How To: Finding Cheap Airfare

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HookShot: Dec 26, 2005

peanut posted:

What if… you walked around town??? In California autumn???
Rent-a-cycle would kick rear end.

The Jeopardy hotel is not walkable to anywhere worth seeing in LA.

# ¿ Oct 16, 2018 00:07

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# ¿ May 9, 2024 17:55

HookShot: Dec 26, 2005

So I keep finding a fare on ITA Matrix that I cannot for the life of me get on any actual flight booking websites. It's not a "this has been 15 minutes" thing either, this fare has been showing up for days.

code:

Tickets cannot be purchased directly from ITA Software.
Provide this information to a travel agent to help them match the fares found.
Make sure to provide the exact booking and fare codes shown.
Fare for 1 adult
Fare 1: Carrier UA SNA0A0EN YVR to LIR (rules)
Passenger type ADT, one-way fare, booking code L, S
Covers YVR-SFO (Economy), SFO-IAH (Economy), IAH-LIR (Economy)
CA$286.50
Fare 2: Carrier AC KYCT2TG SJO to YVR (rules)
Passenger type ADT, one-way fare, booking code K
Covers SJO-YUL (Economy), YUL-YVR (Economy)
CA$116.50
Costa Rica Tourism Arrival Tax (NW)
CA$19.90
Costa Rica Security Fee International Arriving (IK)
CA$5.70
US September 11th Security Fee (AY)
CA$7.40
United States Immigration User Fee (XY)
CA$9.30
United States Customs User Fee (YC)
CA$7.70
United States APHIS Passenger Fee Passengers (XA)
CA$5.30
Vancouver Airport Improvement Fee (SQ)
CA$20.00
Canadian Goods and Services Tax (XG)
CA$1.00
Canadian Air Travelers Security Charge (CA)
CA$25.91
US Passenger Facility Charge (XF)
CA$6.00
Costa Rica Common Area User Charge Departure (FS)
CA$14.90
Costa Rica Baggage Inspection Fee (A1)
CA$2.70
Costa Rica Boarding Tax (B1)
CA$35.90
Carrier-imposed surcharge (YQ)
CA$80.00
Subtotal per passenger
CA$644.71
Number of passengers
x1
Subtotal For 1 adult
CA$644.71
This ticket is non-refundable.
Changes to this ticket will

UA and AC as a roundtrip don't have it, and if I book them one way like the ITA Matrix says to it's hundreds of dollars more expensive.

# ¿ Dec 3, 2018 18:38

HookShot: Dec 26, 2005

Saladman posted:

I've seen that happen too and have also tried and failed to book such tickets either through calling the airlines or through all of the different online booking agents. If travel agents still exist where you are, you could try and see if they can help you -- although depending on how much cheaper this ticket is than the normal one, maybe it's worthwhile. That flight doesn't look particularly exceptionally cheap, unless you're buying it for Christmas or something.

Checking it right now for the same flight but random dates, yeah Google Flights' listed price is $100 CAD less than the price when you click through to United. Not the first time I've seen phantom ticket sales from Google Flights. I love their interface but it's unfortunate that you can't actually buy the tickets at the prices they list, unlike Orbitz or wherever.

Ok, cool, thanks.

I think I'm just going to book on a later date, where the United flights are a lot cheaper.

# ¿ Dec 3, 2018 20:15

HookShot: Dec 26, 2005

AirAsia is definitely a budget airline and if you're willing to pay more for ANA it will be a better experience.

# ¿ Mar 4, 2019 16:34

HookShot: Dec 26, 2005

Just do it, they'll either hold the plane for you or put you on a later one and assuming you're flying either KLM or Lufthansa there are probably 100 Frankfurt -> Amsterdam flights a day.

# ¿ Jan 29, 2020 04:32

HookShot: Dec 26, 2005

Yeah, definitely don't sit next to the toilets. Not only that, but that part of the plane you will have literally every idiot under the sun who wants to stretch their legs coming over and doing it right next to you and trust me, it will be a lot more people than you expect.

# ¿ Feb 26, 2020 22:06

HookShot: Dec 26, 2005

Saladman posted:

I have gotten upgraded to business twice for free on long-haul flights randomly without even asking, but I guess this will start to no longer happen once they figure out how to game seat-price bidding perfectly.

This also happens waayyyyyyyyyyy more depending on your FF status; whenever we fly with tickets booked through me, a person who has a shitload of points, we magically tend to get the free upgrade, but I've never gotten a free upgrade without asking for tickets booked through my husband's aeroplan account which he rarely uses.

# ¿ Feb 27, 2020 23:17

HookShot: Dec 26, 2005

Mackieman posted:

Updated comments in the OP; still tough to travel internationally for most. If you live in the US (or elsewhere that vaccines are widely available), go get a drat shot. For everyone else, I'm really sorry we handled this so shittly (again).

I realize time is a pointless construct now, but it's 2021, contrary to what your update says

# ¿ Apr 26, 2021 04:16

HookShot: Dec 26, 2005

The tripadvisor Maui forums (I'm not going, but I was doing some research on the island) had a thread a few weeks ago, apparently there are huge car shortages and they're getting tourists back in droves so it's driving the prices up significantly.

# ¿ May 16, 2021 02:12

HookShot: Dec 26, 2005

I've been doing upgrade bidding with Air New Zealand since at least 2015.

Also Aegean specifically almost never book out their business class so I usually bid 30E or so and it always goes through.

# ¿ Jul 8, 2023 20:25

HookShot: Dec 26, 2005

mobby_6kl posted:

Also ensures the airline doesn't lose your poo poo. Normally it's not the end of the world if you're going home or will be staying at your destination but Iberia just lost my friend's bag on the way to Costa Rica so she had to stay an extra day in SJO instead of loving off immediately

Generally I find that I can easily pack what I need into the cabin luggage just fine. One small roller bag and "personal item" which can be a 20l backpack. Unless you need several suits or like diving or skiing gear or something.

Why wouldn't she just go where she planned and get her luggage delivered there?

SAS lost my skis on a flight from LAX to Stockholm once, I booked on a separate carrier to fly to Munich a day later (after the next flight would arrive) and drove to Austria, my skis ended up getting delivered to my hotel in Austria.

# ¿ Jan 2, 2024 23:07

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# ¿ May 9, 2024 17:55

HookShot: Dec 26, 2005

priznat posted:

I�m flying for business in a couple weeks (YVR<-> YYZ, about a 4-5 hour flight depending on direction) and I�m eyeing the Air Canada seat upgrade bids. Are these a worthwhile deal on points for business or premium economy?

I have a modest 100k aeroplan points saved up. Do the prices fluctuate closer to the departure? Right now the bid range goes as low as 46k for business and 27k premium economy. I�m tall and getting crammed in economy is not fun. I�ll gut it out if it�s seen as a sucky deal though. I know very little about points rewards and rarely fly for pleasure trips.

If you already paid for the tickets AND that's what they want as the bid to upgrade, I would probably pass, personally, but that's also because I do travel a lot on Aeroplan points and want to maximize their value. TBH if you're not likely to use the points for anything else, given as you're tall and it's a fairly long flight I would probably go for the PE upgrade. But it's certainly not what I would call a good deal.

# ¿ Feb 21, 2024 16:05

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