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[shakie]

Ok -- of course airfare has gone crazy up this year... so I am desperately turning to the collective wisdom.

Any suggestions for finding cheap(er) airfare to Asia???  Websites or travel agents you love???

Help!!!!

Thanks  (argh - I am going to blow all of my grant getting there!)

[qrypt]

Ok -- of course airfare has gone crazy up this year... so I am desperately turning to the collective wisdom.

Any suggestions for finding cheap(er) airfare to Asia???  Websites or travel agents you love???

Help!!!!

Thanks  (argh - I am going to blow all of my grant getting there!)

http://www.kayak.co.uk/, with email alerts for changes (reductions) in fares.

[polisci_prof]

I usually start with www.farecast.com.   Plug in your dates and cities and it'll search numerous websites for fares.   It has an intuitive interface and is easy to use.  Then, when you get your results, there will be links to other websites you can click on to see if you can get even lower fares(some of which will be fare consolidators that specialize in low fares to specific regions of the world). 

I just used this method to purchase a round trip ticket from my home city in the US to Manchester, UK for more than 400 dollars below the best price I could have received had I booked directly with any individual carrier. 

[larryc]

FAQ: How to find the best airfare deals:
http://www.fatwallet.com/forums/travel-deals/312271/

[n8vtnn]

www.airfarewatchdog.com

[anon4now]

These are great--thanks, everyone. Much better than expedia/travelocity etc.

[science_expat]

Not helpful but a weird thing I noticed today - looking at flights from Heathrow to San Francisco on expedia. The exact same flights with a fare difference of over £100 depending upon whether the airline was listed as BMI or United. Weird.

[wegie]

Not helpful but a weird thing I noticed today - looking at flights from Heathrow to San Francisco on expedia. The exact same flights with a fare difference of over £100 depending upon whether the airline was listed as BMI or United. Weird.

I've noticed that with BMI and more than one of the Star Alliance airlines (my usual pet peeve has been with LH) over the years. The weirdest of all was getting a fare that was about 70 quid less from BMI on a codeshare flight to Munich that was actually operated by LH both ways.

Moral of the story: always look at codeshare partners as well. Sometimes you'll find an amazing bargain.

[deleteplease]

A side comment on codeshares: service levels vary. On United/Air Canada flights *always* go with United -- much better service. On Canadian Affair/Thomas Cook charters, TC seems to have good staff but Canadian Affair is hopeless.

If Thomas Cook flies the route you are looking at, try it. I was initially rather suspicious of charters, but discovering a 35" seat pitch in economy has made me a convert. Cheap prices and adequate footroom!