Tom

I was also struck by how poorly some of the internet sites functioned. I was trying different dates and at one point almost ordered a ticket before noticing the site had used a departure date from one query and a return date from a later query.
Presumably these sites are all basically using the same input data (flights fares etc) by the vendors so how can they all come up with varying fares.

Nick Mason

ct
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>This sounds like our experience also. Using the web, you can sometimes find a great deal for a flight from San Jose to Los Angeles, perhaps $29 on occasion. Most of the time I can only find $395, which flies from San Jose to Phoenix, Arizona, to Los Angeles. Absurd!
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>Calling the Airlines is a terrible experience. They will charge you more than the stated web price, cannot speak English that can be understood and do not care.
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>Tom
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>>Just I minor rant.
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>>I've recently been trying to book a flight to Charlotte (North Carolina) from Gatwick. Using a variety of on line sites to check fares and availability. What a mess of conflicting information I get. Different prices (varying by a huge amount) and availability
>> where do these web sites get their base information ? How can you be sure you get the best result in the end ?
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>>To cap it all I tried ringing USAirways directly and was quoted a fare £50.00 dearer than the one I was looking at on their web site as I spoke to the lady. Also I suspect she may have been operating from a call centre because her English was quite poor which really put me off enquiring any further with her.
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>>So there it is, the modern world, I can't find out a definitive price for something or if its even available.
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>>Nick Mason