I like to deal with the carrier directly, but it certainly helps to do one’s homework beforehand. Let’s say I pick up the phone and call the carrier:
Me: Hi, I need to go from X to Y on July 1.
Airline: Okay, we can do that starting from $600.
Me. Expedia tells me that you can do that starting from $300.
Airline: Okay, we can do that starting from $300.
It sounds a little like the Jedi Mind Trick, but it only works if you’ve done your research beforehand. Best of all, though, dealing with the airline directly avoids surprises, so you know what you’re getting into:
Airline: Sure, we could do that $300 fare, but there will be a $50 checked bag fee, a $25 carryon bag fee, a $100 check-in at the airport fee, $10 for headphones, $25 for advanced seat selection so your party can sit together, [and a whole bunch of other nickel-and-dime fees]. But we can include or reduce all of those under the $600 fare.
My examples are fictional, but they are based on the experiences of my sister who will find the cheapest way to travel–which usually ends up being more expensive in the end. And which she complains about, loudly, to me. (“I got a super-cheap $X fare on Expedia from Calgary to Toronto, and then Air Canada charged me $Y for this, and $Z for that, and $A for something, and $B for something else! It’s outrageous!”)
Meh. Nowadays, I book directly with the airline and fly Business or First, where all of the above (and more) are included. I advised Sis to also (I know she can certainly afford to), but she refuses to spend money where she feels it is unnecessary. And she ends up paying more in the end, due to today’s nickel-and-diming in air travel. And I hear about it.