People often accrue miles in one frequent flyer account but then lament when there isn’t availability to their destination on the dates they want. This is why it makes far more sense to treat your miles like a portfolio. Some miles are more valuable to certain regions than others, especially when you consider the alliance partnerships you can access with those miles. To get you up to speed, here are some previous … [Read more...]
Introduction to Airline Routing Rules
This is the fifth and final post in my introductory series to using ExpertFlyer for more advanced travelers. I've mentioned fare routing rules in passing several times but not in the same depth they deserve. For the most part these guidelines will only be helpful for booking revenue fares. All loyalty programs have their own rules for award travel. Other posts in this series: Introduction to ExpertFlyer: Fare … [Read more...]
Introduction to ExpertFlyer: Combining Fares and Pricing Units
Continuing last week's introduction to ExpertFlyer, today I'll discuss different ways to combine fares and flights using what are called "pricing units." There are a lot of terms here, but they aren't too important. You should still come away with a better sense of how fares are combined so that you can understand what the fare rules mean when they say "combinations permitted." You may want to read up on earlier … [Read more...]
Does Manual Fare Construction Produce Better Results?
In the last two days I’ve explained in detail how to search for fares and availability to construct an itinerary from Seattle to Austin. I plan to revisit these topics later to show how some rules might change for more complex international fares, but in general the same principles apply. Other posts in this series: Introduction to ExpertFlyer: Fare Rules and Prices Introduction to ExpertFlyer: Finding … [Read more...]
Introduction to ExpertFlyer: Finding Availability and Constructing Fares
In yesterday's post I reviewed the basics of searching for airline fares. Today I will use that fare information and match it with the booking class availability on different flights. I strongly recommend you read yesterday's post so you can pick up where we left off. Otherwise not much will make sense. Other posts in this series: Introduction to ExpertFlyer: Fare Rules and Prices Introduction to … [Read more...]
Introduction to ExpertFlyer: Fare Rules and Prices
This week I'll be trying to recreate elements of my talk on ExpertFlyer at Frequent Traveler University Advanced. Some people who attend these presentations ask for a copy, but I usually give it live and have nothing to offer. Others only sign up for the regular FTU and wonder what they're missing. Other posts in this series: Introduction to ExpertFlyer: Finding Availability and Constructing … [Read more...]
Flying Together? Find the Lowest Fare on ITA
During FTU I gave two talks, on ITA Matrix and ExpertFlyer, in which the central message was that an educated customer is better prepared to get the best flight for the lowest price. These search tools don't magically create low fares. They just help you find the low fares that already exist. Not all airline websites or online travel agencies work very well, so it can be very useful to know what you ought to be … [Read more...]
How to Find a W Fare to Redeem a United Global Premier Upgrade
I'm providing some step-by-step examples of real scenarios to help people learn to use ITA Matrix based on feedback from this blog and my Chicago Seminars presentation. Let's imagine you want to book a flight on United Airlines and apply a Global Premier Upgrade. United has certain restrictions on who operates the flight (United), who sells the flight (United), and the fare class (W or higher). You can also … [Read more...]
