Correct me if I am wrong, but when airfare for my trip is quoted same at Orbitz.com and United.com, am I not better off buying the ticket directly from the airlines, instead of going through a 3rd party like Orbitz or Expedia? I'd assume that booking through airlines directly should make it convenient to work with the airlines if there are any issues in the future?

I was not able to find any promotions or discount codes for Orbitz.com, except for a $1.75 cashback at Fatwallet.com. Considering my ticket was costing me $300, it hardly seemed worth it, so I booked directly at United.com. I did use Orbitz.com only to find out United was the lowest among all other airline offerings.