# Airline Tickets?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-tickets/492490
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [April 9, 2009, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-tickets/492490 "2009-04-09T11:29:32Z")
**Posts on this page:** 10
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@ajfrod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ajfrod)
#### Post date: [April 9, 2009, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-tickets/492490/1 "2009-04-09T11:29:32Z")
Hello
Do airline tickets come cheaper from the airline sites or on site like [expedia.com](http://expedia.com).
how is in countries like usa, uk etc.
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### Author:  [@atomicbadgerrace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/atomicbadgerrace)
#### Post date: [April 9, 2009, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-tickets/492490/2 "2009-04-09T11:49:58Z")
> [@ajfrod](#):
>
> Hello
> Do airline tickets come cheaper from the airline sites or on site like [expedia.com](http://expedia.com).
> how is in countries like usa, uk etc.
(USA airline-type checking in.) It depends. The benefit, in terms of fare, of using a site like Expedia or Travelocity comes when you’re booking packages, generally. When searching for straightforward airfare, most of these sites simply comb the already published fares for major airlines and present them to you in simple, pretty graph form so that you can choose the lowest (or most convenient, or whatever your criteria is).
Another benefit is that these sites will sometimes find connection pairings that normally don’t exist. For example, airlines that don’t codeshare or otherwise have partnerships may be bundled together on an Expedia itinerary. Take this example, made up in my mind:
You want to fly from XXX-YYY. There is no nonstop option, so you’ll have to connect at some point through city ZZZ. Airline 1 may offer you a flight XXX-ZZZ-YYY for $359. Airline 2 may offer you a flight XXX-ZZZ-YYY for $349. The trick comes in knowing that Airline 1 will offer the XXX-ZZZ flight for $149, and Airline 2 will offer the ZZZ-YYY flight for $159. Pair them up, and you’ve got an itinerary from XXX-ZZZ-YYY for $308.
Most of the time, though, the best bet is to book directly with the airline. On non-stop flights in particular, travel sites may tack on a few dollars. For example, a nonstop DL flight from JFK-LAX may be $199, but be available on Expedia for $204.
It will vary, though, and if you’re price shopping for flights, it never hurts to check as many sources as possible.
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### Author:  [@ajfrod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ajfrod)
#### Post date: [April 10, 2009, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-tickets/492490/3 "2009-04-10T15:00:34Z")
So some time it is cheaper for the airline site
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### Author:  [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)
#### Post date: [April 10, 2009, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-tickets/492490/4 "2009-04-10T16:11:55Z")
> [@ajfrod](#):
>
> So some time it is cheaper for the airline site
Sometimes yes, sometimes no. You should try a few different options and compare prices.
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### Author:  [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)
#### Post date: [April 10, 2009, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-tickets/492490/5 "2009-04-10T16:40:58Z")
My wife is a gold medallion flier, and this method always works for her without fail.
She looks for the cheapest fair on orbitz. She gets that flight info, goes to the hosting airline and finds that flight. The price is always the same for her (I’m sure there are some exceptions, but I personally don’t know of any).
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### Author:  [@Driver8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Driver8)
#### Post date: [April 10, 2009, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-tickets/492490/6 "2009-04-10T17:38:17Z")
I use [Farecast](http://farecast.live.com/?) (I believe [Kayak](http://www.kayak.com/) is an example of this as well but I have not used it).
When it comes to booking flights, it is the best of both worlds. It will search for flights from all airlines based on your criteria, and when you select the flight you want you are redirected to the airline’s own site for booking. I think booking with the airline’s site is typically the cheapest option, but this gets around having to check every airline’s website.
It has some other nice features as well: price trajectory (should you book now or wait a few weeks?) and very customizable search options (preferred airlines, schedules, number of stops, etc).
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### Author:  [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)
#### Post date: [April 10, 2009, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-tickets/492490/7 "2009-04-10T17:42:27Z")
Note that what those sites (Farecast and Kayak) do is to allow you to check Hotwire, Priceline, Expedia, Travelocity, etc. simultaneously. But some airlines (e.g., Southwest, I think) only sell their tickets directly. So you’re still not seeing everything.
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### Author:  [@ajfrod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ajfrod)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2009, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-tickets/492490/8 "2009-04-13T11:28:15Z")
so if i use connecting flights with different airlines,
I should use sites like expedia etc
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### Author:  [@atomicbadgerrace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/atomicbadgerrace)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2009, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-tickets/492490/9 "2009-04-13T16:28:17Z")
> [@ajfrod](#):
>
> so if i use connecting flights with different airlines,
> I should use sites like expedia etc
Some airlines do codeshare and allow you to connect on their partners when booking directly on their website. For other situations where no agreement exists between airlines, you may find those on third party booking sites, or you may just have to book each segment independently on each airline. Note that when doing so, you’ll most likely have to claim your baggage at each connecting city, unless the airline has a procedure in place to transfer baggage to other carriers.
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### Author:  [@Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carol_the_Impaler)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2009, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-tickets/492490/10 "2009-04-13T16:35:00Z")
> [@ajfrod](#):
>
> so if i use connecting flights with different airlines,
> I should use sites like expedia etc
Not neccessarily. Kayak will also do multiple airlines. I always use Kayak to find flights and have not in two years found fares that beat the airlines themselves by more than a few bucks. I always find the flight thru Kayak and then book directly on the airline’s site.
Plus, Expedia and Orbitz and the like are a PITA and expensive if you have to make any changes. I never ever use them and tell others not to, too.