I have used Hotwire for hotels and rental cars but I usually find the cheapest airfares direct from the airline.

I second bl. It used to be that those sites had the cheapest fares, but I often find that by going directly to the airline's website the price is either the same (without the hassle and restrictions,) or maybe even less $$. Funnily enough, my dd needs to fly from Miami to SJ this June for her sister's graduation so maybe you can let me know if you find a knock-out fare! I hope you find a good fare, Clare, and that you have a wonderful visit with your dear mother.

sjerin - US Airways seem to have the best fares and a wide range of times. As low as $98 one way if she can go any time, really early or late. I don't know if it is a good airline or not.

I have my hands tied coming back because of the 2.5 hr drive to Orlando, so the flight can't be too early - my sister doesn't do early. And DH doesn't want to pick me up at 10PM and drive an hour over the mts home, so it can't be too late. Really limits the times I can pick, plus there is the cost factor.
Clare

Make sure you price "off peak" days....usually that's Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. It makes a HUGE difference. I find going directly to the airline sites is at least $10 cheaper each way....often MUCH more. And be sure to check out the low-cost carriers, not just the major lines.

To much scamming going on in the travel business. I wouldn't book with anyone but a local company I have traveled with. The tour company I travel with has a travel agent that books hotels and flights for it's customers even though it's not one of their tours. There are warnings quite often in the travel section of our local paper. My friend found a cheap tour and she wanted us to go with her. The agency was out of state, unknown to us and I wasn't about to send money or CC numbers to a stranger. When you use out of state businesses, it is almost impossible to get your money back.

I believe the post you are thinking of included several complaints about Travelocity, but many people including me have had great luck with them. I still use them all the time.

Wanted to add, the article I read said, if you book a hotel room online, you do not always get the free things that you normally get with a hotel reservation. They interviewed some of the hotel managers and that is what they said.

I have always had good luck with sidestep. It is a search engine that finds the fares on many of the airlines. Then if you want to book, you go directly to the airlines' site to get tickets. I'll try to post a link, we'll see how it goes!!

Here is a link that might be useful: Sidestep

I travel a lot and always book on line with the airline..I think you really have to just keep checking and comparing...Each airline has it's own site....Lately, I've gotten the best prices through AirTran..

I use kayak.com to compare prices (except for Southwest), then I book the airfare through the airline's web page. Nearly all the airlines now have the same prices on their own web pages that you can get through the booking agents.

Farecast can be handy, too. You enter the trip you want to take, and Farecast emails you every week with a recommendation as to whether you should buy now or wait for the airfare to go down.

The rule of thumb I use for pricing airfare is: anything around $100 per hour of air time is a reasonable price; anything around $75/hour is a great price. So, for example, if I want to go from Portland to Las Vegas (a common trip for me), which is about 2 hours, I look for airfare that's less than $200.

I'm currently looking for airfare to PA, and I've noticed that there aren't as many deals this year as there were last year. I'm going to have to pay about $400 to get flights that aren't too early or late. (I have the same problem as the OP, relatives have to pick me up and take me to the airport, so I have to work around their schedules.)

As far as particular airlines, American or Delta will probably have the best prices. American's hubs in Texas are on the way to Florida, so you won't be going out of your way to make connections. Same with Delta, although Atlanta (Delta's hub) is a little bit too far north. Delta has some great prices, though.

and i always check the hotels directly, too...and get a email from southwest with deals...

Clare, does Southwest fly anywhere near you? If so they may be the best option for you, remember that most of the airlines are now charging for luggage and Southwest does not. So consider the ENTIRE cost. There are lots of cheap fares out there so if you don't have an agent make sure you check out all the options. If you need help let me know thru my page, I'll help you gratis (I own a travel agency).