fare finders
 

Just wondering if anyone has any good links for fare search services. Something better than Expedia or Travelocity. Or derection to a previous discussion thread.

The guidelines that I suggest for determining a Priceline bid apply to anyone looking for the lowest airfare.
http://pub4.ezboard.com/fpricelinean...opicID=2.topic

I am quite fond of http://www.itasoftware.com and their search engine. The results have a smart display (by # of stops as rows, by airlines as columns) and you can subset by clicking a row, column, or cell.

They also allow searches that have alternate days.

thanks for the tip, chipper, this is really cool.

Hi everybody. I've been lurking on the board for a while and I think it's about time I join the discussion.

I'm really happy with the farefinder at http://www.onetravel.com . It's very flexible and it often comes up with amazingly low prices (try 'Farebeater Ultra'). Plus, it's not limited to flights within the US and Canada.

Onetravel offers both published fares and consolidator fares, so it's important to find out if the fare you are purchasing qualifies for FF miles.

ITA Software is a great site, but it has a major shortcoming. It doesn't list Internet-only specials. Those can be found only at the airlines' own website. I've found some huge variances in the past.

But wouldn't this as a shortcoming for every travel site at the moment?

Yes. That's why I never rely on them when I'm looking for low fares.



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

What about SideStep, which claims to check the Internet fares as well?

In my experience SideStep has on several occasions missed the lowest available fares found on airline websites, even those that were not Internet-only specials.

Thanks for the links.

Personally, I don't use Priceline. I just checked out www.itasoftware.com and www.onetravel.com, comparing them to Expedia.com (I check Travelocity every once in a while just to make sure they stink).

Onetravel.com

1) Only adult and child (less than age 12); no infant in a reserved seat option

2) few choices presented

3) lower fares found elsewhere for LGA-DFW roundtrip 4/12/2001 to 4/21/2001:
lowest on onetravel.com is $289.50 AA and Delta
Expedia.com $221.00 AirTran and $249.50 AA and Continental ($289.50 Delta)

But it looks like there's a good set of links for reading/info.


ITA Software

Infant in a reserved seat option. An "anytime" choice for time of day, airports within 50 miles, and alternate dates are very nice.

Lots and lots and lots of choices! Personally, I love it (and the chart is great, too); could be overwhelming for some though. Expedia.com provides a good number of choices for most people; I usually have to choose "build by trip" to see all the options.

But, lowest Delta fare quoted $309.00 vs. $289.50 Expedia.com


[This message has been edited by JS (edited 01-02-2001).]

Nor was I suggesting that in response to yokemz post. If you go to the link I posted, it merely includes info. to help you obtain the lowest available fare by checking airline websites, online travel agencies and consolidators, which is a pre-requisite for determining a Priceline bid. As I said in my response, it's a way of looking for the lowest available fare. That's what I was trying to convey, which is directly in response to the question asked. Not a Priceline plug.

I am not convinced that itasoftware has the lowest prices, but the interface is very nice and a great way of presenting the material. Multiple alternatives are well presented, but you still have to dig to build a selected itinerary.

If you are looking for international deals don't forget to check
http://www.cheaptickets.com

They are a consolidator and their prices seem pretty hit and miss. I have gotten some great flights on CX from the West Coast to Hong Kong with them though.

To reiterate, sometimes their prices are great, sometimes they aren't, but I figure it's worth a couple of minutes to check . . .

Regards,
-levi aka eastwest

One of the best aspects of the ITN software is the ability to monitor the seat availability in all types of fare classes.

Ultimately, we will probably need to monitor many sites simultaneously in order to know availability all-around.