Compendium of sites to get best air fares!
Air travel has become so ubiquitous and the fares differ so wildly that it is a game to save money and to get the ticket you want. It takes a lot of effort, research and creativity to get the right ticket!
Here is a very interesting post that details out how one can go about saving money. Here’s a ready reckoner list of the sites that you would like to bookmark (or just bookmark this post to refer to again and again):
Travelocity – check multiple airlines from one place
Expedia – similar to Travelocity
Priceline – gets great deals
Bing – Microsofts all deal site which also gives travel deals
Orbitz – completes the top 5 of the travel sites.
Vayama – specialized in International flights
ITASoftware.com – gives you the sort of power that travel agents have – to get the “secret” routes.. but you have to buy the tickets from the other sites / agents
cFares.com – you get rebates for $50/year.
SeatGuru.com – find “Seat Maps” for planes on most airlines.
SeatExpert.com – ditto as SeatGuru
DealBase.com – for hotel deals
Yapta.com – can predict air fares and get airline refunds after you buy
CrankyConcierge – For a fee ($25-75 for US/Canada & $50-$100 for Global) you get a personal concierge who can help with assistance and planning. From getting you the lowest fare to getting you the refunds to prepare the alternative flight plans in case of issues.. even looks for ground transport options if there is no flight available!
TripIt.com – brings your entire itinerary (hotels/air/cars) all in one place
CouchSurfing.com – helps you get connected to the local community of where you are going.
Tripware – helps you book travel right from MS Outlook.