Where To Book Flight

[Dave4120]

We will be flying to San Juan for our next cruise and noticed the round trip price for our flights are $75 cheaper through the Cheap Tickets web site versus directly through Jet Blue.

 

If it's better to buy direct through Jet Blue that is not an issue. I know nothing about Cheap Tickets and wasn't sure if the tickets were the same or if we needed to be aware of anything.

 

Thanks for your help.

[azcruiser64]

Not sure they have live pricing so when you book the price they advertise it might not be available. Plus see the sticky on Cruise Air and deviation, you are in the same situation as they are all buying the same type tickets.

[Dave4120]

I think the Cheap Air price was accurate and less than Jet Blue because it was providing all the info for me to lock in and buy the tickets.

I wasn't sure if everything was the same or equal no matter where we bought, or, for example if we had a delay we would be serviced better by Jet Blue if we bought through them directly.

[FlyerTalker]

Unless the ticket fare basis codes are the same, you do not have the same tickets. Now, that doesn't mean you don't have the same flights, just that your tickets are different and would have different fare rules. Those rules could include restrictions on rerouting, changes and other provisions. Unless you know the fare basis and the rules, you really can't compare to know the difference.

 

Rule of thumb is that if you are finding a ticket for less significantly less than what you would pay from the airline directly, you are getting a special fare basis that has different rules than what the airline sells directly. (Think about it....there is only one "manufacturer" of an airline flight. Why would they give the exact same product for someone else to sell at a cheaper price?) These special tickets fall into the various names such as bulk, negotiated, consolidator and industry fares. In general, when things work well, you notice little if any difference between them and a ticket purchased from the airline directly. However, should there be any kind of hiccup, you could easily be in a world of hurt.

 

Let me give you one possible hypothetical. You buy a "negotiated" ticket on XX Airlines flight 123 that departs at noon. All seems well and good. Now, XX changes the flight time for XX123 to 9am. Your ship doesn't arrive until 8am, and you can't make the flight. Too bad - your ticket is for 123 and the rules say that flight only, that day only. And no change to a different flight. Extreme - yes, but possible with these kinds of tickets. So you need to be one of two kinds of consumer when buying these. Either very well informed or very oblivious.

 

Caveat emptor.

[Dave4120]

Thanks very much for the educational information as I now have a better understanding. I think it's safe to say that I will purchase directly from Jet Blue

[FlyerTalker]

Thanks very much for the educational information as I now have a better understanding. I think it's safe to say that I will purchase directly from Jet Blue

Please know...this is not to say one should never buy consolidator-type tickets. I've done it times in the past. What you need to do is the research - know what the fare rules for tickets bought apart from the airline. You can get good deals and sometimes the rule differences are so inconsequential as to be meaningless. But what you do need to do is find out the details. If those differences are minute and acceptable, take the deal. If they have red flags, give it due deliberation. And if a site won't let you know the details until you have made an irrevocable purchase decision, let that be a red flag of its own.

[TeanneTX]

Do the prices on the Matrix website include the taxes and fees?

 

Teanne

[Chairsin]

Yes.

[thinfool]

Do the prices on the Matrix website include the taxes and fees?

 

Teanne

 

The Feds got involved awhile back and made a rule that requires air fares to include all the taxes and fees when prices are advertised. (nice)

 

The airlines are doing everything they can to reverse the rule.

 

Reportedly one of the biggest whiners is Spirit airlines.

[fbgd]

Rule #5348 of buying tickets: If the website has the word "cheap" in it, then it's best avoided

[Globaliser]

Do the prices on the Matrix website include the taxes and fees?

The Feds got involved awhile back and made a rule that requires air fares to include all the taxes and fees when prices are advertised. (nice)

However, I doubt that this is why ITA does it. AIUI, the rule applies to marketing and sales. But ITA does neither. It's simply a search engine.

 

What ITA does do is present an accurate statement of the total cost of the ticket, which it breaks down into base fare plus taxes, fees and charges - in exactly the same that the airline will do if you buy a published fare ticket from it.