"How much are you willing to pay?" This is what our SmartFare agent (Nixon) asked us when we called, stranded at the Perth airport after Air New Zealand informed us our flight home to Canada had been cancelled. My answer...$5000 CAD each. So when quoted $4740 each, we said yes, economy seated together. The final price became $13,885 CAD, economy seated apart. We felt desperate, took the seats, got home.
We feel we have been lied to, robbed, and taken advantage of in our desperate situation to get home.

UPDATE TO REVIEW...
After writing this review on SmartFare, San Diego, California, I submitted a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. They were super helpful and effective. They submitted my complaint to SmartFares, and I got a phone call from SmartFares the next day. They granted my request to reimburse the over charged fees based on my price-gouging complaint. I agreed to their terms requested of me: to remove my complaint with the BBB. I did so, and my extra charges were reimbursed.
I did not request some of the high fees charged for our initial tickets; I thought that, in light of the over-charging by ALL the airlines because of the number of people trying to fly home, it was worth the high inflated rate to get home. Also, I thought if I limited my complaint request to the last inflated fee, it would be more likely to get a settlement. I was correct. Good luck with your complaints to the Better Business Bureau.

I bought qatar airline ticket through this web, cause they offered cheaper price than the airline's website itself. Covid-19 hit, I can't fly. Requested refund, told to wait for 2 - 3 months. I waited, still have not received any refund. Their customer service is full of rude men with indian accent (really hope they can be nicer).

Here is my recent experience. I bought ticket where marks as 690CAnadian dollar on Jan 4. It ends up charge me 754 something. I called customer service who inform the charge me 690 but my credit card bank charge me the additional. I never receive confirmation email. After I called 3 times in 27 hours finally someone confirmed that ticket is done and email me the e ticket. I am glad that the ticket is true at least. Not recommended

Don't ever book your flight with them. It is a horrible experience. I refused to reschedule my flight with them since they charge me a few thousand dollars for that but the airline company only charges 500. Then they just canceled my return trip! How the hell on the earth would people do such a terrible thing! I called the airline company they said they can do nothing because i booked it with the agent company. Take my bad experience as an example. Dont waste your money with them!

I booked with them in the morning and tried to cancel same day. Then charged me 60$ and they could do whatever they want and you have to accept otherwise you wont get any of your money back. When I went to cancel the reservation was still pending but magically as soon as I asked to cancel, I was told it was confirmed. How was it confirmed and i have not received confirmation email. It is all about how to take customers' money. Believe me. Deal with airline directly as I learned the hard way.

No functioning support (calls will be put on hold indefinitely, emails won't be answered for weeks). Seems highly fraudulent and you will end up spending more money than planned, AVOID!

I booked a flight after reading that they offered a refund if you cancelled within 25 hours. I called to cancel and was told it would cost 200.00 to cancel the reservation.
I went ahead and cancelled anyway and HOPEFULLY will get a refund minus the 200.00.
Agent was not helpful.
I wish I had read the reviews prior to booking. Live and learn

Horrible! Talked to 3 agents all different answers. One hung up on me. I tried to get a refund due to cancellations because of COVID-19 and they were making that difficult. They kept blaming the Airline, when on the website it states that they are issuing refunds. One agent said I could get a refund of $220 out off of a $566.17 ticket. Last guy I spoke with gave $399, I decided to settle with that amount because I ran out of energy. 0 stars if possible but definitely would not recommend, this business needs to be shut down.

Thought we were getting a deal. Had to purchase tickets in a hurry. Received an initial confirmation email but the code did not return any information when entered on airline website. Received final e mail ONE MINUTE before departure WHILE ON PHONE with one of their agents. And to add insult to injury they CANCELLED my ticket and charged me an extra $150 to get us another flight on a different airline! If it was not a family emergency would not have went along. I WILL BE FILING WITH BBB. Do NOT BOOK WITH THIS AGENCY.

DO not use Smartfares! They will offer a deeply discounted airfare and send you a confirmation number to your email. The next day you will receive an email to call them immediately because they were unable to confirm your flight. When you call them back, they will try to sell you another flight at a much higher price. In my case, I missed out on a really good fare from another airline because of this scam! DO NOT USE!

I booked a ticket with them, and the flight got canceled due to the Covid-19, as per the normal flight rules, if the flight got canceled, I should be getting full refund on my tickets, however, they rejected to support me.
I reached the airlines, and they sent to them requesting to support me, and fully refund the fees, they still rejecting and keep ignoring my emails. They took the money and they do not want to refund me anything now.

Firstly, the agents literally sound annoyed to be on the phone with you... no matter how pleasant I have been when I have called in they have always had a horrible attitude. Red Flag.

Secondly, they literally were taking advantage of the pandemic jacking up the price on flights hundreds of dollars when forced to rebook through them after quarantine closures.

DO NOT USE THIS SITE. SCAMMERS.

I made 27 phone calls over 3 months to get reimbursed for a $200 flight. I even had to call the airline many times, because Smartfares told me that they can't reimburse me until the airline reimbursed them, so basically I had to do their work for them. I would have gladly let this go after the first 10 calls, but then I was just mad. SCAM.

Booked a trip to Italy in October 2019. Purchased travel insurance. Coronavirus unexpectedly hit the world... Delta cancelled all flights to Italy... several calls to smartfares and they are not helpful nor empathetic to what many are facing. I didn't purchase tickets to cancel but rather enjoy an extraordinary anniversary with my husband and brother and sister in law. They need to do the right thing. Anywhere else if you don't get the product or service, you are refunded. The airlines will surely be bailed out if necessary! Never again!

Because of the coronavirus, this company takes advantage of people. I lost $1,000.00 with them. I wish someone would investigate and shut them down.
As for the rating, unfortunately there's no 0, so i'm forced to put 1 star

Headache headache. I've booked and paid for my flights and now there requesting for me to pay more staying the fares have gone up and refusing to refund me. When call to try to resolve issue they keep you on hold forever or simply disconnect your call. Worst experience I've ever had with a booking site.

Purchased a flight on March 19th it is April 8th I am still waiting on my $261 refund that was issued the next day after I purchase my tickets and they will not let me speak to a manager about the issue I've had to go through my bank to try to get my money back and now the bank can't even get a hold of them to get my money back. Worst website ever never use them!

If you are going to buy tickets through this company, be very careful because they are scam, my niece bought tickets to fly from PR to Orlando on April 2 and she called to cancel the flight and change the return one and she never found a number confirmation ticket at the airline and when they were called, they hung us up and the last one who answered gave us a false code and to this day they do not call, nor do they send a reservation code, nor do they return the money

NO STARS! THIS IS A SCAM THEY CHEATED ME AND MY DAUGHTER OUT OF $240! NO REFUND HAS BEEN PROCESSED IT BEEN MONTHS EVERY TIME I CALL I EITHER GET THE SAME PERSON AND THEY HANG UP ON YOU NO SUPERVISORS NOBODY ELSE TO SPEAK TO JUST A BIG ASS SCAM SMH ALL I WANT IS MY MONEY BACK FOR THE TICKETS FOR A FLIGHT THAT WASNT USED WTF! SMH KARMA WILL GET THEM I WILL BE SUING AND I HAVE BEEN RECORDING AND DOCUMENTING EVIDENCE

Purchased 4 business class tickets on Jan 2020. Since then flight has been cancelled and the airline refunded smart fare.com a company of LBT Travel. Since then I have been calling them few times a week, emailing with the customer service manager and no funds. More than $13,000 that they are holding illegally

They charged a much higher price than advertised than refuse to refund claiming issues airlines. Total scam

Please, I beg you, don't use this website. I have been calling and emailing them asking for a refund and after 7 months from the original payment I am still waiting.
I submitted a claim with my bank but it was dismissed.
In any case, I have been promised a refund and still waiting.
Now they don't answer emails and when I call, it surprisingly ends once I read my reservation number.

Smartfares is a SCAM. DO not use Smartfares! They will offer a deeply discounted airfare and send you a confirmation number to your email. The next day you will receive call them immediately because they were unable to confirm your flight. Air China offer full refund for cancellation or change for free since the wuhan coronavirus but smart fares Charge me 286 for cancellation fee, I asked everyone I know or I don't know, the most the travel agent charge was 50 dollars, and most of them are totally free. I will never book a ticket from smart fares again.