Really, how DUMB is aa.com?
Feb 28, 2006, 8:48 pm
#1
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Really, how DUMB is aa.com?
Before I booked a quick 1hr flight on US PHL-BOS, I decided to check aa.com, just for fun. So, I tried a o/w PHL-BOS. The cheapest thing they found was overnighting in MIA, for $228. Then, I tried a multi-city reservation, PHL-ORD, ORD-BOS. And guess what? No overnight, and $178! I did both searches by price. ... 
. You would think that when it searches, it recognizes the request as the same thing. This will make me work over all possible routings and ways to input my reservations into aa.com from now on.
. You would think that when it searches, it recognizes the request as the same thing. This will make me work over all possible routings and ways to input my reservations into aa.com from now on.
Feb 28, 2006, 8:53 pm
#2
Join Date: Nov 2004
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Originally Posted by Fly AA J all the way
Really, how DUMB is aa.com?
Feb 28, 2006, 9:07 pm
#3
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For the 2nd time today, I share your pain
Originally Posted by Fly AA J all the way
...overnighting ...
Feb 28, 2006, 9:11 pm
#4
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I think this is a major issue, but c'mon
Originally Posted by West Coast Ace
but it was more like wrestling an alligator than an enjoyable internet experience...
What did you expect, porn
?
Feb 28, 2006, 10:45 pm
#5
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: New York
Programs: AA Plat, CO Gold
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Read this article from ITA Software (except of an article from a SIAM journal):
http://www.itasoftware.com/news/pr/siam.php
Essentially doing optimal flight searches is an NP-hard problem. This means that if you want to search through every possibility, it will take you a very long time. So people develop approximate algorithms that work for the most part, don't work other times. Hey, that's life...
http://www.itasoftware.com/news/pr/siam.php
Essentially doing optimal flight searches is an NP-hard problem. This means that if you want to search through every possibility, it will take you a very long time. So people develop approximate algorithms that work for the most part, don't work other times. Hey, that's life...
Mar 1, 2006, 2:34 am
#6
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 849
Expedia.com typically comes up with the best AA prices. That's where I start out with to price compare. In addition, they still list their prices with taxes so it's not impossible to price compare.
Mar 1, 2006, 5:56 am
#7
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: MCI
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I've been frustrated with international itineraries. When we booked our tickets to Greece, I got a "we don't go there" message. Of course they can book you from LHR to ATH on BA- but aa.com won't do it. Same with our trip to the Orkneys. You can get a BA affiliate (LoganAir) out of EDI, but you can't book MCI-ORD-LHR-EDI-KOI on aa.com. You have to call AA, then wait on hold while they tell you about their wonderful Web site, THEN pay to talk to a human. I really don't think it's fair that you have to pay to talk to an AAgent to accomplish something aa.com won't do.
Mar 1, 2006, 6:21 am
#8
Join Date: Feb 2006
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Originally Posted by Fly AA J all the way
What did you expect, porn ?
?
Originally Posted by tekelberry
Expedia.com typically comes up with the best AA prices.
Mar 1, 2006, 6:59 am
#9
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Originally Posted by Athena53
I've been frustrated with international itineraries. When we booked our tickets to Greece, I got a "we don't go there" message. Of course they can book you from LHR to ATH on BA- but aa.com won't do it. Same with our trip to the Orkneys. You can get a BA affiliate (LoganAir) out of EDI, but you can't book MCI-ORD-LHR-EDI-KOI on aa.com. You have to call AA, then wait on hold while they tell you about their wonderful Web site, THEN pay to talk to a human. I really don't think it's fair that you have to pay to talk to an AAgent to accomplish something aa.com won't do.
AA.com has its issues, but it has to be used properly to get the features that are there to work.
Cheers.
Mar 1, 2006, 8:17 am
#10
Join Date: Dec 2005
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how Dumb is AA.com or the coder behind it?
I am sure that AA could make it retrieve EVERY possible result, but that would take too long and customers would complain the website is slow.. its a loose loose situation for them.
think how long sidestep.com takes to get all its results. Sidestep uses AJAX technology which allows it to update on the fly but the time from clicking submit til all the results are displayed can take up to 1 minute, now if AA.com was to create a search that returned every possible and then sorted out the logical (or what they think the user thinks is logical ) ones this could take about a minute, which is a long time to keep a users attention at a loading website.
I am sure that AA could make it retrieve EVERY possible result, but that would take too long and customers would complain the website is slow.. its a loose loose situation for them.
think how long sidestep.com takes to get all its results. Sidestep uses AJAX technology which allows it to update on the fly but the time from clicking submit til all the results are displayed can take up to 1 minute, now if AA.com was to create a search that returned every possible and then sorted out the logical (or what they think the user thinks is logical ) ones this could take about a minute, which is a long time to keep a users attention at a loading website.
Mar 1, 2006, 8:26 am
#11
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Originally Posted by shocka
this could take about a minute, which is a long time to keep a users attention at a loading website.
That's where the porn comes in
.
Mar 1, 2006, 7:55 pm
#12
Join Date: Aug 2002
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Originally Posted by brp
Actually, one can research and book these itineraries on AA.com...if one uses the site correctly.
Mar 12, 2008, 10:54 pm
#13
Join Date: Mar 1999
Location: SDF via MCO DFW, FSD, BDS, DSM, ORD, OMA
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Not valid for award tix
Actually, one can research and book these itineraries on AA.com...if one uses the site correctly. It's true that AA doesn't fly to ATH, for example. The default is to have the "American Only" box ticked, so "we don't go there". If you tick the "American and Oneworld", it brings up a bunch of itineraries with the LHR/LGW - ATH leg on BA, just as you wanted. This also can be used for travel to KOI, bringing up the BA codeshare on LoganAir.
AA.com has its issues, but it has to be used properly to get the features that are there to work.
Cheers.
AA.com has its issues, but it has to be used properly to get the features that are there to work.
Cheers.
Oh lord, its hard to be loyal, when AA is messed up in every way...
Cheers,
'toad
Mar 13, 2008, 1:26 am
#14
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: London
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Read this article from ITA Software (except of an article from a SIAM journal):
http://www.itasoftware.com/news/pr/siam.php
http://www.itasoftware.com/news/pr/siam.php
Although I could not find the SIAM Journal article
, there are other jems including:The Ultimate Guide to Travel Web Sites
The secrets behind crazy air-travel prices
We Love to Fly and It Shows: Inside the World of Mileage Running
Mar 13, 2008, 5:43 am
#15
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What is with all the dead thread resurrections? 