12 replies to this topic

[lynnlchan]

I'm curious if anyone has had success using a fare watcher? Do they work? Is there one that's better then others?

How do people go about finding the best airfares?

Thanks!

[secretsea18]

I'm curious if anyone has had success using a fare watcher? Do they work? Is there one that's better then others?

How do people go about finding the best airfares?

Thanks!

Try using www.farecompare.com

[Parrotman]

I'm curious if anyone has had success using a fare watcher? Do they work? Is there one that's better then others?

How do people go about finding the best airfares?

Thanks!

I spend a bit of time on the internet looking for the best fares. I have found that the best ones are not always the ones that the websites advertise. As an example, I am going to Papua New Guinea via Brisbane Australia next Friday. If I were to put in leaving from my hometown airport and arriving in PNG my fare would have been in excess of $2000. Instead I booked a flight from home to LAX, then I booked a flight from LAX to Brisbane etc. My total airfare is $1100.

Don't even bother with the fare protection promises like the one that ORBITZ advertises. They are worthless.

Another tip, a lot of airlines, especially international airlines charge more if you contact them directly rather than by booking on line.

I too use Farecompare alot for research. I also use

http://www.flycheapa...m/default.aspx#

I booked through flycheap last year and saved quite a bit of money flying to Honduras.

One more tip - check the prices at various times of the day. Typically the prices are much lower late at night and they can change in a matter of an hour or so. I booked a ticket to San Pedro Sula Honduras at 11:30pm one night and only paid $238 for it round trip. At 1am the same flight was over $600 and it never went back down.

[drbill]

I've used Airbrokers Intl. for my international travel in the pazst, but that was because the are a consolidator and offered multi-destination routes and fares.

[Scubatooth]

I'm curious if anyone has had success using a fare watcher? Do they work? Is there one that's better then others?

How do people go about finding the best airfares?

Thanks!

Try using www.farecompare.com

farecompare is the tool I use the most for looking at airfares. There are others out there if you know where to look and what your looking for but not as good as fare compare.

In the past I have done some strange routings for trips but that has mainly been because of timing and cost. I had a overseas trip that out if Dallas was going to be $900 more( even with having to buy the round trip airfare from Dallas to San Francisco) and get there 7 hours later then if I flew out if San francisco. That was a no brainer and only took a extra 30 minutes if looking to find the deal.

[lynnlchan]

Thanks everyone. I'm putting your suggestions to use.

[Moose]

I just want to chime in on the people getting deals by having multiple stops.

Aren’t you afraid that you will miss a connection or at least you luggage will?

I travel for my job a TON and I will avoid any layover or connection flights as much as possible. Of course, I’m not paying personally for the tickets, but even when I fly for pleasure, I avoid them.

In fact, I would pay a premium for a non-stop fly and I’ve even focused my dive trips to areas that are non-stops from my airports if possible.

When I did the Socorro Islands dive, there was a guy that had a connection and his bags ended up in California. It was a live-aboard dive ship, and he ended up not going as all of his gear was in his bags. (Which is why I try to travel with my critical gear in my carry on.)

[lynnlchan]

That happened on my first SD trip - spent a full day in San Juan as we missed our connection to Bonaire. Non-stop isn't an option for me on this trip and I always carry my dive computer, regulater, & octo on.

[Fordan]

I tend to like Kayak for basic fare search and monitoring specific dates/airports.

And I've done it both ways: I usually prefer nonstop, especially for dive trips/liveaboards where having my gear show up is fairly important. But I've also done mileage runs where I'm trying to maximize the number of frequent flyer miles I'm earning. I did a long weekend in Alaska a year and a half ago travelling Philadelphia->San Francisco->Denver-> Anchorage (and back the same way) because it was cheap and it got me up to Gold status with my airline.

And I would take any number of connections to avoid flying the standard Canadair Regional Jet (CRJ). Ick, such a painful aircraft to fly in with most airlines' seating arrangements.

[secretsea18]

And I would take any number of connections to avoid flying the standard Canadair Regional Jet (CRJ). Ick, such a painful aircraft to fly in with most airlines' seating arrangements.

CRJ Hell as it is known. All airline executives should be forced to only fly in their CJs in the regular seats, not bulkheads nor exit rows! That would be the only way to get rid of those flying thimbles.

[lynnlchan]

I just wanted to throw a note out here about the farecompare suggestion - it worked GREAT! It notified me that fares dropped over $200. I had several other sites watching the same trip and the only notification came from farecompare. Thanks!

[secretsea18]

I just wanted to throw a note out here about the farecompare suggestion - it worked GREAT! It notified me that fares dropped over $200. I had several other sites watching the same trip and the only notification came from farecompare. Thanks!

I am glad that it worked out so well for you. Hope you have a great trip!

[lynnlchan]

I just wanted to throw a note out here about the farecompare suggestion - it worked GREAT! It notified me that fares dropped over $200. I had several other sites watching the same trip and the only notification came from farecompare. Thanks!

I am glad that it worked out so well for you. Hope you have a great trip!

If you want to come to Belize I'll buy you a beverage with all the $$ your suggestion saved me.

It's an SD trip. The only it'll be bad is if I don't get there.