Travel

Ask me anything about flight ticket

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Sr. Member
Jun 14, 2011
688 posts
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Ask me anything about flight ticket

As title suggested. I've been working on a travel project for a while, learned few thing about flight ticketing system. Feel free to ask anything about flight ticket fare, book, pricing or ticketing, I'll try my best to answer.
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Deal Addict
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Sep 22, 2005
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Ottawa
Thanks for the offer. From what you found, when is generally the best time to book a flight - at least 30 days, day of the week, time of year, sites to search (Google flights, Kayak), etc.? What rights do you have after booking tickets? What tips would you give us looking for cheap flights to travel destinations? Thanks a bunch.
Member
Oct 2, 2005
282 posts
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How many months a head to book for flight to Asia or any flight. Is flight cheaper on a weekday or weekend. If you keep searching for the same flight and date, does the flight price goes up? Thanks.
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Oct 19, 2007
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gokeeper wrote: As title suggested. I've been working on a travel project for a while, learned few thing about flight ticketing system. Feel free to ask anything about flight ticket fare, book, pricing or ticketing, I'll try my best to answer.
I can vouch for gokeeper's advice :)
Sr. Member
Jun 14, 2011
688 posts
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gumby wrote: From what you found, when is generally the best time to book a flight - at least 30 days, day of the week, time of year, sites to search (Google flights, Kayak), etc.?
leannoon wrote: How many months a head to book for flight to Asia or any flight.
It's not easy to say when should you book the ticket, airline can publish cheap price anytime.For Asia I found October / November usually have lots of great fares available, like $5xx economy to BKK, $27xx business to SIN, etc.
The day of the week of your booking is irrelevant, unless it's a limited time fare sale, like yesterday's UA 1 day sale to PEK/PVG for $100 base fare.
For flight search tools I would say ITA matrix is still the best option, but it need lots of tricks, if you are not very familiar with them I would recommend Google flights. It will display most combination as well as some travel agent only fare.
gumby wrote: What rights do you have after booking tickets?
Most North American airlines allows you to cancel ticket without penalty within 24 hours if the reservation is made one week or more prior to a flight’s departure date. Some airline / travel agents even give you more time.
gumby wrote: What tips would you give us looking for cheap flights to travel destinations? Thanks a bunch.
Stay away from unknown / infamous OTA, most airline won't touch travel agent ticket. If you book with an OTA, you are stuck with them for any change / cancellation until your whole trip is finished. Those OTAs will either ignore your request or rip you off.
leannoon wrote: Is flight cheaper on a weekday or weekend.
Most, but not all published fare is cheaper if departure on Mon-Thu, please see the example below

Code: Select all

01 P7LXCTTY                2450 P  +     -     1234+ 7+ -   3M R                
02 P7LWCTTY                2650 P  +     -      567+ 7+ -   3M R                
This is Air Canada's business class sale fare to Taipei (TPE), if you leaves on Mon-Thu, the base fare is $2450, while $2650 for FRI-SUN.
leannoon wrote: If you keep searching for the same flight and date, does the flight price goes up? Thanks.
The airline's inventory won't change just because you do lots of searches, but I heard some OTA might do that - they raise the price for a short amount of time and drop back to standard price after you come back, in hope you will book since "the price has dropped!"
Seks wrote: I can vouch for gokeeper's advice :)
Thanks! Smiling Face With Sunglasses
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Dec 10, 2004
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which airlines allow you to check-in or/and pick a seat for free MORE than 24 hours in advance?
I use voice typing, expect mistakes...
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dazz wrote: which airlines allow you to check-in or/and pick a seat for free MORE than 24 hours in advance?
RyanAir check-in 4 days before flight.
Any airline allow free seat selection at any time on elevated fare levels.

Cheers!
Sr. Member
Jun 14, 2011
688 posts
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dazz wrote: which airlines allow you to check-in or/and pick a seat for free MORE than 24 hours in advance?
Some LCCs allow you checkin way more than 24 hours in advance, i.e you can check in AirAsia flights 14 days before departure. Lots of airlines still offer free seats assignment at time of booking, like United / American / Delta, though Air Canada or Westjet didn't.
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Member
May 7, 2017
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Hi gokeeper, the air Canada business class fare you have posted earlier for travelling between Mon to Thursday, is it one way or return for $2400 base?
Deal Guru
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Moving target
gokeeper wrote: Stay away from unknown / infamous OTA, most airline won't touch travel agent ticket. If you book with an OTA, you are stuck with them for any change / cancellation until your whole trip is finished. Those OTAs will either ignore your request or rip you off.

Smiling Face With Sunglasses
Thank you for starting a thread sharing what I presume is a bit of inside info on the industry.

With OTA and associated risks. My understanding is once your butt is in seat and first flight is done the airline will deal with you directly. Can you comment on that?

Also I’ve heard to watch out for OTA who for example book on air Canada stock 014 but first flight is on Lufthansa metal. I’ve heard it’s done to dodge some minor tax LH charges and that’s another trick in the OTA book

As much as this forum says don’t deal with OTA depending where your flying theses OTA really paste together good ticket combos both on price and quick connects. I personally will use an OTA if I can’t book direct but only a Canada based one which is part of TICO. Not saying TICO is amazing but better then foreign jobs.
Autocorrect sucks
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May 22, 2005
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GTA
So my friend booked flight tickets for me, but somehow during the process my last name was not put into the system. When I tried to check in , my last name was missing. So it was basically first name, middle name as last name. The attendant at Air Canada stated since there was a flight/luggage transfer, it might be trouble and I may not be able to check in. I got pretty worried and she said she will make some calls and ask. Then she was talking on the phone for about 30 mins joking to the other person about work and having a conversation about their family, and in the end, the ticket name was changed.


What happened?
Sr. Member
Jun 14, 2011
688 posts
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Ginzasix wrote: Hi gokeeper, the air Canada business class fare you have posted earlier for travelling between Mon to Thursday, is it one way or return for $2400 base?
Return, that's base fare, after tax ~3000
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Sr. Member
Jun 14, 2011
688 posts
2096 upvotes
coriolis wrote: So my friend booked flight tickets for me, but somehow during the process my last name was not put into the system. When I tried to check in , my last name was missing. So it was basically first name, middle name as last name. The attendant at Air Canada stated since there was a flight/luggage transfer, it might be trouble and I may not be able to check in. I got pretty worried and she said she will make some calls and ask. Then she was talking on the phone for about 30 mins joking to the other person about work and having a conversation about their family, and in the end, the ticket name was changed.


What happened?
Name correction is complicated, and usually require some payment, you are lucky to find an agent who did it for you for free Smiling Face With Sunglasses
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Sr. Member
Jun 14, 2011
688 posts
2096 upvotes
GangStarr wrote:
With OTA and associated risks. My understanding is once your butt is in seat and first flight is done the airline will deal with you directly. Can you comment on that?
Not exactly if you still have upcoming flight in the same reservation, like return flight.

GangStarr wrote:
Also I’ve heard to watch out for OTA who for example book on air Canada stock 014 but first flight is on Lufthansa metal. I’ve heard it’s done to dodge some minor tax LH charges and that’s another trick in the OTA book
That's not a problem, UA/AC/LH group have JV over ATL, it doesn't matter whose ticket or who is flying.
GangStarr wrote:
As much as this forum says don’t deal with OTA depending where your flying theses OTA really paste together good ticket combos both on price and quick connects. I personally will use an OTA if I can’t book direct but only a Canada based one which is part of TICO. Not saying TICO is amazing but better then foreign jobs.
You will be fine with major OTA, like expedia/priceline etc, the problem with unknown OTA is their customer service.
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Deal Addict
Mar 1, 2016
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toronto
from an airline standpoint, is there a difference on what stock a ticket is issued?
let's say i have a flight Lufthansa issued by AC, do I get a different experience from someone who booked with LH?
Sr. Member
Jun 14, 2011
688 posts
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foreigncontent wrote: from an airline standpoint, is there a difference on what stock a ticket is issued?
let's say i have a flight Lufthansa issued by AC, do I get a different experience from someone who booked with LH?
From my understanding, no. There might be tiny hiccups like seat assignment if you book codeshare, but for same flight number ticket stock doesn't matter.
And AC requires min spend on 014 stock to get elite status...
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Member
May 7, 2017
422 posts
223 upvotes
gokeeper wrote: Return, that's base fare, after tax ~3000
That's very inexpensive business class tickets. I searched for them for hkg but often get at least $4000+ for direct. Have you seen any that's around $2500?
Sr. Member
Jun 14, 2011
688 posts
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Ginzasix wrote: That's very inexpensive business class tickets. I searched for them for hkg but often get at least $4000+ for direct. Have you seen any that's around $2500?
HKG is an expensive destination and J fare are rarely on sale, right now ac is running a ~3300 all in sale to PVG, which is 2 hours fly away from HKG.
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Banned
Mar 13, 2018
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Is there a reason why AC can't issue interline tickets in PEY?

Eg I'm flying yyz-HND (AC), HND-kul(ANA) Pen-hkg (Cx)-HKG-YyZ (AC)

TA says can't issue PEY on Interline flights over 4hrs so AC metal can book PEY but not ANA or CX portions
Sr. Member
Jun 14, 2011
688 posts
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Gboard2 wrote: Is there a reason why AC can't issue interline tickets in PEY?

Eg I'm flying yyz-HND (AC), HND-kul(ANA) Pen-hkg (Cx)-HKG-YyZ (AC)

TA says can't issue PEY on Interline flights over 4hrs so AC metal can book PEY but not ANA or CX portions
update: sorry just read your post again and realized you are referring to interline, then yes AC PE booking only compatible with NH M class which is standard economy.

Code: Select all

AL FLGT  BK   DATE  TIME  FARE BASIS      NVB  NVA   BG                    
 YTO                                                                            
XTYO AC     1 N    10MAR 1435  NLWAT           10MAR10MAR 2P                    
 KUL NH   885 M    12MAR 0005  NLWAT           12MAR12MAR 2P                    
 PEN      S U R F A C E                                                         
XHKG CX  5692 M    20MAR 0745  NLXAT           20MAR20MAR 2P                    
 YTO AC    16 N    20MAR 1530  NLXAT           20MAR20MAR 2P                    
                                                                                
CAD  1842.00      10MAR19YTO AC X/TYO NH KUL676.70/-PEN CX                      
                  X/HKG Q85.00AC YTO M638.68NUC1400.38END                       
CAD    25.91-CA   ROE1.315194                                                   
CAD   341.30-YQ   XT CAD 24.60-YR CAD 3.25-RC CAD 25.00-SQ                      
CAD   140.94-XT   CAD 29.67-SW CAD 23.03-MY CAD 0.32-H8 CAD                     
CAD  2350.15      26.72-G3 CAD 8.35-I5                                          
You can price them separately, but the price will be sky rocketed.

Code: Select all

AL FLGT  BK   DATE  TIME  FARE BASIS      NVB  NVA   BG                    
 YTO                                                                            
 TYO AC     1 N    10MAR 1435  N0LWCJT         10MAR10MAR 2P                    
 KUL NH   885 G    12MAR 0005  G2XOWA1                    2P                    
 PEN      S U R F A C E                                                         
XHKG CX  5692 M    20MAR 0745  NLXAT           20MAR20MAR 2P                    
 YTO AC    16 N    20MAR 1530  NLXAT           20MAR20MAR 2P                    
                                                                                
CAD  5300.00      10MAR19YTO AC TYO896.44NH KUL2409.81/-PEN                     
                  CX X/HKG Q85.00AC YTO M638.68NUC4029.93END                    
CAD    25.91-CA   ROE1.315194                                                   
CAD   341.30-YQ   XT CAD 24.60-YR CAD 3.25-RC CAD 25.00-SQ                      
CAD   140.94-XT   CAD 29.67-SW CAD 23.03-MY CAD 0.32-H8 CAD                     
CAD  5808.15      26.72-G3 CAD 8.35-I5
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