Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with airline

Bait-and-Switch or ineptitude?... WTF Travelocity!?

blueberry — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 23:27:45 -0800

Buying a ticket to Bangkok—is there a dependable online ticket-searching service that is all about getting the truly cheapest fare? Skinflint-In-Coach.com? Argh!, I spent over an hour today working on the Travelocity site, trying to find a low-priced ticket from Portland to Bangkok. After noodling around with my Portland/Bangkok departure dates I finally found a reasonably priced ticket that I could afford. However when I clicked to order it Travelocity said Sorry, that ticket's not available, please go pick another one—all of the other tickets being at least $500 more. (And annoyingly, when I went back to look at the other tickets, that cheaper un-buyable ticket was still listed as being available)

So, I tried Kayak.com and found that while it searches across four different ticket sites, each site finds fares that differ from each other by thousands of dollars. That is, each site is saying "This is the absolute cheapest flight out there" but actually the ticket prices vary from $1900 to $4000. To my mind, there should be only one "cheapest flight"—you know, hence the "-est" suffix.

So tell me hive mind, is there one ticket-finding site that
A: doesn't advertise tickets that it doesn't have (Travelocity), and
B: searches all flights all through one interface—so you don't have to dig through several different sites and windows wasting time with their laughable ideas of what they call "the cheapest flight"?

[For reference, I'm looking to leave PDX on Dec 9th, and leave BKK on any of the days between Dec 31 and Jan 3]

From LAX to IND with no stops - that's possible right?

rileyray3000 — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:20:34 -0800

Does any airline fly direct from anywhere in the Los Angeles area to Indianapolis? I've been looking for a little bit here now and I haven't found one airline that's direct to Indianapolis. Am I crazy? There's nothing? Not from Long Beach? Not from Burbank? Not from Ontario? How is that possible? Indianapolis is a pretty big city for the midwest isn't it?

Are there ANY direct options or am I nuts?

Dear Mystery Site: Where can I fly for $300?

tinamonster — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:41:39 -0800

I am looking for a Website I once used that allowed you to enter in a departure city and a date and then gave you all possible worldwide flight destinations sorted by cost. What was that site?

I know the names don't match, but it's really me! I swear!

arianell — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 18:22:48 -0800

Someone purchased an airline ticket for me, but booked it under my nickname instead of my legal name. I don't have any photo ID with my nickname on it. Will I be able to fly? (I know there have been previous questions asked about this kind of thing, but none since these new TSA guidelines were implemented.)

Everyone calls me by a nickname that is very different from my "actual" first name. Say my name is Josephine, but I go by Scarlett because of my hair color.

Anyhow, my boyfriend booked a trip for us, and he forgot to reserve my ticket as Josephine instead of Scarlett. We called the airline, and they can't/won't change the name on the ticket. Instead, they kindly offered to let us purchase a replacement ticket for the low low price of $600, which neither one of us can afford.

I know that, until recently, you didn't actually have to show ID to procure your boarding pass or get through security, although the agents at the security checkpoint would flag you for an extra screening. How much has this policy changed? Does it seem likely that I'll be able to board my flight? If not, do I have any other options?

Kicking Children. Airplane.

zarq — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:12:09 -0800

How can I stop my toddlers from kicking the seat in front of them on an airplane? Can anyone suggest possible solutions for preventing or blocking a 19 month old toddler from kicking the airplane seat in front of them? Does some sort of shield-like contraption exist that keeps their feet from connecting?

My wife and I have flown with my kids a handful of times now, and as they've gotten older and taller, we've had to use our hands to block them from repeatedly kicking the seat front of them. That's only moderately successful. It makes every flight endless, as we (and presumably the people in the next row,) pray for them to fall (and stay) asleep.

They're too young to fly in a bulkhead seat, which would give them plenty of room. They're also still too young to be reasoned with... or bribed with a pony. (I tried.) Inexplicably, my wife still refuses let me pack them in with the luggage. ;)

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!

Let us fly! Cheaply.

VikingSword — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 13:52:47 -0800

Cheapest Airline Tickets: Los Angeles - Berlin RT. Options? From - To: Los Angeles to Berlin, Germany. Round trip.

Two people (my wife and myself).

Time: Either Sept 9, return October 2 or Sept 16, return October 9.

Complication: I have to purchase the tickets, or know for 100% sure when I'm taking off at least one week before the date of flight (work notification issue).

I've tried: Kayak, and Faircast/Bing

I got about high 700's (~$790) per person. (I've seen as low as $605 on Kayak, but when I tried to book those flights, the tickets were not available anywhere - yet kept being displayed thru Kayak, which soured me on that site somewhat).

Can better be done?

I don't mind any particular airline, or hours of departure/arrival, don't mind stopping over at Newark or wherever, though I'd prefer not to have to change planes.

I read somewhere that it can make sense to use a travel agent - but it's hard for me to see how it'll be cheaper that way rather than DIY.

Should I book now, or wait until the last moment (in this case, last moment is 1 week before departure, for reasons I gave above)? Use an agent? Look at other places than Kayak and Bing search?

Can you help me decipher this airline ticket code?

mrunderhill — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 13:59:41 -0800

Can you help me decipher this airline ticket code? Penalty
CXN BA 100 EURFL RESTRCD/CHG BA 100 EUR

Thanks!

Whats the best way to buy a flight for a vacation without getting screwed?

schindyguy — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 17:33:42 -0800

Whats the best way to buy a flight for a vacation that you know you are going on (greater than 3 months in the future)? I am tired of getting screwed for being prepared. I know I need two tickets from Los Angeles (LAX) to Maui (OGG) departing December 12 and returning December 19.

So I thought I would give bing.com's future price utility a try with the flight. I just got a "Bing Travel Alert" that suggests its a good time to buy...http://www.bing.com/travel/flight/flightSearch?o=LAX&d1=12%2F12%2F2009&p=2&src=fct&r1=12%2F19%2F2009&cid=10713&viewMode=list&e=OGG

Since when has the market for tickets been dictated like this? I thought the earlier you book, the better rate you should get. I guess this isn't the case as I learned from my previous purchase of 2 round trip flights from cheaptickets.com. I booked the reservation to Los Cabos 4 months in advance and if I would have waited 1 week before the trip, I would have saved $125 per ticket. Is that insane? In what situation would preparedness not be beneficial? I guess with flights.

How can I guarantee I wont set myself up for another Los Cabos irritation? What can someone do to protect themselves from these market fluctuations?

airline mileage points deleted

tangyraspberry — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 14:15:30 -0800

Do I have any recourse if an airline deletes my mileage points? My wife and I have been collecting mileage points on American Airlines waiting for that special trip to come along With more than 350,000 miles saved we finally tried to redeem them only to discover that they'd all been canceled out as of June 29th, 2009! We had no idea there was a time limit. I there anything that we can do? Help!!

Can we smuggle this little guy on the plane

metahawk — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 15:11:39 -0800

My niece is coming to stay with us for several months and wants to bring her pet rat (think small, cute mouse (picture here) but friendlier). None of the airlines seem to allow rodents in the cabin. What's the best way to get her pet cross country (NC to CA)? Can she smuggle it on board in her carryon? As far we can tell none of the airlines will allow her to bring a rodent in the cabin (even in a crate with an escape-proof cover.) As far as i know, Continental is the only one who would allow her pet in checked luggage but that doesn't seem too safe for travelling in August.

It is tempting to just smuggle the rat on board since she fits nicely in a carryon. I'm thinking maybe she could put the rat in her plastic mouseball for going through security (so they can see there is nothing hidden) and then after security, tuck the rat back into her cage and the cage in its cover. Anyone ever try this? Probability of success? Consequences? Better suggestions?

Flight cancellation

a womble is an active kind of sloth — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 11:26:01 -0800

[airline flight filter] If you cancel a flight, but are not refunded, do you still have a legal right to the seat? Asking for a friend.
My friend thought she was not going to be able to fly as she had not received the necessary visa a day before traveling (today). So she contacted the airline to see if she could get a refund, and canceled her flight. However, she received no refund, and since then received her visa.

Now, she wants to travel but the airline said that as she canceled her flight she cannot travel. Which is true, but they did not return any money, so is she entitled to travel? Are there any negotiation techniques that would help?

(she's currently on her way to the airport to see if she can get on a plane, and I thought I would ask to see if the hive-mind has any suggestions. She has email access. Thanks)

is this a good price for my CO flight?

krautland — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 08:10:31 -0800

is this a good price for my CO flight? I'm looking at tickets for a flight from HAM to NYC in late august but since I'm not originating from the US I'm kinda lost on whether the local (=german) websites are offering me good deals here.

a return business flight to EWR on continental, which is the only airline offering a direct connection, is being offered at €1,682. not too bad but again I have no comparison when it comes to european tickets. does this strike you as a reasonable offer or do you think I could make it cheaper (in business or premium eco) to NYC?

I'm okay with stopovers, btw.

Get me stranded in London, please.

AthenaPolias — Sun, 24 May 2009 08:12:14 -0800

As a way to visit a friend during my travels in Europe this summer, I'm looking to obtain a days-long layover - ideally at least 2-3 days, but the longer the better. I have no idea how to go about getting such a thing, but I'm relatively sure the possibility exists. What are my best options for getting a layover like this, while still keeping my overall flight cost low? More detail: I'm traveling to Italy as part of a long business trip. I have a limit on my flight budget, so doing a flight to the friend's country (England), then short hop to Italy, then back again etc makes the money add up quickly, and isn't an ideal option. Also, I need to make these arrangements asap (I've been delayed doing so for various reasons and am now in need of my tickets almost immediately). I've thought of calling travel agents, but being as this is a holiday weekend in the States, I won't be able to do so until Tuesday.

Is a travel agent my best (only?) bet for specifying something this particular? Are there ways to get online search engines to produce something like this? And am I really limited to carriers that have hubs in England, or might I be able to swing this on other airlines, thus increasing my chances of getting a low-cost flight?

(Also, if anyone has any ideas of how to finagle Rome - London - not-big-city States airport with little hassle and less money, I'm open. I've done the Easy Jet/Ryan Air route a bunch of times, but find that the hassle of switching from major to secondary or tertiary airports along the way is really inconvenient, and would like to avoid it if possible.)

To buy or not to buy...That is my question.

clpage — Mon, 18 May 2009 16:50:18 -0800

How soon in advance should we purchase airline tickets to get the cheapest flights? I already perused the previously asked posts about cheap airfare and most of them were 3-4 years old. Given the change in the economy (and the downturn in the airline industry), I thought I would query the Ask MeFi community once more.

The husband and I are flying from DC to Portland, driving up to Seattle, and then flying back to DC at the beginning of August. When I started checking airfare prices about a month ago, Southwest and Frontier had the most reasonable fares.

However, over the past 4-6 weeks, the prices on those same flights have gone up by almost $200.

The husband read an article on the NY Times which suggests the best time to buy airfare in the current economy is 6-8 weeks out. In your recent experience(s), what are the chances that the prices (on these or any other airlines) will go down if we wait until the 6-8 week mark? Since our travel dates are fixed, should we just suck it up and buy now?

Thanks in advance for your help!

Help me get my cat home.

scrute — Tue, 05 May 2009 04:57:09 -0800

I'm moving home to Toronto after 2 years in Egypt, and I need to take my cat. I know about the immunizations and paperwork, but I am not in control of booking my flight and need to know what to do if I end up with a long layover or a non-pet friendly airline. How does moving half-way around the world work with a cat, exactly? I've finished my contract with the company I've been working for in Egypt, and as part of the contract, they fly me home from Cairo to Toronto. Because of this, I don't have control over the airline or the flight connections. I have told them I would pay extra for something that is more convenient for kitty.

The first flight they came up with (and the cheapest for them) was flying through Athens, with an overnight there (normally an exciting prospect!). I've asked if there is an alternative, but this might be the one I end up with.

Is it possible to board a cat at an airport (I don't want to take her into Greece - seems like an awful headache for one night)? Will airlines take responsibility for pets overnight? Even if I can get another flight, it's still a long way - do the airlines feed the animals? Or is there another way altogether that I could get her home that wouldn't cost an arm and a leg?

She's also quite small so I might be able to take her in the cabin, but then what do I do with her in the airport while waiting for my connection? (and is crammed under the seat really any better?)

I know this is a lot of questions, but I'm new to travelling with a pet and I'm a bit nervous for her sake and mine.

Any online videos to teach a kid about air travel?

Overzealous — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 13:41:43 -0800

Are there any movies/online videos to show a toddler what to expect from air travel? We're heading out on our first airplane ride (about 2 hours) with our 2-and-a-half year old and want to give him some idea of what to expect on the flight before we head out.

I found this "I'm a Good Little Traveler!" DVD but was looking for something...well...free. Any good links out there? Or DVDs that are recommended to purchase?

Are there power outlets on International United Airlines flights?

linzenoonoo — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 15:55:27 -0800

Are there power outlets on International United Airlines flights? My mother is wanting to be able to charge her laptop on a plane ride to Bejing, and wants to know if she is able to either plug her laptop in on the flight, or bring a cigarette lighter power inverter in order to charge it. Does anyone have any input on this that I can tell her?

Can I get there whenever?

mcarthey — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 14:34:41 -0800

Can I search for the best price for an airline ticket to a specific destination for some random unknown future date? I'd like to fly to a location, but I don't care what the date is. I know I'd like to stay for X number of days, but other than that, I just want the best price. The problem is that all sites I've found require a window of time. Is there a good site for this?

Fat man flying to Japan

quibx — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 10:28:42 -0800

If given the choice to fly coach from Boston to Tokyo (Narita), which of the following airlines would you choose and why: Continental, Delta, American, JAL or ANA. FYI, i'm 300 pounds and 6'1. Legroom is a primary concern, but any tips appreciated. I've flown AA to Tokyo twice before, and that was fine, but I wanted to know if other airlines offer more legroom, amenities, or a general more pleasant flying experience.

The cheapest distance between two points

Pater Aletheias — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 06:21:02 -0800

Let's say that traveler X would like to fly from city A to city B on American Airlines. The cost to fly from A to B is $500. X notices that a flight from A to C costs $300, and includes a layover in B. What, if any, are the negative consequences to X if he purchases the A to C itinerary, carries his bags on the flight, and leaves the airport after arriving at B, never to complete the B - C leg? For purposes of this question, please set aside abstract moral consequences, such as "eternity in hell" or "a permanent dark spot in the soul" and focus on more tangible, earthly problems.

I'm always serious. And don't call me Shirley

Jon_Evil — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 23:29:05 -0800

Can I book a round-trip flight with different passengers on the initial and return flights? Five of us are going to Ohio, but live in New York. One wants to fly out with us, but stay longer and drive back to New York later. Another will already be in Ohio, but needs to fly back to New York with us. Am I allowed to only buy four tickets and have the two people share a round trip flight? If I'm not allowed, is there a way to do it anyway?

Will United care if I skip the first leg of a two-leg itinerary?

myeviltwin — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 15:19:58 -0800

I'm flying from the east coast to southern California via San Francisco in a few weeks. I've decided that for the return trip, I'd like to drive up to San Francisco a few days early, skip the first leg of my return flight (SoCal to SFO), and just catch the second leg. (I would just rebook my ticket but the change fee is ludicrous -- well in excess of the entire ticket cost.) Is this a dumb idea? I'm planning to call United the evening beforehand and inform them that I "have to" miss the first leg so that they don't cancel my entire itinerary. Will United let me do this? Or will they not let me on the second flight unless I pay them some crazy amount? Some of the answers to this question suggest that what I want to do might be a problem. I'm looking for people's experiences doing this or something similar, on any airline but especially United.

Insert some sort of cloud pun

kaydo — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 22:05:13 -0800

Can you help me remember the site where you could build a profile by entering all of your old boarding pass details or flight numbers and it would help build a picture of where you've been and how far you've travelled? Evidently I need all my information to be in the 'cloud', and my bookmarking skills suck. I like to make life easier for future stalkers.

Huh? What happened?

hungrysquirrels — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 07:58:14 -0800

Do airlines keep records of passengers who, for example, pass-out mid-flight? If so, does it affect future travel? So, the background story, sorry it got a little long...A month ago I took a domestic 5 1/2 hr flight.

Since I dislike flying and especially awareness of the sickness bag, I tend not to eat, take ginger gravol, get anti-anxiety meds (which shouldn't be combined with alcohol, it amplifies the effects), and limit myself to a (yes, alcohol) liquid diet for good measure. Rough on the system, but gets me through them. This was an overnight flight and part of a move, so combine the above with exhaustion.

I was fine in the terminal and gate. Plane was slightly delayed so I had a glass of wine at a past-security pub to help kill the time and keep my nerves under control.

Got to my seat in cattle class, middle seat, yay for cheap rates. Took off, drink cart came around, had another glass of wine. No problem. Dinner cart came around a bit later, I poured another glass of wine, but declined the 'meal' figuring to pick something up at the destination airport. 3 glasses of wine doesn't pose a problem for me.

Next thing I know, there's a vague memory of some commotion and someone saying they think there's doctors and/or paramedics on-board. Next thing I know I wake up in front-row business class with some guy beside me keeping on eye on me. At that point I was obviously confused, asked the guy how long until landing, 3hours. Next thing I knew was the plane had landed.

I started to get-up and find my carry-on bags, but was told to wait until a wheelchair was brought to take me to paramedics in the terminal. They asked a few questions about what I had taken then let me go, under escort by an officer to await the shuttle bus to the hotel. The fresh air cleared my head somewhat, while I went to sleep it off.

I think the most obvious cause is an overdose of the anti-anxiety meds (maybe different dosage than usual) and the wine. Combined with exhaustion.

So, the core of the question, I imagine the event would be noted somewhere. If I booked another ticket with this airline or another, would it show-up and make things more difficult booking or flight staff attention? Some sort of blacklist of passengers.

Secondly, if such a list exists could I get access to it given the date and flight number. I'd like to know more about what happened.

Help - missed flight!

mateuslee — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 04:15:39 -0800

Missed my flight and can't afford a new one - What are my options? So, my brother was planning on leaving Amsterdam with AirLingus/United Air tonight when, just a second ago, he realized that actually the plane had already left this morning. So, he missed it. Anyway, what are the options? Is there anything he can tell the airline that would get him out of this situation and save him some or all of the price of a new ticket? Any ideas are appreciated!

Thanks