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ITA Software Matrix Airfare Search Consolidated Information and Help Thread

Old Jun 4, 2014, 6:07 pm
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: TWA884
ITA Matrix Search: http://matrix.itasoftware.com

You can sometimes see flights, fares and detailed fare rules that may not be reflected on an airline's website. Please read the thread for some tips and tricks, screen shots, etc.

A related thread, ITA-Matrix-PowerTools - Userscript for Orbitz/DL/UA/AA/BA/CZ/IB/LA/LH/LX/TK, discusses a user script which is maintained by fellow flyertalk members to enhance the already powerful Matrix of ITA Software by providing new features and booking links.

Additional details and tips on the use of ITA's advanced routing code feature can be found in the following long-standing Mileage Run Discussion threads:

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ITA Software Matrix Airfare Search Consolidated Information and Help Thread

Old May 30, 2018, 9:58 am
  #1651  
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: DXB
Programs: Marriott Titanium Elite, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, BA Silver, A3 Gold, Sixt Diamond
Posts: 2,802
Say I don’t care if I fly from ARN, CPH or OSL to MIA and back (ARN-X-MIA-X-CPH would be fine).
How would using the separate screens help?
Sure, from MIA I can fly to all cities, but I still have to make 3 searches...?
ChocolateFactory is offline  
Old May 30, 2018, 10:48 am
  #1652  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: London
Programs: Mucci. Nothing else matters.
Posts: 38,642
Originally Posted by ChocolateFactory
For outbound flights, it’s just more work, but for open-jaw flights, it becomes almost impossible.
Originally Posted by ChocolateFactory
Say I don’t care if I fly from ARN, CPH or OSL to MIA and back (ARN-X-MIA-X-CPH would be fine).
How would using the separate screens help?
Sure, from MIA I can fly to all cities, but I still have to make 3 searches...?
Is making 3 searches what you described as "almost impossible"?

Old search:-
ARN,CPH,OSL
MIA

New searches:-
ARN
MIA
MIA
ARN,CPH,OSL

CPH
MIA
MIA
ARN,CPH,OSL

OSL
MIA
MIA
ARN,CPH,OSL

Yes, it's a bit more work. But we've had "total disaster", "virtually useless" and "almost impossible", amongst other epithets. I'm almost tempted to suggest that if this really is too much effort for some people, they don't deserve the benefit of the power that this tool still provides.
Globaliser is offline  
Old May 30, 2018, 11:43 am
  #1653  
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: TPA/ABZ
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold. GGL/CCR.
Posts: 13,209
Originally Posted by Globaliser
Yes, it's a bit more work. But we've had "total disaster", "virtually useless" and "almost impossible", amongst other epithets. I'm almost tempted to suggest that if this really is too much effort for some people, they don't deserve the benefit of the power that this tool still provides.
Moreover, that this FREE tool still provides!
rossmacd likes this.
golfmad is offline  
Old May 30, 2018, 1:47 pm
  #1654  
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: DXB
Programs: Marriott Titanium Elite, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, BA Silver, A3 Gold, Sixt Diamond
Posts: 2,802
Yes, it's 3 searches in that example. In that example I could simply use Google Flights as well.
But the real advantage was being able to search many, many more airports at the same time. And that is gone.
ChocolateFactory is offline  
Old May 30, 2018, 6:16 pm
  #1655  
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA GGL
Posts: 1,577
Originally Posted by ChocolateFactory
But the real advantage was being able to search many, many more airports at the same time. And that is gone.
If you weren't breaking your searches up into smaller groups before, then you might not have been getting the best deal in the first place.
Sisyphus1carus likes this.
armouredant is offline  
Old May 31, 2018, 2:10 am
  #1656  
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Originally Posted by armouredant
Originally Posted by ChocolateFactory
But the real advantage was being able to search many, many more airports at the same time. And that is gone.
If you weren't breaking your searches up into smaller groups before, then you might not have been getting the best deal in the first place.
And checking that you were getting the best deal always required repetitive searching while narrowing down options, to make sure that ITA focused on an ever more limited set of options.

I think we're all agreed that it's a bit more effort now, but it sounds like many of those who are immediately giving up (or being irrationally rude about the change) were wrongly expecting ITA to be a magic bullet that would instantly give you perfect answers no matter how complex the query.
Sisyphus1carus likes this.
Globaliser is offline  
Old May 31, 2018, 5:46 pm
  #1657  
 
Join Date: May 2018
Posts: 1
Is ITA can't search LCC? I've tried many times but none. Even for domestic route in my country I can't find LCC, only Garuda.
alidabdul is offline  
Old May 31, 2018, 10:55 pm
  #1658  
 
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: New England
Programs: American Gold, Marriott Gold, Hilton Silver
Posts: 5,617
ITA can only search carriers who have opted to join the global GDS network for partner/agency pricing and ticketing. LCCs typically do not join the global network as they often do not allow other airline/agency ticketing, since they need to control their cost structure.
diburning is offline  
Old Jun 6, 2018, 11:58 am
  #1659  
 
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: NYC
Programs: UA
Posts: 36
Is anyone else's searches timing out for very simple requests from certain airports? For example, it happens when I search for a simple round trip from MUC to SYD on QF with ± 2 days on the departure dates, but this same query departing from LHR works fine. Very frustrating.

Also, is there a way to avoid the "internal error?" I currently have to refresh before each new search.
maxiet is offline  
Old Jun 6, 2018, 1:03 pm
  #1660  
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: SW London
Programs: BAEC Silver; Hilton Diamond;a miscellany of other hotel non-statuses
Posts: 3,607
Deleted, looks like you're already trying the suggestion of specifying carriers.

Last edited by EsherFlyer; Jun 6, 2018 at 1:09 pm
EsherFlyer is offline  
Old Jun 6, 2018, 1:11 pm
  #1661  
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Programs: DL Gold
Posts: 880
Anybody know of a good way (either using BookWithMatrix or some other trick) to price out an itinerary found on ITA, but as an award? BWM worked great for a paid itinerary that DL.com would not normally price out (nearly 24 hour layover on an international connection), but I’m trying to buy 1 ticket with money and 1 ticket with miles on this itinerary.

Any ideas?
hotelmotel is offline  
Old Jun 7, 2018, 6:16 am
  #1662  
 
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Great Britain
Programs: Air: QR Silver. BA Silver Emirates, Hotels: CC Gold, IHG Spire AMB, Hilton Diamond.
Posts: 1,486
A new feature needs to be added if they are not going to allow multiple countries. We need the ability to select the radius of nearby airports but be able to specify ONLY in the same country as the initial airport entered.
Its a PITA at the moment sifting through and finding which ones aren't in the same country when you select, say, 300 mile radius.
ChocolateFactory likes this.
Sisyphus1carus is offline  
Old Jun 7, 2018, 10:16 am
  #1663  
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: SW London
Programs: BAEC Silver; Hilton Diamond;a miscellany of other hotel non-statuses
Posts: 3,607
Originally Posted by Sisyphus1carus
A new feature needs to be added if they are not going to allow multiple countries. We need the ability to select the radius of nearby airports but be able to specify ONLY in the same country as the initial airport entered.
Its a PITA at the moment sifting through and finding which ones aren't in the same country when you select, say, 300 mile radius.
That should be the default / only behaviour: nearby airports limits to same country as the base one.
EsherFlyer is offline  
Old Jun 7, 2018, 3:55 pm
  #1664  
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: ORD, DEL
Programs: AA (Plt Pro; 1.5 MM)
Posts: 6,183
Anybody figured out how to avoid Basic Economy?
aktchi is offline  
Old Jun 7, 2018, 4:46 pm
  #1665  
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: SW London
Programs: BAEC Silver; Hilton Diamond;a miscellany of other hotel non-statuses
Posts: 3,607
Originally Posted by aktchi
Anybody figured out how to avoid Basic Economy?
On which airline? On BA for example ITA gives Plus fare results.
EsherFlyer is offline  

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