Recently purchased by Google, ITA Software is the behind-the-scenes search engine for most major airlines, like American Airlines, and airline fare sites, like kayak.com. By searching at http://matrix.itasoftware.com, you can search over 500 airlines from around the world and view on a simple map the cheapest airfares for your flight. You can search by date, weekends only or by month.
ITA Software is not a travel agency. Use ITA Software to research your flights, then go to the airline's website to book your fare.
A cheap fare should not be your only criteria when booking a flight. Where you sit on the plane often trumps saving a few dollars. By visiting Seat Guru at http://www.seatguru.com, you can see the plane's layout for each major airline. Seat Guru automatically highlights in green the best seats to choose when booking, and notes which seats should be avoided at all costs due to limited legroom and reduced recline.
A cheap fare and a seat with lots of legroom may not be the best deal if the flight you are planning to book is consistently late. To avoid missing your connection or being late for a planned event, visit Flight Aware at http://flightaware.com. Enter your destination and flight time to view detailed statistics on flight arrival and departure times from the FAA. When choosing between airlines, pick an airline that keeps to its planned schedule.
