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ITA Software Matrix Airfare Search Consolidated Information and Help Thread

Old Jun 4, 2014, 6:07 pm
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: TWA884
ITA Matrix Search: http://matrix.itasoftware.com

You can sometimes see flights, fares and detailed fare rules that may not be reflected on an airline's website. Please read the thread for some tips and tricks, screen shots, etc.

A related thread, ITA-Matrix-PowerTools - Userscript for Orbitz/DL/UA/AA/BA/CZ/IB/LA/LH/LX/TK, discusses a user script which is maintained by fellow flyertalk members to enhance the already powerful Matrix of ITA Software by providing new features and booking links.

Additional details and tips on the use of ITA's advanced routing code feature can be found in the following long-standing Mileage Run Discussion threads:

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ITA Software Matrix Airfare Search Consolidated Information and Help Thread

Old Apr 12, 2015, 10:43 pm
  #961  
 
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Calchas - thanks for your willingness to help out, have dropped you a PM.
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Old Apr 13, 2015, 9:56 pm
  #962  
 
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Love ITA but they do not comprehend all airlines

Hi guys,

I am quite new and have not read the entire thread. I love ITA, but it seemed to me, that they often do not provide certain airlines like ryanair or even Delta Airlines. I did some research and in fact, important airlines like the mentioned are not covered by them.


Do you know why they do not cover all of them?

Last edited by commaander; Apr 13, 2015 at 10:40 pm
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Old Apr 14, 2015, 1:04 pm
  #963  
 
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Welcome to FlyerTalk commaander.

I'm not sure where you got the idea it's excluded, but Delta is definitely included in ITA searches.

It's true that many (most?) of the so-called budget or low cost carriers (LCCs), such as Ryanair, are not included in ITA searches, but you should be finding most of the major/legacy carriers in your results.
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Old Apr 14, 2015, 1:58 pm
  #964  
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Originally Posted by commaander
Hi guys,

I am quite new and have not read the entire thread. I love ITA, but it seemed to me, that they often do not provide certain airlines like ryanair or even Delta Airlines. I did some research and in fact, important airlines like the mentioned are not covered by them.


Do you know why they do not cover all of them?
Airlines offer their products through many channels.

The traditional channel is to publish their fares, their schedules and the availability on each flight onto what is called a "GDS" or global distribution system.

This system is how a travel agent in rural China can see that there is one seat left on your preferred LAX-JFK flight tomorrow afternoon. He can book it using the Computer Reservation System and be sure that no one else, even if they book it at the same time, will clash and overbook the plane (at least, this can happen, but only if the airline allows it).

The ITA Matrix presently uses this system to gather fare information, and to compute the lowest price available for you under a given set of circumstances.

But there are other ways airlines can sell their products. They can negotiate individual arrangements ("corporate fares") with large travel agents and large corporates, which are not publicly available. ITA cannot see those, and nor can anyone else.

Airlines nowadays also sell their products directly to customers, either online or by phone, or at the ticket desk. For a while, these channels simply mirrored the public information that was distributed to travel agents. For most airlines, such as British Airways, this remains the case. Many airlines, however, sometimes also offer cheaper deals on their websites (such as Cathay Pacific).

But there is a fee to join these global distributions systems. Some airlines, such as Easyjet and Ryanair, decided to sell their products directly to customers only, and bypass this whole travel agent business, which at the time also garnered agency fees for the agents that the airlines had to bear.

Ryanair continues with this paradigm, for now, but it is likely to change soon.

Other online booking sites often "scrape" the carriers' websites, that is they pretend to be a person looking at the site to obtain a fare quote. But ITA Matrix does not do this, it only uses publicly published information.

Last edited by Calchas; Apr 14, 2015 at 2:05 pm
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Old Apr 24, 2015, 11:29 am
  #965  
 
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Google Matrix showing price I can't seem to find?

I'm seeing around $260 for a flight on May 20 from LAX > OSLO as shown here http://i.gyazo.com/2d7c79e34c1c886e394633d82d3178b3.png however can't seem to find a way to book this at that rate anywhere, tried Kayak and the Norweign site? Merci!!
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Old Apr 24, 2015, 12:07 pm
  #966  
 
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Originally Posted by queensgambit
I'm seeing around $260 for a flight on May 20 from LAX > OSLO as shown here http://i.gyazo.com/2d7c79e34c1c886e394633d82d3178b3.png however can't seem to find a way to book this at that rate anywhere, tried Kayak and the Norweign site? Merci!!
Unfortunately matrix can be wrong. Usually it misses an esoteric routing rule on a complex itinerary, but that's obviously not the case here.

Odds are Matrix is forgetting the fuel surcharge (TATL fares are typically this low, along with a $500+ fuel surcharge). It could also be an issue where the Q bucket is unavailable or ineligible for one-way booking, but I would bet on it missing the fuel surcharge.
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Old Apr 24, 2015, 12:30 pm
  #967  
 
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Originally Posted by queensgambit
I'm seeing around $260 for a flight on May 20 from LAX > OSLO as shown here http://i.gyazo.com/2d7c79e34c1c886e394633d82d3178b3.png however can't seem to find a way to book this at that rate anywhere, tried Kayak and the Norweign site? Merci!!
You might wanna try again…



Edit: I know what's wrong. Your ITA search shows OSL-LAX, not LAX-OSL.
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Old Apr 24, 2015, 12:37 pm
  #968  
 
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Thanks and my apologies
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Old Apr 25, 2015, 4:29 am
  #969  
 
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trying to price a ticket in business class coming back from TYO to LAX. The rules are as following:
Category 8: Stopover restrictions
2 STOPOVERS PERMITTED ON THE PRICING UNIT - 1 IN EACH
DIRECTION IN SFO/LAX/SAN/DFW/CHI/NYC/BOS/YVR/JAPAN AT
USD 100.00 EACH.
CHILD/INFANT DISCOUNTS APPLY.
Category 9: Transfer restrictions
2 TRANSFERS PERMITTED IN EACH DIRECTION FREE
FREE IN YVR/CONTIGUOUS U.S.A. IN EACH DIRECTION.
AND - 2 TRANSFERS PERMITTED IN EACH DIRECTION FREE
FREE IN JAPAN IN EACH DIRECTION
FARE BREAK SURFACE SECTORS NOT PERMITTED AND
EMBEDDED SURFACE SECTORS PERMITTED ON THE FARE
COMPONENT.

Matrix prices it correctly if it stops in YVR, but I actually want to extend the mileage and stop in NYC rather than YVR (so NRT-JFK-LAX, not NRT-YVR-LAX). however pricing this the price jumps 700 dollars not 100.
What am i doing wrong?

Last edited by DrDrDr56; Apr 25, 2015 at 8:15 am
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Old Apr 25, 2015, 4:41 am
  #970  
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Originally Posted by DrDrDr56
trying to price a ticket in business class coming back from TYO to LAX. The rules are as following:
Category 8: Stopover restrictions
2 STOPOVERS PERMITTED ON THE PRICING UNIT - 1 IN EACH
DIRECTION IN SFO/LAX/SAN/DFW/CHI/NYC/BOS/YVR/JAPAN AT
USD 100.00 EACH.
CHILD/INFANT DISCOUNTS APPLY.
Category 9: Transfer restrictions
2 TRANSFERS PERMITTED IN EACH DIRECTION FREE
FREE IN YVR/CONTIGUOUS U.S.A. IN EACH DIRECTION.
AND - 2 TRANSFERS PERMITTED IN EACH DIRECTION FREE
FREE IN JAPAN IN EACH DIRECTION
FARE BREAK SURFACE SECTORS NOT PERMITTED AND
EMBEDDED SURFACE SECTORS PERMITTED ON THE FARE
COMPONENT.

Matrix prices it correctly if it stops in YVR, but I actually want to extend the mileage and stop in NYC rather than YVR (so NRT-JFK-LAX, not NRT-YVR-JFK). however pricing this the price jumps 700 dollars not 100.
What am i doing wrong?
Is there a HIP check? Check the Higher Intermediate Point rule.

Are you exceeding the maximum permitted mileage? (The MPM?) Does it price the same if you take the route but without the stopover?
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Old Apr 25, 2015, 5:01 am
  #971  
 
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Originally Posted by Calchas
Is there a HIP check? Check the Higher Intermediate Point rule.

Are you exceeding the maximum permitted mileage? (The MPM?) Does it price the same if you take the route but without the stopover?
How do I check the mpm or hip? I used NYC in advanced routing code on the return and also tried using multi city pricing. What else can I check?
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Old Apr 25, 2015, 5:06 am
  #972  
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Originally Posted by DrDrDr56
How do I check the mpm or hip? I used NYC in advanced routing code on the return and also tried using multi city pricing. What else can I check?
See if there is anything in the HIP category of the fare rules.

If you trigger the Higher Intermediate Point check, your fare may be repriced using a different fare, so see if the fares are the same.

As for the MPM, try routing through YVR but without stopping (for more than 24 hours 0 minutes). If the price is still high, I would guess it is an MPM issue rather than a stopover or HIP issue.

Edit: If you tell me the fare identifier I will find out the MPM for you. You can then use gcmap.com to see how your route compares. Exceeding the MPM up to 25% is allowed for a penalty.

Last edited by Calchas; Apr 25, 2015 at 5:12 am
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Old Apr 25, 2015, 6:51 am
  #973  
 
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Originally Posted by Calchas
See if there is anything in the HIP category of the fare rules.

If you trigger the Higher Intermediate Point check, your fare may be repriced using a different fare, so see if the fares are the same.

As for the MPM, try routing through YVR but without stopping (for more than 24 hours 0 minutes). If the price is still high, I would guess it is an MPM issue rather than a stopover or HIP issue.

Edit: If you tell me the fare identifier I will find out the MPM for you. You can then use gcmap.com to see how your route compares. Exceeding the MPM up to 25% is allowed for a penalty.
Japan Airlines (JL) XSX0N8D1 TYO to LAX

i dont see anything about maximum permitted mileage.
I dont want to route through YVR. I want to route through JFK. YVR prices correctly, JFK does not. Or am I missing what you're saying? Sorry I have been doing a lot of homework the last week on ITA, and I want to qualify for Ex. Plat based on Points now (since I just took what I thought was a good deal to Tokyo but didnt realize that Q fares earn 30% (...?!) EQMs on JAL so that means that routing as I did SFO-MIA-DFW-NRT-JFK-PHX-SFO was all really just a useless exercise. what a pain in the arse. just try to max the new EQP promotion and be done with it and be more comfortable)
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Old Apr 25, 2015, 6:58 am
  #974  
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Originally Posted by DrDrDr56
Japan Airlines (JL) XSX0N8D1 TYO to LAX

i dont see anything about maximum permitted mileage.
I dont want to route through YVR. I want to route through JFK. YVR prices correctly, JFK does not. Or am I missing what you're saying? Sorry I have been doing a lot of homework the last week on ITA, and I want to qualify for Ex. Plat based on Points now (since I just took what I thought was a good deal to Tokyo but didnt realize that Q fares earn 30% (...?!) EQMs on JAL so that means that routing as I did SFO-MIA-DFW-NRT-JFK-PHX-SFO was all really just a useless exercise. what a pain in the arse. just try to max the new EQP promotion and be done with it and be more comfortable)
Sorry, I misread.

You want to use a TYOLAX fare via JFK? You cannot be surprised that this isn't allowed.

The fare permits a maximum mileage (in each direction) of 6549 miles.

TYO-JFK-LAX is approximately 9240 miles. (http://www.gcmap.com/mapui?P=TYO-JFK-LAX)

Code:
Fare Routing Search:
Departing LAX on 25/04/15 for TYO
Fare basis code XSX0N8D1
Flying JL
Routing via Pacific
Routing code 01

    V FARE BASIS     BK    FARE   TRAVEL-TICKET AP  MINMAX  RTG
  1   XSX0N8D1       X‡R  3500.00 D31MR  T30SE  -/3  -/ 6M PA01
PASSENGER TYPE-ADT                 AUTO PRICE-YES              
FROM-LAX TO-TYO    CXR-JL    TVL-25APR15  RULE-PA06 IPRP/3
FARE BASIS-XSX0N8D1          SPECIAL FARE  DIS-E   VENDOR-ATP
FARE TYPE-BXN      RT-BUSINESS CLASS EXCURSION NON REFUNDABLE
USD  3500.00   MPM  E15APR15 D31MAR16   FC-XSX0N8D1  FN-54   
SYSTEM DATES - CREATED 14APR15/1919  EXPIRES INFINITY
 
PUBLISHED RTG LAX-TYO/JL      EF-15APR15 DIS-INDEF
 
/VIA THE PACIFIC/ MPM 6549
MILEAGE SYSTEM APPLIES BETWEEN ORIGIN AND DESTINATION
 MILEAGE SYSTEM APPLIES ORIGIN TO DESTINATION
.
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Old Apr 25, 2015, 7:02 am
  #975  
 
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ohhh. then why in the heck would it say you're allowed a stopover in NYC?
Anyways, where'd you find that mpm info? I didnt see it on the "rules" given by ITA?
Is there a tool to search the longest MPM on any of the AA Biz class fares?b
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