With all the hoopla surrounding Internet discounters, it's easy to forget who's actually making the product or providing the service that you want to buy. But if you're buying an airline ticket, booking a hotel room, picking out a computer or even shopping for an unusual book, something small and obvious sounding may surprise you.

        Try the manufacturer.

        Before you search the virtual world over for a deal, just go to the maker's home page and see if they'll give you something good. You may be in for a treat.

Airline tickets

        "When I recently bought airline tickets to Atlanta, I bought directly from AirTran instead of using Orbitz," says Jynelle Gracia of Iowa City, Iowa. "I saved on the service charge from Orbitz and the shipping fee for a FedEx from Orbitz.

        "Orbitz didn't offer e-tickets for AirTran," Gracia says, "but AirTran itself did."

        Jeremy Knapp, a graduate student at University of Iowa, saved on a holiday flight by buying through the airline. "The last time I went home for Thanksgiving, I checked Travelocity, Expedia and Orbitz, and I found tickets that were consistently $45 to $60 higher than what was on Delta.com," Knapp says.

        "Plus Delta had a direct flight with no connections, just straight from Cedar Rapids to Cincinnati."

        One way to find out about direct-from-the-airline deals is to register on their site. United and American both send out e-mails listing saver fares. Some airlines occasionally woo customers by offering deals like "take three flights and get one free." You can find out about promotions like that, too, by registering online.

        You'll also get a heads-up on last-minute bargains. Those procrastinator fares are often better than what the discounters peddle.

Hotels: Just call and ask

        Though travel clubs, AARP and AAA will all get you discounts, using their discounts may not always be the cheapest way to stay. Travelers -- especially at less-popular destinations -- can be rewarded just for calling the front desk.
The Quality Inn in Moline, Ill., for instance, has a Park-and-Fly rate that includes parking and a shuttle ride to the nearby airport. That rate, available to anyone who calls, is actually $5 lower than the travel-club rates.

        Another interesting possibility with hotels are the little coupon books available at chain restaurants and rest stops along major highways.

        In states like Indiana, you can find a clean place to sleep for $39.95 if you just call a local hotel. If you go through a national discount line, it will probably be at least $55.

        Though a hotel-discount site may sound like the best deal, sometimes looking through the Yellow Pages will be the route to a true bargain.

Computer deals direct

        If you do a little surfing, you'll find that plenty of manufacturers will be happy to sell you a computer directly -- with no middleman. From Toshiba to Dell, you can avoid the electronics store entirely. If you have a strong understanding of computers, and you know exactly what you need and what you plan to pay, a manufacturer can yield a better deal than a retailer.

        Toshiba, for instance, is currently offering a $599 laptop through its site -- after a $100 manufacturer rebate. That compares favorably to prices at some stores.But experts say you need knowledge in order to get what's right for you.

        "Dell can sometimes run specials that can give you quite a bit for your money -- but the key is, do you know what you want and do you understand what you are buying," says Arlene Watkins, president of Heritage Computer Consulting and Services in Kansas City, Mo.

        Watkins says a key difference between major electronics retailers and manufacturers is what they are actually selling. "Our experience, working with small businesses, is that Best Buy and Circuit City are more for home use. They usually do not have what we call business-class machines, and their computers are designed for lower productivity."

        So if you want some serious computing power, you might be better off with the people who made the computer.

        Another area where going to the manufacturer can save you money is computer parts.

        'I always feel that it's better to go through the manufacturer, because then you know it's compatible," says Watkins. "If you're not computer-savvy, you can make it more expensive for yourself by purchasing elsewhere."

Clothing, restaurants and dry cleaners

        For faithful one-brand shoppers, going to the site is sometimes the cheapest way to go.

        Many clothing makers, like The Gap, offer deals to those who seek them out online, and their credit cards will give coupons to frequent shoppers.

        Ditto for pizza lovers. Pizza Hut, for instance, has a slew of coupons on its site, so there's no need to root around the Sunday coupon inserts.

        It's not just the chains. A lot of local restaurants and bakeries offer something special to those who actually contact them.

        And if you're making pizza yourself, the manufacturer principle still applies. Hunt's tomato sauce will give you a coupon for registering.

        Of course, one of the minuses of home cooking is the mess. But if you do find yourself with new stains, you can take advantage of the dry cleaning deals available for those who surf a home page before leaving home.

        Concord Custom Cleaners in Iowa City, for instance, offers special Web-only coupons to those who visit their site. Many other local cleaners do the same.

Books? Consider the publisher

        If you are buying a specialty book, or something from a small press, try the publisher. It could save you plenty. Brian Whitehead, who is a graduate student in English at the University of Iowa, was pleasantly surprised when he tried it.

        'It was a book about military aviation history, and I bought it directly from the publisher," Whitehead says. "At Barnes and Noble, it was $35, and I got it through the publisher's Web site for $20."

        Tupelo Press, an independent literary press in Dorset, Vt., has been offering two-for-one deals through its site all summer. Many small presses with specific audiences have similar deals. So before you pay a lot for that unusual book, try the publisher.

Home-improvement deals

        Sometimes, the local hardware discounter is the most expensive way to make a minor repair.

        When his bathroom shelving kept falling down every time someone in the family took a shower, one enterprising New York shopper went to the manufacturer's Web site and wrote an e-mail complaint instead of going back to the store where he bought the shelves.

        The CEO answered with detailed instructions on how to fix it and a kind personal letter. What's more, the CEO has followed up to make sure the instructions helped.

        Knapp has also found that home repair can be easier when you contact the manufacturer directly with the help of a Web site. "I went to buy a glass door for a medicine cabinet," Knapp says, "and the local discount glass store did not have the same glass. It also charged more for polishing the glass.

        "So I called Broan, the manufacturer of the medicine cabinet, and they provided the glass for $10 cheaper than the discounter in town, and it was polished. I didn't have to worry about measurement, and they even paid for shipping."

Stocks and bonds

        Though Internet stock-purchasing sites have made buying stocks easier and cheaper, there are still hundreds of buy-direct stock plans. If you buy small amounts of stock frequently, or if an automatic investing plan is a good idea for you, buying direct can save you money.

        Computershare, formerly EquiServe, can hook you up. Many company Web sites will also offer a link to a buy-direct plan.

        Generally, you can save on buying and selling commissions. Sometimes, you'll also get a discount, or a discount on reinvested dividends, which the company site will tell you about.

        You can also purchase both U.S. and foreign government bonds directly and avoid paying a middleman to help you do it.

Travel planning

        It's so obvious it doesn't occur to most of us, but every city and country with an online presence is a potential source of deals.

        Many destinations offer discounts to attract visitors. So if you're planning to tour Michigan, try Michigan.org for combination hotel-and-attraction deals. No discount strategy works all the time, but the go-to-the-source path can help you out.