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I, too, regularly compare google, Kayak and Skyscanner. Even on Skyscanner, sometimes they list a flight, cheaper than when I look directly on United, same flight, same airline.I mentioned google flights on another thread recently, and though many of you may already know this, I am a newbie to this website. I have only one option for flying from my home, since American is the only airline that flies into my town. I know that I don’t want to book on expedia, orbitz or another 3rd party site, having seen first hand how those who book directly with the airline get much better treatment in case of a mix-up, delay, mechanical, etc. So I have only been using American’s website for years now.
A friend said I should take a look at google flights, and I couldn’t imagine what the advantage could be. But I was very pleasantly surprised to see a ticket from my town to Lisbon and back that was substantially cheaper than what the American Airlines website was showing. I clicked on the google link to American, bought my ticket on the American website, but then called Customer Service just to make sure I had a legitimate American ticket.
The rep told me it was a perfectly good ticket, so I asked how it could possibly be that google flights was showing a ticket that was several thousand cheaper than the American website. It turns out that it’s because google flights had found a codeshare flight that was much cheaper. So for one of my legs, Madrid to Chicago, though I am on the Iberia flight, the flight shows up as a FinnAir flight! This is not a problem for the ticket or for my flight, but google flights found a Finn Air sale that American didn’t alert me to.
I am going in about a month, so I will definitely report back if there are any snafus, but I’m expecting that all will go well.
p.s. Friends also tell me that Kayak also operates in the same fashion, but I’m perfectly happy with google flights and will us it from now on, even though I will always be flying on American!
I use Kayak to search for options but then book direct with the airline concerned. I find the Kayak user interface is very straightforward and intuitive.p.s. Friends also tell me that Kayak also operates in the same fashion, but I’m perfectly happy with google flights and will us it from now on, even though I will always be flying on American!
I, too, regularly compare google, Kayak and Skyscanner. Even on Skyscanner, sometimes they list a flight, cheaper than when I look directly on United, same flight, same airline.
I use Kayak to search for options but then book direct with the airline concerned. I find the Kayak user interface is very straightforward and intuitive.
Because you have been occupied with doing and learning other things!So why did it take me 20 years to learn this?!
Because you have been a selfless pioneer woman focusing on the trails, opening up possibilities of various Camino routes to many of us. Thank You Laurie!So why did it take me 20 years to learn this?!
They do pretty well on that codeshare stuff. Don't feel too bad-- they haven't been as good as they are now for all that time. Not sure when they got better at it. Several years ago when I first tried it, I didn't get anything I couldn't get a dozen other places, and so ignored it. But a couple years ago I went back and they are much better than before, which probably means they bought some company out in order to get better and capture the market.I mentioned google flights on another thread recently, and though many of you may already know this, I am a newbie to this website. I have only one option for flying from my home, since American is the only airline that flies into my town. I know that I don’t want to book on expedia, orbitz or another 3rd party site, having seen first hand how those who book directly with the airline get much better treatment in case of a mix-up, delay, mechanical, etc. So I have only been using American’s website for years now.
A friend said I should take a look at google flights, and I couldn’t imagine what the advantage could be. But I was very pleasantly surprised to see a ticket from my town to Lisbon and back that was substantially cheaper than what the American Airlines website was showing. I clicked on the google link to American, bought my ticket on the American website, but then called Customer Service just to make sure I had a legitimate American ticket.
The rep told me it was a perfectly good ticket, so I asked how it could possibly be that google flights was showing a ticket that was several thousand cheaper than the American website. It turns out that it’s because google flights had found a codeshare flight that was much cheaper. So for one of my legs, Madrid to Chicago, though I am on the Iberia flight, the flight shows up as a FinnAir flight! This is not a problem for the ticket or for my flight, but google flights found a Finn Air sale that American didn’t alert me to.
I am going in about a month, so I will definitely report back if there are any snafus, but I’m expecting that all will go well.
p.s. Friends also tell me that Kayak also operates in the same fashion, but I’m perfectly happy with google flights and will us it from now on, even though I will always be flying on American!
Especially since a live travel agent hasn’t been spotted in my town for at least a decade!Before Google Flights there was ITA Matrix by Google. It gives you all of the airfare codes that you can give to a travel agent.
Google Flights is much simpler to use!
Undoubtedly, some time in the 21st century you also discovered that case law is online. Some day you may even give up on those complicated gyrations you go through to find tracks on Wikilocs.So why did it take me 20 years to learn this?!
Me too, but I may "check"on google flights, just to see if there is a difference.I use Kayak to search for options but then book direct with the airline concerned. I find the Kayak user interface is very straightforward and intuitive.
That'll be the day!Some day you may even give up on those complicated gyrations you go through to find tracks on Wikilocs.
Some day you may even give up on those complicated gyrations you go through to find tracks on Wikilocs
This is unfortunately not the time nor place for me to launch an impassioned defense of wikiloc.That'll be the day!
Is that comparing apples to apples? Do both searches link you to the airline website to book?I have just checked google flights comparing to kayak and the flight I am looking at is at least $50+ more on google flights....just saying.
Nope, I haven't compared that yet, only the quick generic search between the two.Is that comparing apples to apples? Do both searches link you to the airline website to book?
Yes,there are variations! Sometimes one may see a slight differences, ups & downs in dollars, between the fares of Kayak, Google, or Skyscanner. But all are great tools to use.I have just checked google flights comparing to kayak and the flight I am looking at is at least $50+ more on google flights....just saying.
Love it! May I use this with my grandchildren?Because you have been occupied with doing and learning other things!
Have found the same with skyscannerI, too, regularly compare google, Kayak and Skyscanner. Even on Skyscanner, sometimes they list a flight, cheaper than when I look directly on United, same flight, same airline.
Never new that!I mentioned google flights on another thread recently, and though many of you may already know this, I am a newbie to this website. I have only one option for flying from my home, since American is the only airline that flies into my town. I know that I don’t want to book on expedia, orbitz or another 3rd party site, having seen first hand how those who book directly with the airline get much better treatment in case of a mix-up, delay, mechanical, etc. So I have only been using American’s website for years now.
A friend said I should take a look at google flights, and I couldn’t imagine what the advantage could be. But I was very pleasantly surprised to see a ticket from my town to Lisbon and back that was substantially cheaper than what the American Airlines website was showing. I clicked on the google link to American, bought my ticket on the American website, but then called Customer Service just to make sure I had a legitimate American ticket.
The rep told me it was a perfectly good ticket, so I asked how it could possibly be that google flights was showing a ticket that was several thousand cheaper than the American website. It turns out that it’s because google flights had found a codeshare flight that was much cheaper. So for one of my legs, Madrid to Chicago, though I am on the Iberia flight, the flight shows up as a FinnAir flight! This is not a problem for the ticket or for my flight, but google flights found a Finn Air sale that American didn’t alert me to.
I am going in about a month, so I will definitely report back if there are any snafus, but I’m expecting that all will go well.
p.s. Friends also tell me that Kayak also operates in the same fashion, but I’m perfectly happy with google flights and will us it from now on, even though I will always be flying on American!
Great!! Now I'm just learning of Wikiloc??? WtH??This is unfortunately not the time nor place for me to launch an impassioned defense of wikiloc.
@islandwalker wrote a resource page on Wikiloc for the forum. Visit this page and click the download button.Great!! Now I'm just learning of Wikiloc??? WtH??
I do the same.I use Kayak to search for options but then book direct with the airline concerned. I find the Kayak user interface is very straightforward and intuitive.
This is true for third party brokers, like Expedia, Orbitz, and Priceline, but Google and Kayak (and maybe others) send you back to the actual airline website to buy your ticket. I bought a ticket on American this way, because the price on google flights was MUCH cheaper than on the American website. I called customer service to ask the very question you posed. She assured me that I had bought my ticket from American. That is also confirmed by my credit card, which shows American, Fort Worth TX as the payee, so I am pretty confident that I have a “real” American ticket and not a third party ticket.I worked in the airline industry for 20 years and if you buy your ticket through someone else such as Google, Expedia, Kayak etc and have a problem, they will often defer you back to whoever you bought your ticket from.
Heh-- If it wasn't for Amazing Race, I wouldn't even know they still existed.Especially since a live travel agent hasn’t been spotted in my town for at least a decade!
Too busy tramping the Camino?So why did it take me 20 years to learn this?!
Maybe this doesn’t need to be said yet again, but the point of this thread is to show forum members that there are some non-airline websites, like Kayak and Google Flights (and maybe Skyskanner?), which are NOT third party brokers. They do not sell you the flights directly, they show you the cheapest flights and link you to the airline websites where those fares will be shown and you purchase directly with the airlines.Caveat emptor!
The thing to be careful of when purchasing anything - flight, accommodation, car hire - through a third party is that your contract is with them and not the service provider.
Google flights is based on what they purchased from itasoftware.comFriends also tell me that Kayak also operates in the same fashion, but I’m perfectly happy with google flights
There is a huge difference between searching on Google Flights and sites like Expedia, Travelocity, and the like. Google Flights is a search engine for flights that will find flight itineraries that you can then book directly on the airline site. Expedia is a third party booking service and you can only book through them.The only big name site I never bother with is Expedia as that always seems to be more expensive.
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