Airfare - Italy
 

Good Morning!

I would like to ask the opinions of those whom are more experienced in international travel than myself (my own experience being zilch :) ). I have been checking daily (yes daily, lol) for the last month, and occasionally for several months before that on airfare from PHX to FCO (late september) and VCE to PHX (mid-October)... I am looking at $1340 for each traveller (there are two of us). This price has not fluctuated a dollar either way, it is almost the cheapest fare using ITA software and many other sites, and this airline DEFINITELY has the most convenient flight times and only one plane change each way. Travel dates are set, as lodging is booked (lodging was much more important to us).

So my question: We don't know if we should bite the bullet and book (we were hoping to book for ~$1000 USD). Would you all wait if it was your vacation or go ahead and book? We can afford these tickets and there are good seats available at the moment... my biggest concern is the expected and dramatic rise of fuel prices this summer!! Thoughts?

Wow... that ended up lengthy :)
Well, as always, I appreciate all contributions on this forum!

Thanks,
Julie

I've been doing the same for flights to Naples from the EAst Coast during the same time frame (~$1200) and as u say, they have not budged. What I have noticed is that flights thru May or so are several hundred $'s less. I'm hoping that there will be a sale for Fall flights, but don't really know. So cant help u with your dilemma, but I'm with u on the decision time.

I think some airlines will refund you the difference if you find the fare cheaper after you book. It's worth checking into. In the meantime, since you have firm dates and good seats are available, I'd probably book. Especially because all the articles I've read suggest that fares are only going one way-up!

These aren't big "sale" airports and routes. So.. I wouldn't expect a big decrease.

VCE is really problematic. I wound up having to go back to Rome last year because I just couldn't get a flight out of Venice that worked (AKA as got my mother home on the same day she left Italy!!!)

Thanks for your replies guys!!

With the blessing of my best friend, I booked our tickets!!! No turning back now :)

Its also worth it to have the peace of mind and one less thing ticked off the list!

Have a blast in Naples yestravel!
CarolA: Yikes!! Thats definitely not something we'd want to do! lol

"I think some airlines will refund you the difference if you find the fare cheaper after you book."

I doubt that will happen. The least expensive fares have change penalties of, maybe, $200 or so. Finding a lower fare means rebooking the ticket, and the airline views that as a change. They'll charge the penalty.

Congrats my wife and I go annally usually we LOVE Italia
We always find cheapest RT fares into MXP(Milan) save a lot
seat61.com/italy regional trains are cheap we go wherever from there.If going in fall always wait to book till they do sales and drop their prices for fall in late august. Finding
cheapest fares on aa.com my wife and I just got 2 AAdvantage Citi Cards 80000 points and 2 FREE TA tickets. You have time to do something like that we saved over $2K on our upcoming trip.

Another trick to save PHX NYC southwest.com NYC LON then
ryanair.com easyjet.com to Italy. Have saved a lot in the past
that way . Also finding good fares on xl.com
into Europe this year then train or econo flights wherever.

Happy Hunting but we always wait for fall booking.

After obsessively watching fares for the last month (and last Fall also), this am I got a notice from kayak that they had dropped ~$300 a tix. I got on it instantly and booked 2 tixs for $800+ each as compared to the $1200+ each where the fares had been stuck at. I might add that Kayak is the only service that notified me so far. Also UA fares this afternoon are now at $1000+. I guess the message is watch the fare via multiple sites and pounce when they drop.

Again I want to remind everyone that using discount carriers like Ryanair that go into airports that are way out of the city are going to cost you alot of money.
Ryanair charges you for everything so if you fly a US carrier into Europe with your usual carryon you will be paying high prices for checked bags;carryon and even what you use,eat or drink on the flight.That discount ticket will start adding on hefty fees. Remember-their CEO is trying to figure out how to charge for using their lavs.
If you want to go to Italy and want to fly into one city and out of another it is called an open jaw ticket. You fly into Rome and out of Venice will save you time,money and alot of effort in travel days.Personally I look at all of the big name carriers who fly into the foreign city you want to fly into and work backward. It is alot easier to connect in Chicago,Atlanta or New York to Rome,trust me!

If anyone is flying from the JFK area the airfare price for my november trip is $633 r/t right now. It is with Aer Lingus. I couldnt pass up on that. I will be making the 4 hr drive from Baltimore for the flight. It is almost a $600 savings

But you are stopping in Dublin or Shannon-right? Then an hour or two hour layover with transferring to another flight?