The best web-booking agent is ...
 

SmartMoney magazine just tested (in its 2/2001 issue) the major web travel agents and the winner surprised me: Sidestep.

I've seen posts on other forums indicating that it isn't that good, but it did extremely well in the magazine's tests.

Notes: Priceline and Hotwire weren't included. I was amused to discover that Priceline lost its Better Business Bureau membership. I thought the BBB never kicked anybody out.

In my experience, SmartMoney magazine, while affiliated with the Wall Street Journal, has very little editorial oversight. Knowing what I do about SideStep, this further affirms my belief the SmartMoney employs poor journalistic criteria.

There is no system that can test Priceline because Priceline does not publish their fares. Hotwire does, however, and QIXO includes Hotwire's price in their search results.

Priceline was kicked out of the Connecticut BBB in September 2000 and recently reinstated.

Well, I have Sidestep installed and used it quite frequently. I happen to like it very much, even though I wouldn't call it the best out there -no single site/tool is the best, IMO. What Sidestep does fairly well is include the web-only airfares provided by some airlines, which are not accessible via traditional CRS's. But, like I said , it is not perfect...

RZ

Sidestep is just fine, IMHO!

See:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum1/HTML/003643.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum51/HTML/000635.html

Is there any web that you can make your own reservation with multiple points "with multiple airlines options"? I know I can get an itineray for multiple stops with Expedia but that allows me to choose only one airline. Say I want to fly from CMH to MCO roundtrip via IAH on the way down and via DTW on the way back. My scenarios is to use both CO and NW such as:

CMH-IAH-MCO on CO
MCO-DTW-CMH on NW

Again, Expedia, Travelocity or ITN does not have the capability. I didn't find any web yet to enable me to find the route and fare info (except going through travel agency's CRS system).

If anyone knows the web that gives me the flexibility of the above, please let me know.

Thanks.

Sam

ITN allows you to choose multiple "favorite" airlines, and I believe the others do, also. If you select CO & NWA in the "favorite" area and then select the maximum # of flights, you will find itineraries that will include both airlines. To select multiple airlines, hold the "Ctrl" key and click on the airline of choice.

[This message has been edited by JAWS_II (edited 01-21-2001).]

... but at least there is oversight.

I referenced the article because I have recently read several posts in the Starwood forum that were hysterical and factually inaccurate. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum74/HTML/001125.html

FlyerTalk certainly serves a purpose, but sometimes people's opinions are in the guise of facts.

We all have our biases on FT. I think it's a good idea every once in a while to see what an independent magazine/newspaper says. But, of course, as soon as the media print a ranking everybody pounces to dispute it. See the critiques of The Wall Street Journal airport ranking article: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum...ML/001512.html

On Expedia.com, choose "all airlines" and "Build your own trip by flight". If you don't find the choices you really want between CMH and MCO, go to multiple trips and enter CMH-IAH, IAH-MCO, MCO-DTW and DTW-CMH and check "Direct flights only" to eliminate connections, since you are creating your own connection with the multiple legs.

I happened to have read a mention about Sidestep in the current edition of Time Magazine - Jan 22 2001; Under Innovators.

BTW Time profiled many travel related innovators in this issue.