Airfare purchase

[mike and jane 0]

When I ordered my ticket online in March to visit Jane in the Philippines I bought it online through Cheap O Air. I have been researching to see costs and time lines for future reference and finding that none of the major websites like Orbitz, Travelocity, Priceline will take reservations online for flights originating from outside the USA. How is everyone else purchasing their tickets? Travel Agent? Thanks.

[toma1 10]

When I ordered my ticket online in March to visit Jane in the Philippines I bought it online through Cheap O Air. I have been researching to see costs and time lines for future reference and finding that none of the major websites like Orbitz, Travelocity, Priceline will take reservations online for flights originating from outside the USA. How is everyone else purchasing their tickets? Travel Agent? Thanks.

Kayak.com or Sidestep.com

[thepizzadude 26]

Use another site or call the 1800 number to talk to a live person.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

When I ordered my ticket online in March to visit Jane in the Philippines I bought it online through Cheap O Air. I have been researching to see costs and time lines for future reference and finding that none of the major websites like Orbitz, Travelocity, Priceline will take reservations online for flights originating from outside the USA. How is everyone else purchasing their tickets? Travel Agent? Thanks.

What I have been doing for several years now is using the online services as a reference. Check through Orbitz or Travelocity, find the cheapest fare they list and then go directly to the website of that airline and buy the ticket. At least one of the biggies originates flights in SOME other countries, it may be Priceline, I do not remember. Many of the smaller services do this also, some are mentioned in posts above. If they do not do this, I originate the flight in the USA, get the price and then reverse it on the airline website. It rarely makes much difference and when it does it is usually cheaper!

Whatever you do, DO NOT buy a round trip from, for example, LA to Manilla and then think your fiancee will use the "return" flight only. They will CANCEL the ticket if she is not on the outbound flight. This trick worked years ago, it does not work now.

Believe it or not, one of the biggest savings I have found comes from which day of the week you BUY the ticket. For example, buy the same flight on Tuesday, rather than Wednesday and you could save $100 plus. No kidding. I have done it many times. Before you buy that tisket, check the same flights several times for several days in a row, even a week. You will see the difference. we usually buy our overseas tickets several months in advance (I am getting ready to buy tickets for a New Year's trip now) so there is no "rush". I just keep checking every day for a week or so and buy when I get the best deal. In buying four tickets for our summer trip, by playing around with the purchase days (NOT the travel days or times) the price ranged from $2750 to $2290 total for the 4 round trip tickets. SAME travel days, SAME travel times, SAME flights but the tickets were purchased on different days of the week. For example the round trip JFK-Moscow varied from $774 to $519 (biggest difference) depending which DAY you bought the ticket.

[toma1 10]

When I ordered my ticket online in March to visit Jane in the Philippines I bought it online through Cheap O Air. I have been researching to see costs and time lines for future reference and finding that none of the major websites like Orbitz, Travelocity, Priceline will take reservations online for flights originating from outside the USA. How is everyone else purchasing their tickets? Travel Agent? Thanks.

What I have been doing for several years now is using the online services as a reference. Check through Orbitz or Travelocity, find the cheapest fare they list and then go directly to the website of that airline and buy the ticket. At least one of the biggies originates flights in SOME other countries, it may be Priceline, I do not remember. Many of the smaller services do this also, some are mentioned in posts above. If they do not do this, I originate the flight in the USA, get the price and then reverse it on the airline website. It rarely makes much difference and when it does it is usually cheaper!

Whatever you do, DO NOT buy a round trip from, for example, LA to Manilla and then think your fiancee will use the "return" flight only. They will CANCEL the ticket if she is not on the outbound flight. This trick worked years ago, it does not work now.

Believe it or not, one of the biggest savings I have found comes from which day of the week you BUY the ticket. For example, buy the same flight on Tuesday, rather than Wednesday and you could save $100 plus. No kidding. I have done it many times. Before you buy that tisket, check the same flights several times for several days in a row, even a week. You will see the difference. we usually buy our overseas tickets several months in advance (I am getting ready to buy tickets for a New Year's trip now) so there is no "rush". I just keep checking every day for a week or so and buy when I get the best deal. In buying four tickets for our summer trip, by playing around with the purchase days (NOT the travel days or times) the price ranged from $2750 to $2290 total for the 4 round trip tickets. SAME travel days, SAME travel times, SAME flights but the tickets were purchased on different days of the week. For example the round trip JFK-Moscow varied from $774 to $519 (biggest difference) depending which DAY you bought the ticket.

Kayak and Sidestep will show historical price charts by date and will find you the best price within a range of departure and return dates (requires free registration).

[mike and jane 0]

When I ordered my ticket online in March to visit Jane in the Philippines I bought it online through Cheap O Air. I have been researching to see costs and time lines for future reference and finding that none of the major websites like Orbitz, Travelocity, Priceline will take reservations online for flights originating from outside the USA. How is everyone else purchasing their tickets? Travel Agent? Thanks.

What I have been doing for several years now is using the online services as a reference. Check through Orbitz or Travelocity, find the cheapest fare they list and then go directly to the website of that airline and buy the ticket. At least one of the biggies originates flights in SOME other countries, it may be Priceline, I do not remember. Many of the smaller services do this also, some are mentioned in posts above. If they do not do this, I originate the flight in the USA, get the price and then reverse it on the airline website. It rarely makes much difference and when it does it is usually cheaper!

Whatever you do, DO NOT buy a round trip from, for example, LA to Manilla and then think your fiancee will use the "return" flight only. They will CANCEL the ticket if she is not on the outbound flight. This trick worked years ago, it does not work now.

Believe it or not, one of the biggest savings I have found comes from which day of the week you BUY the ticket. For example, buy the same flight on Tuesday, rather than Wednesday and you could save $100 plus. No kidding. I have done it many times. Before you buy that tisket, check the same flights several times for several days in a row, even a week. You will see the difference. we usually buy our overseas tickets several months in advance (I am getting ready to buy tickets for a New Year's trip now) so there is no "rush". I just keep checking every day for a week or so and buy when I get the best deal. In buying four tickets for our summer trip, by playing around with the purchase days (NOT the travel days or times) the price ranged from $2750 to $2290 total for the 4 round trip tickets. SAME travel days, SAME travel times, SAME flights but the tickets were purchased on different days of the week. For example the round trip JFK-Moscow varied from $774 to $519 (biggest difference) depending which DAY you bought the ticket.

Kayak and Sidestep will show historical price charts by date and will find you the best price within a range of departure and return dates (requires free registration).

Great information everyone. Thanks for the time. I went directly to the airlines and found decent prices and the ability. Now I will track as suggested the different days. Thanks a bunch.

[mari joe 1]

you can find the best deals online with farecompare.com after you find, book directly through their local service. Dont worry your dollars will be converted to php. Especially look at Korean air they often have more direct flights without as much layover and are cheaper, at least through Cebu, but you may have to leave at 12 midnight. hope it helps, good luck freind. mari ing joe

[payxibka 10,045]

this is not a K-1 visa issue...

moving thread

[toma1 10]

you can find the best deals online with farecompare.com after you find, book directly through their local service. Dont worry your dollars will be converted to php. Especially look at Korean air they often have more direct flights without as much layover and are cheaper, at least through Cebu, but you may have to leave at 12 midnight. hope it helps, good luck freind. mari ing joe

For Asia, I usually get much better deals on Sidestep.

For example, I just tried Tampa to Bangkok 12/9 - 12/30 on both sites.

Fare Compare says the best price is $1441 on United through Orbitz or Cheaptickets

Sidestep found the same deal, but suggested leaving on 12/7 and returning on 12/28 for $1034 on All Nippon Airlines (ANA).

I went back and tried 12/7 - 12/28 on Fare Compare and the best price was $1241 on American... ANA was not listed.

Of course YMMV, but I've always had better luck on Sidestep

[kaffy 2]

I always book directly with the airline. I have made comparisons with supposed discount travel websites and the individual airline website prices are almost always cheaper

[toma1 10]

I always book directly with the airline. I have made comparisons with supposed discount travel websites and the individual airline website prices are almost always cheaper

Agree... Sidestep and Kayak will direct you to the cheapest site, and, more often than not, it is the airline itself. But searching them means that you don't have to search all of the airlines individually.

FYI: For those that don't know, Sidestep and Kayak do not sell travel services themselves; those sites are advertiser supported. Think of them as travel search engines.

Edited September 18, 2009 by toma1