Online Travel Booking and Bidding Agencies - Orbitz bait & switch

I usually book airfare through the UA site, but always check elsewhere to make sure the fare I'm purchasing is the best I can do.

When searching for fares on UA, an Orbitz popup will appear showing the rates one can get on Orbitz.

Whenever I've clicked on the UA fare via this pop up, I have been told the following (paraphrased) "the fare you have chosen is no longer available" or "due to the ever changing airfare, blah blah blah). The fare then becomes what I originally received on UA.

just seems to be a bait & switch routine IMO.

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Too many times Orbitz sez the same thing after you have gone through 3-5 pages of entering your info, thus I quit using it for air travel months ago. I do like the car rental matrix and often use it. The hotel section is too slow. IMHO Orbitz bats .333

MisterNice

I had the same problem with the car rental matrix. I recently checked on a rental car on a quick 24 hr turn to keep UA 1K. I got the message that the rate is no longer available. I went to the car company's website & was able to reserve the car on their site. Orbitz lost this round.

I use Orbitz quite a bit and rarely have the "disappearing fares" issue. But couldn't the scenario you are describing have more to do with the airlines themselves than with the agency -- Orbitz -- offering them? As you know, airlines file fares several times each day, and their inventories fluctuate by the minute.

Just my two cents.

in my experience: rarely for flights, but very often for car rentals.

The car rental matrix seems to always be filled with fares that vanish. I often use the lowest as a basis for a priceline bid at 30% or so lower. Usually get it too.

I haven't had that experience with Orbitz either.. but couldn't the same thing apply to car rentals? Don't rental agencies change different rates all the time, so the bargain rates may in fact change or all get reserved by the time you get there???