ITA Software's new web site, www.itasoftware.com, holds the promise of beating the big boys at Travelocity and Expedia in providing the best airfare quote tool. With its unique features, the ITA web site should be your first choice even though you can't currently book airfares through it. Besides letting you specify how flexible your travel plans are, you get to choose between different views of the fares found. But don't rely on any single low-fare search engine to find the best published fare.

Bargain Line

• Deal Watch (WebFlyer)
• Internet Specials (Best Fares)
• Snooze You Lose Deals (Best Fares)
• America West Airlines
  America West's offers are posted on Wednesday for travel Saturday and returning on Monday or Tuesday.
• Delta Airlines
  Delta's offers are posted on Wednesday for travel outbound on Saturday and returning on Monday or Tuesday.
• Northwest Airlines
  Northwest's offers are posted on Wednesday for travel during the coming weekend.
• Southwest Airlines Internet Specials
  Unlike internet specials from other airlines, Southwest's deals are not weekend fares, and generally have a 3-week advance purchase requirement. Purchase is available up to 5 months in advance. Offers are available from Tuesday through Thursday.
  Caution: Southwest does not allow the use of discount tickets for same-day standby, even with a penalty fee... instead, you must pay for a full-fare "walkup" ticket, applying the value of your discount ticket to that fare.
• TWA fare sale (updated Tuesdays)
  These offerings are usually good for the coming weekend only.
• US Airways
  More weekend deals.
• American Airlines NetSaavers
  You'll have to click on "Net Saavers" and login to view the current NetSaavers.
• Continental On-Line
  Sign up for the Continental On-Line service to receive notice of fare sales.
  Caution: Continental's Flight Wizard may not display the best flights based on the date and times you request, even if you request that it select flights based on best schedule. For this reason, it is suggested you avoid using the Flight Wizard service.

Other Travel Links

• Airfare Bargains on the Net [Epicurious Travel]
  Links to sites offering internet-only airfares and email-only airfares.
• American Airlines
  American Airlines' reservation system is apparently completely independent of Sabre and Travelocity, requiring its own password even using the same login id. Worse, it seems to have one of the least functional reservation systems in the business, that doesn't let you build an itinerary incrementally, but makes you choose only the exact itineraries it comes up with.
• Amtrak
  If your travel can be done by rail, you can get walk-up fares without paying the huge fares that most airlines charge without an advance reservation. Occasionally, discounts of up to 70% are available. But save yourself the trouble of using their web site, which does its best to keep train fares secret. Just call 1-800-USA-RAIL and wait on hold.
• Air Traveler's Handbook
  This is the FAQ posting for the rec.travel.air newsgroup, containing links to airlines, bucket shops. online reservation systems, etc.
• Best Fares [$]
  This site claims to be "the best one-stop shopping resource for all manner of discounts."
• European Travel Network
  One of many sites offering non-published air fares.
• Expedia
  Where do you want to go today?
• Global Discount Travel
  This travel agency offers the Friends of Carl Icahn discount. This allows you to travel on most TWA flights between major cities at a discount of 20% domestic and 25% international, as a result of a deal that Carl Icahn made when he left TWA. You can call them directly at 1-800-GO-GLOBAL.
• Internet Air Fares [$]
  Each weekday morning, this site scans through the airlines' computerized reservations system database, and finds the lowest fares for travel between about 30 different cities. When the lowest fare is found to be substantially reduced from what it was previously, it is featured in the Big Fare Cuts section. If you want to pick up on exceptional fares using this service, you will need to check it daily (the best deals typically are pulled in two or three days, some are pulled later on the same day), be persistent, and be flexible in your travel plans.
• Internet Travel Network alternate link
  Yet another low-fare promise!
• 1Travel.com U. S. domestic fares international fares hotels Searchable weekend internet airfare and hotel offers.
• Preview Travels' Farefinder
  This site claims to find the lowest available airfares between select cities -- exactly what this means isn't clear. We suggest you use this site only in conjunction with another low-fare site to make sure you're not missing out on the best deal.
• roomsaver.com
  Coupons on popular hotels.
• The Trip
  Includes a low-fare notification service.
• Travel Discounts [$]
• International Air Fare search

This site provides an extensive list of travel-related offers available to consumers which is updated on a weekly basis, as well as an airfare search for international travel. A sampling of the offers in each weekly issue is free.
• Travelocity home page flights menu
  Like EaasySabre, this reservation system is run by Sabre, but with a much-improved user interface. However, be aware that, while the low-fare finder feature of Travelocity is better than most (which, sadly, isn't saying much), it can be difficult getting Travelocity to display all itinerary choices available to you.
• Travel Deal of the Week
• U. S. Department of Transportation
  Guide to getting the best air fares.
• Fare Game (originally titled Lowest Fare: Don't Buy It)
  Washington Post story reporting that lowest fare promises don't hold water.
• Hotel Deals for the Asking (CNN, 4/27/1998)
  If you can't get a lower rate, maybe you can get a free movie?
• Priceline: The Real Story (eSmarts Travel, 7/1998)

Cagey Consumer Good Deals page

[$] == fee for services site

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