Best way to find cheap airfares?

Reporting back on Bestfares.com

Well that was a waste of $60…

Lemme describe how this went:

  1. Logon and fillout form, shell out 60 clams

  2. Woo-hoo, now I’m a member

  3. Obtain the ‘magic’ phone number to call for the super-cool, fabulously low priced deal o’ the century…

  4. Call said ‘magic’ number

  5. Sit my ass on the ‘magic’ hold music for no less than forty-fucking-five minutes.

  6. Just as carpal tunnel ear syndrome sets in, finally get to talk to “Janice in Houston”

  7. Side note- Janice in Houston is as excited to talk to me as I am to watch paint dry. I can almost hear the despair and the longing for the merciful release of death (or her smoking break) in her voice.

  8. Hmmm. Janice reports that there are no fligh…umm seats available on 10/15 to Casablanca. 10/13 is an option.

  9. What airline? Hmmm… Swift Air. Never heard of them? Me neither. Or Google, apparently.

  10. OK, playing along with the assumption that we’ll leave 2 days earlier than planned, and risk our lives to an airline that, at best, seems to fly cargo to Egypt, what are the options for a return from Malaga?

  11. Checking… says Janice in Houston. Let’s see. Oh- that will require an overnight in Zurich… but there is no availability on the 26th, anyway.

  12. Oh, says I. What about dates near the 26th?

  13. Nothing before hand, says Janice in Houston. And nothing after. All the way to the end of the promotion. No seats.

  14. So I can get there but can’t return?

  15. No, you can’t even get there because this promotion is roundtrip only, and since you can’t return you can’t depart either.

  16. Thank you for my Kafka moment of the day. Can I have my $60 back?

  17. No. Goodbye.

Hamsters ate my response. It wasn’t important. Just a thanks to everyone for their suggestions (keep 'em coming). It looks like there’s no cheap way to Greece that time of year. The best I’ve found is a fare on hotwire for $895 and a charter flight through a NY travel agency for $889.