Finessing booking 'direct' from ITA Matrix

Murphy_The_Cat

I recently started a very short thread about booking 'direct' from ITA matrix (the Big Daddy of flight search engines).

DTDfanBoy added this post
which added to the thread enormously.

If anyone does go down the route of reading the flyertalk thread and downloading the gizmo to utilise booking 'direct' from ITA Matrix, I can offer the following suggestions to potentially finesse another few ££'s for you.

Once your ITA search has completed, the 'gizmo' will offer you several OTAs/airlines to book with. Open every one of them, just to reassure yourself that the 'gizmo' has worked.
The itinerary that I was looking at was very long winded and very specific - the end result being that only AA USA & AA EU were able to pull up the itinerary for me to book from.

Open the AA US website (it shows as Use American US & UK) and have a look at the price that comes up - this will be in US $s. Then convert the price into £'s by inputting into XE.com
Then open the Use America link (it shows as Use American Europe/Asia/Pacific) and have a look at the price that comes up - this will be in euros.There is a currency converter on this site to convert the euros into other currencies, but run it through XE.com
just to be sure.
At this stage, if you've got a credit card like Halifax Clarity that gives you the 'perfect' exchange rate and you're happy with the price, then book it.

Alternatively, if you'd like a few hours to think things over, on the AA European site, you can place it on hold and you've got until 22.30 the following day to take up the booking, or let it go (happily enough, its 23.59 the following day if your first flight is from Ireland.

The happy finessing is that if you decide that you'd like to take up the booking, you have the option of phoning up their call centre. Usually, there is a charge for completing your booking over the phone, however, if you explain that you want to pay in Sterling £'s rather than euros and the website won't let you, they'll waive the fee (well, they did in my case) - then pay for your flights with your favourite cash back credit card.
In my case its a 1.25% Amex card.

For me, I was able to organise my very picky itinerary (which no other website would let me do), get a fare that I am very happy with, select my seats and get cashback on my purchase.

all in all, happy, happy days.

I realise that the above will only apply to a few people. But if you're prepared to put in the effort (in fairness, it does take a little while to get your head around the gizmo), the end result will make you very happy, save you a few ££ and potentially get you some cash back as well.:beer::j

James_Thomson

Thanks - this is very helpful. Just beware that US based airlines usually charge much heavier change fees than other airlines (even BA). $300+ on most.

pollypenny

AA charged us £100 each last January.

Murphy_The_Cat

If it's helpful. My booking was made via the GB call centre and the transaction was in Sterling.

The_Groat_Counter

Interesting stuff, thanks Murphy.

Mr_Wangers_Wang

Murph. I have saved thousands over years thanks to ITA, when used correctly it is quite simply the best way to book scheduled flights. Keep an eye on momondo though. Forget about Skyscanner, that has been destroyed from within. But Momondo, with payments in euros is a gift. Eg momondo.be etc

Murphy_The_Cat

Mr_Wangers_Wang wrote: »

Murph. I have saved thousands over years thanks to ITA, when used correctly it is quite simply the best way to book scheduled flights. Keep an eye on momondo though. Forget about Skyscanner, that has been destroyed from within. But Momondo, with payments in euros is a gift. Eg momondo.be etc

I like ITA and its a cracking research tool, but to be able to be book direct from them is the cherry on the cake (if the OTA's accept the itinerary via the gizmo, not all do). For me, this is where the gizmo really earns its corn.

I've used momondo in the past as well (my break at Christmas is via momondo), but when I put my 2017 trip into it, momondo wouldn't accept it at all, eventually coming up with a fare that was nearly 4 times the ITA price, with worse flight combinations.

Mr_Wangers_Wang

Strange.

What are the details? Usually I find the flights via ITA, times and dates etc. Then book via Momondo from wherever the lead flight is from. I usually fly BA via Iberia with a connection from Madrid. For example, in October half term I am going to Japan and it was something like £130 return from Madrid on Iberia booked in Euros.