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Has The ITA Matrix Become Useless For Finding Airfare?

March 13, 2015
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3 min read
Airplane
Has The ITA Matrix Become Useless For Finding Airfare?
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One of the best tools to find great airfare deals used to be the ITA Matrix. It had several useful features that allowed users to search for airfare between city pairs over several months using flexible date ranges for the duration of your trip, making it a great resource for finding some of those low-cost mileage run deals.

The ITA Matrix has been one of the most useful airfare search tools out there.

The one major downside is that you cannot book airfare directly through the Matrix but instead must go to an airline or online travel agency website to price out the ticket and buy it. Still, that was a small price to pay for some truly amazing deals that were to be found.

However, the folks on this FlyerTalk thread have noted that in recent months the ITA Matrix seems to be going downhill fast. Whereas before, you could use the Matrix to search for airfares with numerous criteria like fare booking classes, searching specific airlines and specific alliances, and even displaying a price per mile. You can find out the command functions for doing so here.

And here is an example of what it looks like when you click on the “Advanced Routing Codes” link to enter in the commands for the particular criteria you would like.

Lately, though, people seem to have been finding that any effort to use these more advanced search options leads to a search timeout at about 60 seconds.

Among the faults that they identify are:

  • Search timeouts
  • Incorrect pricing that you cannot replicate through OTA’s or specific airlines
  • Searching using “Nearby” airports up to 500 miles away
  • Searching by alliance stalls the search
  • Specifying fare codes or routing rules stalls the search

For a quick example, here is a calendar of availbility in April for roundtrip flights between New York JFK and Frankfurt:

It prices out no problem on a variety of dates, and then pulls up specific flight options:

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And then you can go book it on a site like Orbitz:

However, if you try to expand the search to nearby airports like this:

The search stalls for a while and then you get the following error message:

So it looks like the ITA Matrix is losing some of its functionality for the hardcore deal-searchers out there. While you might have issues searching specific fare classes and airlines, however, if you are just looking to price out simple airfares between city pairs over date ranges, the Matrix should still be useful.

Here are some things to keep in mind:

  • Search specific airports
  • Search specific dates when possible
  • Search “normal” date ranges (like 3-10 days) if you are looking at an availability calendar
  • Look at the airline options that are pulled up and go to the site where you are most likely to get the same results, whether it is an airline or OTA

Have any of you been having trouble using the ITA Matrix lately? Share your experiences in the comments below.

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  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.