Airline tickets???

ROWDYsister · #1 07-09-2002, 09:46 PM

I'm trying to book a last minute international flight for next week for my parents. Any suggestions on which online company to use? Recommend Priceline? Any tips?

DeltAlum · #2 07-09-2002, 09:54 PM

They all have their good and bad points.

I generally use Orbitz.com because it's an offshoot of the biggest airlines common ticketing/scheduling service -- the name of which escapes me right now.

Usually, I find the cheapest prices there -- but not always.

ROWDYsister · #3 07-09-2002, 10:25 PM

I feel like a travel agent. Not to mention a secretary. But I've been on my parents' payroll for the past (almost) 20 years, so it's all good.

I've been searching for tickets for an hour now and it's looking a little hopeless. The Priceline tickets would be great if I actually got them for that price, but it's risky, esp. considering I need them by next week. The "real life" tickets are looking better and better and are actually well-priced in comparison to some of these online tickets.

Maybe this is one of those times I should do something the "old fashioned way."

But thanks for the help, DeltAlum.

queequek · #4 07-09-2002, 11:38 PM

It depends on where they are going.
To Asia, I usually call 1-800-2-BORNEO (esp. Indonesia)

Good luck

ROWDYsister · #5 07-09-2002, 11:52 PM

Hey, I'll look into that! I'm trying to find a flight from Miami to Manila. Thank you queequek!

dzrose93 · #6 07-09-2002, 11:55 PM

I've used Expedia.com before to get some pretty good international travel deals. I don't know how they are about last-minute tickets, though, because I always bought mine a couple of months in advance.

Good luck!

newbie · #7 07-10-2002, 03:47 AM

I don't like using Priceline or Hotwire, because first, with Priceline you have to name your own price. It sounds good but it has never worked for me...it's much harder than it seems. With Hotwire, you have to agree to purchase the tickets w/out even first knowing which airline they have booked you with.

For me, I have found nice deals just by online booking with the major airlines thru their web sites. I don't know about international travel though...with domestic I've found good deals with Southwest, United, and Continental.

Good luck!!

#8 07-10-2002, 12:53 PM

Priceline has always worked well for me, but I don't know how they are for international flights (or if they will even do them?)

The trick with priceline is to find a good chunk of time to sit down and just mess with it. I got a cheap cheap CHEAP round trip ticket to Houston (from ORD) about a year ago that way - I decided to devote an afternoon to it and worked my way up from a ridiculously low price (my first bid was like $50) Keep going up by about $10 or $20 at a time, and I finally got my flight for I think $105 round trip. It takes a LOT of patience to sit there and wait for that confirm or deny email, though.

Jaggergirl · #9 07-10-2002, 01:02 PM

Like DeltAlum, I've always had great luck with Orbitz. Have you checked there yet? If I have a last minute flight, that's the first place I head to.

Actually, I was just on that site the other day and I saw that they are having a major sale for South America. Anyone ever been to Buenos Aires or Sao Paulo? It's for the perfect time of year, too. October-January. That's the summertime in the southern hemisphere.

PhiStar · #10 07-10-2002, 02:06 PM

try out student universe
special international (&national) flight deals
i just booked my flight to spain this fall a few weeks ago.
they have last minute deals too
but you have to be a student & they verify it, so if you're an alum/grad i don't know if you can get then through it.