Air fares to Europe
 

Hi: <BR> <BR>I have a coupleof questions: <BR> <BR>1. Anybody knows if it's possible to secure a good air fare right know to travel to Europe in January 2001? or is it too soon? <BR> <BR>2. What about business class tickets...is there any particular airline that has them ever on sale?

Your question omits two of the four crucial details ALWAYS needed to give advice on air travel: <BR> <BR>1. Where will you originate? Toronto? Seattle? Sydney? Johannesburg? <BR> <BR>2. How long will you stay? <BR> <BR>The other items always needed are: date of departure (a general range is not unusual and completely understandable) and preferred destination (and a wide range of choices is often "normal" for travel to europe from another continent). <BR> <BR>As for the two questions you DID ask, all the "majors" have their fares and schedules available 11 months in advance (sometimes 13 months) - - but the better prices for January won't be available until fall, and the cheaper carriers don't have their schedules or fares available all that far in advance. <BR> <BR>2. As for business class travel at a discount - - increasingly, you may be able to "legally" buy the frequent flier miles for an award upgrade outright through some of the affiliate programs - - and an "award" upgrade will usually be cheaper than a purchased one. <BR>There are occasionally discounts on Icelandair and CityBird - - but I am not sure they fly where you might want (maybe not anywhere) in the winter. <BR> <BR>Feel free to write me directly if you want to discuss specific options. <BR> <BR>Best wishes, <BR> <BR>Rex

Rex, when do you think good fares would be available to go to Madrid/Barcelona in November?

If you are flexible and not easily upset you can probably find a good deal on SpanAir (if they fly out of you city of departure). We were not real happy with them when we went to Santiago (though most of the problems were between Madrid and Santiago and vise versa). The crew were not very friendly and on our return from Satiago to Madrid they lied to us about our connection. Anyway, if your looking for a good deal on airfair check them out. <BR> <BR>MarkJ

Sandra- see Cheap Flight Forum at www.eurotrip.com <BR>Read cheap flight tactics - link on the homepage for tips- <BR>It is too early to ship for Winter Fares which run from Nov 1 to March 31. <BR>Join www.smarterliving.com <BR>give them your iteniary and they will keep you abreast of sales <BR>watch Cheap flight forum as well- we post sale as we find them. <BR>Martinair has good deals on business class as well. <BR>

I do a lot of Europe traveling. The prices will go down big time if you wait!! You are going off season it should cost almost half of what you'd pay now. I booked my trip to Hungary the end of Jan 2000,to go in mid March 2000. Only $345.00, Taxes and all. Great deal. I found it cheaper to caLL the airlines direct and let them know What I was offered on the internet and their competitors. Just to see if they could beat it, and they did. Do your research you will not regret it. I went to Hungary last year also, did not do research, and bought my ticket to soon, payed over $800.00. Now I know better, after all my travels and money I throw out the window. I feel so silly for not listening to my friends. Feel free to reply.

I have found some roundtrip air fares in the price range of $650-$700 for a flight in mid-July for 8 days, Chicago to Paris. Is this as low as the prices are likely to go, or should I wait for something cheaper?

Sonia: All right, I don't want to get too indignant, but did you read what I wrote? From where? North America? or some other continent? or from some other point in Europe? <BR> <BR>From North America, chances are there will be a round of sales sometime in July or August, and there may be a second round of sales even later than that. <BR> <BR>To Vrangel: I think you can do a little bit better than that from Toronto on Canada3000 - - www.canada3000.com - - recently published their summer fares, and I think that Toronto-Paris was something like $499 Cdn (about 343 USD) - - I don't know how much it will cost you to get to Toronto, but it might be worth your while (with more than one traveler, it might even be worth your while to go by ground!) <BR> <BR>Keep in mind that Canada3000 does NOT fly to every destination everyday - - and I have never used them. <BR> <BR>Best wishes, <BR> <BR>Rex

If you have a good travel agent, ask them to check with their consolidators. I saved $200 this way on an open jaw ticket in September. When I told the airline about this fare quote, they said they couldn't touch it. If your not interested in spending a lot of time researching it, this is a good way to still get a good price (though I wouldn't go so far as to say the best price out there). <BR>As to the date that airfares are published, I can only comment on the two airlines I checked with TWA and Delta. They both publish their fares 333 days prior to departure and schedules are subject to change. My flights did change but only by a half hour here or there.

I asked a travel agent for consolidated tickets and they quoted me some pretty high prices to Tel Aviv $1,070 a ticket. I went to www.tiss.com and paid $703 a ticket

Try TISS.(Travel Information Software Systems) Use a search engine to get their web address. I just got 2 roundtrip tickets on KLM from JFK to Munich in December 2000. Cost was $846 including all fees and taxes. Very pleased with their fast service.