Interesting 1971 article about prices for US-Europe airfares
 

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/ar...943885,00.html

I came across it by accident when googling something else.

Thanks for the link - didn't find the article I think you meant me to, but I enjoyed the other ones I wound up reading instead..... :))

That's funny - for me the link takes me to an article called, "The Uncertain Sky", from September 6, 1971. Which article did you end up with?

From the linked article:

<i>The first move will probably be made by Lufthansa itself. The line has already disclosed plans for a 14-to 60-day excursion fare of about $210 round trip between New York and Frankfurt, v. $442 now for 17 to 28 days and $372 for a 29-to 45-day ticket...</i>

Using the Consumer Price Index conversion factors published by Oregon State University, those prices in 2005 dollars would have been $950, $2000, and $1710 respectively.

You can buy a ticket from NYC to FRA right now for $455 round trip for travel in two weeks.

Hmmn, this time I tried, the link worked as expected.

I have no explanation for the earlier quirk....it isn't even Hallowe'en.....

I think today's prices for airline tickets to Europe are comparable to the inflation adjusted prices a earlier poster discussed. People like to talk about $400 tickets to Europe, but that is only to certain cities in January and before taxes which can almost double the price. Summer fares to many European Cities are close to $1600 RT.

Years ago it cost only about $15 a night for a hotel in most european cities which would be about $75 today. On my last trip to Europe I paid almost $200 a night for 130 square foot rooms.

Travel to Europe was cheaper in the 70s adjusted to wages and inflation.

<i>I think today's prices for airline tickets to Europe are comparable to the inflation adjusted prices a earlier poster discussed. People like to talk about $400 tickets to Europe, but that is only to certain cities in January and before taxes which can almost double the price. Summer fares to many European Cities are close to $1600 RT.</i>

Yes but the article was dated September of 1971, and the apex fares quoted were from NYC to Frankfurt for flights in the autumn of that year, so seasonally comparable to the sub-$500 fares being quoted for the same route today.

Of course comparing 35-year old prices with current ones is a slippery slope for any service or commodity - with travel, deregulation, OPEC crises... all have occurred in the interim.

However I recall that buying peak season tickets to Europe in the 70s was very expensive in &quot;real&quot; terms, which was why so many of us relied on charters for cheaper prices. I can't recall how many bogus club or &quot;St Andrews Society&quot; memberships I had in order to qualify for the charter prices.