Net tools are the start, but none are perfect
Feb 06 '01
The Bottom Line Even though there are online tools that can get you most of the way there: always spend a few extra minutes checking emails or airline sites.
New online sites and tools have popped up that help you find the cheapest airfare:
http://www.sidestep.com
http://www.qixo.com
http://www.farechase.com
Go to SideStep first -- it's a downloadable browser plug-in that goes to different airline sites and comes back to you with fares (and in some cases, extra bonus mile offers that airlines give for booking through their own sites). Interestingly, SideStep will automatically pop-up and start searching for you if it sees you searching at a travel site like Travelocity or Expedia. Not bad. Also has hotel and rental car information, though the choices aren't comprehensive yet.
Qixo: A good source of fares - though they try to make you book it through them once you've found the fare. You don't have to, and can just go straight to the particular site they identify. They go to sites like lowestfare.com and cheaptickets.com in their search, so you can usually get some pretty good deals.
FareChase: Not quite as good as Qixo, but the same idea. It visits a lot of different sites and brings back different fares.
Sometimes you'll get different results based on the time of day - because these sites are visiting many different airline or agency sites, they sometimes "time out" at busy times, so you may not get all the fares. Preferably try them a few times at non-peak hours before you make a decision.
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