“Warning to travelers booking Egypt train tickets through Bookaway ⚠️
I booked round-trip train tickets (Cairo-Alexandria-Cairo) through Bookaway in December 2024.
My experience revealed serious issues that potential customers should know about:
1. Despite Bookaway's written policy requiring their agent to provide physical tickets "at least 9 hours before departure," their agent failed to deliver tickets as promised.
2. For the outbound journey, after multiple delays and last-minute changes, the agent provided second-class tickets despite my having paid for first class.
3. For the return journey, the agent:
- Attempted to force a change to a different train time despite my stating this wouldn't work with my schedule
- Sent invalid tickets for an evening train on the morning of travel - Made questionable claims about "coordinating with train staff" when challenged
- Left me with no choice but to purchase new tickets to ensure I could travel
4. When I reported these issues to Bookaway customer service, they have repeatedly delayed resolution by claiming they cannot reach their agent.
This was not a case of minor inconvenience - it was a pattern of problematic behavior that caused considerable stress and extra expense during my holiday. I attempted to resolve this through their customer service but received only delays and excuses.
I recommend booking train tickets directly at the station or through more reliable services.
The small price premium that Bookaway charges is not worth the risk of similar problems with their agents.
Date of travel: December 21-23, 2024 Route: Cairo-Alexandria return Booking reference: BW2883632”
Hi Nigel,
Thanks for your feedback. I can see that we've already resolved this issue, and you were fully refunded. We're continuously working on improving our internal processes to ensure a smoother experience for all travelers. If you need anything else, feel free to reach out.
We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused, and we appreciate you taking the time to provide us with your insight.
Wish you all the best,
The Bookaway Team
“We booked a 5:30pm La Macarena bus through Bookaway from Medellin to Cartagena, Colombia. It said on our tickets to arrive at the terminal 30 minutes before our departure. When we got to the terminal they said a 5:30pm bus and company does not exist here and we would need to get on a different bus 2 hours later. We tried to call Bookaway support and no one answered. We tried to use their “online chat” feature which does not exist and emailed and messaged on Facebook with no response.”
Hi Ashlee,
Thank you for your review.
I'm sorry to hear about what happened on your travel day. If you haven't had the opportunity to raise a formal complaint, or if this hasn't been resolved yet, please reach out to support@bookaway.com, and we'll take care of investigating this case.
Our sincerest apologies,
The Bookaway Team
“Booked big big bus Vang vieng to Vientiane they gave me the wrong directions so i had to take twice a tuk tuk
Arrive at departure point it was not a big bus but a small 30 years old microbus
Bookawy let me pay twice the price as it was when i had booked with the buscompany”
Hey Jan,
Thank you for sharing your experience with us, and we're truly sorry to hear about what happened.
We have already taken the necessary steps to ensure that this operator does not experience similar problems again.
Your feedback means the world to us, so thank you for informing us of your experience.
Our Sincerest Apologies,
The Bookaway Team
“Very bad experienced. I bought a ticket in Egypt. After purchasing they teld you is mandatory to meet a person ti get the ticket. This person arrived late to station and i missed the train. Horrible!”
Hi Ang,
Thank you for sharing your experience with us, and we're truly sorry to hear about what happened.
First and foremost, I want to assure you that we take your concerns seriously, and our team is actively working to investigate and address the issues you've raised. Your feedback is invaluable, and we are committed to resolving this matter promptly.
I can see that you had reached out to our support team about this and the matter is being investigated, we take our partnerships very seriously and if something went wrong with the operator this time, our team will make sure to resolve it.
Once again, I apologize for any frustration or inconvenience you've experienced. We are committed to making this right for you and appreciate the opportunity to rectify the situation. Our support team will be in touch with you via email.
Our sincerest apologies,
The Bookaway team
“I tried booking a ticket from Playa Del Carmen to Cancun airport and I entered my credit card information and when I clicked on “proceed/pay” the webpage gave an “Page error” message. I didn’t think much if it and closed the browser and went on with my day and wrnt to buy a bus ticket at ADO Terminal to avoid any online inconvenience. I later noticed the charge from Bookaway went on my credit card… but I did NOT receive an email or a ticket for the bus fare. I emailed bookaway and I was told they can’t cancel because the ticket was issued (A TICKET I HAD NEVER RECEIVED!!!) I will never book with them again after this nor recommend them. Keep my damn 31$.”
Hey there,
We're really sorry to hear about what happened. This is not the experience we want you to have when booking with us.
We have noticed that your booking includes a flexible cancellation policy. Therefore, we have processed the cancellation and issued your refund.
As for the payment issues you encountered during the checkout process, we have already reported this to our tech team. They will investigate the matter further to prevent similar problems from occurring in the future.
Your feedback is incredibly valuable to us, and we appreciate you bringing this issue to our attention.
Our sincerest apologies,
The Bookaway Team
“Bookaway sold me a train ride that does not exist. They have taken no responsibility in my claim for a refund between what was provided and what I booked. The company is corrupt and closed my request with the response that will work with the operator to resolve. I would never use this company again. Avoid at all costs and go direct to the operators in the country of travel”
Hi there,
Thank you for sharing your experience with us, and we're truly sorry to hear about what happened.
First and foremost, I want to assure you that we take your concerns seriously, and our team is actively working to investigate and address the issues you've raised. Your feedback is invaluable, and we are committed to resolving this matter promptly.
I can see that you had reached out to our support team about this and the matter is being investigated, we take our partnerships very seriously and if something went wrong with the operator this time, our team will make sure to resolve it.
Once again, I apologize for any frustration or inconvenience you've experienced. We are committed to making this right for you and appreciate the opportunity to rectify the situation.
Our sincerest apologies,
The Bookaway team
“The system put in the wrong date and issued a ticket for the 2 Nd Dec when I most certainly put in the correct date of the 4 Dec. So I paid for a ticket I could not use and bought one for the correct date on another website. Not very good that ; is it?”
Hey Neil,
Thank you for sharing your experience with us, and we're truly sorry to hear about what happened.
Please note that our website is designed to maintain consistency throughout the booking process, and it does not change the dates or times you select. It's important to highlight that, during the booking process, the selected departure and return dates and times are shown at multiple stages to ensure accuracy. It is the responsibility of our valued travelers to thoroughly review and confirm these details before finalizing the booking.
If there are any outstanding issues, please don't hesitate to contact us at Support@Bookaway.com.
Our sincerest apologies,
The Bookaway Team
Hey Johannes,
Thank you for sharing your experience with us, and we're truly sorry to hear about what happened.
We have already taken the necessary steps to ensure things like this do not happen again in the future in regard to this operator.
Your feedback means the world to us, so thank you for informing us of your experience.
Our Sincerest Apologies,
The Bookaway Team
“I just booked a ferry from Ho Chi Minh City to Vung Tau. The Bookaway site said price range $15-1$17, then $19. After buying, the price jumped to $22.45. A quick check on the Greenlines Ferry website clearly shows the tickets readily available at $13.65 (350,000d). Cut out the outrageous middleman! At least it was a small loss, but a 70% markup?! Beware of jumping on the first sponsored Google search result!”
Hey Randal,
Thank you so much for sharing your opinion and concerns with us.
While we do charge a small fee for our online booking services, we strive to keep this markup minimal. In many cases, we are able to negotiate reduced ticket prices through business agreements with operators, ensuring that our prices remain competitive and within an acceptable range.
Although booking directly with the operator might sometimes be cheaper, this is not always the case. We continuously monitor and adjust our prices to ensure they remain fair and reasonable. Additionally, booking with us offers several advantages, including the ability to reserve your trip in advance, secure your preferred departure date and time, and choose your preferred operator. We also provide nearly 24/7 customer support in multiple languages, allowing you to easily change or cancel your reservations and receive assistance with any aspect of your trip.
We believe that these benefits offer a safer and more efficient booking experience.
Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns.
Best regards,
The Bookaway Team
“My experience about Bookaway was really bad. We made booking already 6 weeks before the train journey between Luang Prabang and Vientiane in Laos. First they promised, that confirmation would come within 3 days, it did not. Then they said it would come closer to trip date. Finally it would have arrived 3 days before trip, it did not. At last they said, it would come a day before the trip. 12 hrs before the trip they sent me mail, that operator has not confirmed the ticket and that they are returning my money. This was good, but since I really needed to change place we had to book hastily a van ride, which took 10 hrs instead of 2 hrs train ride. So basically, they were all the time selling air to me until the very minute and they let me know that they have everything in control…so I’am very dissatisfied customer. Never gonna use this service again.”
Hey there,
First of all, I am very sorry to hear about what happened.
Please note that when you make a reservation with us, as stated in the policy, a booking goes through the status of "Pending", and during the time that it is pending, we wait for the operator's approval or decline of a booking depending on his schedule.
Most of the time, the bookings are approved, but in some cases such as this, we might sadly have to cancel a booking due to lack of availability from the operator's side.
Rest assured that we have taken the necessary steps to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future. Your feedback is incredibly valuable to us, and we appreciate you bringing this issue to our attention.
Our sincerest apologies,
The Bookaway Team
“Completely a scam DO NOT TRUST!
I paid 60 euros for transportation in a VIP Mini Van for 5 hours of travel, advertised by them with accurate photos and descriptions, with leather comfort seats, snacks and drinks included, USB ports for charging, blankets for passengers etc. I traveled for 8 and a half hours in a dirty, broken van without any service, no food, no drinks, no refills, small uncomfortable seats dirty and in difficult hygienic conditions. I provided all the photos and proof of the trip and Bookaway offered me a 10% refund of the ticket...10%!!! they scam you, offer services at higher prices and then don't guarantee you anything, stay away!”
Hi Renato,
Thank you for sharing your experience with us, and we're truly sorry to hear about what happened. I can see that you had reached out to our support team about this and the matter was investigated. This trip was already fully refunded to you.
We have already taken the necessary steps to ensure things like this do not happen again in the future in regard to this operator.
Your feedback means the world to us, so thank you for informing us of your experience.
Our Sincerest Apologies,
The Bookaway Team
“Enormous commission on Vietnam rail tickets. The face value of my ticket was $56 AUD. Bookaway charged me $ 93 AUD. I'm happy to pay for their services but this charge is dreadful.
Better to book directly with Vietnam rail.”
Hey Anne,
Thank you so much for sharing your opinion and concerns with us.
While we do charge a small fee for our online booking services, we strive to keep this markup minimal. In many cases, we are able to negotiate reduced ticket prices through business agreements with operators, ensuring that our prices remain competitive and within an acceptable range.
Although booking directly with the operator might sometimes be cheaper, this is not always the case. We continuously monitor and adjust our prices to ensure they remain fair and reasonable. Additionally, booking with us offers several advantages, including the ability to reserve your trip in advance, secure your preferred departure date and time, and choose your preferred operator. We also provide nearly 24/7 customer support in multiple languages, allowing you to easily change or cancel your reservations and receive assistance with any aspect of your trip.
We believe that these benefits offer a safer and more efficient booking experience.
Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns.
Best regards,
The Bookaway Team
“I think I’ve been scammed. They offer services from other agencies that aren’t accurate. They should double check the services they host. And they don’t even admit it or take any sort of accountability. Not to mention how overpriced the tickets are. For instance, I booked and “express” train ride from them when the operator doesn’t even have that option in the first place (the trip lasted 13 hours!!!). Next, I booked a van ride in a foreign country that operated during hours when tourists were not allowed to cross that road. Be careful when booking from them. Their responses to my issues were unacceptable. The partial refund offer was insulting. They gaslighted me in every exchange I had with them and never solved my problem, blaming the operators. They don’t take accountability of their mistakes and they never took my problem seriously. I’ve no choice but to escalate this to consumer protection authorities. Be very careful when booking from them.”
Hey Anastasia,
Thank you for sharing your experience with us, and we're truly sorry to hear about what happened.
We have already taken the necessary steps to ensure things like this do not happen again in the future in regard to this operator.
Your feedback means the world to us, so thank you for informing us of your experience.
Our Sincerest Apologies,
The Bookaway Team
“Stay away from this company.
It's a trap.
Charge the account immediately. They didn't let me change or cancel seconds after making an order, because of a mistake, and before confirming the issuance of the ticket for the ferry.
After confirming the order, they claimed that they were not eligible after issuing a ticket. But they didn't let you change or cancel it.
In the end they let me cancel but without credit. So where did the money go? Maybe that's how they make money?
And this is a ferry in general that on any other booking site there is no problem to cancel.
AI customer service.
It is better to avoid doing business with them.”
Hey Meir,
I am very sorry to hear of your dissatisfaction.
When you contact our support team, they will do their best to help you with your inquiries but sometimes there are limitations and there are changes that they cannot do without the operator's approval.
Please note that the operator's policy is something that is beyond our control and is stated explicitly on the website and on the voucher when purchasing a ticket. In this case, the operator policy stated that changes weren't possible after the tickets were issued, and, unfortunately, we are not able to make online changes in these cases.
Our Sincerest Apologies,
The Bookaway Team
“Beware this company
Booking price in gbp to look cheap. When booking, the price was in USD., the currency in Cambodia and the confirmation in USD. The price was the same as other booking companies so I booked. They confirmed price in USD and then sent an additional reciept which was the same figure but in Euro, which they took from my card, which was 4 USD more. This is not a transparant company and there was no easy way to cancel and their customer service is non exsistant just a standard letter, and blaming the banks. I make this journey many times and live here so I will inform other people here to be wary of this companies tactics.”
Hey there,
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. I sincerely apologize for any dissatisfaction you may have experienced.
Here at Bookaway, we work with various operators worldwide, and as a result, our payment system automatically converts charges to USD or Euro when purchasing a ticket. This is done to ensure uniformity in all payments.
Therefore, the charge was processed in Euro, as indicated during the booking process. This may have led to a difference in the final amount due to currency exchange rates and any processing fees. Additionally, your card issuer might have applied a foreign transaction fee.
I hope this information clarifies things for you. If you have any further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us again.
Best regards,
The Bookaway team
“Very devious company. The 15% Service fee is added right at the last second of the booking process. Blink and you’ll miss it.
It is also non refundable, despite offer of full refund up to 24 hours before trip.
Beware!”
Hi David,
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. I sincerely apologize for any dissatisfaction you may have experienced.
I want to clarify that there is no intention to mislead you in any way. The processing fee, which covers the costs of handling the transaction, is a standard charge collected by the payment processing platform, not by us. This fee is used to cover payment-related expenses and is already incurred once the transaction is completed. Therefore, when we issue a refund, we return the full amount you paid for your booking, minus the processing fee, as that fee has already been forwarded to the payment processor.
As for cancellations, we offer the option to receive a full-value coupon or a refund, as stated on our website. If you opt for a refund, it will be processed minus the processing fee and any optional add-ons. We're always happy to assist with clarifications if anything seems unclear during the booking process.
Your feedback means the world to us, so thank you for informing us of your experience.
Best regards,
The Bookaway Team
“Booked a trip from the Cancún Intl Airport to the Hotel Zone and when we got to the counter the reservation did not exist. Wasted two hours going back and forth with their customer service. Would NOT recommend!”
Hi Eve,
Thank you for sharing your experience with us, and we're truly sorry to hear about what happened. I can see that you had reached out to our support team about this and the matter was investigated. This trip was already fully refunded to you.
We have already taken the necessary steps to ensure such incidents do not happen again in the future with this operator. Your feedback is incredibly valuable to us, and we appreciate you informing us of your experience.
Our support team will be in touch with you shortly to discuss this further.
Our Sincerest Apologies,
The Bookaway Team
Hey Javier,
We are very sorry to hear about what happened and your negative experience.
Unfortunately, I couldn't find a booking under your name in our system in order to check about what happened and provide you with a resolution. Please contact us at Support@Bookaway.com and our support team will help you with this.
Your feedback is incredibly valuable to us, and we appreciate you bringing this issue to our attention.
Our sincerest apologies,
The Bookaway Team
“AVOID USING BOOKAWAY AS THEY CANNOT BE TRUSTED. Incorrect ferry departure details were provided to me which led to me missing my ferry and therefore having to pay another ferry company £96 in order to reach my destination. Also arriving 2 hours later…
Surprise surprise following my complaint, they claim to have sent me an email prior to my trip informing me of the change in departure time. I can say with 100% certainly that an email wasn’t sent to me. Furthermore they claimed the email was sent to me on the 31st April, which goes to show they’re making lies up to avoid compensation, given there aren’t even 31 days in April!! After they realised this, they then quickly changed the date to 31st March. Okay Bookaway… whatever you say.. 🙄
I have asked Bookaway multiple times for their complaints escalation procedure AND for proof of the alleged email that would have been sent to me. None of these have been forthcoming…
Completely incompetent company. If they mess your holiday plans up like they did mine,DO NOT expect any kind of compensation or customer service from them. You have been warned!.”
Hey Richard,
We are very sorry to hear that you had a negative experience. While we believe that the change in the schedule was communicated in a timely manner, we understand that the adjustment was not suitable for you. When things like this happen, we rightly refund our customers (as we have done in this case as well).
We have already taken the necessary steps to ensure this does not happen again.
Your feedback means the world to us, so thank you for informing us of your experience.
Our Sincerest Apologies,
The Bookaway Team
“This is the third mistake you guys have made. The last. I booked A bus fromPhong Nha to Ninh Bihn And received confirmation voucher and a ticket PDF. I went to the designated stop and the bus arrived but had no record of me or my purchase. So I missed the flight and I am unhappy with this business and I will not use them again.”
Hey Robert,
We are very sorry to hear about what happened and your negative experience.
Unfortunately, I couldn't find a booking under your name in our system in order to check about what happened and provide you with a resolution. Please contact us at Support@Bookaway.com and our support team will help you with this.
Your feedback is incredibly valuable to us, and we appreciate you bringing this issue to our attention.
Our sincerest apologies,
The Bookaway Team
