Where do you buy ITA Software itineraries?
May 14, 2007, 3:08 pm
#16
Company Representative - ITA Software
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Cambridge, MA
Posts: 362
I'm sorry that I can't recommend a travel agent.
When you have such difficulties, it may very well be a problem with our software (though many sites out there also use our software for their pricing, sometimes the software is configured differently to match their business rules, or they may be using a newer or older version than we have deployed on our website). We don't mind hearing about these issues - the best thing for us is if you can click on the "comments" link at the top of the page showing the pricing you're having difficulty with - that will allow you to type in a comment and allow us to see exactly what you were looking at.
Although there are a number of known issues that might lead to this sort of $50 discrepancy, a problem with currency conversion rates is extremely unlikely.
When you have such difficulties, it may very well be a problem with our software (though many sites out there also use our software for their pricing, sometimes the software is configured differently to match their business rules, or they may be using a newer or older version than we have deployed on our website). We don't mind hearing about these issues - the best thing for us is if you can click on the "comments" link at the top of the page showing the pricing you're having difficulty with - that will allow you to type in a comment and allow us to see exactly what you were looking at.
Although there are a number of known issues that might lead to this sort of $50 discrepancy, a problem with currency conversion rates is extremely unlikely.
May 14, 2007, 3:51 pm
#17
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2007
Location: ORD, DEL
Programs: AA (Plt Pro; 1.5 MM)
Posts: 6,185
I understand. However, many people use ITA and my hope was that some of the FT'ers here have figured out how/where to buy the ticket ITA quotes, and I'll just learn from them. 
I appreciate being able to explore the possibilites at ITA. It is a great tool. Why else would I even talk about it? However, in this instance my frustration was that having found my favorite itinerary at ITA, I could not replicate it at any online agency that actually sells tickets, include those that supposedly use ITA software.
The reason was that all of them, without fail, only keep ITA's graphical look and feel including the matrix display, but they cripple ITA's search capabilities! In particular, I found no way to include or exclude an airline or connecting airport for a specific leg.
This is perhaps what you meant by "configured differently"? Of course, I can't imagine any newer version of ITA lacking those capabilities and can only urge you not to permit this kind of crippling of your software. Being able to specify an overall "preferred carrier" might work for a round trip, but is almost useless on a multi-city trip.
With only one ticketing source, AA telephone resevations, being able to even find the same itinerary, I had no way to guess if the problem of price discrepancy was with them or with ITA. All I could think was that either ITA missed one or two newly introduced fees in some country, or AA was tacking on some fee of their own. (I did report the problem to ITA.)
I appreciate being able to explore the possibilites at ITA. It is a great tool. Why else would I even talk about it?
However, in this instance my frustration was that having found my favorite itinerary at ITA, I could not replicate it at any online agency that actually sells tickets, include those that supposedly use ITA software. The reason was that all of them, without fail, only keep ITA's graphical look and feel including the matrix display, but they cripple ITA's search capabilities! In particular, I found no way to include or exclude an airline or connecting airport for a specific leg.
This is perhaps what you meant by "configured differently"? Of course, I can't imagine any newer version of ITA lacking those capabilities and can only urge you not to permit this kind of crippling of your software. Being able to specify an overall "preferred carrier" might work for a round trip, but is almost useless on a multi-city trip.
With only one ticketing source, AA telephone resevations, being able to even find the same itinerary, I had no way to guess if the problem of price discrepancy was with them or with ITA. All I could think was that either ITA missed one or two newly introduced fees in some country, or AA was tacking on some fee of their own. (I did report the problem to ITA.)
Last edited by aktchi; May 14, 2007 at 9:41 pm Reason: Typos
May 15, 2007, 9:18 am
#18
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2007
Location: ORD, DEL
Programs: AA (Plt Pro; 1.5 MM)
Posts: 6,185
$50 discrepancy resolved!
I am most grateful to ITA staff for taking the trouble to locate the problem and communicating their findings to me.
The old airline policy used to be to allow one free stopover in each direction of travel. However, in their eagerness to always serve us better, the new policy allows just one free stop for the entire journey, then it is $50/stop.
(Just wait, pay-to-use rest-rooms and reading-lights and pay to walk in the aisle can't be far behind!)
ITA's website has been using the older and gentler interpretation and hence missed the new $50 charge.
The old airline policy used to be to allow one free stopover in each direction of travel. However, in their eagerness to always serve us better, the new policy allows just one free stop for the entire journey, then it is $50/stop.
(Just wait, pay-to-use rest-rooms and reading-lights and pay to walk in the aisle can't be far behind!
)ITA's website has been using the older and gentler interpretation and hence missed the new $50 charge.