ITA Arrrrgh
Jun 11, 2012, 6:41 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2000
Posts: 246
ITA Arrrrgh
Off and on I have tried to put in two stops only to find it won't accept it. Okay fine, a day later it does.
Current problem is I found a decent airfare PHX-XMN, but can't book it. On orbitz it lists the fare, but when I click I discover it is all sold out. Other sites don't show the fare.
Does ITA show fares that are already sold out?
Current problem is I found a decent airfare PHX-XMN, but can't book it. On orbitz it lists the fare, but when I click I discover it is all sold out. Other sites don't show the fare.
Does ITA show fares that are already sold out?
Jun 12, 2012, 1:07 pm
#2
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: YUL
Programs: AC Altitude -.006k
Posts: 895
IME, I find ITA to show things that are available and bookable. There is an option near the bottom of the search page "Only show flights and prices with available seats" if checked.
Good luck,
Whitey in YUL
Good luck,
Whitey in YUL
Jun 12, 2012, 1:31 pm
#3
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: DFW
Programs: AS, BA, AA
Posts: 3,670
Make sure your sales city is correct in ITA... that can impact the available fares, especially if they are restricted by country.
But generally, if you do not uncheck the "Only show flights and prices with available seats" option, ITA is very good at giving accurate results. A real travel agent should be able to book the seats using ITA's fare construction.
But generally, if you do not uncheck the "Only show flights and prices with available seats" option, ITA is very good at giving accurate results. A real travel agent should be able to book the seats using ITA's fare construction.
Jun 12, 2012, 2:00 pm
#5
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: where the chile is hot
Programs: AA,RR,NW,Delta ,UA,CO
Posts: 41,700
Did you check the fare rules? Maybe there's some bizarre exclusion in there.
Jun 12, 2012, 2:09 pm
#6
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 10
Jun 12, 2012, 5:12 pm
#8
Join Date: Feb 1999
Location: San Jose, California, USA
Programs: AS 100K, UA MM, AA MM, IC Plat Amb, Marriott Gold, Hilton Gold, Hyatt Explorist
Posts: 3,146
I think it's a crap shoot trying to price out some ITA itineraries online. Even when I have precisely recreated an ITA itinerary in another booking engine, it's not unusual for the price to differ -- sometimes by only a few cents, and sometimes by thousands of dollars. This isn't always ITA's fault, because ITA is more flexible than some booking engines can be. For this reason, I use ITA merely as a starting point.
If I can't recreate an itinerary that ITA finds, sometimes I'll try with hipmunk, because hipmunk takes me directly to a booking engine where I can more easily confirm the quoted price.
If I can't recreate an itinerary that ITA finds, sometimes I'll try with hipmunk, because hipmunk takes me directly to a booking engine where I can more easily confirm the quoted price.
Jun 12, 2012, 6:57 pm
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2000
Posts: 246
I didn't know about the box to check that would be available flights only. Just figured they were. What I found annoying was that I tried fights from LAX and PHX to XMN found the same three dates that looked good.
Tried the airline site, vayama, orbitz, kayak etc...and could duplicate fare for any dates it showed starting from either point.
However, since I use it as a starting point as someone mentioned, I remember to check the box for a better basis.
Thanks all.
Tried the airline site, vayama, orbitz, kayak etc...and could duplicate fare for any dates it showed starting from either point.
However, since I use it as a starting point as someone mentioned, I remember to check the box for a better basis.
Thanks all.
Jun 12, 2012, 6:59 pm
#10
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: RNO
Posts: 375
Don't know if it applies to the OP, but from what I can see, ITA does cache availability and the refresh time has lengthened since Google took over. Must save a few pennies. Anyway, I have seen several examples of inventory out of sync with "real" sites (every one I can recall was a USA domestic segment). Trouble is it now seems it can take hours before the cache gets refreshed.
Jun 12, 2012, 7:01 pm
#11
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: YUL
Programs: AC Altitude -.006k
Posts: 895
I didn't know about the box to check that would be available flights only. Just figured they were. What I found annoying was that I tried fights from LAX and PHX to XMN found the same three dates that looked good.
Tried the airline site, vayama, orbitz, kayak etc...and could duplicate fare for any dates it showed starting from either point.
However, since I use it as a starting point as someone mentioned, I remember to check the box for a better basis.
Thanks all.
Tried the airline site, vayama, orbitz, kayak etc...and could duplicate fare for any dates it showed starting from either point.
However, since I use it as a starting point as someone mentioned, I remember to check the box for a better basis.
Thanks all.
Don't know if it applies to the OP, but from what I can see, ITA does cache availability and the refresh time has lengthened since Google took over. Must save a few pennies. Anyway, I have seen several examples of inventory out of sync with "real" sites (every one I can recall was a USA domestic segment). Trouble is it now seems it can take hours before the cache gets refreshed.
Jun 14, 2012, 3:10 pm
#12
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 10
Ortbitz and some other OTAs find the fare, too, but when trying to book, it says "We're sorry, the fare for that itinerary is no longer available."
I thought, this was related to caching. But I looked two days ago and today it still shows the fares. Shouldn't they be removed from cache after a while?
I thought, this was related to caching. But I looked two days ago and today it still shows the fares. Shouldn't they be removed from cache after a while?
Jun 14, 2012, 3:52 pm
#13
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: SF Bay Area
Programs: UA 1K, Hyatt Globalist, Virtuoso Travel Agent, Commercial Pilot
Posts: 2,117
Ortbitz and some other OTAs find the fare, too, but when trying to book, it says "We're sorry, the fare for that itinerary is no longer available."
I thought, this was related to caching. But I looked two days ago and today it still shows the fares. Shouldn't they be removed from cache after a while?
I thought, this was related to caching. But I looked two days ago and today it still shows the fares. Shouldn't they be removed from cache after a while?
Jun 15, 2012, 2:34 pm
#14
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: San Diego
Programs: Delta PLAT, Marriot Plat, IHG Plat, SPG Gold, A couple of other airlines - pee on
Posts: 623
I am having big time trouble with it today. Will not allow me to pick cities within xx number of miles (although the miles search was 300 before, but now 2000).
Jun 16, 2012, 9:29 pm
#15
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: OR
Posts: 1,535
