TIP: More hidden features of ITA
 

Here are some more hidden features of the ITA software.

The extensions to the itasoftware routing language are accessed by postpending commands after a '/'. There's a wide set of commands available, but there's no description of them available on the ITA web site. Unfortunately, each command applies only to one part of the trip, so they must usually be entered in each box.

PREVENTING AIRLINES

Command is "-airlines XX ..."
Ex: prohibit Jet Blue or Delta
from: BOS ::/ -airlines B6 DL
to: LAX ::/ -airlines B6 DL

RESTRICTING TO AIRLINES

Command is "airlines XX ..."
Ex: consider only Jet Blue or Delta
from: BOS ::/ airlines B6 DL
to: LAX ::/ airlines B6 DL

LIMIT DURATION OF ITINERARY, IN MINUTES

Command is "maxdur XXX"
Ex: no more than 5hrs for each part of trip
from: BOS ::/ maxdur 300
to: LAX ::/ maxdur 300

PREVENT OVERNIGHT STOPS, AIRPORT CHANGES, REDEYES, PROPELLOR PLANES,
TRAINS, HELICOPTERS, ANY KIND OF SURFACE TRAVEL
Commands are "-overnight", "-change", "-redeye", "-prop", "-train", "-helicopter", "-surface"
Ex: no overnight stops, no airport chanes, no redeyes, no propellor planes
from: BOS ::/ -overnight, -change, -redeye, -prop
to: LAX ::/ -overnight, -change, -redeye, -prop

SET MINIMUM OR MAXIMUM TIME FOR CONNECTIONS, IN MINUTES

Commands are "minconnect XX", "maxconnect XX"
Ex: no less than one hour, no more than two hour connections
from: BOS ::/ minconnect 60, maxconnect 120
to: LAX ::/ minconnect 60, maxconnect 120

EXTRA CONNECTION TIME

Command is "padconnect XX"
Ex: require at least 20 minutes more than airline recommended
minimum connection time
from: BOS ::/ padconnect 20
to: LAX ::/ padconnect 20

PUTTING LOTS OF THINGS TOGETHER

Separate with commas.
Ex:
from: BOS :: UA UA / f bc=l|bc=y, -redeye, -prop
to: LAX :: UA+ / f ua.bos+lax.yup, padconnect 20, -overnight


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On another note: CoMETS is coming along slowly but surely, as I add more features. New screenshots will be posted in a few days and I am hopeful that beta testing will start shortly thereafter.

thanks!
 

once again a great post. ita gets more useful every day. and now i know how to avoid those helicopter segments :D

SeattleFred, do you know if anybody is consolidating all the ITA tips in one place? This is a goldmine of info, ^ ^ making all sorts of searches possible and easier than with other engines. :cool:

Maybe we could add this to a sticky on the MR forum?

bhatnasx has been adding these to the Mileage Run Tools (Part II) sticky at the top of this forum.

One more tip
 

For those who hate regional jets (or like to get upgraded!), in addition to the various other trip constraints (e.g. -prop, -overnight), you can now specify

-nofirstclass

This removes from consideration all flights without a first class cabin. All flights returned will have a first class cabin (though it will still quote you a coach price if that's what you've asked for).

Should remove all prop planes and any regional jet (or big jet!) without a first class cabin.

That is fantastic, thank you! :)

I would love to att the /airlines option implement alliances. Something like /airlines *A (for Star Alliance) or /airlines OW (for OneWorld). ITA Hacker - any chance?

I think this is a good place to ask because I haven't found an answer so far:

Suppose I wanted to find flight between Toronto and London Heathrow

on BA in T or W class OR on AC in C or S class. How would I enter it?

I have tried YYZ:: BA / f bc = W?| bc = T?, AC / f bc = C?| bc = S?

but it hasn't worked. Can anyone help?

Thanks,

When I first saw this I started hyperventilating. :eek:

Then I read the rest of the post. ;)

Nice... and here I thought I was bored with ITA ;)

What, you don't want the ability to specify Executive Airlines (carrier code OW) in your query? :)

More seriously, the alliances are constantly changing, and keeping track of which airlines are in which alliances isn't something we've had to do up until now. The schedule data we receive theoretically contains this information (an alliance identifier for each flight), but the last time I checked it was very incomplete.

Still, we might add this functionality in the future. The best way to ask for enhancements is to go through the comments link on the site, though.

Until we have such a functionality, though, you can of course just cut and paste the list of airlines into the search box.

You can only have one "route specification" and one "faring specification" per box. Nevertheless, it's possible to cram what you're trying to do into one of each.

To constrain fare basis codes, you can do:

YYZ:: BA,AC / f ba..w-|ba..t-|ac..c-|ac..s-

Constraining booking codes is somewhat more difficult. Let me know if you'd rather do that and I'll figure out what the syntax would be.

I'm not getting how this is meant to work,

I put in LON::/ -airlines BD
and FRA::/ -airlines BD

expecting to only get results back for BMI flights but instead get

KLM, United, Lufthansa, British Airways, etc, etc.

What's the go?

From post #1 above ... BOS :: UA Just replace BOS with LON and UA with BD-- you'll see BMI flights. Spaces are important, I think this works. Hope it does & helps.

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