Significantly lower United Airlines ticket prices with OTA sites. How do they do it?

15 Comments

• 

  RoamAmore June 30, 2016

  The pricing you see on orbitz is the published pricing. Many travel agencies have contract pricing with United and other airlines which are much lower than published pricing. They could still sell you the ticket at published pricing and pocket the difference as profit. However, they are giving you a chunk from their commission/profit to entice you to buy through them. The problem with buying with many of these OTAs is that they are shady and you can’t trust them. That’s a problem we’re solving.
• 

  Alvin June 30, 2016

  I often find no availability or the fare reprices when you actually do get to the payment page. Some sites add their own web fees or surcharges also. Most have a strict no cancellation/changes policy, and dont permit seat selection.

  In any case, I’d still be inclined to book via the airline unless it was $50 or more different.
  Also, just a +1 for my dislike of SF.
• 

  Chris June 30, 2016

  I know I’ve seen this on Google which links you through. When I’ve seen it, it’s been due to Google searching another country’s version of the United site. However, as a US resident, United’s system detects that and won’t let me purchase. I wonder if these other companies have a way to make a foreign purchase stick.
• 

  Ric Garrido June 30, 2016

  @Chris – I checked some foreign websites like United Airlines Norway for lower United fares, but I did not see lower prices for these Paris fares.

  I also went to a couple websites to read reviews of the OTA sites and they are mixed, but mostly people seemed happy with the sites and ticket prices for FlightBanks and TravelMerry.

  Most of the complaints were about fares rising when they clicked through, but that happens to me every day with Google Flights when I search low airfares. Many of the low fares don’t last too long.

  Today I had the pleasant surprise of clicking through some Google Flights fares and getting lower ticket prices show up.

  @Alvin – I plan to continue primarily using the airline’s own website pricing in my articles, unless it is a deal like the other day where Orbitz, Expedia and Priceline had AirBerlin fares for $200 less than the AirBerlin website.
• 

  AF June 30, 2016

  @Ric – Could it be that since booking directly with the airline (United, for example) would grant you award miles/etc., while booking with a no-name OTA wouldn’t afford you any of those small “benefits” you get with booking directly? I’ve found some OTAs pricing slightly higher than booking direct, at which point their BRG offers a great arbitrage opportunity (and usually a quick $50-100).

  Last thing I could think would be a miscalculation of some tax, or ‘forgetting’ some fee along the lines (dropped the fuel surcharge, or aren’t collecting some departure/arrival tax inadvertently). I’ve seen this happen between airlines, where AA will charge a “Security Fee” or “Departure/Arrival Fee” but BA won’t, for the exact same ticket/route/etc.

  Just speculating at this point. I’d still definitely stick to the reputable sites like you mentioned above — I think there were a couple odd UK based OTAs which consistently get terrible reviews for holding funds, changing pricing after purchase, etc.

  Thanks for the post! Always great info, and a reminder to check around.
• 

  Ric Garrido June 30, 2016

  @AF – unlike hotel loyalty programs, I think you still get all the frequent flyer benefits even when you book through OTA sites.
• 

  Wilbur June 30, 2016

  Very important to note that most of these are bulk discounts and do not count towards the evil PQD system or the equivalent rules at Delta and AA. I made a mistake by booking UA with TravelMerry which I did save around $100 on a transatlantic flight but realized my original calculation of achieving Star Alliance Gold next year is all but lost.
• 

  Uri July 1, 2016

  The reason that PQD is so evil, is that massive earning on partner airlines can still get you nowhere as far as elite status , which is highly against the whole alliance thing.
• 

  Ric Garrido July 1, 2016

  I had not thought about PQD in terms of OTA tickets.

  PQD pretty much negates my ability to earn elite status with AA, DL, UA in the future since I spend nowhere near that kind of money on airline tickets.

  I still have to decide where I will credit my upcoming late summer UA flights to Europe in 2016. I am thinking Aegean Airlines.
• 

  Uri July 1, 2016

  I have looked at this option but they give very little miles for UA flights, you are probably better off with Krisflyer that tend to give good value for UA or maybe AC.
• 

  Larry July 1, 2016

  RoamAmore has it right. They are consolidator fares and the OTAs are not losing money. The fares usually accrue miles though sometimes at a lower rate (though I have also found cases where consolidator fares accrue more for some reason, possibly because the crediting airline cannot determine the fare class.) There may be credit card surcharges (added by OTA not by your bank) but otherwise the bottom line may still be slightly lower. I try to avoid these OTAs unless the fare difference is large as any changes/cancellations whether voluntary or by the airline will likely be a nightmare to deal with
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• 

  Dan July 1, 2016

  I think these are low grade economy class tickets that either earn 0 miles or they don’t count toward as miles toward status.

  The other issue—some third party sites may not be publishing all the taxes and fees.
• 

  askmrlee July 1, 2016

  Ric Garrido says:
  June 30, 2016 at 5:11 pm

  @AF – unlike hotel loyalty programs, I think you still get all the frequent flyer benefits even when you book through OTA sites.

  Yes if you’re a frequent flyer elite you can USE your benefits on these cheap tickets. But more often than not the airfare class is on-qualifying for EARNING elite status, mileage credit, PQD’s, etc. Even if they are not through an OTA, there are super deep economy fares that don’t earn any (or maybe 5% like Delta) credit.

  You just have to match the letters to the accrual charts, as many of us know.
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