# Best way to book an airplane flight? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 27, 2014, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-book-an-airplane-flight/699700 "2014-09-27T03:56:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2014, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-book-an-airplane-flight/699700/1 "2014-09-27T03:56:44Z")
What flying I’ve done in the last 15 years has been for work and through my employer. I haven’t had to book my own flight in many ages. Best way to go about the best price? I looked at United and American directly, and checked Travelocity, Priceline, Skyscanner. I’m just going from Chicago to Rochester, MN nonstop, and there can’t possibly be as many flights at Priceline is showing, yet those are the best prices. Looks like booking two one-way tickets will work out best according to the checking I’ve done so far. Priceline is showing fare as low as $49, but I don’t trust that! Am I nuts to think $100 each way would be the better booking? The Mayo Clinic website says something about 5 flights from Chicago daily, which sounds right. Priceline is showing 7 flights just from 7-10am alone, from 4 different carriers. I’m finding it confusing and disorienting, and I don’t want to wait too long, I’m traveling November 11-13. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2014, 9:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-book-an-airplane-flight/699700/2 "2014-09-27T09:28:52Z")
Wait, what’s the Mayo Clinic doing giving airfares? ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2014, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-book-an-airplane-flight/699700/3 "2014-09-27T11:22:03Z")
I usually use Kayak, and then double check at the airline’s website to make sure I can’t get it cheaper directly. ---
**Author:** ![StrangerThanFiction](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f05b48/32.png) [@StrangerThanFiction](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StrangerThanFiction)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2014, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-book-an-airplane-flight/699700/4 "2014-09-27T11:37:15Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > I usually use Kayak, and then double check at the airline’s website to make sure I can’t get it cheaper directly. Me too. In fact, in many cases Kayak links directly to the airlines’ websites. ---
**Author:** ![leahcim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b4bc9f/32.png) [@leahcim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leahcim)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2014, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-book-an-airplane-flight/699700/5 "2014-09-27T11:40:59Z")
> [@SeaDragonTattoo](#): > > Priceline is showing 7 flights just from 7-10am alone, from 4 different carriers. Note that these may not actually be different flights. Different airlines may be marketing the same flight through [codeshare agreements](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Codeshare_agreement). It looks like the direct flights from ORD to Rochester are code shared between AA and US Air, so they may show up as eight flights when there are only four. I usually look up flights on the [ITA flight matrix](http://matrix.itasoftware.com/) first, and then buy on travelocity, or though my credit card’s reward site. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2014, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-book-an-airplane-flight/699700/6 "2014-09-27T11:44:28Z")
> [@SeaDragonTattoo](#): > > The Mayo Clinic website says something about 5 flights from Chicago daily, which sounds right. Priceline is showing 7 flights just from 7-10am alone, from 4 different carriers. The Mayo Clinic website is correct, at least as far as nonstop flights. Priceline is either showing you connection options or it’s duplicating flights because of codeshares (one flight having multiple flight numbers for the different airlines that are allowed to sell tickets for it). ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2014, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-book-an-airplane-flight/699700/7 "2014-09-27T11:57:37Z")
Ah, codeshares! Thank you, that makes more sense and was the piece of data I was missing, that makes so much more sense. Departure times are a little different, but they follow if I bunch them together (in my mind) as the same flight listed within a few minutes by different carriers. Thanks for the Kayak recommendation, I’ll try that, otherwise looks like Priceline has the best deals. Definitely cheaper than the direct site with the airline. > [@Leaper](#): > > Wait, what’s the Mayo Clinic doing giving airfares? Not giving airfares, just mentioning that a shuttle meets each of the 5 flights at the airport during an orientation video. No need to rent a car, yay! ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2014, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-book-an-airplane-flight/699700/8 "2014-09-27T11:58:52Z")
Flight network, is what I use, give it a try! ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2014, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-book-an-airplane-flight/699700/9 "2014-09-27T23:13:35Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > Wait, what’s the Mayo Clinic doing giving airfares? [Obligatory _Airplane!_ link…](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVdvyWK6NiI) ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2014, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-book-an-airplane-flight/699700/10 "2014-09-28T00:00:03Z")
The [website](http://www.flyrst.com/flightInfo/airline.html) for the airport in Rochester says that the airport is serviced by Delta and American Airlines but AA is the only one of the two that has direct flights to Chicago. So if you don’t want to change planes, your choices are limited. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2014, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-book-an-airplane-flight/699700/11 "2014-09-28T00:18:39Z")
You should also check with [Southwest.com](http://Southwest.com). As far as I know Southwest doesn’t sell tickets through the discount airfare sites. But they’ve got good prices so it’s worth going to their site to check them out. And don’t forget to check the baggage fees and add them to your ticket price if you have any luggage. The baggage fees can be significant and change whether or not a bargain ticket price is really the best price. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2014, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-book-an-airplane-flight/699700/12 "2014-09-28T05:16:21Z")
SW’s prices have really gone up lately, but I agree that they should be checked out. Their website is about the cleanest of any airline I’ve ever seen, and their pricing structure is fairly rational. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2014, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-book-an-airplane-flight/699700/13 "2014-09-28T05:43:48Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > You should also check with [Southwest.com](http://Southwest.com). For flying in general maybe, but Southwest doesn’t do codeshares, so they’re useless for going to Rochester, Minnesota. The only choices are American nonstop, or Delta via Atlanta, Detroit, or Minneapolis.