i really dont understand why no one has replied this post. a lot of people in this tribe (as far as i know) got cheated, but still, no posts.
cheers

Kayak.com is a great place for research, but more often than not, you can get a better deal by going to the airline's sight (rather than purchasing it trhough Kayak). Great starting point though.

Farecast is pretty cool, but still too early in their development to be truly useful, and no, no international fares yet.

Spirit Air seems like a dream come true. I haven't flown them yet, but it's about time the states got the equivalent of Ryan Air and the like.


love.
ali

While habore is absolutely correct that there are good and bad websites when it comes to travel I think we lack a definition of "fraud". I have been in the travel industry for 15 years (10 of which have been in online travel) and buying an airline ticket is about as screwed up as it can get. Here is a very funny but true parody www.netjeff.com/humor/item.cgi but it really shows how bad it is.

Having said that most of the well known sites such as kayak, travelocity, expedia, orbitz, cheaptickets as well as all the airline sites can hardly be called frauds; the constant change of fares and availability is just a fact of life in the US. When it comes to international travel there are some sites out there that could be constituted as frauds. I am too old to open myself up to libel accusations and a possible lawsuit (after baseball suing each other is our national past time) but here are a few things to watch out for when buying airfare online

1. If the seller does not accept credit card payment (or insists on cash or offers a better deal if you pay by cash) STAY AWAY. The reason is that if you become the victim of fraud you can always dispute the charge and get your money back.
2. If the seller is member of ASTA (American Society of Travel Agents), USTOA (United States Tour Operators Association), IATAN (International Airlines Travel Agent Network) and/or the BBB (Better Business Bureau) you should feel much more at ease. Many of these organizations are vetting their members. No guarantee but better than nothing.
3. When you get your tickets make sure the status code says OK as opposed to WL or WK or any other codes. If it is an e-ticket call the airline that you are flying on and make sure you have a CONFIRMED reservation (as opposed to waitlisted) ... btw, if it makes you feel better call even if you have a paper ticket. While you are on the phone with them, get your seats and any special meal requests.

I am new to this community so forgive me if I am violating any standards (I read through the legal stuff). As I mentioned before I have been in this industry for a while and have just released a 32 page pdf entitled "Step-By-Step Guide to Finding the Best Airfare on the Internet" which can be downloaded at www.tradebit.com/filedetail.php/1686804. As a matter of fair disclosure, since I spent several months collecting the information, writing the content and scouring the web for sources of great airfare (many of which are not being found by google, yahoo or any of the other search engines) I am selling the guide for $9.99 per copy.