Keeping real time track of low air fares
Jul 6, 2000 | 7:37 am
#1
Original Poster
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Melbourne Australia
Posts: 1,394
Keeping real time track of low air fares
Hi all
With all the new internet tools like dream maps about I was just wondering which tools people had found the most useful for finding cheap airfares (in real time) eg fare watchers etc.
cheers Peter
Jul 6, 2000 | 8:28 am
#2
Join Date: Mar 2000
Programs: UA 1PMM,AAG; usedtobeelite
Posts: 2,500
Fare watcher tool in Expedia is useless in my opinion. Like driving forward and staring into the rear view mirror.
Fare Watcher tool on Travelocity is tardy if you are seeking the 1-2 day fares like the 1 day's recently of $54 IND-SBA or the $77 ATL-? or the $198 BWI-LAX. It checks once a day and sends an email. By the time you get the mail, read the mail, go online, some seats are already gone. But it does check
Manual checking of Dream Map and the sometimes-accurate alternatives that pop up is the best I can nominate. And watching FT!
Fare Watcher tool on Travelocity is tardy if you are seeking the 1-2 day fares like the 1 day's recently of $54 IND-SBA or the $77 ATL-? or the $198 BWI-LAX. It checks once a day and sends an email. By the time you get the mail, read the mail, go online, some seats are already gone. But it does check
Manual checking of Dream Map and the sometimes-accurate alternatives that pop up is the best I can nominate. And watching FT!
Jul 6, 2000 | 9:01 am
#3
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Arizona
Programs: MSP raised, Elite since age 17
Posts: 4,723
The BestFares Newsdesk has been pretty good about posting late-breaking "Snooze Alarm" fares all day--- although they really have been slipping in the past year or so.
Who had the $54 SBA-IND fare, and when? That would have been nice to get.......
The site is http://www.bestfares.com/travel_cent...=Headline+Only
[This message has been edited by Viajero Joven (edited 07-06-2000).]
Who had the $54 SBA-IND fare, and when? That would have been nice to get.......
The site is http://www.bestfares.com/travel_cent...=Headline+Only
[This message has been edited by Viajero Joven (edited 07-06-2000).]
Jul 6, 2000 | 12:55 pm
#4
Join Date: May 1999
Location: Madison, WI, USA; NW Platinum, Marriott Silver, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Platinum
Posts: 938
One thing I've been really curious about is if there is a someplace where I could just download a file of current fares. The airlines update their fares several times a day; these are then downloaded and imported by other ticketing sites. I'd really like to find a way of downloading the actual files so that I could run my own programs to look for fare anomolies.
Anyone have any ideas?
Anyone have any ideas?
Jul 6, 2000 | 3:09 pm
#5
Join Date: Apr 2000
Posts: 739
www.air-fare.com
It's not real-time; only updated once or
twice each day. Regardless; I like it
because it is possible to bookmark the
city-pair of interest.
-doug
It's not real-time; only updated once or
twice each day. Regardless; I like it
because it is possible to bookmark the
city-pair of interest.
-doug
Jul 6, 2000 | 7:30 pm
#6
Join Date: Mar 2000
Programs: UA 1PMM,AAG; usedtobeelite
Posts: 2,500
Jul 8, 2000 | 3:10 pm
#10
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Kirkland, WA
Posts: 6,932
Yahoo Messenger ( http://messenger.yahoo.com ) has an option to show fares between certain (not all) city pairs. It is updated more than once a day but not immediately. I use it all the time.
Jul 9, 2000 | 1:33 am
#13
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Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Melbourne Australia
Posts: 1,394
Jul 9, 2000 | 1:37 am
#14
Original Poster
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Melbourne Australia
Posts: 1,394
Jul 9, 2000 | 3:38 am
#15
Join Date: Mar 2000
Programs: UA 1PMM,AAG; usedtobeelite
Posts: 2,500
Thanks! ffhound,. Now I remember it from AOW. Something's wrong with my browser at the moment and the Java applet is not working correctly. If one clicks on the fare as it shows (fleetingly) in the small window, does that take you to that specific booking (ala expedia) or to the opening reservations screen as if you were starting fresh?
[This message has been edited by Warrenlm (edited 07-09-2000).]
[This message has been edited by Warrenlm (edited 07-09-2000).]