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https://stomp.straitstimes.com/sing...-sia-flight-for-march-but-ends-up-with-ticket
How did this happen?
A traveller used travel website eDreams to book a flight from Singapore to Los Angeles on Singapore Airlines (SIA) departing on March 11 but somehow got a ticket for Aug 11 instead.
Stomper Brian recounted: "The website was slow, unresponsive, and even flagged as a potential security risk – a red flag I should have taken more seriously.
"When my purchase went through, I was shocked to find that eDreams had booked my flight a full five months off from my intended travel date.
"Worse, I was not alone – a friend, using a separate computer and network, had the exact same issue while trying to book a Singapore Airlines flight through eDreams. This was not an isolated mistake. It was a pattern.
"When I contacted eDreams, their response was as dismissive as it was predictable: 'Talk to Singapore Airlines.'
"So I did. Instead of addressing the issue, Singapore Airlines refused to help, simply redirecting me back to eDream.
There were other issues as well.
The Stomper said: "As I reviewed my bank statements, I uncovered something even more sinister. Not only had I lost $630 on a useless flight ticket, but eDreams had also set my purchase as a recurring payment without my consent.
"If I hadn’t been paying close attention, I could have unknowingly been charged for this useless ticket multiple times – easily paying two or three times more than my original purchase."
And it didn’t stop there.
"I had also booked a hotel and an additional flight through eDreams – transactions I had knowingly agreed to," said the Stomper.
"However, these purchases were also set up as recurring payments without my permission, leading to an unauthorised attempt to charge me an extra $150. Had I not caught this in time, I could have been losing hundreds more dollars."
It was a lesson learnt for the Stomper.
He said: "If my experience has taught me anything, it is this: Never book Singapore Airlines flights through third-party vendors like eDreams... A quick search reveals that eDreams has a notorious reputation."
Asked why he decided to use eDreams in the first place, the Stomper replied: "I was baited by low prices. Imagine buying an SIA ticket to America for 600ish dollars. I didn't realise I was getting baited in until I already got hooked.
"As they say, it was too good to be true, but I got mad baited without doing prior research. I assumed that since it had SIA, it was probably legit."
Stomp called eDreams at 6349 2443 for more info using the Stomper's booking reference number. A pre-recorded message said: "Since you're travelling with a low-cost carrier, we kindly ask you to contact the airline directly."
Since when is SIA a "low-cost carrier"?
How did this happen?
A traveller used travel website eDreams to book a flight from Singapore to Los Angeles on Singapore Airlines (SIA) departing on March 11 but somehow got a ticket for Aug 11 instead.
Stomper Brian recounted: "The website was slow, unresponsive, and even flagged as a potential security risk – a red flag I should have taken more seriously.
"When my purchase went through, I was shocked to find that eDreams had booked my flight a full five months off from my intended travel date.
"Worse, I was not alone – a friend, using a separate computer and network, had the exact same issue while trying to book a Singapore Airlines flight through eDreams. This was not an isolated mistake. It was a pattern.
"When I contacted eDreams, their response was as dismissive as it was predictable: 'Talk to Singapore Airlines.'
"So I did. Instead of addressing the issue, Singapore Airlines refused to help, simply redirecting me back to eDream.
There were other issues as well.
The Stomper said: "As I reviewed my bank statements, I uncovered something even more sinister. Not only had I lost $630 on a useless flight ticket, but eDreams had also set my purchase as a recurring payment without my consent.
"If I hadn’t been paying close attention, I could have unknowingly been charged for this useless ticket multiple times – easily paying two or three times more than my original purchase."
And it didn’t stop there.
"I had also booked a hotel and an additional flight through eDreams – transactions I had knowingly agreed to," said the Stomper.
"However, these purchases were also set up as recurring payments without my permission, leading to an unauthorised attempt to charge me an extra $150. Had I not caught this in time, I could have been losing hundreds more dollars."
It was a lesson learnt for the Stomper.
He said: "If my experience has taught me anything, it is this: Never book Singapore Airlines flights through third-party vendors like eDreams... A quick search reveals that eDreams has a notorious reputation."
Asked why he decided to use eDreams in the first place, the Stomper replied: "I was baited by low prices. Imagine buying an SIA ticket to America for 600ish dollars. I didn't realise I was getting baited in until I already got hooked.
"As they say, it was too good to be true, but I got mad baited without doing prior research. I assumed that since it had SIA, it was probably legit."
Stomp called eDreams at 6349 2443 for more info using the Stomper's booking reference number. A pre-recorded message said: "Since you're travelling with a low-cost carrier, we kindly ask you to contact the airline directly."
Since when is SIA a "low-cost carrier"?
