Archive-name: travel/air/online-info Last-modified: 1994/02/28 [[ This Q&A is a response to a flood of questions about access to Eaasy Sabre and the like. Suggestions for improvement welcome.]] * Is there a way to get airline schedules on the Internet for free? The short answer is no. The longer answer is maybe, kind of. See below. * Is there a way to get airline schedules on the Internet if I pay for it? Definitely. See below. * What reservation systems are available? There are three computer reservation systems available to the general public: EAASY SABRE: Run by American Airlines, lets you check fares and schedules on all airlines with computerized reservations (all but the most obscure), and make reservations for yourself and others. Tickets can be sent by mail, issued by airlines at the airport or city ticket offices, or by any travel agent with a Sabre terminal, which is nearly all agents in the U.S. You can keep a lot of profile info on-line such as frequent flyer numbers and meal and seat preferences which are automatically inserted into reservations you make for yourself. Your ID is your AAdvantage frequent flyer number. Official Recreation Guide available at extra cost. Line oriented command language, e.g. to ask for flights from Boston to San Francisco on July 4 around noon: /AIR,BOS,SFO,4JUL,1200 It will prompt you field by field if you don't know all the parameters. Travelshopper: Run by Worldspan (formerly PARS), which is Delta, Northwest and TWA, similar features to Eaasy. Interface is a little clunkier, but there are some features not available on Eaasy such as open date tickets, and experienced users can type through menus faster. Same ticketing options, but fewer agents have Worldspan terminals. No travel club, less detailed profile. Line oriented command language with optional prompts, same query as above would be: A;BOS;SFO;4JUL;12n;1 The 1 means one person travelling. ON-LINE OFFICIAL AIRLINE GUIDE: Similar data and commands to the other two. It used to be better than Sabre and Travelshopper, but now everyone's updated in near real-time. Lots of other random stuff, e.g. frequent flyer newsletter and flight departure and arrival info (they can show you the contents of the flight info TV screens from some airports.) Airlines and a few agencies can issue tickets. * Are these the same systems that travel agents use? The underlying data are the same, but the interface is different. Some data are visible to agents, but not to these systems. A good way to work is to make the best reservation you can on-line, then call a travel agent, tell him what you've reserved, and see if he can do better. * How do I get access to them? [[These lists aren't complete. Please send updates]] Eaasy and Travelshopper are only available via gateway systems, OAG directly or via gateways. Eaasy Sabre: GEnie, Compuserve, Delphi, Prodigy, AOL, NVN. PARS Travelshopper: Compuserve, Delphi. OAG: Direct subscription, Delphi, Compuserve, GEnie, Dow Jones News Retrieval, AT&T InterSpan. Telnet to Delphi: delphi.com, no surcharge. Telnet to OAG: oag.com, no surcharge. Telnet to Compuserve: compuserve.com, hostname CIS. Compuserve has a front-end program called CIM which runs under Windows and can make access and navigation somewhat simpler, but can only be used via direct dialup, not via telnet. For dial-in access, Delphi is on Sprintnet and Tymnet, no surcharge nights and weekends. Compuserve has its own extensive network, or is available via Sprintnet at a surcharge. OAG is on Sprintnet and Tymnet, no surcharge. * How much do they cost? Eaasy and PARS are available at the base rate for all of the on-line services that offer them except for Prodigy. Delphi offers a five-hour free trial when you sign up; you can use PARS and Eaasy during that time. AOL also usually offers a free trial period. Gateway systems charge a substantial surcharge for the OAG, e.g. Delphi charges 59 cents/min peak, 42 cents/min off-peak. A direct subscription to the OAG (call 800-323-3537) is much cheaper, per-minute rates are lower than the surcharge. [[ what's the extension number to waive the signup fee?]] If you subscribe directly, the OAG waives session charges if you make or cancel a reservation during the session. The OAG has no monthly minimum, which is good for occasional users. * What about on-line travel agents and clubs? Eaasy Sabre offers Traveller's Access, run by Comp-U-Card which for $39/yr rebates 5% on air, hotel, and car rentals for you and family members that they've ticketed for you and family members when you send in receipts. In my experience, their agents are not very good. Travel-by-Modem (travel@delphi.com), is run by a small company in Belmont, Mass., primary access via Delphi, but Internet e-mail is fine, too. Costs $39/yr, sliding rebate on tickets depending on price and how delivered. Don't have to send in receipts, they mail a check quarterly. Lots of useful coupons and discounts. I like them. Compass Point Travel (bert@cptravel.com) is a full service agency that welcomes Internet customers. Stephanie Alford (lunisea@netcom.com) is a full service travel agent who welcomes Internet customers. Edward Hasbrouck (Aereo Travel Group, San Francisco) ehasbrouck@igc.apc.org around-the-world specialists; also other discounted international tickets; NOT a general-purpose, corporate, or domestic travel agency The Travel Tree (tree@io.com) is a full service travel agency that welcomes Internet customers. They offer discount airfares and cruises. [[ I know there are others, tell me about them and I'll add them ]] -- John R. Levine, IECC, POB 349, Cambridge MA 02238, +1 617 492 3869 johnl@iecc.com, jlevine@delphi.com, 1037498@mcimail.com "Space aliens are stealing American jobs." - MIT econ professor