Jan 1, 2018, 1:51 am
Last edit by: Pat89339
Older portions of the thread have been separated into archive thread by year. They are listed below
2008 Trick It / negotiate it / special savings lounge thread
2009 Trick It / negotiate it / special savings lounge thread
2010 Trick It / negotiate it / special savings lounge thread
2011 Trick It / negotiate it / special savings lounge thread
2012 Trick It / negotiate it / special savings lounge thread
2013 Trick It / negotiate it / special savings lounge thread
2008 Trick It / negotiate it / special savings lounge thread
2009 Trick It / negotiate it / special savings lounge thread
2010 Trick It / negotiate it / special savings lounge thread
2011 Trick It / negotiate it / special savings lounge thread
2012 Trick It / negotiate it / special savings lounge thread
2013 Trick It / negotiate it / special savings lounge thread
2011 Trick it / negotiate it / special savings lounge thread
Jul 30, 2011, 11:26 pm
#4741
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: DFW
Programs: AS, BA, AA
Posts: 3,670
That usually means your syntax is incorrect: a typo, a bad routing code, an incorrect airport 3-letter code, etc. I usually see it when I switch between matrix1 and matrix2, if I forget and leave pipes (|) instead of commas in my search strings.
Jul 30, 2011, 11:37 pm
#4742
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 1,470
I think that any discussion of ethics can rank behaviors as 'more ethical' and 'less ethical' - clearly, some FDs are more ethical than others. For example, an FD obtained by exploiting a new Travel Agent, knowing the TA will receive a debit memo and lose money, is generally considered out of bounds by everyone on this thread.
On the other hand, if an airline is billing a fee that they are not contractually obligated to collect, listing it as a 'tax', and pocketing the money, I have no problem trying to avoid it.
I do not book flights that I intend to skip in order to get a lower price. I have actually never booked an FD where I didn't fly one of the segments. That is my personal standard of ethics, governed in part by the fact that I like to use my EVIPs on flights, in part because I don't want to tick off an airline where I have a million frequent flyer miles.
Luckily, I don't have travel 'needs', just 'wants', so I can be picky. I can think of many arguments for stricter or looser standards. I don't judge what people do here, and I have helped people find strikes that I personally wouldn't book. I assume they donate their savings to the Red Cross.
As always, YMMV.
On the other hand, if an airline is billing a fee that they are not contractually obligated to collect, listing it as a 'tax', and pocketing the money, I have no problem trying to avoid it.
I do not book flights that I intend to skip in order to get a lower price. I have actually never booked an FD where I didn't fly one of the segments. That is my personal standard of ethics, governed in part by the fact that I like to use my EVIPs on flights, in part because I don't want to tick off an airline where I have a million frequent flyer miles.
Luckily, I don't have travel 'needs', just 'wants', so I can be picky. I can think of many arguments for stricter or looser standards. I don't judge what people do here, and I have helped people find strikes that I personally wouldn't book. I assume they donate their savings to the Red Cross.
As always, YMMV.
Excellent!
Jul 31, 2011, 3:01 am
#4744
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: DEN
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 22
One last try to C3
I'm still working the C1-C3-C1 deal that relies on a fare that needs to be booked by 7.31.
I did a fairly exhaustive carrier and route search and found a C6 3X that would shave raw YQ down to $115 (an 80% reduction) but the 3X fare made the net higher.
Lower fare 3Xs aren't trimming as much from the YQ. They've been tried in every continent except C7...
The best I can do is $463.20 A/I on a single and $732.50 on a double, not nearly what people have reported achieving.
Is there a strategy other than end strikes that people are using to get 300-ish singles and 600-ish doubles?
Thank you.
.hl.
I did a fairly exhaustive carrier and route search and found a C6 3X that would shave raw YQ down to $115 (an 80% reduction) but the 3X fare made the net higher.
Lower fare 3Xs aren't trimming as much from the YQ. They've been tried in every continent except C7...
The best I can do is $463.20 A/I on a single and $732.50 on a double, not nearly what people have reported achieving.
Is there a strategy other than end strikes that people are using to get 300-ish singles and 600-ish doubles?
Thank you.
.hl.
Last edited by humblelens; Jul 31, 2011 at 3:06 am
Jul 31, 2011, 3:40 am
#4745
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: DEN/DUB/SYD
Programs: UA 1K, Marriott Gold, SPG Gold, VA plat
Posts: 191
Violin sob story :(
Hey, I've not been on in a while and I'm not au fait with the current tricks. I do have a sob story with a request for help.
My work scheduling has prevented a family Christmas reunion at home and as such my only option is to fly my parents and younger siblings down under to me if I want to see them.
I'm resigned to flying 3 adults and 2 minors DUB-SYD and it's going to sting.
Any help in lessening the sting, with hints or with a helpful PM would be very, very much appreciated.
My work scheduling has prevented a family Christmas reunion at home and as such my only option is to fly my parents and younger siblings down under to me if I want to see them.
I'm resigned to flying 3 adults and 2 minors DUB-SYD and it's going to sting.
Any help in lessening the sting, with hints or with a helpful PM would be very, very much appreciated.
Jul 31, 2011, 4:04 am
#4746
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: SFO
Programs: M&M Sen
Posts: 55
3X from the west coast to C2
First. thanks everyone for your contributions, it's been an enlightening week scrutinizing every page in this thread.
Found a nice way to get the global carrier to shed while hustling from the east coast to the ruler of the waves by gorging on some pineapple ^
But I'm really trying to get from the Golden gate to Scandic region (ideally Helsinki) on *A, but have yet to find a 3X that FD's from the west coast (I've only been able to decipher how to feed on pineapple and lay cable thus far, neither works with the Canucks, groom or bride)?
Anyone have any clues to help, via pm if necessary? I'd be tremendously grateful!
Found a nice way to get the global carrier to shed while hustling from the east coast to the ruler of the waves by gorging on some pineapple ^
But I'm really trying to get from the Golden gate to Scandic region (ideally Helsinki) on *A, but have yet to find a 3X that FD's from the west coast (I've only been able to decipher how to feed on pineapple and lay cable thus far, neither works with the Canucks, groom or bride)?
Anyone have any clues to help, via pm if necessary? I'd be tremendously grateful!
Jul 31, 2011, 4:38 am
#4747
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: New York Metropolitan Area 45 km from JFK
Programs: UA,AA,AS,BA
Posts: 4,607
YQ
Did anyone consider the ethics of having a YQ of 1200 Per Cent of the base fare = 12 times the Base Fare ( YQ 420.00 / $ 38.00 and listing it as a "TAX" . Listing it as a TAX implies that it is a mandatory charge imposed by a third party governmental/state/local entity ( with taxing power) and not a backdoor revenue enhancer going directly to the airlines bottom-line.
I have done a private survey of friends and family showing them the various screen shots presented in the booking / ticketing process and almost all of them believed that YQ was an unavoidable tax-like charge imposed by a third party.
It is clearly a deceptive and misleading marketing practice which is illegal in many developed countries but not in backwards Third World-like America.
In fact on many sites ( booking sites and airlines' own sites you can not even get a breakdown ex post factum of the price you have already paid. All it gives you is a list of possible fees/charges saying " Up to " " may be imposed" but nothing stating precisely what You ACTUALLY paid for.
I have done a private survey of friends and family showing them the various screen shots presented in the booking / ticketing process and almost all of them believed that YQ was an unavoidable tax-like charge imposed by a third party.
It is clearly a deceptive and misleading marketing practice which is illegal in many developed countries but not in backwards Third World-like America.
In fact on many sites ( booking sites and airlines' own sites you can not even get a breakdown ex post factum of the price you have already paid. All it gives you is a list of possible fees/charges saying " Up to " " may be imposed" but nothing stating precisely what You ACTUALLY paid for.
Last edited by WingedWorldExplorer; Jul 31, 2011 at 4:43 am
Jul 31, 2011, 6:44 am
#4748
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: YYZ
Programs: NEXUS; *A Gold
Posts: 990
YQ
Coming from a country with only 2 national carriers (and 1 being severly limited) I have no problem whatsoever with getting the lowest possible rate, especially if it means keeping some money in my pocket! Its an even greater dilemma south of the border where you would think with such a huge amount of competition that rates would be competitive buts its not the case. When an airline advertises a deal or sale they're simply reducing the cost they show you but tacking everything on the back end so you end up saving next to nothing...how's that for ethical?!?
To me, if its something that can be done without breaking the law or physically harming someone then I say go for it...and its clearly not something that everyone and their brother is doing otherwise it wouldn't be so difficult to find a working 3X!
Keep on dumping!!^
To me, if its something that can be done without breaking the law or physically harming someone then I say go for it...and its clearly not something that everyone and their brother is doing otherwise it wouldn't be so difficult to find a working 3X!
Keep on dumping!!^
Jul 31, 2011, 6:52 am
#4749
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: DC
Posts: 33
Hello, I am a software engineer with a history of FDing. I know enough of the basics and quite a few of the tricks, but it's become clear that to acquire more knowledge I can either spend an inordinate amount of time trading tricks or to just build up an application that will find things that nobody else has found. The latter seems more fun.
I'm not a web programmer per se, but this can't be very difficult.
1. I've seen Selenium mentioned before, but I'm skeptical that this is the best way.
2. Is ITA going to be upset if I'm running a dedicated machine to find FDs 24/7? Will I have to keep changing my IP and everything? Their robots.txt file basically says "no robots!".
3. Is someone out there already doing this? I think the best way is using Mechanize and Beautiful Soup in Python/Ruby/Perl, but this isn't my area of expertise. Any pitfalls I should expect?
This is not a programming forum, so it's probably better to keep any programming advice to PM's. Open replies to question #2 though are appreciated!
I'm not a web programmer per se, but this can't be very difficult.
1. I've seen Selenium mentioned before, but I'm skeptical that this is the best way.
2. Is ITA going to be upset if I'm running a dedicated machine to find FDs 24/7? Will I have to keep changing my IP and everything? Their robots.txt file basically says "no robots!".
3. Is someone out there already doing this? I think the best way is using Mechanize and Beautiful Soup in Python/Ruby/Perl, but this isn't my area of expertise. Any pitfalls I should expect?
This is not a programming forum, so it's probably better to keep any programming advice to PM's. Open replies to question #2 though are appreciated!
Jul 31, 2011, 7:40 am
#4750
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 1,470
...2. Is ITA going to be upset if I'm running a dedicated machine to find FDs 24/7? Will I have to keep changing my IP and everything? Their robots.txt file basically says "no robots!".
3. Is someone out there already doing this? I think the best way is using Mechanize and Beautiful Soup in Python/Ruby/Perl, but this isn't my area of expertise. Any pitfalls I should expect? ...
3. Is someone out there already doing this? I think the best way is using Mechanize and Beautiful Soup in Python/Ruby/Perl, but this isn't my area of expertise. Any pitfalls I should expect? ...
Jul 31, 2011, 7:47 am
#4751
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 1,470
Did anyone consider the ethics of having a YQ of 1200 Per Cent of the base fare = 12 times the Base Fare ( YQ 420.00 / $ 38.00 and listing it as a "TAX" . Listing it as a TAX implies that it is a mandatory charge imposed by a third party governmental/state/local entity ( with taxing power) and not a backdoor revenue enhancer going directly to the airlines bottom-line....
Jul 31, 2011, 7:50 am
#4752
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Chicago
Programs: AA,UA,DL
Posts: 72
C1-Middle East
Has anyone had any FD success from C1 to the middle east, specifically UAE? Haven't seen much talk of it before so wasn't sure if it was possible. Eyeing a TK flight and trying to drop about 330lbs.
Jul 31, 2011, 9:47 am
#4753
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: NYC
Posts: 491
Jul 31, 2011, 10:00 am
#4754
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Currently in Bloomington, IN, but Normally NYC, CDG, and even POZ or wherever FT takes me.
Programs: Northwest Airlines. MTA pay-per-ride Metrocard; zero-balance Oyster card.
Posts: 14,026
Nice fare... works in September for me. ^
Jul 31, 2011, 10:28 am
#4755
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: New York Metropolitan Area 45 km from JFK
Programs: UA,AA,AS,BA
Posts: 4,607
Sandwich within a sandwich within a sandwich
Put a ST C1-C4-c1 Within a ST C2-C1-C2, and wrap the entire enchilada with a *A C1-C2-C1 and you end up paying $ 887.06.
Thus using two tickets ( PNRs) you get:
TWO Round Trips USA-Europe
+
ONE Round Trip USA-South America
$ 887.06 ( $ 295.69 per trip )
Tix 1 C1-C2 Stop Over
Tix 2 C2-C1 Stop Over
Tix 2 C1-C4 Stop Over
Tix 2 C4-C1 Stop Over
Tix 2 C1-C2 Stop Over
Tix 1 C2-C1
The 1X embedded in Tix 2 is very easy to fly.
That was how I was having fun this Sunday morning - pathetic.
I need a wife and/or check in to FD Rehab.
Thus using two tickets ( PNRs) you get:
TWO Round Trips USA-Europe
+
ONE Round Trip USA-South America
$ 887.06 ( $ 295.69 per trip )
Tix 1 C1-C2 Stop Over
Tix 2 C2-C1 Stop Over
Tix 2 C1-C4 Stop Over
Tix 2 C4-C1 Stop Over
Tix 2 C1-C2 Stop Over
Tix 1 C2-C1
The 1X embedded in Tix 2 is very easy to fly.
That was how I was having fun this Sunday morning - pathetic.
I need a wife and/or check in to FD Rehab.
Last edited by WingedWorldExplorer; Jul 31, 2011 at 4:11 pm