11-09-2010, 07:24 PM
As a "professional traveler", what I do is just a bit cumbersome but always yields me the best fares available. I use http://www.sidestep.com to research, choosing two of the lowest priced airlines. I then go to each airlines sites and research further. The airlines sites themselves, at least 90% of the time, are going to show a lower fare than any of the booking sites such as Orbitz, Expedia, or Travelocity. Also, it is a lot easier to suss out the "hidden costs" directly on an airline's site such as charges and policies for checked bags and seat assignments.
"Once in a while you can get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right..."
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