Nov 20, 2013, 7:48 am
Last edit by: Pat89339
Do not call the airlines under any conditions! This is the fastest way to kill the trick and bring unwanted attention to your itinerary! And do not post precious deals in this thread, this is by far the fastest way to kill the trick!
************************************************** ******
This is NOT the right place to ask: "Can you help me with a low fare for AAA-BBB?" This is not the beg-it thread, but the trick-it thread.
This thread deals with unique combinations of routes and booking tricks in order to lower prices on airline fares. Prices that would astound the general public are often achieved by the posters in this thread.
Many people, including airline representatives, monitor this thread. For that reason, it is unorganized, very content heavy, often lacking details, and written in shorthand. It takes patience and effort in order to understand the conversation and be able to participate as an active member.
We encourage you to read the entirety of this thread if you would like to get started and to experiment as soon as you understand the gist of Trick It. Lots of time spent reading, practicing, and learning is the only way to be able to reproduce our tricks and discover new ones yourself. There are many, many people who ask for advice here, so productive members are only able to help those who have shown a concerted effort and progress over a long period of time (months).
If you have no idea what this thread is about, a good place to start are various blogs' posts on the subject. At the very least, read the Rules for posting in this thread. They're also listed in the very first post, below.
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
2014 Trick It / negotiate it / special savings lounge thread
************************************************** ******
This is NOT the right place to ask: "Can you help me with a low fare for AAA-BBB?" This is not the beg-it thread, but the trick-it thread.
This thread deals with unique combinations of routes and booking tricks in order to lower prices on airline fares. Prices that would astound the general public are often achieved by the posters in this thread.
Many people, including airline representatives, monitor this thread. For that reason, it is unorganized, very content heavy, often lacking details, and written in shorthand. It takes patience and effort in order to understand the conversation and be able to participate as an active member.
We encourage you to read the entirety of this thread if you would like to get started and to experiment as soon as you understand the gist of Trick It. Lots of time spent reading, practicing, and learning is the only way to be able to reproduce our tricks and discover new ones yourself. There are many, many people who ask for advice here, so productive members are only able to help those who have shown a concerted effort and progress over a long period of time (months).
If you have no idea what this thread is about, a good place to start are various blogs' posts on the subject. At the very least, read the Rules for posting in this thread. They're also listed in the very first post, below.
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
2014 Trick It / negotiate it / special savings lounge thread
Trick it / negotiate it / special savings lounge thread
Jul 22, 2018, 4:09 pm
#9091
Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 1
Please help me become a valued member!
Hi! I know you guys are probably tired AF of explaining simple things to newbies who try to get tricks for free, I get that, so I'm asking for some help in order not to SUCKKKKKK at this....
I've read the entire thread (well that is not true) and tried to gather knowledge in order to find my own tricks, and not bother anyone else, but I clearly suck at this. I genuinely think I might be an idiot... I can't find anything! Tried reading the fare rules, tried ITAMATRIX, tried OTAs, nothing!!!!!!!!!!!
If it's not too much to ask, could someone point me to the most common reasons why a newbie would keep failing at this? Are there any old expired tricks that I could study (like case studies)? Any detailed guides on how to understand fare rules or something? Maybe that'll help. Honestly I don't want to ask for more help since I don't want to become a pain for you guys.... So any help will be greatly appreciated, and I'll try not to bug anyone until I can get my act together with this, and share something of value....
PS: I live in C4, so everything that I've tried so far is departing from C4 obviously
Thanks guys, sorry again!
I've read the entire thread (well that is not true) and tried to gather knowledge in order to find my own tricks, and not bother anyone else, but I clearly suck at this. I genuinely think I might be an idiot... I can't find anything! Tried reading the fare rules, tried ITAMATRIX, tried OTAs, nothing!!!!!!!!!!!
If it's not too much to ask, could someone point me to the most common reasons why a newbie would keep failing at this? Are there any old expired tricks that I could study (like case studies)? Any detailed guides on how to understand fare rules or something? Maybe that'll help. Honestly I don't want to ask for more help since I don't want to become a pain for you guys.... So any help will be greatly appreciated, and I'll try not to bug anyone until I can get my act together with this, and share something of value....
PS: I live in C4, so everything that I've tried so far is departing from C4 obviously
Thanks guys, sorry again!
Last edited by Pat89339; Jul 23, 2018 at 1:22 am Reason: TOS 16
Jul 25, 2018, 11:34 am
#9092
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: ATL
Programs: AAdvantage, Aeroplan
Posts: 30
Canidate Fare To Jburg
I'm seeing c1e-j burg for $579 but $25 base fares, * alliance. The end on end rules are pretty specific but maybe there is a way around them? I've tried adding fares in C6 and C4 without luck . Can I find what I need using ITA?
Jul 25, 2018, 5:22 pm
#9093
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: New York Metropolitan Area 45 km from JFK
Programs: UA,AA,AS,BA
Posts: 4,607
Remember: Bad Input=Bad Output
A quality carrier will do amazing deal with 2 stop-overs, including Paris, while loosing $550.00 + in YQ for great price but 1X is difficult to fly.
Last edited by WingedWorldExplorer; Jul 25, 2018 at 5:30 pm
Jul 26, 2018, 3:36 am
#9094
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: BNE / LHR
Programs: QF Gold
Posts: 1,601
So available airlines hitting regions in that order: AA; DL; NZ; UA; CA
€
So no NZ as that is only UK.
Now flights to C6, only via YUL/LAX/SFO. So carriers with flights from these cities direct to C2.
UA: Paris/Zurich/Frankfurt/Munich v SFO to SYD/AKL (1150euro, 400 yq)
UA: LAX to SYD/MEL; however no direct flights from europe (only london)
DL: Paris/Amsterdam v LAX to SYD (1,500 with 300 yq)
AA: LAX to SYD; however no direct flights from europe (only london)
CA: Dublin/Zurich/Paris/Frankfurt v YVR to MEL/BNE/SYD (1240eur, with 480e yq for mainland, 1075 with 480 for DUB)
So .. since none of these work out there must be more than 2 legs each way? Where to even start narrowing down? And this is before finding a 3x that works (if it is a noob one).
€
So no NZ as that is only UK.
Now flights to C6, only via YUL/LAX/SFO. So carriers with flights from these cities direct to C2.
UA: Paris/Zurich/Frankfurt/Munich v SFO to SYD/AKL (1150euro, 400 yq)
UA: LAX to SYD/MEL; however no direct flights from europe (only london)
DL: Paris/Amsterdam v LAX to SYD (1,500 with 300 yq)
AA: LAX to SYD; however no direct flights from europe (only london)
CA: Dublin/Zurich/Paris/Frankfurt v YVR to MEL/BNE/SYD (1240eur, with 480e yq for mainland, 1075 with 480 for DUB)
So .. since none of these work out there must be more than 2 legs each way? Where to even start narrowing down? And this is before finding a 3x that works (if it is a noob one).
Jul 26, 2018, 4:05 am
#9095
Join Date: May 2017
Posts: 4
So available airlines hitting regions in that order: AA; DL; NZ; UA; CA
€
So no NZ as that is only UK.
Now flights to C6, only via YUL/LAX/SFO. So carriers with flights from these cities direct to C2.
UA: Paris/Zurich/Frankfurt/Munich v SFO to SYD/AKL (1150euro, 400 yq)
UA: LAX to SYD/MEL; however no direct flights from europe (only london)
DL: Paris/Amsterdam v LAX to SYD (1,500 with 300 yq)
AA: LAX to SYD; however no direct flights from europe (only london)
CA: Dublin/Zurich/Paris/Frankfurt v YVR to MEL/BNE/SYD (1240eur, with 480e yq for mainland, 1075 with 480 for DUB)
So .. since none of these work out there must be more than 2 legs each way? Where to even start narrowing down? And this is before finding a 3x that works (if it is a noob one).
€
So no NZ as that is only UK.
Now flights to C6, only via YUL/LAX/SFO. So carriers with flights from these cities direct to C2.
UA: Paris/Zurich/Frankfurt/Munich v SFO to SYD/AKL (1150euro, 400 yq)
UA: LAX to SYD/MEL; however no direct flights from europe (only london)
DL: Paris/Amsterdam v LAX to SYD (1,500 with 300 yq)
AA: LAX to SYD; however no direct flights from europe (only london)
CA: Dublin/Zurich/Paris/Frankfurt v YVR to MEL/BNE/SYD (1240eur, with 480e yq for mainland, 1075 with 480 for DUB)
So .. since none of these work out there must be more than 2 legs each way? Where to even start narrowing down? And this is before finding a 3x that works (if it is a noob one).
Jul 26, 2018, 4:05 am
#9096
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: BUD
Posts: 34
So available airlines hitting regions in that order: AA; DL; NZ; UA; CA
€
So no NZ as that is only UK.
Now flights to C6, only via YUL/LAX/SFO. So carriers with flights from these cities direct to C2.
UA: Paris/Zurich/Frankfurt/Munich v SFO to SYD/AKL (1150euro, 400 yq)
UA: LAX to SYD/MEL; however no direct flights from europe (only london)
DL: Paris/Amsterdam v LAX to SYD (1,500 with 300 yq)
AA: LAX to SYD; however no direct flights from europe (only london)
CA: Dublin/Zurich/Paris/Frankfurt v YVR to MEL/BNE/SYD (1240eur, with 480e yq for mainland, 1075 with 480 for DUB)
So .. since none of these work out there must be more than 2 legs each way? Where to even start narrowing down? And this is before finding a 3x that works (if it is a noob one).
€
So no NZ as that is only UK.
Now flights to C6, only via YUL/LAX/SFO. So carriers with flights from these cities direct to C2.
UA: Paris/Zurich/Frankfurt/Munich v SFO to SYD/AKL (1150euro, 400 yq)
UA: LAX to SYD/MEL; however no direct flights from europe (only london)
DL: Paris/Amsterdam v LAX to SYD (1,500 with 300 yq)
AA: LAX to SYD; however no direct flights from europe (only london)
CA: Dublin/Zurich/Paris/Frankfurt v YVR to MEL/BNE/SYD (1240eur, with 480e yq for mainland, 1075 with 480 for DUB)
So .. since none of these work out there must be more than 2 legs each way? Where to even start narrowing down? And this is before finding a 3x that works (if it is a noob one).
Jul 26, 2018, 4:13 am
#9097
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: BNE / LHR
Programs: QF Gold
Posts: 1,601
Jul 26, 2018, 4:17 am
#9098
Join Date: May 2017
Posts: 4
Jul 26, 2018, 4:29 am
#9100
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: BNE / LHR
Programs: QF Gold
Posts: 1,601
Edited to remove quote and details.
The Euro sign threw me off at the start, but I have located the routing. Now looking for the dump.
Trying the old city pairs I remember (I was last looking at FD/trick back in the days of Brazil OTA's (for QF), the Kayak Currency mistakes for JQ flights).
Moving from C6 to C2 in two weeks. So finally in a region where there are actual frequent deals.
---
So, keep getting drawn back to this. I have gone back over a ton of UA deals from 2013-15 (and tried every combination of 1 and 3x on those routes). And played alot with things around EZE (if "noob dump" was a reference to "easy").
Unfortunately everything pushes the UA flights out to P class (although some of the 1x's i found in C3 do dump YQ by 1/3rd). When I try Airline UA; F bc=k in matrix I get nothing coming back
The Euro sign threw me off at the start, but I have located the routing. Now looking for the dump.
Trying the old city pairs I remember (I was last looking at FD/trick back in the days of Brazil OTA's (for QF), the Kayak Currency mistakes for JQ flights).
Moving from C6 to C2 in two weeks. So finally in a region where there are actual frequent deals.
---
So, keep getting drawn back to this. I have gone back over a ton of UA deals from 2013-15 (and tried every combination of 1 and 3x on those routes). And played alot with things around EZE (if "noob dump" was a reference to "easy").
Unfortunately everything pushes the UA flights out to P class (although some of the 1x's i found in C3 do dump YQ by 1/3rd). When I try Airline UA; F bc=k in matrix I get nothing coming back
Last edited by Pat89339; Jul 27, 2018 at 8:11 am Reason: Rules violation Trick It thread
Jul 30, 2018, 6:27 am
#9103
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: BNE / LHR
Programs: QF Gold
Posts: 1,601
Jul 30, 2018, 4:31 pm
#9104
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: New York Metropolitan Area 45 km from JFK
Programs: UA,AA,AS,BA
Posts: 4,607
GONE: Error seems to have been corrected
My ticket got cancelled over night.
Last edited by WingedWorldExplorer; Jul 31, 2018 at 5:06 am Reason: Routing error gone
