ibdemc@mhuxr.UUCP (CUNDARI) (03/03/86)
There are several systems that allow you to make your reservations,
but virtually all of them exclude certain airlines. Compuserve has
Travelshopper, which is TWA's system. United has just introduced its
system. People Express has its own system, on which you can reservy
ONLY their flights. This is a free service with an 800 number. I don't
have the number on hand; if you contact me directly I'll be happy to
give it to you tomorrow. At any rate, there's no ONE service that
gives you access to ALL airlines.
Barbara Cundari
AT&T Bell LAbs
(201)-564-4303
mhuxr!ibdemcdevore@bgsuvax.UUCP (Jeff Devore) (03/04/86)
After reading the following, I figured I'd get my two bits in: > There are several systems that allow you to make your reservations, > but virtually all of them exclude certain airlines. Compuserve has > Travelshopper, which is TWA's system. United has just introduced its > system. > People Express has its own system, on which you can reservy > ONLY their flights. This is a free service with an 800 number. I don't > have the number on hand; if you contact me directly I'll be happy to > give it to you tomorrow. People Express's service does not really utilize a computer at your end. Rather, you use a touch tone phone and enter in 3 digit codes for airports and times. > At any rate, there's no ONE service that > gives you access to ALL airlines. > Barbara Cundari > AT&T Bell LAbs > (201)-564-4303 > mhuxr!ibdemc As a matter of fact, Electronic OAG gives you access to every scheduled airline in the world. I have been using the service for quite some time and have saved a considerable amount of money. I must point out that unless you do a lot of travelling, the costs of the system may outweigh the benefits. The subscription fee is $50 and there are connect and lookup (fare quotes, restrictions on discount fares) fees also. The system is very easy to use. Also, Electronic OAG lets you book your reservations and request seat assignments. I don't think any of the other systems let you do that. One last point, when you sign up for the service, the first month is free. When you get your $50 bill you can simply write cancel over it and send it back if you don't like the service. -- UUCP: cbosgd!osu-eddie!bgsuvax!devore CSNET: devore@bgsu ARPA: devore%bgsu.csnet@csnet-relay
ibdemc@mhuxr.UUCP (CUNDARI) (03/05/86)
> UUCP: cbosgd!osu-eddie!bgsuvax!devore > CSNET: devore@bgsu > ARPA: devore%bgsu.csnet@csnet-relay Sorry to disagree, but People's Express has 2 systems; the touch-tone one you describe, AND a modem-based one, which works similarly to OAG or any other system, only it's just for People's Express. It allows you to make reservations directly, gives fares and available flights. Compuserve also allows you to book flights directly. I was under the impression that certain airlines, such as United, Peoples and Singapore, refuse to participate in any consumer package other than their own. If this has changed, please let me know.
dave@cylixd.UUCP (Dave Kirby) (03/05/86)
I would not use OAG for reservations. I prefer to go through a travel
agency, for the following reasons.
(1) It costs nothing extra to use a travel agency. They don't charge
you for the service; the airlines subsidise your convenience.
(2) Many travel agencies have a deal with certain airlines where the
agent can give you not only a ticket but also a boarding pass.
(3) You get a few freebies, such as $150,000 travel life insurance
(wow, big whoop, 25 cents worth :-) automatically, just for being
their customer.
(4) You can pick up your tickets and/or boarding pass at the agency;
if the agency has a deal with the company where you work, you can
sometimes get them to deliver it straight to you. I don't like to
wait at airline ticket counters at the airports or trust U. S.
Snail.
(5) If something screws up, you've got someone flesh and blood to
gripe at. I have never known my travel agency to goof anything up,
although I always double-check them.
(6) You can get free advice and information. Most travel agents are
quite talkative and helpful, especially when you just walk in
knowing exactly what flight you want.
I do use OAG to find the best rates, because travel agencies are
notorious for not being able to list flights by fare. There is, of
course, no incentive for them to do so; they would prefer that you
take first class, if they had their 'druthers.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Dave Kirby ( ...!ihnp4!akgua!cylixd!dave)gmv@cbuxc.UUCP (Mike Vrbanac) (03/06/86)
Can anyone post the numbers for the PeopleCompress people-less reservation systems? (both the touch-tone and the modem access systems, please) -- +--------------+------------------------+-----------------+ | Mike Vrbanac | AT&T Bell Laboratories | Columbus, Ahiya | +--------------+------------------+-----------------------+ | Unix: {cbosgd|ihnp4}!cbuxc!gmv | CompuServ: 76054,113 | +---------------------------------+-----------------------+
shaprkg@sdcrdcf.UUCP (Bob Shapiro) (03/07/86)
In article <558@mhuxr.UUCP> ibdemc@mhuxr.UUCP (CUNDARI) writes: >> UUCP: cbosgd!osu-eddie!bgsuvax!devore >> CSNET: devore@bgsu >> ARPA: devore%bgsu.csnet@csnet-relay > >Sorry to disagree, but People's Express has >2 systems; the touch-tone one you describe, AND a modem-based one, which >works similarly to OAG or any other system, only it's just for People's >Express. It allows you to make reservations directly, gives fares and >available flights. > Compuserve also allows you to book flights directly. I was >under the impression that certain airlines, such as United, Peoples >and Singapore, refuse to participate in any consumer package other >than their own. If this has changed, please let me know. I have a TWA airline system in the travel agency that I own. I believe that Compuserve uses TWA as a base so the rules should be similar. There are some airlines which you cannot book with TWA. Notably People Express and Southwest. This is because they have archaic computer systems which do not tie into ARINC (the distribution system for the net which most airlines, car rental firms, and hotels tie into). The computer shows schedules and prices for the 2 airlines mentioned above but cannot make any reservations. This has to be done on the phone and the information put back manually into the computer in order to do the ticketing. I have seen trade magazine releases about a system that People Express has which works through a 300/1200 modem. Last time I saw it they had a sign-up charge plus a monthly fee. I don't remember whether the number was an 800 number or local dial but I do remember that I could not justify the expense. In summary, I would be very surprised if the OAG system was able to make reservations on People Express and Southwest but who knows - maybe they have a special independent connection. Bob Shapiro
doug@terak.UUCP (Doug Pardee) (03/10/86)
> I do use OAG to find the best rates, because travel agencies are > notorious for not being able to list flights by fare. There is, of > course, no incentive for them to do so; they would prefer that you > take first class, if they had their 'druthers. Don't patronize such agencies. Any good agent is always looking for the best fare for his/her clients. Repeat business by satisfied clients is far more valuable than a one-time rip-off. -- Doug Pardee -- CalComp -- {hardy,savax,seismo,decvax,ihnp4}!terak!doug
eric@chronon.UUCP (Eric Black) (03/11/86)
<seven good reasons to use a travel agent instead of OAG and going
directly through the airlines>
You left out an important one, especially important in view of the
sometimes flaky behavior of airlines living in the fast lane:
If you purchased your ticket through a travel agent, you are pretty much
covered if the airline goes under, even temporarily, and refuses to honor
the ticket. Travel agents have a trade association of some sort that
insures you will either get a seat on another airline, most often at
no additional expense, or get *all* your money back. If you bought your
ticket directly from the airline, you are quite possibly out of luck.
--
Eric Black "Garbage In, Gospel Out"
UUCP: {sun,pyramid,hplabs,amdcad}!chronon!eric
VOICE: (415) 941-0403
US SNAIL: Chronon Computer Corp.
2570 El Camino Real W. Suite 206
Mountain View, CA 94040dws@mit-eddie.MIT.EDU (Don Saklad) (03/15/86)
About online fare and schedule information--has anyone heard about something like the OAG for railroads?
cb@hlwpc.UUCP (C Blesch) (03/17/86)
> About online fare and schedule information--has anyone heard about > something like the OAG for railroads? Since Amtrak and VIA Rail have the passenger train monopoly, they probably have control over any and all online information, and I'm not sure they provide it to others electronically. My travel agents, who are computerized for airline reservations, call in my train reservations by old-fashioned voice telephone. Carl Blesch
tanner@ki4pv.UUCP (Tanner Andrews) (03/19/86)
The Official Guide information is available (besides the old hard-copy way) via certain airline computers. If your travel agent uses PARS or SABRE, they will be able to print train tickets as easily as they print airline tickets. It is true that the agent may not know how to generate train tickets from such a system. Some travel agents may also have direct hook-ups to ARROW, but I can't be sure of that. ARROW is amtk's reservation/ticket computer. -- <std dsclm, copies upon request> Tanner Andrews
shaprkg@sdcrdcf.UUCP (Bob Shapiro) (03/19/86)
In article <690@hlwpc.UUCP> cb@hlwpc.UUCP (C Blesch) writes: >> About online fare and schedule information--has anyone heard about >> something like the OAG for railroads? > >Since Amtrak and VIA Rail have the passenger train monopoly, >they probably have control over any and all online information, >and I'm not sure they provide it to others electronically. >My travel agents, who are computerized for airline reservations, >call in my train reservations by old-fashioned voice telephone. > >Carl Blesch I don't know what kind of system your travel agent has but the travel agency that I own has a TWA PARS system and we can get schedules, availability, and issue tickets for AMTRAK directly with that system. I thought that American's Sabre System also had that capability and I suspect that those systems that don't will soon catch up. Bob Shapiro