Airfare to Italy...Discount website or directly with an airline?
Apr 17th, 2006, 09:35 AM
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Airfare to Italy...Discount website or directly with an airline?
Trying to find out where to get the best deals on airfare to Italy.
We'll be flying from Los Angeles to Italy. There will be 3 adults and 3 2 year old children. We will be traveling in July (I know this is the height of the tourist season, but it is only when we can go).
From your experience is it better to hunt the discount websites and if so do you recommend one over the other? Or, is going through an airline directly better and if so which one?
Our plan is to fly into northern Italy and fly out of Naples. We are not set on a city to fly into yet, we're open to Milan, Venice or Florence. We're hoping for the least amount of transfers and layovers, since we'll have the children.
Thanks for any advice,
Paul
We'll be flying from Los Angeles to Italy. There will be 3 adults and 3 2 year old children. We will be traveling in July (I know this is the height of the tourist season, but it is only when we can go).
From your experience is it better to hunt the discount websites and if so do you recommend one over the other? Or, is going through an airline directly better and if so which one?
Our plan is to fly into northern Italy and fly out of Naples. We are not set on a city to fly into yet, we're open to Milan, Venice or Florence. We're hoping for the least amount of transfers and layovers, since we'll have the children.
Thanks for any advice,
Paul
Apr 17th, 2006, 11:25 AM
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Try them all, repeatedly, and if you see something attractive on a non-airline site, input the exact same flight data on the airlne's own site. Sometimes it's even better.
Also ask consolidators - but be ready to put up or shut up, they either have it or they don't, take it or leave it. Be ready to answer questions about alternatives, like "can you all go the day before or the day after?" - or "can you go in two groups on separate flights" - that sort of question, so you don't have to hem and haw and waste their time, letting a good thing slip away.
About your wish for fewer touchdowns - that's tough, especially for the smaller airports like Naples etc. They will always be at least two-hoppers with at least one change of plane somewhere. But if you can make that change earlier in the trip, it's an advantage. For example, to change planes in London when you're already tired and woozy, even if you come off a nonstop from LAX, is tougher than making a change on the East coast and then getting a nonstop right into your destination. But those are rare if it's not Milan or Rome.
Eurofly has nonstops from JFK into Bologna, Rome, Naples (and Palermo, Sicily) - if you can get a deal to connect, www.euroflyvacations.com may be able to get you to Naples or Bologna non-stop from the East Coast. Check them out.
WK
Also ask consolidators - but be ready to put up or shut up, they either have it or they don't, take it or leave it. Be ready to answer questions about alternatives, like "can you all go the day before or the day after?" - or "can you go in two groups on separate flights" - that sort of question, so you don't have to hem and haw and waste their time, letting a good thing slip away.
About your wish for fewer touchdowns - that's tough, especially for the smaller airports like Naples etc. They will always be at least two-hoppers with at least one change of plane somewhere. But if you can make that change earlier in the trip, it's an advantage. For example, to change planes in London when you're already tired and woozy, even if you come off a nonstop from LAX, is tougher than making a change on the East coast and then getting a nonstop right into your destination. But those are rare if it's not Milan or Rome.
Eurofly has nonstops from JFK into Bologna, Rome, Naples (and Palermo, Sicily) - if you can get a deal to connect, www.euroflyvacations.com may be able to get you to Naples or Bologna non-stop from the East Coast. Check them out.
WK
Apr 17th, 2006, 01:09 PM
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Also, you might try kayak.com and mobissimo.com for multi-airline combinations.
I had been looking for an open jaw (into Rome out of Venice) from San Francisco this summer for four and found the prices astronomical. I prefer to travel in any season except summer, but the Brother-In-Law can only go in June/July, but I digress.
Mobissimo doesn't allow searches for open jaw, but Kayak does. I found the most decent price was with NWA/KLM for $1400. I steeled myself to shell out the money, but decided to call the airline to see if this was only a webfare or what- it was $200 less than other web quotes with other airlines. To my surpise when I called the airline to book it was even cheaper than the website had. All told it was $1150 per ticket with taxes, and while it was more than I am used to, it was a lot less than other fares I was seeing online. (BTW, I will not plan a summer trip again!!!)
It will take some time, but have patience. Good luck!
I had been looking for an open jaw (into Rome out of Venice) from San Francisco this summer for four and found the prices astronomical. I prefer to travel in any season except summer, but the Brother-In-Law can only go in June/July, but I digress.
Mobissimo doesn't allow searches for open jaw, but Kayak does. I found the most decent price was with NWA/KLM for $1400. I steeled myself to shell out the money, but decided to call the airline to see if this was only a webfare or what- it was $200 less than other web quotes with other airlines. To my surpise when I called the airline to book it was even cheaper than the website had. All told it was $1150 per ticket with taxes, and while it was more than I am used to, it was a lot less than other fares I was seeing online. (BTW, I will not plan a summer trip again!!!)
It will take some time, but have patience. Good luck!
Apr 17th, 2006, 01:44 PM
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I am definitely seeing the "variety" in price quotes from website to website. Additionally, I'm finding that because I want to fly in to one location and fly out of another, this seems to be more expensive than a traditional round trip ticket.
I'm starting to think it will be better to fly in and out of Rome.
I will definitely take the advice and check with the airline directly to compare the discount website cost.
I'm starting to think it will be better to fly in and out of Rome.
I will definitely take the advice and check with the airline directly to compare the discount website cost.
Apr 17th, 2006, 03:54 PM
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An open-jaw ticket should really not cost much more than a round-trip in and out of the same city. And it saves you the time and expense of circling back to where you started.
I did find for my upcoming Italy trip that it was cheaper to fly into Venice and out of Naples, rather than vice versa, for my dates.
itasoftware.com is a good place to search for low fares. You cannot book there, but you can find out what the best combinations are available, and at what fares. It has a month-long option which is very useful in the early planning stages. It also allows you to limit by number of stops, and warns you of long layovers. I usually start there, then try to get the same ticket on Orbitz, Mobissimo, or the airline's site.
I did find for my upcoming Italy trip that it was cheaper to fly into Venice and out of Naples, rather than vice versa, for my dates.
itasoftware.com is a good place to search for low fares. You cannot book there, but you can find out what the best combinations are available, and at what fares. It has a month-long option which is very useful in the early planning stages. It also allows you to limit by number of stops, and warns you of long layovers. I usually start there, then try to get the same ticket on Orbitz, Mobissimo, or the airline's site.
Apr 17th, 2006, 03:56 PM
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