While this doesn't pertain to a mileage run per se, I thought this post would still belong in this forum: I was trying to find a ticket IAD-ARN for 22-26 July, and ITAsoftware.com found a decent fare on UA and SK of $1004 - or at least better than everything else available (on a side note, I refuse to use the new CO nonstop service EWR-ARN; 7-8 hours in a B757 is not my idea of fun).

I tried everywhere (Travelocity, Expedia, UA and SK sites, kayak, on the phone with UA, etc.) with no luck - finally the only place that would return the $1004 fare was Orbitz. I'm figuring the reason no other site would find it was that this was a bit of an unusual combination: O/W IAD-LHR on UA (VHWANGE fare) and then LHR-IAD on SK with a three-day stopover in ARN (and a connection at EWR) (MHXGBAP fare).

Just curious if anyone else had a similar experience with Orbitz; I guess this shows the power of Orbitz running on ITA's engine. Somehow I had expected the fact that the site is owned by a couple of airlines to limit it from finding the best fares, but I was happily proven wrong.

This has been my experience as well. I can almost always book an itinerary found on itasoftware on Orbitz but no where else at the same price (plus a booking fee, of course). This is especially true for more complex itineraries such as yours (ie: involving more than two cities, involving more than one carrier, etc.).

LAX

I've seen unusual combinations of segments with different airlines come up on Orbitz that the other sites did not find, and for prices that were much lower than the 'traditional' routings. I made the conclusion that Orbitz also searches for and returns itineraries based on two separate round-trips.

I don't know if this is the right place for this thread either, but I just plugged in a multi-city itinerary I need for September. On UA's website I get the "cannot price this itinerary" message. The best I was able to come up with was an 8/9 segment string, but on Orbitz I got the 12-segment ITA trip to price out perfectly! Thanks for posting. ^

Sweet, 12 segments! Interesting that Orbitz is better than the airline's site itself.

This thread would be more appropriately posted in TravelBuzz - which is where I am moving it.

Thanks!

bhatnasx
Mileage Run Moderator

Orbitz uses the ITA engine and software so its not surprising that it more easily comes up with itineraries you find on ITA.

Now if they could get their customer service up to the level of their engine.

I've been using Orbitz for years and have been pretty happy with them. My last itinerary was also one that aa.com claimed it couldn't book- MCI to ATH. Orbitz priced it out on AA and BA- not sure what aa.com's problem was. I also found a better fare to MYR on AirTran than on AirTran's site. I forget the difference, but it far more than the $15 booking fee.

I did have one annoying experience with them- reserved a room at the Renaissance at LHR for $237 for one night, payable in advance. I put the charge on my Marriott Visa but didn't get the credit for a Marriott charge because the payment was to Orbitz. Worse, Marriott didn't give me credit for the stay because it was one I'd bought at "a deep discount" from Orbitz. I checked Marriott's site, which I should have dne in the first place. The Orbitz rate was NOT a deep discount. Well, I'm glad I learned th elesson on only a one-night stay.