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#1
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Are there really discount airline ticket sites?
I am planning a trip from, say, SNA/ONT/LAX/BUR (any one of these
would do) to Vancouver, B.C. (YVC I think). I went to a "discount" site, Orbitz. What I found in fact was that I could get a better deal by going directly to the airline's web site, e.g., United.com. This was even when Orbitz was advertising "No booking fee" right now. So I'm left wondering if the ads for discount airline tickets at various sites are really not discounts at all, but that if I want to fly Alaska Airlines, I should go to the airline's site, go to AA's site for an AA flight, etc. Are there really discounted airfare sites? Thanks. |
#2
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Are there really discount airline ticket sites?
"MacFarland" wrote in message ... I am planning a trip from, say, SNA/ONT/LAX/BUR (any one of these would do) to Vancouver, B.C. (YVC I think). I went to a "discount" site, Orbitz. What I found in fact was that I could get a better deal by going directly to the airline's web site, e.g., United.com. This was even when Orbitz was advertising "No booking fee" right now. So I'm left wondering if the ads for discount airline tickets at various sites are really not discounts at all, but that if I want to fly Alaska Airlines, I should go to the airline's site, go to AA's site for an AA flight, etc. Are there really discounted airfare sites? Thanks. I doubt if you'll find anything on a route like that between North American points. They operate mainly in international environments. They also tend to carry tickets for less attractive routes. Now that can mean several things such as the airline and/or the routing. In the UK it's practically impossible to find tickets for BA at less than the price BA themselves charge. However, contact someone like Airline Network or Opodo or Trailfinders and they'll offer you a non-BA ticket for less than the BA price, Typically, going to the Far East you'll find airlines like Emirates are cheaper and going to Australasia the mix includes Thai, Singapore, Malaysian and Cathay Pacific. Now look at the Los Angeles basin to Vancouver. Who flies the route? United (which sometimes pretends to be Air Canada) and Alaska. Want to go Delta - change at Salt Lake but probably the same fare. American would have to route you through Dallas and Continental Houston. If there is a non-US carrier on the route (I have this memory that Cathay flew it at one time) they might offer something through a discounter, Oh, YVR=Vancouver. |
#3
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Are there really discount airline ticket sites?
MacFarland wrote:
I'm left wondering if the ads for discount airline tickets at various sites are really not discounts at all, but that if I want to fly Alaska Airlines, I should go to the airline's site, go to AA's site for an AA flight, etc. Are there really discounted airfare sites? Thanks. For domestic trips (including Canada) you almost never get a better deal on these sites. I don't think they were ever advertised as discount sites. Occasionally, when your routing includes multiple carriers, you can get a better deal on those sites than on the airline's own site, but that's extremely rare. For international travel, a site like Vayama that offers consolidator fares on-line can save you a lot of money. If you use sidestep.com it will compare all the booking sites, including the airline's own site (except for Southwest Airlines). |
#4
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Are there really discount airline ticket sites?
"MacFarland" wrote in message ... I am planning a trip from, say, SNA/ONT/LAX/BUR (any one of these would do) to Vancouver, B.C. (YVC I think). I went to a "discount" site, Orbitz. What I found in fact was that I could get a better deal by going directly to the airline's web site, e.g., United.com. This was even when Orbitz was advertising "No booking fee" right now. So I'm left wondering if the ads for discount airline tickets at various sites are really not discounts at all, but that if I want to fly Alaska Airlines, I should go to the airline's site, go to AA's site for an AA flight, etc. Are there really discounted airfare sites? Thanks. Orbitz is NOT a "discount" site. It is simply an online travel agent. It was established and originally owned by several airlines, but was sold off a couple of years ago to Cendant (which has itself spun its various components, including Orbitz, off). You might want to look at a site like Kayak (www.kayak.com) which searches various sites. Also, John Levine uploads a very detailed article every Sunday which gives information on other similar sites, so you might want to watch for his article. Jeff |
#5
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Are there really discount airline ticket sites?
"MacFarland" wrote in message ... This was even when Orbitz was advertising "No booking fee" right now. Be careful to read the "small" print. For example, to quote from their website: "Excludes multi-carrier itineraries" and some types of International travel. |
#6
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Are there really discount airline ticket sites?
Orbitz is NOT a "discount" site. It is simply an online travel agent.
They have an unusual agreement with many airlines that makes all of the airlines' cheapest fares available on Orbitz, but within North America, that doesn't make much difference. Since prices in the US and Canada are deregulated, there's no need for airlines to play the kinds of pricing games they do in the relatively few remaining regulated markets where the real price and the published price differ. Also, John Levine uploads a very detailed article every Sunday which gives information on other similar sites, so you might want to watch for his article. Thanks. No need to wait, read the web version at http://airinfo.travel The only place where you are likely to find tickets cheaper than list price is Hotwire, because they use "opaque" pricing that doesn't reveal the airline and exact times until after you pay. If you can get there any time of the day, it's worth checking. R's, John |
#7
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Are there really discount airline ticket sites?
"MacFarland" wrote in message ... I am planning a trip from, say, SNA/ONT/LAX/BUR (any one of these would do) to Vancouver, B.C. (YVC I think). I went to a "discount" site, Orbitz. What I found in fact was that I could get a better deal by going directly to the airline's web site, e.g., United.com. This was even when Orbitz was advertising "No booking fee" right now. So I'm left wondering if the ads for discount airline tickets at various sites are really not discounts at all, but that if I want to fly Alaska Airlines, I should go to the airline's site, go to AA's site for an AA flight, etc. Are there really discounted airfare sites? Thanks. Have you looked at www.allegiantair.com ? They fly LAX BLI (Bellingham, WA) for as little as $58. each way. A short shuttle ride will get you from Bellingham to Vancouver. |
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