US site book for int'l bookings?
Mar 29, 2000, 2:15 am
#1
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 1999
Programs: FB Silver going for Gold
Posts: 21,808
US site book for int'l bookings?
Should read the US site is BAD for inernational bookings
I'm trying to book a BOS-LGW flight on US's site. For some reason, it won't give a good selection of flights operated by US. itn.net gives a better selection as does AmEx travel service (they use Sabre).
Example. The US system will only put me on the early US PHL-LGW flight and not the later or the CLT-LGW flight. Returning on the 13/14, it won't put me on a US flight from PHL back to BOS!
ITN.net on the other hand gives me a full selection so I booked BOS-CLT-LGW-PHL-BOS (flight back into CLT is sold out in K). Buying the ticket through Amex so I will lose out on the 1,000 mile booking bonus. However I will get 17,600 miles (all counting towards bonus) and give up the 16,252+1,000 via PHL (if I booked that via US)
FWIW, the fare I have is lower (marginally) than the lowest BOS-LON fare!
Isn't Travelocity powered by Sabre?
[This message has been edited by terenz (edited 03-29-2000).]
I'm trying to book a BOS-LGW flight on US's site. For some reason, it won't give a good selection of flights operated by US. itn.net gives a better selection as does AmEx travel service (they use Sabre).
Example. The US system will only put me on the early US PHL-LGW flight and not the later or the CLT-LGW flight. Returning on the 13/14, it won't put me on a US flight from PHL back to BOS!
ITN.net on the other hand gives me a full selection so I booked BOS-CLT-LGW-PHL-BOS (flight back into CLT is sold out in K). Buying the ticket through Amex so I will lose out on the 1,000 mile booking bonus. However I will get 17,600 miles (all counting towards bonus) and give up the 16,252+1,000 via PHL (if I booked that via US)
FWIW, the fare I have is lower (marginally) than the lowest BOS-LON fare!
Isn't Travelocity powered by Sabre?
[This message has been edited by terenz (edited 03-29-2000).]
Mar 29, 2000, 6:07 am
#2
Guest
Posts: n/a
terenz: The deal with travelocity is that it typically won't show you options with connecting flights with more than about an hour layover... it just assumes (often incorrectly) that you would not want a layover of over an hour. If I know the route I want, I use the "multiple destinations" option, plug in BOS-PHL and then PHL-LGW in your case, and then choose my flights. I have the same issue out from DCA-LGW... it only offers me the early flight out of PHL but if I use the multiple destinations option, I can book through CLT or either the early or late PHL flights to LGW.
BTW, this is also a great way to get around those "direct" flights between two cities that have a stopover (with, or without change of aircraft) but operate as one flight number. There is a single flight number flight that goes from DCA to PHL and then on to LGW and it operates as a single flight number even though I'd have to connect in PHL. I book the flights separately (DCA-PHL, PHL-LGW) and therefore get two flight segments instead of one as well as the bonus miles for both flights which is usually greater than if booked it as a single flight number. Sometimes you will pay an extra $3 airport facility fee if you use two flight numbers instead of one but it's worth it...
cheers, -geo
BTW, this is also a great way to get around those "direct" flights between two cities that have a stopover (with, or without change of aircraft) but operate as one flight number. There is a single flight number flight that goes from DCA to PHL and then on to LGW and it operates as a single flight number even though I'd have to connect in PHL. I book the flights separately (DCA-PHL, PHL-LGW) and therefore get two flight segments instead of one as well as the bonus miles for both flights which is usually greater than if booked it as a single flight number. Sometimes you will pay an extra $3 airport facility fee if you use two flight numbers instead of one but it's worth it...
cheers, -geo
Mar 30, 2000, 8:29 am
#3
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: Jersey City
Posts: 1,321
i'm with you terenz!! this is the only airline website i've visited that will ignore its own flights as options, particularly on int'l. i was trying to get a booking from lax to fra, and i went through five screens of ua/lh options with no offering from us. how can i ever qualify for the 5000 mile booking bonus if it doesn't offer up its own service? 
