ITA Software

[gailc]

I have been checking different sites for flights to Miami over Thanksgiving 2006 for a cruise. I have used ITA Software many times to look for prices. Finally found a better price yesterday on this site.

 

It says on there to call the airline directly & book or give the information to your TA. Has anyone done this before?

 

Gail

[greatam]

I have been checking different sites for flights to Miami over Thanksgiving 2006 for a cruise. I have used ITA Software many times to look for prices. Finally found a better price yesterday on this site.

 

It says on there to call the airline directly & book or give the information to your TA. Has anyone done this before?

 

Gail

 

ITA is the BACK-END of a booking engine for air fares. There is NO way to book flights on ITA, hence the BACK-END. Best way to use ITA is print out what you find, INCLUDING the booking codes. Then call the airline, request specific flights, times, fare classes/booking codes (this is the most important to get the same price).

 

It will cost you a fee (whatever the specific airline charges, usuall $5-10.00 per ticket). Or you COULD call a TA. However, since airlines generally do not pay TA commissions anymore, most TA's charge a fee for booking air. Mine charges $25.00 per ticket. Needless to say, I only book ITA itinerarys through a TA if it is complicated-like 2 or 3 airlines, international open jaw flights, etc.

 

The only other way to do it is go to the airline website and use the "book by schedule" feature. Pick the EXACT same flights, but sometimes you do NOT get the same price. Then you have to read the "fare rules" for each individual flight and keep working the schedule until you find the EXACT flights with the EXACT fare codes. IMHO, unless you really have lots of extra time, patience, and a good, working knowledge of airline fare rules, it is more cost effective to pay the airline to do the work.

[zqvol]

I have been checking different sites for flights to Miami over Thanksgiving 2006 for a cruise. I have used ITA Software many times to look for prices. Finally found a better price yesterday on this site.

 

It says on there to call the airline directly & book or give the information to your TA. Has anyone done this before?

 

Gail

In this market air fares are only going to rise. Find the connection you want and go to the air lines site and book it. No point at all getting your TA in the middle. IMHO air prices are going to be much higher in the summer and the fall than they are now, so book now.

[parody]

ITA is the BACK-END of a booking engine for air fares.

 

This is true today, but it will be interesting to see how it plays out in the future. This Monday, The Boston Globe reported that ITA Software has just received $100 million in venture capital money. I think the aim is to go after GDSs such as Sabre, Galileo, Worldspan, and Amadeus. Intriguingly, however, it states "Over the last year, ITA began developing and selling systems that also let people book and pay for tickets..."

[tonyt]

I use ITA to find the cheapest fares for flights I can take and then go to the airline site to book it. Never had a problem doing this. In fact for our December cruise found airfares for United flights that were actually USAirways flights ( they are partners ) cheaper thru United than I could get from USAiways.

tonyt

[gailc]

Thanks for all the information. I did call N.W. yesterday. They only had a certain number of seats available at that price, & they were gone. The lady said the price won't go down, because it is a holiday weekend. We never travel on holidays, but this was a special one. Probably won't do it again.

 

Gail

[cusyl]

I ve used the ITA software and it seems to be the same as Travelocity.

I m glad I already booked my business class flight to Italy for my June cruise because now the prices are higher and the connections are not as good.

I understand they only allow so many seats at a lower price.

[greatam]

This is true today, but it will be interesting to see how it plays out in the future. This Monday, The Boston Globe reported that ITA Software has just received $100 million in venture capital money. I think the aim is to go after GDSs such as Sabre, Galileo, Worldspan, and Amadeus. Intriguingly, however, it states "Over the last year, ITA began developing and selling systems that also let people book and pay for tickets..."

 

The venture capital statement was posted on FT. It doesn't appear that ITA will be actually selling tickets, at least NOT with the initial funding. It appears they are going to expand the search capabilities and also their interface with end-users, who do sell tickets. You last statement refers to the Expedia interface and also partly to Kayak and some of the airlines (Alaska is the one I am thinking of). I expect the GDS's are already feeling the pinch, all though some airlines are bound contractually or monetarily (American) for years to come.

 

I book quite a few complicated, international open jaw trips for business. I can put a great itinerary together on ITA. Then try to book it!!! I always end up calling the EXP desk at AA. And sometimes even they can't make it work. The codeshares (LAN and CX/VN being the specific problems I have) seem to trip up the whole system. Everyone can see the flights I want, but can't seem to get the system to ticket. As you can tell, I am a VERY loyal OneWorld flyer. Someday it will be easy!!!!

[Globaliser]

I can put a great itinerary together on ITA. Then try to book it!!! I always end up calling the EXP desk at AA. And sometimes even they can't make it work. The codeshares (LAN and CX/VN being the specific problems I have) seem to trip up the whole system. Everyone can see the flights I want, but can't seem to get the system to ticket.

My suspicion would be that these problems are caused when ITA doesn't see real-time availability, or the carriers concerned don't have real-time availability to anyone. (I didn't know that ITA were starting to see CX feed at all; that was a black hole for ages for my HKG trips.) ITA also has problems pricing complex international fares - it has been very bad at doing taxes properly, IME.

As you can tell, I am a VERY loyal OneWorld flyer.

You recognise quality, clearly!