hacker fares

Book your airline tickets through the airline's website or using a local travel agent in your town. Most simple flights can be booked quite easily on the airline website. If you have actual flying dates and locations, post them here if you're really nervous and I am sure people will weigh in. Do not use the "hacker fares".

Can you provide a link with a reference so that we're (all) on the same page here as to what you mean? I'm drawing a blank on this and I'm pretty much a ticket buying enthusiast :-) If you say you're a "novice", that pretty much answers the question - stay away from things you don't completely understand the workings of.

@Agnes - I see "hacker fares" pop up when I do a Kayak search for flights. They're usually the first fares to pop up, with lower prices.

But Kayak doesn't sell flights, does it (I thought it was only a comparison site - I use itasoftware, so I don't know)? Who is the "hacker" fare bought from exactly? I was looking for the article reference the OP mentioned.

EDIT: Ok, I googled and found they're just cobbled up fares comprised of two one-way tickets on different airlines that you can book separately. If you can find and buy the one-ways directly from the airlines and they work for you and they're cheaper, then what's the risk? As long as they're legitimate fares and you can replicate the exact same route, conditions, and price on the airline website, then I don't see what the problem is...am I missing something? I think the key is being able to replicate the fare "exactly" and not lose anything in the process (like worse change fees, etc.)

I seem to recall from prior searches in Kayak that a "hacker fare" is a fare that someone travel source has combined using different airlines for the two halves of the trip, and that while they may be code-shared, you could not get this full trip from wither of the airline sources.

Yep, it's kyak. They do send you to the airline to buy but I guess you ARE working with 2 airlines, one way txs. I have purchased txs for United online. A few weeks later I was just checking the flights and saw a notice that the time had changed,no notice! I guess if i really need my hand held I will use a travel agent. It just amazes me the prices some people say they are getting. I'm a chicken!!! Thanks for your responses.

I have purchased txs for United online. A few weeks later I was just checking the flights and saw a notice that the time had changed,no notice!

That happens sometimes no matter what, so it's not related to 2 one-way fares. I've bought one-way fares with Southwest since they don't charge more for one-ways than round trip (and found other low cost carriers that I could "mix and match" with) - but the legacy airlines like Delta don't follow the same model. Their one-way fares are simply not worthwhile (way too expensive) to combine with another airline's..their pricing model is based on round-trips.

If you have a specific example you find, do post it here please!

Thanks for the info on the "regular" airlines and their one way pricing. I was looking at a multi city booking. I saw a Virgin Atlantic to San Francisco and then Alaska Airlines from Seattle home. Of course they said 5 seats left. I'm not good under pressure!!

Alaska airlines doesn't follow the price model Delta does. This is always going to depend on the policies of the individual airlines.