richardab

I love this sight, it searches out al the combinations of different airfares and tell you which is best. It even gives alternate airport combinations. They also have a hotel serching engine.

www.kayak.com

g33kgrl

Hmmm...I just tried it and when you click on a fare, it takes you to another site to do the actual booking, and (in my case anyway) the lowest price shown on the second site was at least $50 more.

I'll stick ones that don't bait and switch.

www.sidestep.com does the same thing, more accurately in my opinion.and

richardab

I forgot, sometimes it take you to the airlines websight, sometimes to another.... Once you see the low rate, just call the airline or go to that airlines websight and try to put it together.

Amother site I use all the time is ...

http://matrix.itasoftware.com/cvg/dispatch/prego

On this one you just do you research then contact the airline.

Leely

Richard,
I've recently been looking at itasoftware for flights to Africa--b/c these are on multiple airlines itasoftware recommends contacting a travel agent. Have you ever done this?

The best prices I've seen have been through itasoftware but I haven't used a travel agent in a dog's age.

loisco

I have used itasoftware for years...love it...

jody

I'm another fan if ITA..i often compare with sidestep and kayak..ita always comes out on top!

rkkwan

Leely - From US-originated flights, if you can see it on beta.itasoftware.com, you are likely to be able to book them on Orbitz. Orbitz charges service fees, and FedEx fees if it's paper tickets. But sometimes on a complex itienary involving two or more airlines, that may be the only way.

Don't overlook aa.com. You can buy other airlines' tickets on their site too.

mousireid

Someone else recommended this site (a fodorite) and I found it very helpful to go through all these different choices:
http://www.bookingbuddy.com/?source=tripso

richardab

The only problem with ITA software is that it sometime brings up weird combinations such as mixing code share with non codes share. I wonder how an airline will handle that.