ExpertFlyer

ExpertFlyer is aptly named - this is a site that really caters to the frequent flyer, and not simply the leisure traveler who might fly once or twice a year. It is a paid service (there are different "tiers" of service which range in price from $4.99 a month for a basic plan to $9.99 a month or $99.99 for a year for premium services), which aims to provide a "complete, concise and efficient way to access the ever changing details of worldwide air travel information." They do have a 5 day free trial period.

As more and more corporations and frequent flyers do their own bookings it does seem to fill the niche that a knowledgeable travel agent had in the past. When you can check availability, seat maps, upgrades, on-time performance, etc. on your own you don't have to wait to hear from someone. Effectively, you can scour through the options and find what works best for you.

So what are some of the features you are paying for?

• Flight Availability - Shows flights, times, fare class availability for different airlines. You can also save any queries you make and check back at later dates as well.
• Flight Alerts - You can request notification of any upgrade or award ticket matches by creating flight alerts and have them sent to up to three separate e-mail addresses including PDA’s cell phones, and pagers. This could be a real time saver particularly if you are trying to use your miles to secure a ticket as those seats are often difficult to find!
• Mobile Access - access ExpertFlyer's features from your Web-enabled cell phone.
• Seat Maps - Shows available/taken seats for a particular flight on a specific day for over 100 airlines.
• Flight Ratings - Provides on-time departure and arrival times for a flight. Also, terminal, gate and baggage claim information when it's available. I plugged in American Airlines flight 969 as an example and the results showed a 22% on time performance (ouch!) with an average delay of 1 hour and 14 minutes.
• TSA Security Line Historical Wait Times - Gives you an idea of which lines are the best bets particularly at busy airports like Chicago O'Hare.
• And in saving the best for last - Awards & Upgrades - This feature helps you find awards tickets or upgrades in four steps: input the departing/arriving airports; input dates of travel; select an airline; and select whether you are looking for an upgrade or awards ticket – and hit Search. You can use the already mentioned Flight Alert feature to continue searching automatically if there is no space available for the flights you want right up until flight departure.

The site may seem a bit daunting at first glance, but there is a helpful user guide and a guide on using ExpertFlyer to your advantage that take a bit of time to go through but can help with navigating all the different options on the site. I did find that you can use pretty much all of the features straight away.

I think the only main criticism I would have is that you can't actually book the fare so it does add that step. It is nice to have an idea of the fares, availability, seat maps, etc. so it is almost a one-stop-shop. And once you master the tools of the site, it could definitely be a huge time saver by tracking space for upgrades and mileage tickets as well as alerting you to what kind of on-time performance your potential flight options have. Lots of real time information such as weather delays and other airport issues make it really useful.

Also, not touted on the site, but the fact that you can check real-time availability of flights on several airlines could mean that if your flight is delayed or cancelled, you could find space on another flight/airline and get yourself rebooked faster.

Do you live outside of the United States? This doesn't matter - with ExpertFlyer you can subscribe even if you live in Canada, UK, or Australia for example.

With a 5 day free trial, you can decide if the feature-rich ExpertFlyer will complement your travel needs.