCO over prime time Easter 2013. Thats why we are wanting to get out best chance of the cheapest seats.

[Darren Wheeler]

Check the small print very carefully so you don't get locked into a rate that the TA thinks is good but above the market rate

But they can garrentee the fuel surcharge (i.e to cover those "unexpected" fluctuations in fuel prices....)

Oops I'll get off my soap box

Well, we have took the gamble and booked with the agent. They repeated a number of times that the prices are guaranteed. This is for peak Easter flights to MCO.

It says on the invoice that 'Mainstreet' is the principal agent? They had to phone someone (they said it was Virgin) when I was booking to confirm availability. Since, we have tried to book another 6 adults in the same manner, but they wouldnt do that, saying that the first booking were the last available guaranteed price flights.

Its a fly drive and the flight price component works out to be around £650 per adult.

This might be a little higher than we might get down the line, but we need to fly on particular dates. We also dont need flexibility or upgradability on the flights.

We will see how it pans out! They came recommended, so I can see no reason why they would promise something they couldnt provide?

i have had some saying they can and some say they cant , i think iam going to see what my 11month price is, iam shocked at the diffrence between this year and next through vh ,so much for booking in advance , i think we will be waiting on this one