Frequently Asked Questions

What is Flystein?

Flystein is a 21st-century travel agent. For a small fee, our Flight Experts find you the lowest possible flight prices and the best itineraries using our genius-powered flight search platform. We take all your personal preferences and your preferred airlines and loyalty schemes into consideration. The result is insanely low airfares and a highly personalized itinerary.

Is Flystein a regular travel agency?

No. We’re not a regular travel agency. Regular travel agents often take commission or kickbacks from airlines so it’s in their interests to sell you more expensive fares and favor certain airlines. Flystein is 100% independent, which means we really can find you the lowest fares available. We work together with any online travel agency to make sure you get the best deal. Currently, we are not able to actually book tickets for our clients: we simply conduct the search, get you a great deal and then provide guidance to you to help you book it directly from the cheapest source.

How does Flystein work?

There are two options: Build My Trip and Beat My Price.

 

•    Build My Trip: You tell us about your trip, pay the fee and one of our Flight Experts will get in touch with you within a few hours to discuss your request. Then they will begin the search to find you the cheapest flights and the best itineraries | Read Terms and Conditions.
•    Beat My Price: You’ve already found a flight yourself but want to see if our Flight Experts can get you an even cheaper deal with comparable or better flights. You show us the quote you already have, we authorize your card and your assigned Flight Expert gets to work. For Beat My Price requests, we do not charge your credit card up front; we simply authorize the search fee amount just like most major hotels or car rental companies do. We remove the authorization if we cannot find you a significantly lower price or the savings we find you are less than the amount you paid for your search fee | Read Terms and Conditions.

What kind of trips should I use Flystein for?

We recommend that you use our service to find flights that have a total minimum price of around US$ 500. However, if you also need our help to find domestic one-way flights, this is possible with a lower minimum price. We suggest that you use our Beat My Price option for itineraries that are straightforward and Build My Trip option for more complex trips.

What kind of information do I need to provide when I make a request?

The more information you provide in your request, the more options our Flight Experts will be able to come up with. Also, the more flexible your travel dates are, the more options you’ll get. We suggest that you provide a comprehensive overview of the dates you can travel, your preferred departure and arrival times, a maximum number of connections, preferred routes and stopover destinations, which class you want to fly in and which air mile programs you want to use. You will also need to provide us with a realistic budget and itinerary. For example, asking us to find you a round trip from Los Angeles to New Delhi for US$200 is almost never realistic. Your assigned Flight Expert will notify you before starting your request if he or she feels that you need to adjust your budget slightly.

How much is Flystein’s search fee?

Our search fees start from US$49 for most trips (e.g a standard round trip for one or two passengers. Yes that’s right, you can search for a simple ticket for you and your travel buddy for just $49!). The fee increases depending on the number of flights that you need to take, a number of passengers that need to be included in the booking, which class you want to travel in or if you have complex air mile, transit or routing requirements. Your search fee will be calculated depending on your requirements and shown to you before you will be asked to pay. If you are looking for domestic one-way trips, our fee for this is US$29.

If Flystein can’t Beat My Price or they can’t find me cheap enough flights, do I get a refund on the search fee I paid?

We are confident that our Flight Experts will be able to help you save money on your flights or find you a better itinerary than you already have. In the unlikely event that they are unable to find you a suitable itinerary for a fantastic price, you will get a full refund on the search fee you paid. If they can’t beat the price you’ve already found (Beat My Price), the authorization that was placed on your credit card will be removed. However, for Build My Trip option your search fee will only be refunded if you have provided a realistic maximum budget up front and our Travel Experts are unable to find you a flight within your specified budget. For example, asking us to find you a round trip from Los Angeles to New Delhi for US$200 is not realistic. Sure, we’ve seen crazy low prices very, very occasionally but they are usually the result of an ‘error fare’ and vanish almost as quickly as they appear. Your assigned Flight Expert will notify you before starting your request if he or she feels that you need to adjust your budget slightly | Read the Terms and Conditions.

Why do I have to give my credit card details up front and pay a fee?

Although our Flight Experts have lightning quick fingers and years of experience, it still takes them a few hours of intense hacking to find the right flights for you. We need to ensure that they are compensated for the time it takes them. This is why we ask for the fee up front. Although we are confident that our Flight Experts will be able to fulfill your requirements, if for any reason they are unable to find you the right itinerary or beat your price, you will be refunded. For Beat My Price requests, we do not charge your credit card up front; we simply authorize the search fee amount just like most major hotels or car rental companies do. We remove the authorization if we can’t find you a significantly lower price or the savings are less than the amount you paid for your search fee.   | Read Terms and Conditions.

I’m not sure about upfront payments. Where can I find reviews of your service so I can make sure it’s legitimate?

We understand. We have thousands of satisfied customers and loads of five-star reviews on Facebook. We’ve also been raved about on Product Hunt. Our Partners like us a lot too. And, many travel bloggers also have great things to say about us as well!

Are my credit card details safe?

Absolutely! We use an established and trusted third party payment service, Stripe, to process payments. Stripe meets and exceeds the most stringent industry standards for security. You can learn more about Stripe’s secure infrastructure here. Your information will only be used for processing payments by the Stripe payment platform, which places the strongest possible emphasis on security and keeping your information private. Flystein will never even see your information.

Who are these mysterious Travel Experts?

Flystein has put together an awesome team of flight hacking ninjas. We call them Flight Experts and they are our secret weapon. They have spent years learning about ticketing, airfares, discounting, frequent flyer programs and flight routing. They know all the industry tricks and tips. When they are not jetting around the world for pennies, they are usually sitting on a white powder beach under a palm tree with a cocktail in one hand mastering their flight hacking skills or searching for your next flight.

How do your Flight Experts find these flights?

Our Flight Experts are our secret weapon. We couldn’t possibly tell you exactly how they find these awesome deals. They have spent years learning about ticketing, airfares, discounting, air mile programs, and flight routing and have coupled this with their awesome coding/hacking ability. They live and breathe travel, so they know all the industry insider’s tricks and tips.

I want to fly business class or first class. Can Flystein find me the best possible prices?

Absolutely. Our Flight Experts are masters at finding you (and themselves) the best business and first class flights available. In fact, most of them zip around the world fully reclined, their head on a large soft pillow, with a glass of champagne in one hand and a smug grin on their face because they know they’ve paid much less for the flight than the person sitting next to them.

Can Flystein help me book award flights using my air miles?

Yep. No problem. Just click the ‘I want to spend miles/points for an award flight’ when you submit your request. Please note that because of the complexity of booking award flights as part or all of an itinerary, search fees may be higher for these request. You can see your fee calculation before you reach the payment screen.

I want to improve my status on my airline loyalty program. Can Flystein find me flights that give me the maximum amount of miles?

Of course, we can. There’s a reason why our Flight Experts are usually found kicking back on a large leather sofa in the First Class Lounge quaffing fine brandy before a flight. They are masters at maximizing their air miles and can help you do the same. Just make sure to mention details of your loyalty program when making a request.

I want to find flights for a large group of people. Can Flystein handle that?

No problem. Our Flight Experts can help you find flights for any number of travelers. We also offer discounts and savings for large groups. Please get in touch and tell us more at hello@flystein.com

Does Flystein issue my airline ticket?

No. Flystein is currently unable to book your flights on your behalf and issue airline tickets (but we’re working on that and hope to make this service available to our clients in the future). Once they’ve discussed all the itinerary possibilities with you and conducted a search, your dedicated Flight Expert will provide special booking links to online agencies and detailed instructions with screenshots so that you can book flights by yourself. Your Flight Expert will be on hand to assist you via our built-in chat facility or, if your itinerary is complicated, by Skype.

Do you charge per flight or per trip?

We charge one fee for the entire trip no matter how many flights you take. Please note though that the search fees for complex itineraries will be higher. We will also shortly be adding a subscription model for frequent flyers and corporate clients to enable them to book several trips within a certain time frame for a flat fee. Good news for serial travelers and our corporate clients. Stay tuned!

How long are the fares found by Flystein’s Travel Experts valid for?

Unfortunately, we cannot predict how long the fares that our Travel Experts find will be valid for. As the airlines use dynamic pricing schemes that change all the time, we recommend that you book the flights as soon as possible after as your assigned expert has submitted a solution to you. Your itinerary solution will have an expiration date/time attached to it. If the fare is no longer available but the expiration date/time has not been reached, your assigned Flight Expert will promptly find you an alternative without charge.

How long will it take for a Flystein Flight Expert to get back to me once I submit a request?

We guarantee we will get in touch with you within four hours of your initial request in case of Urgent request and within eight hours for all other requests. As our Flight Experts are located all over the world, it will usually take much less than four hours for one of them to accept the challenge.

Do I have to book the flights you find me with the same card I have used to pay for the Flystein search fee?

No, you can use a different credit card to pay Flystein’s search fee than the one you use to book your flights.

If I decide not to book the flights Flystein finds for me on Build My Trip or Beat My Price do I get a refund on the search fee I paid?

No. If you change your plans or simply decide not to book the flights that your Travel Expert found for you – we will not be able to refund the search fee. Our Flight Experts often spend several hours performing searches to get you the right fares and need to be compensated for their time and their services. We do not receive any commissions from airlines and the search fee is the only way how our experts are compensated. | Please refer to the Terms and Conditions.

I work for a start-up, remote organization or small business and want to save time and money on flights for me and my staff. Can you help?

Most definitely. Our Flight Experts have tons of experience in business travel and are specialized in maximizing air mile usage. We will also shortly be adding a subscription model for corporate clients to enable them to book several trips within a certain time frame for a flat fee. We can also currently offer great discounts and savings for our corporate clients. Please get in touch at hello@flystein.com and tell us more about your needs.

I have recently found a low airfare on a metasearch website that I wanted to submit for a Beat My Price quote but now it’s disappeared. What happened to it?

Airfares can and do change frequently and we cannot control this. This happens because airlines use yield management (also known as “revenue management”), which involves dynamically changing the availability of different fares for a particular flight to maximize profit. If you have found a very low fare we suggest booking it immediately as the cheapest available tickets on a given flight sell out very fast and there are often only a limited amount of seats available in the first place. Please also note that metasearch sites, such as Kayak, can sometimes show stale fares, and you will only see the real-time fare information after you have followed the link to book. In most cases, the price is the same, but it may be different if the airline has just changed it.

How far in advance should I ask Flystein to search for my flights?

You can book a flight up to 330 days in advance of your departure date. However, the lowest fares are typically offered between three and four months in advance of departure. If you are flying during high season and school vacation periods, we recommend that you get in touch with us well in advance of your departure date.

Can I get an invoice?

We use an established and trusted third party payment service, Stripe, to process payments. When your credit card has been charged you will receive an automated email with a detailed receipt from Stripe. If you require an invoice from Flystein please contact accounts@flystein.com.

Why I can't see a recent refund or authorization removal in my online bank statement?

Some banks show authorization as a charge, and it can take up to 5–10 business days for the authorization to be removed by your bank. Please check your bank statement again in a week and contact us at hello@flystein.com if it is not updated by then. Please note that refunds may appear in the form of a reversal. In this case, the original payment will disappear from your bank statement.

Will Flystein keep me updated on the latest travel industry news and crazy low air fares?

Yes. Flystein knows that there are always many ways to fly cheaply and keeps careful watch for the latest amazing deals. Sometimes airlines use flash sales to boost their profits or mistakenly publish an ‘error fare’ (they price a flight far too low by accident. Bad news for them, great news for you). We’ll keep you updated about all of these via our website, Facebook and Twitter accounts.

I’m a blogger/travel writing professional. Can I join your Affiliate Program?

Yes please! Find out more on our Affiliate Program page.

My organization wants to partner with Flystein. Is that possible?

Absolutely. We are always looking for organizations to partner with. Drop us a line at hello@flystein.com and let us know about you, your product and services and how you think Flystein can help.

I need guidance to book the flights you just found for me. Can you help?

Of course! Your assigned Flight Expert stays with you from the beginning of the process to the end. You can always chat with your Flight Expert using our built-in chat on the trip request page. We also offer voice support through Skype for complicated itineraries and for our corporate clients.