Orbitz.com vs. NWA.com

[CSEMARTIN]

I did a search and didn't find anything......I'm not even sure if this is the right place for this.

I just booked a flight from Cedar Rapids, IA to Allentown, PA for the 2007 IDPA Nationals. Since I'm staying at the match hotel, I used the flight + car feature on Orbitz.com

The results: on Orbitz- flight + car = $555.00 (all fees included)

NWA flight reservation on-line = 346.90 (all fees included)

Alamo rental car = 92.00 (all fees included)

I saved $116.00. I'm not bashing Orbitz.com. There are other services provided with that additional 116 bucks, I just don't think it's worth it.

edited to correct spelling.

Edited July 9, 2007 by CSEMARTIN

[j2fast]

I travel a good bit for work and almost universally see the same results for all my trips. I generally hit someplace like Orbitz, Expedia, etc. to get an idea on who has decent flights or what hotels are in the area and so on. Then 99% of the time I go directly to the airline/hotel/rental car sit directly to book my travel. At the very least you'll avoid the extra $5 or $10 (can't remember for sure) fee that folks like Orbitz add as some sort of surcharge/extra fee to book a flight through their site (this is specific to flights). Some times you'll find a package deal that saves you some money but in my experience booking directly is almost always cheaper at least on my trips all over the lower 48. YMMV

Edited July 9, 2007 by j2fast

[smokshwn]

A great technique for rentals is to use priceline and lowball them down to insane prices and then slowly work up. I routinely get a fullsize or SUV for less than a compact.

[ipscbob]

Most also don't realise that you become a second class citizen in the eyes of the airline/hotel/rental Co. when you purchase through a 3rd party like Orbitz. I learned this the hard way when United bumped me first from a flight last year and gave their direct customers priority. The gate attendants have that info handy I now book everything direct.

[j2fast]

Most also don't realise that you become a second class citizen in the eyes of the airline/hotel/rental Co. when you purchase through a 3rd party like Orbitz. I learned this the hard way when United bumped me first from a flight last year and gave their direct customers priority. The gate attendants have that info handy I now book everything direct.

Same thing just happen to a friend of mine last week. He and his wife booked a flight through Travelocity 3 or 4 months in advance of their trip; a month before their trip they got notification that they had been bumped to another return flight and instead of an hour layover had an 8 hour layover that put them home at almost midnight instead of 6PM. He called Travelocity (even verified things again the day before they left) and thought things got worked. Except when they went to leave they were told that they didn't have return flight and Delta didn't have record of them paying for a return flight... They ended up making it home that day but had to go the standby route for the second leg of their return flight. Definitely more excitement then I like to have on any given trip.

[Vlad]

Yup, the internet is not being good to the middle man. I recently bought a plane ticket for my mom to fly from Germany to the US and Continental's price was a few bucks cheaper then buying the same ticket from any of the resellers. The only reason to use the resellers is to find what flights are available and who is cheaper, then go directly to the airline. Of course, the resellers won't be in business long this way, but thats the way it is. Shattner can go back to ST conventions and writing crappy books. That alone may be worth all those resellers going broke.