TAW

Do you think it will be possible to get 2 tickets SFO to FCO then return from MUC to SFO in May, 2009 for total of less than $2000??
I'm hoping to get the Lufthansa flts but I check daily and even though I'm going on a Tues and returning on a Wed the ticket prices have gone UP in last 2 days.
I'm hoping for a drop or sale for Spring....any comments appreciated.

Jeff_Costa_Rica

Who can say for sure? Never any guarantees, of course. I'd be very surprised if you could do two tickets for under $2,000. You're buying an open-jaw ticket (fly into one place, return from another), usually more expensive than a less complex ticket. You're flying from the west coast (farther than from the east coast). You're using FCO and MUC, neither of which have a huge amount of competition on transatlantic routes to be competitively priced. You're flying in May, which some airlines define as their high season, or at least, their shoulder season.

dfr4848

I agree that no one knows, but don't think fares under $2,000 are out of the question. IME, open-jaw won't add to the cost. We've done this several times (including LH) and MUC and FCO are fairly popular routes. I do think you won't see any drop until Dec/Jan or so. A lot will depend on whether fuel continues downward and if the economy stays in the tank.

Just my opinion.

travelgourmet

It might happen, but it isn't something I can guarantee. Flights into Italy always seem to price a little bit higher than elsewhere in Europe. I would offer the following:

1) It is too early to start panicking. Prices will fluctuate this far out. I don't normally start sweating until 60 days out, and will hold off until I see a great price as long as I am outside that window.

2) Two days is not a trend when it comes to airfares, particularly this far out. It is good to keep checking, but don't get too scared by short-term movements in prices.

Gardyloo

My crystal ball says I can see SFO - London round trip on Lufthansa for $800 in May, then one way on Alitalia tLHR-FCO for $101 and one way on Lufthansa from Munich to LHR for $77 two weeks later, total $978, so x 2 = $1956. That gives you $44 left over for a fish supper and a pint at Heathrow.

Note the SFO-LHR flights are <i>via Frankfurt.</i> The nonstop SFO-FRA-SFO itinerary is $990, whereas actually flying SFO-xFRA-LHR-xFRA-SFO is $190 cheaper. Chalk up another one for the weirdness of airline tariffs.

simpsonc510

The main thing to do is to keep on watching the rates! I check them almost daily.

I was watching ORD to LAS prices for January on UA. They started out at just over $400; then they dropped down to $311 about two wks ago; last Thursday I bought the three tickets I needed for $239 each!

On the other hand, my ORD-BKK ticket for Dec/Jan cost me $1600 on UA. If I check those same flts today, the cost is probably TWICE what I paid!

Now, I'm watching flts from ORD to ZRH for Mar/April time frame. They are running at just over $900 on Swiss. We like to fly on Swiss due to the non-stop flight. It's a bit cheaper to fly on UA via Dulles but I refuse to travel thru that airport ever again...

Carol

simpsonc510

OK, just checked my ORD-BKK flts and the current rate (without signing in on my premier exec acct) for same dates is $5751.41. YIKES! And that's in economy!

soccr

Sometimes talking to a bookie will work better than looking into a big glass globe.

Odds that you'll find a fare less than $2000 for two? 1 in 50.

LMGSONIC

I wish someone had a crystal ball for our flights, too. We're watching MCO - NRT for April, and they haven't budged from $1,400+ a piece for the longest time. We'd like to fly UA for the miles, but they are $1,800+ for economy! I wish some airline/any airline would come down to around $1,200 and we'd book it. In the meantime, we're saving our pennies (literally) so that we can have a nice trip no matter what AND still have a little cash for souvenirs.

rkkwan

Odds is great that &lt;$1,000 fare will exist.

The real question is what's the odds of you catching them. That depends on how often and how diligently you check.

The airlines don't put up full page ads or TV commercials to tell you when the good fares exist. The &quot;sale&quot; they tell you, aren't.

TAW

Thanks, Yes, I do check daily and also more than one site. I even keep track of flt #'s &amp; fares on a spreadsheet...How anal is that!? When I see a price I can live with I will book and not look back. We prefer less connections so I'm really hoping for Lufthansa flts to/from Europe. They have a nonstop from MUC to SFO that leaves daily about 4pm. That's the one I want to come home.

travelgourmet

<i>The real question is what's the odds of you catching them. That depends on how often and how diligently you check.</i>

While not perfect, tools like Yapta can help in that regard.

<i>We'd like to fly UA for the miles</i>

Don't forget to look at their partners. You could earn miles on Air Canada, ANA, or Singapore to NRT. Just be careful about the fare code as not all fares earn full mileage in United's program.