Finding cheapest airfare?! - TravelPUNK Backpacker College Student Budget Travel Message Boards!

**maracle** · 01-17-2008, 11:27 PM

Ok so I always thought that expedia, travelocity, etc were all more or less the same and you'd end up with the best price available for your route available at that particular moment if you used any one of them.

Apparently, not true at all. I was just pricing a flight to new york and I noticed, no JetBlue showing up on Expedia (which is what I usually use). But I remembered sitting next to a JetBlue flight to LaGuardia when my flight home for christmas was delayed so that seemed odd.

I thought, OK...I'll try Kayak. Maybe there's something to those meta search sites after all. Kayak doesn't have a clue about JetBlue flights either!

Turns out JetBlue is $100 less than anything these sites are picking up. Which makes me wonder how many other times I've missed out on a great fare for similar reasons. This actually just pisses me off in general, whats the point of living in the computer age if something so simple can't be automated?

Anyone know of other airlines or sites besides JetBlue I should be checking in addition to expedia/kayak/etc?

polarbear · 01-18-2008, 12:53 AM

i second his question, what is the best site for airline deals?

**mbo108** · 01-18-2008, 05:19 AM

I think the best is to just keep looking everywhere. I've resorted to making spreadsheets of my searches just to keep track.

I know that Orbitz is actually owned and operated by the larger corporate air "groups" (Star Alliance, SkyWorld, etc.) so you won't find smaller independent carriers on there (JetBlue, Southwest, etc.)

Additionally, if Orbitz returns a bunch of fares and the lowest one is say from United, then I usually go right to United.com and can buy it and save another $10 or so. Plus if anything ever goes wrong it removes one layer of customer service because I can deal directly with the airline instead of the 3rd party reseller and airline.

SGRHewitt · 01-18-2008, 06:32 AM

Kayak and most of the others do not publish Southwest.

I have to book flights from the west coast to Indianapolis weekly for my dad. Southwest saves 20-100 dollars per trip. And the rapid rewards add up quickly.

My opinion, for Kayak. When you can use it to check priceline, expedia, and hotwire... Use it. They are great to compare. I've found that priceline can save $100 over Kayaks list.

SGRHewitt · 01-18-2008, 06:37 AM

What is JetBlue's main hub(s)?

SGRHewitt · 01-18-2008, 06:53 AM

One comment... Does anyone know of a air "search engine" that will let you look up the prices of flights from different departing airports? I always though that would be super convenient. Like for me, Ft Wayne, Indianapolis, and Columbus are all nearby, and almost the same distance from my house to those airports.

If this hasn't been created yet, I wish someone would

.

**mbo108** · 01-18-2008, 06:57 AM

Most of the search engines let you select a "Any airport within 80 miles" box. I know for me I can use that to check Philly and Newark at the same time. Of course if your airports are greater than 80 miles it won't work but its a start...

**maracle** · 01-18-2008, 07:40 AM

JetBlue is a bit odd, they don't have hubs...just various direct flights. And they don't do connections as far as I can see, if you want to fly somewhere and there isn't a direct JetBlue flight but you could do it with a connection your only choice is to buy 2 full tickets. I think it's because they don't necessarily run each of their routes often enough to do connections without huge layovers. So basically it's meant to be a direct flight only airline.

I've not flown them, but I'm assuming this because when I go to the website to book once I've chosen my starting city the only cities it shows for destinations are those that are direct flights.

**MeTurk** · 01-18-2008, 07:57 AM

I've always found that buying direct from the airline is the cheapest way of getting flights. Having a middle man will always jack up the price.

SGRHewitt · 01-18-2008, 09:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MeTurk

I've always found that buying direct from the airline is the cheapest way of getting flights. Having a middle man will always jack up the price.

I agree, thus when I usually do a "search engine" search... I try to find the airline that is being offered and then head to their website to try to get the same itinerary at a lower price.

**joe7f** · 01-18-2008, 03:01 PM

^I usually agree but the last time I did that with my nonstop flight to London I ended up with a bill for 4000. :eek:

Clicking through Kayak got me the seat for 673 on the same flight. Kayak, travelocity and the like are good for starters though.

--Joey

xanthuos · 01-23-2008, 09:58 PM

JetBlue's main hub is JFK.

Orbitz and other search engines do not show Southwest's fares because Southwest does not provide them to the ATPCO. Southwest refuses, and maintains that it keeps costs low to not have to pay to list its fares.

If the routing you find using search engines is only on one airline, it always makes sense to check that airline's website first to see if you can book it. Orbitz and other sites charge a booking fee. However, Orbitz can be useful in finding non-traditional routings and combinations of different airlines because it uses ITA Software's search engine as its core.

**Legitikick** · 01-23-2008, 10:18 PM

I've found flights on the search's (Expedia, Cheapoair.com, etc.), and then found the same flights for hundreds less directly from the airline.

**MeTurk** · 01-24-2008, 03:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SGRHewitt

I agree, thus when I usually do a "search engine" search... I try to find the airline that is being offered and then head to their website to try to get the same itinerary at a lower price.

Same as, just use the search engine to find the cheap airline then buy direct.

six toe rings · 03-11-2008, 08:33 AM

As far as search engines go, I don't think I've ever found prices cheaper than those on priceline.

**pinknic38** · 03-11-2008, 08:41 AM

I've never had good luck with priceline. They always managed to change my flight like 10 hours before I was supposed to fly. So stupid.

I ALWAYS go with Kayak. I really don't think Southwest is always the best deal either. And SkyBus is cheap but flies random places and my friend had a bad experience recently, using it for spring break and they cancelled her return flight and she had to rent a car with some randoms and drive 10 hours back to Ohio.

Kayak, foreverrrr.

www.kayak.com

DharmaBum · 06-10-2008, 03:30 PM

CheapoAir.com is what I always use for domestic flights in the US. Its the cheapest about 90% of the time.

SGRHewitt · 06-18-2008, 09:42 AM

Anyone know if this rate increase coming really soon is going to affect airlines like Qantas to Australia? Not sure if I should book now or continue to wait. Right now I can get the same price from booking End of Jan to Middle of May(as far as it will let me go). I'd like to continue to wait it out and see if I can't make it into June for the same price, but not sure if this rate increase is going to happen to student fares with Qantas Airline.

Anyone know?