where do you buy airline tickets?

[matadorpoeta]

i'm invited to a wedding in paris in mid-april. i usually buy directly from the airline, and have used a travel agent once or twice, but i suspect these methods to be outdated. in the case of buying direct, it's because i normally fly on very short notice, and dealing with the airline directly has been the only way to get a seat. people always tell me i overpay by doing this.

please tell me which methods you use, and if you use websites, which ones.

tia

edit: i know about expedia and orbitz, but i don't know if they are well regarded.

 

[JetBlast]

Excluding employee tickets, I buy directly from the airline. This way if you get hung up and miss your flight for some reason you can be rebooked much easier (some airlines will absolutely refuse to rebook if you booked through a site like Orbitz, etc).

 

[Milhouse]

Straight through the airline. I have a frequent flyer account for that very reason. I'm less concerned with the "rewards" of the account, and more concerned that the airline will see me as a regular customer that they want to keep coming back. If something happens, I suspect that someone with frequent flyer miles will be a bit higher priority than someone that booked with a site like expedia, or at least I hope so.

 

[nate10184]

Through the airline site generally but I always use Kayak.com because it searches all the others. That site is amazing.

 

[JetBlast]

Originally Posted by Milhouse

If something happens, I suspect that someone with frequent flyer miles will be a bit higher priority than someone that booked with a site like expedia, or at least I hope so.

At many of the airlines I deal with this is how it works.

 

[Eason]

usually bt-store.net or priceline have the best deal. Sometimes though I buy somewhere else for a slightly higher price simply to avoid a certain airline, United, for example.

 

[bingusa]

I would first compare diff airlines on orbitz et al and then book directly at the airline with your preferred price and route/time. You should be able to able to get the Orbitz price directly at the airline but also easier to change later if needed, as other have suggested.

The other thought was if your employer has a travel agency, use it if your company policy allows, as for intl travel, travel agencies tend to have bulk discount (more than domestic).

One last thing that came to my mind is 4/15 used to be a peak season cutoff date. If that still holds true, if you can conclude your travel before then, you may find better airfare with off peak.

 

[feynmix]

kayak.com
bookingbuddy.com
cheaptickets.com

Compare the prices first, and then buy directly from the airline.

 

[Tarmac]

I often use Travelocity to look up fares, then when I find the best fare I go directly to the airline site to find the same flight. Most of the time, the airline site fare is exactly $5 cheaper (travelocity's handling fee). Anyone else do this?

I have mileage accounts at almost every airline I fly.

 

[Joffrey]

American Express travel so I can redeem points

 

[Master-Classter]

I use Kayak to get an idea of prices, then book directly though the airline site to make sure it's an active listing.
Also, I use skyscanner.net to double check. One unique feature is you can search with an open-ended destination. So just fill in where you're from, and a random weekend then sort by price and you might find a great deal to a random place...

 

[TheClearanceGuy]

I went to Paris on Air France the first time and Continental the second time. I would say call Air France directly...

 

[matadorpoeta]

thanks everyone for the replies so far. follow up question: given that i have six moths before i need to fly, is it wise to put off buying the ticket until a deal comes up? a friend suggested i wait for a couple of months, but then i would imagine the price could only go up as the date approaches.

 

[globetrotter]

Originally Posted by matadorpoeta

thanks everyone for the replies so far. follow up question: given that i have six moths before i need to fly, is it wise to put off buying the ticket until a deal comes up? a friend suggested i wait for a couple of months, but then i would imagine the price could only go up as the date approaches.

prices change all the time. you get a better price when you book early, but that isn't a rule that is set in stone, there are fluctuations.

I can't really help - I use a travel agent.

 

[Thomas]

Originally Posted by Jodum5

American Express travel so I can redeem points

+1. Occasionally I'll use Yahoo travel or my bank (who has a travel department) but it depends on timeframe and who has the best deals.