Plane Ticket Reservation

November 11, 2008 8:05 PM

Best way to reserve an international flight?

What is the best way to reserve an international flight? I want to do a reservation in advance that I might actually cancel. I saw that plane tickets that are reimbursable are quite expensive.

Any suggestions?

posted by yoyo_nyc to travel & transportation (13 comments total)

Where from and to?
posted by k8t at 8:19 PM on November 11, 2008

NYC -> South America
posted by yoyo_nyc at 8:21 PM on November 11, 2008

Soooo many other factors: is cost an issue? Which South American country? Do you have any special affiliations/plans with any airline?
posted by k8t at 8:24 PM on November 11, 2008

There might be a small insurance fee you can pay during your initial purchase that can lessen the financial burden of rescheduling or canceling flights. I typically see offers like these at online airline search engines, like Travelocity and Orbitz.
posted by nikkorizz at 8:25 PM on November 11, 2008

>Soooo many other factors: is cost an issue?
YES!

>Which South American country?
Paraguay

> Do you have any special affiliations/plans with any airline?
No
posted by yoyo_nyc at 8:28 PM on November 11, 2008

How long before the trip will you know for sure that you are going? Fully refundable tickets are very pricey.
posted by grouse at 8:35 PM on November 11, 2008

How would you reserve a ticket one month in ahead and decide one week before take off?
posted by yoyo_nyc at 8:44 PM on November 11, 2008

I wouldn't. Tickets a week out are likely to be pricey, but not as pricey as refundable tickets, which usually are the same cost up to a few days before the flight. Check out the nonrefundable prices for a week from today versus the price of a refundable ticket.

As for where to look, I would check ITA, Kayak, and Sidestep.
posted by grouse at 8:50 PM on November 11, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

This is one of the situations where a travel agent can still come in handy. No doubt there are many in the NYC area that specialize in flights to S. America and can locate refundable fares that are cheaper than what would be listed on a carrier's website. You're still going to pay more than the non-refundable fares, but maybe not quite so much more.
posted by Burhanistan at 8:52 PM on November 11, 2008

Actually, I've bought non-refundable tickets ahead and then changed my mind about the dates a number of times, but you don't end up saving any money by any means--there's the reservation change fee (I've paid anywhere from $50 on Alaska Airlines to $300 for a United flight to Australia just to switch dates), and then you have to add to that he the difference in price for what you've already paid and how much the ticket you want costs currently.

It would make sense for you to buy a non-refundable ticket now with the option of having to pay to change your dates later even if you are not completely certain, but at least pretty sure that the dates you picked at first will suit you. Chances are that you'll end up saving money by having bough the ticket ahead (I do, more than 90% of the time).

Also, if you are a student, I've gotten some pretty good deals through StudentUniverse.com, and they'll waive the change fee if you're really, really nice to them. It appears, however, that only TAM lines fly to Asuncion in Paraguay, and you can expect to spend no less than $1300 depending on your dates.
posted by halogen at 9:08 PM on November 11, 2008

American, Northwest and Air Canada also give future-credit for canceled flights (minus some $50-100 fee), so even if you cancel you can often use that money again later. Same person flying, same airline, and a time limit.... but the money is not necessarily "lost". Ask.
posted by rokusan at 10:38 PM on November 11, 2008

I know Qantas (which, given where you want to go, might be no help to you), can allow you to reserve a ticket for like $50 for a flight some time in the future, with the balance due closer to the departure day.

If you cancel, you lose your $50. Which is better than the hundreds you can lose cancelling a long haul flight.

I used this system to pay for a flight from Australia to the UK.

I don't know if any airlines in North America do the same, but with Qantas being a fairly major player in the industry it is likely that you might find a similar scheme.
posted by TheOtherGuy at 3:40 AM on November 12, 2008

The safest thing to do is to go with a Travel Agent. The ticket price may be higher, but if you seriously think you may have to change your dates or get a refund, it will save money in the long run. Also a Travel Agent can set you up with Travel insurance, as you will be flying to a foreign country.
posted by Gor-ella at 9:15 AM on November 12, 2008