Jun 4, 2014, 6:07 pm
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:
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:
ITA Software Matrix Airfare Search Consolidated Information and Help Thread
May 2, 2018, 2:57 pm
#1591
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: UK
Programs: BAEC GGL, HH DIAMOND, AVIS Presidents Club, Karahi Express
Posts: 1,229
That is a good question ... Matrix is powered by Google. Google flights UK https://www.google.co.uk/flights is also now behaving strangely ... unable to enter multiple departure airports.
May 2, 2018, 3:42 pm
#1592
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: The North
Posts: 1,844
This is a real shame… not only was it useful for the cases mentioned above, but also if someone is fairly flexible with their destinations and has a list of possibilities (either for status running, or just to visit different places).
May 2, 2018, 7:04 pm
#1594
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: UK
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 532
I appreciate this isn’t moving the debate on but multi-departure point functionality across Europe where it is (relatively) simple to move from country to Country was the whole point of matrix for me and loads of others. It’s saved me lots of time (and thus money) in trip planning.
Anyone know why they change and can they be persuaded to reinstate it!
May 3, 2018, 2:32 am
#1595
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: London
Programs: Mucci. Nothing else matters.
Posts: 38,644
Caution: All of the following is complete speculation, but FWIW:-
ITA has always been an exercise in attempting to manage the inherenly unmanageable. As soon as you start specifying different alternatives in the same search, the number of theoretical possibilities can quickly spiral out of control into the millions - and that's just routings, before ITA starts trying to match availability against potentially valid fares.
Airlines typically treat each separate country as one market, and file a single/coherent set of fares for each market. Hence, for example, those of us who are regulars on BA will be familiar with the former phenomenon that cheap ex-OSL long-haul fares were generally also available ex-BGO and ex-SVG, but these could be very different from (say) ex-ARN or ex-CPH fares.
If origin is restricted by ITA to a single market, then what this may do is limit the number of fare families that ITA has to consult to return results for any single search. My gut instinct is that because fare families depend critically on the country of origin, you may not get quite the same level of complexity if there are multiple potential destinations in multiple countries. But at any rate, limiting the number of fare families that have to be searched will reduce complexity, and this is one way of doing it.
There are all sorts of possible reasons why ITA might have decided to do this; I can't even begin to hazard a guess as to what they were. But one thing I can express is a hope: if complexity is reduced, then maybe the search results that are returned will become more accurate. IME, there have been increasing (reproducible) instances of things not being quite right in search results. Experience of using ITA has taught me when to ignore the glitches and press on to get an accurate final result, but there is the potential for this to improve search results.
The small downside is that we may simply have to learn to be less lazy when searching.
ITA has always been an exercise in attempting to manage the inherenly unmanageable. As soon as you start specifying different alternatives in the same search, the number of theoretical possibilities can quickly spiral out of control into the millions - and that's just routings, before ITA starts trying to match availability against potentially valid fares.
Airlines typically treat each separate country as one market, and file a single/coherent set of fares for each market. Hence, for example, those of us who are regulars on BA will be familiar with the former phenomenon that cheap ex-OSL long-haul fares were generally also available ex-BGO and ex-SVG, but these could be very different from (say) ex-ARN or ex-CPH fares.
If origin is restricted by ITA to a single market, then what this may do is limit the number of fare families that ITA has to consult to return results for any single search. My gut instinct is that because fare families depend critically on the country of origin, you may not get quite the same level of complexity if there are multiple potential destinations in multiple countries. But at any rate, limiting the number of fare families that have to be searched will reduce complexity, and this is one way of doing it.
There are all sorts of possible reasons why ITA might have decided to do this; I can't even begin to hazard a guess as to what they were. But one thing I can express is a hope: if complexity is reduced, then maybe the search results that are returned will become more accurate. IME, there have been increasing (reproducible) instances of things not being quite right in search results. Experience of using ITA has taught me when to ignore the glitches and press on to get an accurate final result, but there is the potential for this to improve search results.
The small downside is that we may simply have to learn to be less lazy when searching.
May 3, 2018, 4:52 am
#1596
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Spitalfields, London
Programs: BA Gold, KFC 'The Colonel's Club' Palladium tier, Mucci des Visions Célestes du Nord-Pas-de-Calais
Posts: 2,311
I don't mind being less 'lazy' (i.e. searching one origin point at a time) however the functionality to see a calendar range of fares is not there when using the multi city tool, which will surely become the default option when seeking different start / end points.
May 3, 2018, 7:25 am
#1597
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: LTN
Programs: Aeroflot Bonus, British Airways Executive Club
Posts: 463
OMG, The multi-city feature was exactly what I need in order to secure relative cheap tickets because I live near the border and can go to alternative airports across the border.
May 3, 2018, 10:11 am
#1600
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Great Britain
Programs: Air: QR Silver. BA Silver Emirates, Hotels: CC Gold, IHG Spire AMB, Hilton Diamond.
Posts: 1,487
Wait ... !!!! So this seems to be an 'Enhancement' to use BA's terminology for making something much worse !
This has to be brought back, its like THE most useful feature of ITA.
This has to be brought back, its like THE most useful feature of ITA.
Last edited by Sisyphus1carus; May 3, 2018 at 10:21 am
May 3, 2018, 10:16 am
#1601
Moderator: Hyatt; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: WAS
Programs: :rolleyes:, DL DM, Mlife Plat, Caesars Diam, Marriott Tit, UA Gold, Hyatt Glob, invol FT beta tester
Posts: 18,890
Am getting an error whenever I put multiple origin airport codes in :-(
Multiple JOCs found in slice 0, constrain origins to a single country. SPLIT-TICKET-MODE in effect was NIL. Itinerary index 12
Anyone else getting it ?
Any clues as to why ??
Anything I can do to fix it ?
Multiple JOCs found in slice 0, constrain origins to a single country. SPLIT-TICKET-MODE in effect was NIL. Itinerary index 12
Anyone else getting it ?
Any clues as to why ??
Anything I can do to fix it ?
May 3, 2018, 10:18 am
#1602
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Great Britain
Programs: Air: QR Silver. BA Silver Emirates, Hotels: CC Gold, IHG Spire AMB, Hilton Diamond.
Posts: 1,487
This is a total disaster.
Why has this been done ?
Pressure from airlines to prevent people from finding the best deals ??
Utter disaster and pretty much the best feature of ITA :-(
May 3, 2018, 10:31 am
#1603
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: London
Programs: Mucci. Nothing else matters.
Posts: 38,644
"Total disaster"? That must be from the school of hyperbole! Anyone who's prepared to do a bit of legwork will still see what's on offer. And it might even be more accurate now than it has been.
May 3, 2018, 12:19 pm
#1604
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Spitalfields, London
Programs: BA Gold, KFC 'The Colonel's Club' Palladium tier, Mucci des Visions Célestes du Nord-Pas-de-Calais
Posts: 2,311
They should remove the 'nearby' (airports) function though as that will obviously not work across borders now.
May 3, 2018, 1:21 pm
#1605
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 145
ITA source country airport limitation
If this feature was to stay (unfortunately)..then it would make sense to restrict nearby airport to only show airports from the same country.
First constant fantom availability for TK, LX and few other airlines..then sudden demise of Onthefly tool.
I realize that ITA is a free tool but then theres no other paid tool as well that will even closely match the uniqueness & functionality of ITA. ITA is an indispensable tool for those who know how to use it correctly. Wish they bring this feature back.
For the argument that this would enhance the reliability of the search result, I would say that it's better to have the option.. if I wanted to have different departure country, it must be possible to check that box and then user understands that results may not be that reliable. In good old days, when processing power was much weaker, ITA performed relatively pretty well and I hardly see any reason to further reduce the features in ITA.
Wish Google didnt treated ITA as second cousin
First constant fantom availability for TK, LX and few other airlines..then sudden demise of Onthefly tool.
I realize that ITA is a free tool but then theres no other paid tool as well that will even closely match the uniqueness & functionality of ITA. ITA is an indispensable tool for those who know how to use it correctly. Wish they bring this feature back.
For the argument that this would enhance the reliability of the search result, I would say that it's better to have the option.. if I wanted to have different departure country, it must be possible to check that box and then user understands that results may not be that reliable. In good old days, when processing power was much weaker, ITA performed relatively pretty well and I hardly see any reason to further reduce the features in ITA.
Wish Google didnt treated ITA as second cousin
Last edited by andydd; May 3, 2018 at 2:02 pm Reason: typo