Beware: Cheap Airline Tickets Sold Online Can End Up Costing You a Lot
Think twice before buying airline tickets online! Customers of a specialized website have been unpleasantly surprised by last-minute ticket cancellations, forcing them to repurchase at a higher cost.
Many travelers hunt for the best deals, but finding them isn't easy. With endless options from travel agencies and airlines, it's exhausting to stay on top of everything. Scammers know this all too well. More than ever, they use tricks to lure you into scams. From fake booking sites, social media accounts, and customer service numbers to deals that seem too good to be true, fraudsters will use any means necessary!
The French magazine 60 Millions de Consommateurs has raised concerns about the website discountclasseaffaires.com, which presents itself as a travel agency offering a wide range of destinations: Los Angeles, Bangkok, Bali, and Hong Kong. "Save between 30% and 60% on all business and first-class flights," the site claims on its homepage. For example, you could book a round-trip business class ticket from Paris to Casablanca for 1,800 euros for two people with Air France, while the official company website lists the minimum price as 2,500 euros.
To pay, customers must call the number on the website and give their bank details over the phone to the agency's manager, Laurence Moreau. The site initially appears trustworthy with a Trustpilot rating of 3.7 out of 5 and 77% of reviews being 5 stars. After payment, customers receive their tickets by email, complete with seat and row numbers. Some have smooth journeys, but others discover at check-in that their ticket reference numbers no longer exist. They're then forced to either cancel their trip or buy new tickets at current prices. When stranded in places like Bangkok, options are limited! Some victims report losses exceeding 7,000 euros, as evidenced by numerous online testimonies.
In reality, "Discount Classe Affaires" has no physical store or post office box, and worse, the company isn't registered in the Trade Register. The tickets sold are purchased with airline miles, which don't belong to the buyers. Miles are part of loyalty programs offered by airlines like Air France, allowing customers to accumulate points that can be redeemed for flights.
The catch? If an airline discovers the miles have been resold, they can cancel the ticket—considered fraud—leaving unaware passengers to bear the costs.
To avoid being scammed, be cautious when booking your trips. If a website doesn't display a commercial registration number, terms and conditions, registration details (mandatory for travel agencies), or financial guarantees, steer clear!