rosegirl

Curious if anyone has used any of these low cost flight sites. The prices are lower but are there any potential disadvantages of using these sites to buy airline tickets?

Englishmum

Always best to book direct with the airline. If the flight is cancelled the airline won't help you (ie. book you on an alternative airline if necessary) and tell you that you have to contact the 'travel agent' eg. Expedia.

You can find the cheapest flight prices via this website (which has more results than Kayak etc, Hipmunk, Expedia etc.)

Matrix - ITA Software (you click on the price in the left hand column for the exact flight(s) you prefer. It lists in detail the itinerary and you will see the booking code , then phone the airline - or travel agency - to make the actual booking.

You can choose one way tickets, round trip tickets, non-stop flights, currency of fare results.

Example.

I looked at a one-way flight from Zurich, Switzerland (ZRH) to Newark, New Jersey (EWR). There were many options with different airlines but you may see a routing with the best times and flight prices which you like best. I 'chose' a non-stop flight with United Airlines (although it was cheaper to fly with US Airways but having to change flights in Philadelphia.....70 miles away lol!)

I chose a round trip on 4th July, returning on 10th July (it was cheaper for a round-trip ticket than a one-way ticket and the cost was US$1415.40).

If I wanted to book the flight with United Airlines (UA), then I would see this:

Fare 1. Carrier UA THNNSRW ZRH to EWR
Passenger Type ADT round trip booking code T, Covers ZRH-EWR (economy)

and similar in reverse for Fare 2. for the return flight

You will see a breakdown of the fare and airport taxes. However, all you need to do is to (ideally print off) the itinerary and phone United Airlines reservations or go into a travel agency and get them to book it for you. However, a travel agency may add on a service charge and if things go smoothly with your flight, then it's fine.....but if there is a hiccup and there is a problem with the flight, who are you going to call at 11pm at night?

Here's another guide on how to use the ITA Matrix to find fares:

http://www.welltraveledmile.com/how-...trix-software/

Hope this helps!

spouse of scouse

I've used Orbitz and Kayak without any problems. I had to change my return flights booked with Orbitz and they were so helpful that I wrote a recommendation for them, not something I do very often. I spoke to them from Perth, they're in Chicago.

However, Englishmum has a good point. Always check the fare terms and conditions when booking with an online travel site, which can range from no or low cost changes to no changes at all permitted. It's also possible to get your flight just as cheaply direct from the airline, you just have to spend a bit of time and do the comparison.

The reason I went with Orbitz was they had Hong Kong - Manchester return business class on Emirates 380 for $4,000 per person cheaper than flying from Perth on a 777-300er. Used frequent flyer points for the Perth-Hong Kong legs, massive bargain!

fulwood

I used Expedia for trip from US to UK. I paid $770 rountrip. BUT I flew into Dublin. I flew on Air Canada on inbound flights and for outbound will fly United out of Duiblin. No issues with anything.

deepcpearl

I've used these sites many times, great prices, never had an issue.

That said, if you're thinking of your move back to the UK with your dog, you'll need to call the airline direct (or at least speak to an agent) so that you can make arrangements for your pooch. I don't believe you can book pets through an online travel site.

Pulaski

This.

Used them all, and others. A day or two after booking the tickets I go and book seats on the airlines web site. Never had a problem, and despite some saying that they get good prices on the airlines' own web sites I have never found airlines' prices to be competitive, not even close. Unless you're flying to Katmandu or Timbuktu the risk of cancellations is small and I have never had a problem nor worried about it either.

For me the price savings are sufficient to make me avoid the airlines web sites. I wish I had the money to burn, but when the Pulaski family got tickets through a web broker on a US Airways flight that would have cost about 80% more to book directly from US Airways why would I book direct? These were trans-Atlantic flights, so the saving was very substantial, from my perspective at least.

Not much, the ITA website won't load!

BTW you paid about 45% more than I did for CLT-LHR tickets, but "right on the money" for the every day, run of the mill CLT-LHR summer 2014 tickets through Expedia, Travelocity, etc.

Lion in Winter

What site are you getting lower prices on? For my Christmas flights, the prices are always within $5 of each other on Expedia, Orbitz, or the airline's own site. Perhaps it's a function of being peak travel time?

Pulaski

The prices vary day on day on different web sites. I was mostly finding prices moving in the range $1,350-$1,500. FWIW I never found them competitive for CLT flights. USAirways direct-bought tickets were priced $1,550-$1,700. A couple of times I saw prices down in the $1,200's, with a change. Once I saw prices below $1,000 via Toronto, but I blinked and the next day they were gone.

I looked most days for a month or so, starting about 3½ months ahead of flying, then I started checking prices every day, often more than once a day on 4-5 sites, then late one night after some late BE posts, about 9 weeks ahead of flying, I found $965 tickets on IIRC pricehub.com for direct CLT-LHR flights.

rosegirl

I found a new site - smartfares.com. Prices are fantastic! Has anyone used that site?

Lion in Winter

Is that including the taxes and fees? A lot of sites quote just the air fare on the first page and then add all the other stuff on later.

Lion in Winter

I never find under $1,100 these days for Christmas flights, and that's buying them in July. I can't leave it later because the flights get booked at that time of year and I have almost no flexibility. I will try the pricehub thing.

Pulaski

Hang on! You're trying to book for Christmas six months ahead? No wonder the ticket prices are "flat" - nobody in their right mind books tickets that far ahead. You should never book tickets more than 90 days in advance.

The last 90 days is when all the movement occurs and you get the price cuts. Check the prices now if you want, but start serious checking in September with a view to buying by mid-late October.

ETA
Seriously? Wow! I have never flown at Christmas. ..... That said, $1,100 tickets aren't bad prices in the current environment.

Lion in Winter

I'm always worried I won't get seats, since the planes get so full and I have 0 choice on the days I can fly really.

rosegirl

Yes - including taxes and fees. Very good prices.

spouse of scouse

If you check out the reviews for smartfares.com you'll discover that people have had a never ending stream of problems with them, including not honouring advertised fares, selling invalid insurance, not providing refunds as promised, selling impossible itineries such as only allowing a half hour to get from Heathrow to Gatwick to catch a connecting flight, clueless agents at their call centre in India, cancelling booked fares without notifying the customer.

I wouldn't touch them with a 10 foot barge pole! Stick with the tried and true sites unless you're prepared to have your travel plans disrupted or canceled.