Nothing is perfect--not even deeply discounted Internet airfares.
Most are highly restricted. You should never book a fare on-line until you've read and understood the fine print. The dates are usually fairly narrow, so check not only the deadline for purchase but the time in which travel must be completed.
Offers vanish without notice. Don't expect a price to be there the next day, and don't expect an explanation for the disappearance. If you like it, buy it.
Look for hidden charges. Most airlines don't try to be deceptive, but they are trying to catch your attention. For that reason, they'll splash the base fare across your computer screen, and mention the additional taxes on a separate page. Total up the full price before you compare it with quotes from the search engines.
Airfare Search Engines are still valuable. As the Los Angeles-Omaha example shows, these are still great places to weed out the ridiculous fares and get detailed information on connections, flight times, even the equipment and meals serving the route. The point: Use each tool properly, and in concert with each other.
Why is This Happening?
The bottom line is more crucial at the airlines than ever before, so why are special offer pages being added at such a speedy rate?
The answer lies in the question itself. With money becoming so tight, the airlines can ill afford empty seats. That's why some of the airlines will e-mail you with their weekly special offers. It's the reason they will offer low fares on routes where competition is keen.
