ITN
 

From many many posts on these boards it appears large numbers of us use ITN as a "best-we-can" find substitute for EasySabre. It seems to be the only web site offering fare booking classes.

However, I have often wondered if anyone has actually used them to buy a ticket or book a hotel? Basically, I am concerned as to how long this resource (AMEX backing or not) will be around??

As to why I never purchase a ticket, it usually revolves around airline web site bonus miles.

rich

The United web site runs off the same software showing availability by fare class when in expert mode. I seem to recall they have some type of interest in ITN, so hopefully both the ITN and UA web sites will be around for a while.

My company uses Rosenbluth Travel with an in house site that utuilizes ITN. I'm sure that they also have a public site with the same capabillity.

I have purchased tickets through ITN and have had no problems.

TW

How do you get "expert mode" on ITN?

After you log in with your user name and password on ITN, click on "travel profile", then "display preferences", and then under "availability format" select "expert".

mauld -

Are you "using/talking about" e-Travel?

dAAvid -

I would like to be able to buy tickets from ITN, but it won't sell to anyone outside the United States. Even now under Amex. However, I would like to know if I am the only one who finds ITN worse now that Amex has taken it over [in the past year]? I find it takes much longer to do searches, bring up final fare screens, and retrieve seating charts. It used to also take two or three screens before being able to sign in and get to checking flights.

I understand what you are getting after RichLord. I also feel this way about expedia which I have actually tried to book on, and every time I get to the credit card info, get bumped out of the system. They won't take my money either, and this is the ".ca" version of the site for those of us up here in Canada. (I am told part of my problem is running Netscape on a Mac, but certainly Microsoft wouldn't be that petty, would they?)

Bigtex1, no it is an internal corporate site that Rosenbluth uses, but it is somehow connected to ITN, as that it the web site that shows up, but with our corporate logo and our corporate discounts for air & hotel included.

I use http://www.yourtravelmanager.com which is the BA front-end on ITN.

This overcomes the problems of buying from outside the US, amongst other benefits.

Nick




[This message has been edited by Merry (edited 02-26-2001).]

I just tried to book tickets through http://www.yourtravelmanager.com/, for 5 March, and was told that's too far in advance!

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Craig

I've made one booking Expedia and it was easy. They couldn't do it eticket (it was an interline fare between US and UA), and the ticket arrived promptly just a few days later. They automatically assigned seats, and, much to my joy, the UA seat was in Economy Plus even though it was a discount fare and no status!

My big complaint, and the reason I don't use it, is that you can't see connecting times in the flight listing screen. They simply show departure time/arrival time and connecting point. So I've found a perfect flight, and selected it, but by the time I get to the flight details screen, I see that I am left with 35 minutes in ATL, and that's too short for me. They really should display all flight times on the listing screen, and not just the origin and destination times. While they're at it, put in the aircraft type there too. I like to see my aircraft options!

"The United web site runs off the same software showing availability by fare class when in expert mode. I seem to recall they have some type of interest in ITN, so hopefully both the ITN and UA web sites will be around for a while."

Even though UA and ITN uses the same software, I found that the ITN web site sometimes shows discounted seat availability (i.e. "W" fares) that the UA web site does not. Thus, I used ITN a few times and have been pleased with their service.

For those who are not aware of it, ITN is actually "powered" by GetThere, which was acquired last year by Sabre. Who knows how long is Sabre going to keep the ITN interface...?

RZ

Does anyone know how to get a hold of the SABRE software that travel agents use?

I've seen them use this software for years...I remember it running on DOS boxes since the early 90's...there must be a version of the software around somewhere that we could install and play around with. Certainly it will provide more fare codes than ITN??

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