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Are there really discount airline ticket sites?



 
 
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  #1  
Old April 9th, 2009, 10:02 PM posted to rec.travel.air
MacFarland
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Posts: 8
Default 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  
Old April 9th, 2009, 10:25 PM posted to rec.travel.air
Graham Harrison[_3_]
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Posts: 288
Default 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  
Old April 10th, 2009, 02:30 AM posted to rec.travel.air
SMS
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 899
Default 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  
Old April 10th, 2009, 03:07 AM posted to rec.travel.air
Jeff Hacker
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Posts: 241
Default 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  
Old April 10th, 2009, 12:03 PM posted to rec.travel.air
TEP
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 145
Default 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  
Old April 10th, 2009, 03:25 PM posted to rec.travel.air
John Levine
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Posts: 176
Default 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  
Old April 11th, 2009, 02:19 AM posted to rec.travel.air
rieker
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 131
Default 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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