Interesting. I guess when I googled them the info I got was outdated. After my son's experience with their non existent customer service I wouldn't touch them with a ten foot pole.

Interesting AA, if I'd booked a month ago It would have been cheaper but c'est la vie. The fares I got were the best of the bunch in business class, all the other ones Air Canada listed were much pricier. I mostly use Air Canada because we collect Aeroplan miles but I use Air France as well now and they have direct flights from Vancouver to Paris which I like. The last two Air France flights I took were $4000.00 Business class, Vancouver to Paris return, last June and Sept 2024.
We can fly direct to London, Paris, Frankfurt, Munich, Zurich and I think Amsterdam from Vancouver, otherwise we have to fly to Toronto or Montreal and onward. This time we are flying to Toronto and on because Air Canada would not let me book a flight from here to Frankfurt and then on to Lamezia Terme which seems crazy. I could have booked a separate airline I guess for the Calabria leg but then would have had to collect luggage in Frankfurt etc.
It will be a long day but worth it and you are right, the flying part is not fun but the rest of it still is, for me anyway.

Originally Posted by maitaitom
Prices from LAX to Italy in fall are actually cheaper than I thought. The prices that floor me are the cost of a rental car once i get there.

Pagngo - "Maybe they know your history with rental cars in Italy?"

Touché!

They changed their paint scheme, too. This is hard to miss, but I shake my head every time I see one.

Yes, seeing a jump in airfare the past couple of months. I purchased a Round Trip, NON-STOP Business Class ticket to Rome from Newark (Mid May 2026) but bought it way back in early August 2025 for $4,000. However, now I see that Premium Economy is costing slightly more than my Business Class ticket did!

We flew RT business last summer SMF to ZUR for $3400. Flying to Paris in May as part of RTW business ticket but see return flights to be quite pricey at the moment. I guess if they don’t come down we can switch our dates to June or September. Munich is about a 3-4 train ride from Zurich which might be an option for you if you can find decent flights on your dates.

I just got pinged with price drop on SAS from Boston to Zurich (connect in CPH) for $526 r/t in mid-May

Turkish air has business flights out of ORD to several places like Geneva for $2900 in May

Thanks, I'll take a look.

Air Serbia has some business class fares out of Chicago that might work for you, prices may be available for a day or so

Update:

After checking flights daily for the last 5-6 weeks, I finally took the plunge.

I found a compromise by booking coach flights COS-ORD-MUC; Economy Plus seats for both of us on both legs with my Gold Status; woo-hoo - a whole extra inch or two of legroom! Airbus to ORD, which is always my preference over the puddle jumpers that usually fly COS-DEN and
COS-ORD and are routinely late, Dreamliner for the 8.5 hour flight to MUC.

Then returning MUC-IAH in Premium Plus (over 11 hours), with a more than sufficient layover in Houston to clear Immigration and avoid coming back through ORD (always a nightmare). Then puddle jumper to COS - $1,783 each.

It was a frustrating process; I'd find a flight I liked, then it would show only one ticket available, even though the flight was wide open (flight buckets, perhaps?). Then the next day it'd show completely different options. It's enough to make a person crazy, perhaps that's the intent?

Glad to see you finally found something that works for you Melnq8. I feel your frustration with the constantly moving target of the process of trying to secure an appropriate flight option and schedule, and very importantly, a fare that you can live with. What a relief no doubt!

After watching flights and fares like a hawk and driving myself bonkers, I also took the plunge about 2 weeks ago. Managed to get Biz to southern France and Premium return from Paris for $3,250 CAD (about $2400 USD) per person. As I searched across various airlines, on most days the cost was a LOT more and then this appeared so I jumped on it.

That's a good deal kanadajin, good on you!

Prices have risen, but we were still able to book an open jaw departing SFO on June 14 to Bilbao, Paris to Dublin, Dublin to SFO on July 4 for under $3000 for two.

Some airlines are adding fuel surcharges now as well, even for those who have booked and paid.
I can't see fares dropping in the near future given world events.

Me either heti, glad I booked when I did, but have put off booking for a trip in the fall now as prices will no doubt skyrocket.

I saw a coach fare to Europe on the UA site a few days ago for over $8,000. I just about passed out. I tried to post it here as a screen shot as I knew no one would believe me, but couldn't get it to work. I still think that AI is at the root of some of this, but things are bound to get worse now.

Ditto, I am very happy I already booked for the month of May. The airline announced they will not retroactively add any charges for fares already purchased.

I think Melnq8 and I are on the same wavelength: I had started to look for another booking for the Fall as well but being this far out in advance, what I was finding for fares was just sky high. No doubt it would be worse now, I did not dare look. I had also noticed at the time that there seemed to be an inflexion point at around 3 or 4 months out where whatever fares to be found generally took a sharp turn upwards. It will then be interesting to see if the fare landscape evolves by late spring (I know wishful thinking, sigh).

Just to avoid confusion as I may have worded this in an unclear way, at less than 3 or 4 months out the fares were generally lower than at more than 3 or 4 months out.