INDEX

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1. What is the difference between "booking" and "issuing"?

Booking occurs when you reserve any travel product, such as flights, accommodation, car hire, destination activities, rail, cruises, and insurance. Once you have booked products through www.directflights.com.au, or through one of our booking agents in person or via phone, we must receive payment (and the Credit Card Authorisation form if paid by credit card), before your tickets or travel products will be issued to you.

The issuing of tickets happens once Direct Flights has received payment for your booking (and the Credit Card Authorisation form if paid by credit card) and has processed the transaction.

2. How can I pay for my booking?

There are several ways in which you can make a payment to Direct Flights.

We accept payments by credit card, specifically Visa, MasterCard, and American Express. A credit card handling fee is levied on all credit cards. As an added measure of protection against online credit card fraud, we require that those wishing to pay by credit card complete our Credit Card Authorisation Form, and send it back to us before we process the transaction. Tickets and travel services will not be issued until the Credit Card Authorisation Form is received.

We also accept payments for flights by Western Union Money Transfer Services, POLi pay online, bank cheque, Direct Deposit, PostBillpay and BPay.

3. Why do I need to complete a Credit Card Authorisation Form?

That’s easy – for your protection. Because of the increasing amount of online credit card fraud, Direct Flights International requires that everyone wishing to pay for travel with a credit card complete and send in our Credit Card Authorisation Form before we process the transaction. That way you are better protected and we are better protected against false card use, until a time where better security measures are in place for online credit card transactions.

Once you complete the Credit Card Authorisation Form, you can fax it back to us at (+61 2) 8580 5711 (outside AUST) or 1300 863 534 (within AUST), scan and email it to bookings@directflights.com.au, or should time allow, mail it to:

Direct Flights International
G1, 37 Bligh Street
Sydney NSW 2000
Australia

4. What if I don’t want to complete the Credit Card Authorisation Form?

Should you not wish to fill out the Credit Card Authorisation Form, you may select the POLi online payment for an immediate online payment option whilst still in the booking process.

If you have already received a booking confirmation after selecting to pay by credit card, and you do not wish to complete the Credit Card Authorisation Form, offline payment options may be available. Should time and booking conditions allow, we allow for Direct Deposit, AusPost pay, BPay, and bank cheque for offline payments. Please contact the booking team at bookings@directflights.com.au immediately to arrange an offline option, as time restrictions may exist.

5. My credit card account is debited, so why have you not issued my tickets?

Your account isn’t actually debited at first. It’s pre-authorised. When you select to pay by credit card, you are automatically pre-authorising your credit card to be debited for the authorised amount. This is sometimes referred to as “freezing marked funds” by some financial institutions. In other words, your funds are still in your account, but they may not be in your available balance, as you have dedicated them to purchasing travel products from Direct Flights International. Once Direct Flights International receives your completed Credit Card Authorisation form within 12 hours of your booking, we process the transaction and the funds are debited.

Should you not wish to complete the Credit Card Authorisation form and you arrange another method of payment for your booking, Direct Flights will not process a transaction of any amount against your card. Your available balance will be restored at a rate that is dependent on your financial institution (approximate time is 3 – 5 days).

Should you not wish to complete the Credit Card Authorisation form, and fail to make payment for your booking by an alternate payment method, your booking will be cancelled and you will be subject to charges equal to our booking cancellation fees, detailed in FAQ #10.

6. I would like to visit your office. Where and when can I find you?

Our office is located at the corners of Bligh, Hunter and Castlereagh streets, just two blocks East from Wynyard station and 1.5 blocks North West of Martin Place station. For more information on how to contact us, click here.

The physical address is

Our office hours are 9am to 5.30 pm, Monday to Friday. We are closed on public holidays.

7. How do I get my ticket?

If you are booking online, you will receive a confirmation of your reservation from one of our online consultants. When booking by email or by phone, your travel consultant will confirm your details with you.

Tickets will be issued in accordance with deadlines written into the applicable fare.

• Wherever possible, Electronic Ticketing will be arranged at no additional charge.
• Tickets may also be picked up at the Direct Flights International office in Sydney at no additional charge.
• When Electronic Ticketing is not possible, tickets will be sent via Express Post at a surcharge of AUD $6.00, for deliveries within Australia only. The approximate delivery time is 5 days. Please contact us for delivery of paper ticket outside Australia.
• Tickets may also be delivered Special Delivery (courier) at a charge of AUD $25.00, for deliveries within Australia only. The approximate delivery time is 3 days. Please contact us for delivery of paper ticket outside Australia.
• Should time not permit for any of the above options, and you are traveling on a paper ticket, please contact Direct Flights to arrange a delivery method.

Please contact us no later than two working days prior to your departure if you have not received your travel documents.

8. Can I book multi stop and round the world itineraries online?

At the moment, multi stop or round the world itineraries are unavailable for online booking, but will be available for online booking soon.

In the meantime, please contact one of our consultants on
Sydney: +61 2 8214 8518
Melbourne: +61 3 9095 8517
Perth: +61 8 6461 6517
Adelaide: +61 8 7221 2517
Brisbane: +61 7 3166 9517
or (02) 8214 8518 (outside Aust) during our office hours, or email your travel requirements to us at bookings@directflights.com.au and we can assist you with all of your booking needs.

9. What should I do if my booking wasn't completed?

If an error occurs on the site while you are trying to make a booking, please contact us as soon as possible. Do not make another booking as your previous booking may have gone through. Our experienced reservations staff can check on your booking, and attempt to confirm your travel arrangements with you.

10. Can I cancel or change my booking?

Many of our discounted airfares and accommodation rates are non changeable and non refundable. However, if you wish to change your confirmed travel arrangements in any way, DFI will be happy to assist, please contact DFI at
Sydney: +61 2 8214 8518
Melbourne: +61 3 9095 8517
Perth: +61 8 6461 6517
Adelaide: +61 8 7221 2517
Brisbane: +61 7 3166 9517
or (02) 8214 8518 (outside Aust) during office hours. In the case of changes or cancellations, the following service fees will be charged.

Where documents and tickets have been issued, changes can only be made if airline and supplier conditions permit. Most discounted international airfares do not allow changes to the original outbound date of departure, and most discounted domestic airfares do not allow changes to be made on the day of departure of any pre-booked flights. Please check fare rules at the time of booking.

You may cancel your travel arrangements at any time, but will have to pay the following cancellation fees from the amount refunded by the supplier.

In addition to the above DFI service fees, if you paid for your travel arrangements by credit card, the following credit card merchant fees will be levied against the amount refunded by the supplier.

Insurance premiums are non-refundable.

11. Can I cancel or change my issued tickets or travel arrangements?

Where documents and tickets have been issued, changes can only be made if airline and supplier conditions permit. Most discounted international airfares do not allow changes to the original outbound date of departure, and most discounted domestic airfares do not allow changes to be made on the day of departure of any pre-booked flights. Please check fare rules at the time of booking as they vary by airline and type of ticket purchased. Many accommodation suppliers charge at least the first night of a confirmed booking, though this varies by supplier.

You may cancel your travel arrangements at any time, but will have to pay the following cancellation fees from the amount refunded by the supplier.

Domestic airfare: Minimum $55 per person
International airfare: Minimum $110 per person
Domestic land arrangement: Minimum $55 per person
International land arrangement: Minimum $110 per person

In addition to the above DFI service fees, if you paid for your travel arrangements by credit card, the following credit card merchant fees will be levied against the amount refunded by the supplier.

MasterCard and Visa: 1.7%
American Express: 3.5%

Insurance premiums are non-refundable.

12. Do I need to reconfirm my flights with the airline?

Unless informed otherwise, you should reconfirm your flight with the relavant airlines at least 72 hours prior to commencement of your journey. We accept no responsibility for bookings cancelled due to non-compliance with rules set by airlines.

13. What is my baggage allowance?

Due to security measures, baggage allowances vary by airline and destination. Your baggage allowance can be found on your ticket.

Please ask your consultant to advise you of any specific baggage requirements.

FURTHER QUESTIONS

If you have any further questions that have not been covered in this FAQ, do not hesitate to make enquiries at info@directflights.com.au and indicate “FAQs” in the title.