4 ms·

Speaking of how close is too close, I've never understood why anyone uses sites like Farecast or Kayak or Expedia at all. I've been using ITA's QPX directly for

Speaking of how close is too close, I've never understood why anyone uses sites like Farecast or Kayak or Expedia at all. I've been using ITA's QPX directly for years — it's at http://matrix.itasoftware.com http://matrix.itasoftware.com. As another commenter mentioned, ITA supplies the backend for a number of these sites. QPX had a month-long search way before any of the other sites, which is useful for me since I rarely have to travel on specific dates. And it doesn't try to sell you hotels or rental cars. In fact, all of the so-called "value adds" that distinguish the sites relying on the backend data are things that I find incredibly distracting and useless. QPX also doesn't have a habit of showing fares that don't actually exist, which happens on every other airfare search site I've ever used. Note that I have nothing to do with ITA Software, although from my love for them it sounds like I do.

ojbyrne 17y ago
Having just spent the last year of my life on a team building a meta-search, I'll try to act unbiased. First of all for most people, ita isn't exactly user-friendly. Secondly in the meta-search arena, they're not comprehensive. There are prices available from the Online Travel Agencies that can beat the direct airline prices.
sounddust 17y ago
I just priced a major trip I'm taking later this summer. Expedia's lowest price beats ITA's (on the exact same itinerary - same flight numbers and times) by $462 ($1,849 vs $1,387)
- codyrobbins 17y ago
  Well, exactly my point was that other sites tend to show lower prices that sound great but that don't actually exist. Did you actually purchase the fares at that lower price, or just price them out? Every time one of those other sites has shown me a lower price than ITA, actually trying to purchase the airfare at that price always results in the same sort of bait and switch message, 'We're sorry, but that fare is no longer available — displaying the next lowest fare.' And the next fare is always the fare originally found by ITA or higher. From my experience the other sites are highly deceptive, but your mileage may vary.
  - sounddust 17y ago
    Yes, I actually purchased it from Expedia for $462 less. Somehow I doubt that ITA would have done the opposite, and says "hey, we found a lower price!" right before purchase. By the way, both Kayak and Orbitz had the price which was $462 higher as well.

ojbyrne 17y ago

Having just spent the last year of my life on a team building a meta-search, I'll try to act unbiased. First of all for most people, ita isn't exactly user-friendly. Secondly in the meta-search arena, they're not comprehensive. There are prices available from the Online Travel Agencies that can beat the direct airline prices.

sounddust 17y ago

I just priced a major trip I'm taking later this summer. Expedia's lowest price beats ITA's (on the exact same itinerary - same flight numbers and times) by $462 ($1,849 vs $1,387)

codyrobbins 17y ago
Well, exactly my point was that other sites tend to show lower prices that sound great but that don't actually exist. Did you actually purchase the fares at that lower price, or just price them out? Every time one of those other sites has shown me a lower price than ITA, actually trying to purchase the airfare at that price always results in the same sort of bait and switch message, 'We're sorry, but that fare is no longer available — displaying the next lowest fare.' And the next fare is always the fare originally found by ITA or higher. From my experience the other sites are highly deceptive, but your mileage may vary.
- sounddust 17y ago
  Yes, I actually purchased it from Expedia for $462 less. Somehow I doubt that ITA would have done the opposite, and says "hey, we found a lower price!" right before purchase. By the way, both Kayak and Orbitz had the price which was $462 higher as well.