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Our son is in the Army and getting two weeks leave around Christmas before he goes to Kuwait. We are going to be paying for his flight home, and I would sure love to know if anyone has information on cheaper flights. I have called the airlines, and their "military discount" ticket is actually more expensive than those I have found on expedia, etc..... I am really surprised. Any info is very much appreciated.
Some generic stuff.
1. make sure your comparing apples to apples. The airline price may iclude all taxes and charges while the third party site may be the base price not including any other cost.
2. The military rate from the airlines may show as non-refundable but some will issue a no-fee credit if military orders change his plans. Third party sites may be non refundable with no options.
3. Airline military rate tickets may let you charge the ticket on your credit card and issue ticket in his name. Third party sites may want to issue ticket in your name.
4 Military discounts from airlines are treated like regular tickets while 3rd party sites tickets may be first bumped last rebooked.
5. Airline military discount tickets are covered under US laws. Third party tickets don't have same protections until you checkin and officially exchange your 3rd party reservation for an official airline ticket or boarding pass. Up until you do that, if anything goes wrong, you deal with the third party not the airline.
6. Not that common but third party reservations don't always get booked with the airlines. This is happening more and more.
You want to make sure that the discount price your paying is really a discount when all cost are included and how the thrird party reservation and a real direct airline ticket differ.
I always get the lowest published fares directly from airlines. If he has flexible travel plans (one or two days either way on either end of the vacation), then look for all of those dates. Look for at least 7 days straight, and at least several times a day during that period. Prices are highly variable.
When searching for destinations to which I don't often fly, I'll sometimes use sites like Orbitz or Expedia to do the initial research, then book the reservation from the airline at the same price, or within a couple of dollars.
Finally, the "discount" fares for bereavement, military discount, etc., are usually not good because they are based on a discount from a higher fare class. The fares may be refundable. Check into that. Some sites that advertise "special" fares aren't at all special. You can book that very same fare from the airline.
FWIW, in all of the countless itineraries (I fly several times a month, sometimes twice a week) that I have booked in the last 10 years, I have not booked one flight using a third party site.
Edit: My two cheapest fares of the many same-route fares purchased this year, are Thanksgiving and Christmas. Both were purchased for $208, where the normal cheap fare is $253, standard is $360, and high is $440.
Last edited by 43north87west; 09-29-2010 at 01:15 PM..
Its good to read the airlines policies. Some do not charge for the first check bag fee for military traveling on special fares. Some offer the discount with no advance purchase. I;ve seen super cheap discounts for military travel on certain common flights far below what any cheap 3rd party discount coffers. The biggest advantage of booking direct with airlines or on an airline ticket through a travel agent is that your ticket is under regulations where the thrid party may only be a reservation through that 3rd party and not a "booked" ticket
So the consensus is that it is better to book a ticket directly from the airline. Try to have a little flexibility in the arrival and departure dates, ask for the military discount from the airline.
He will be flying from Frankfurt, Germany to Huntsville AL on 12/18 and flying out of Huntsville, AL on Jan 2. He has to be back on base by Jan 4.
So the consensus is that it is better to book a ticket directly from the airline. Try to have a little flexibility in the arrival and departure dates, ask for the military discount from the airline.
He will be flying from Frankfurt, Germany to Huntsville AL on 12/18 and flying out of Huntsville, AL on Jan 2. He has to be back on base by Jan 4.
Unfortunately, the consensus is doing research. I suggest you look at the lowest rate, whether direct or third party and find out the rules for refunds/ticket changes. If you don't like the rules, move on to the second lowest...etc...
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