<BR>Hi - just finished watching Good <BR>Morning America on tv with an <BR>interview with Tom(or was it <BR>Bill?) Parsons from Best Fares <BR>who said there was going to be <BR>incredibly cheap fares to London <BR>and other places in July and <BR>Aug. in spite of those being the <BR>prime tourist months. Said it <BR>was due to over-capacity, all <BR>the various alliances now etc. <BR>He was quoting in the range of <BR>$300-$400, with kids traveling <BR>for less. So go for it!

Cheryl, <BR>I'm trying to find the interview on the ABC website - no luck so far. Is this a particular airline? <BR>

Tom Parsons is this Texan guy that bills himself as a "travel guru". He runs a travel agency and a website called bestfares.com <BR>For the better deals you have to pony up about $60 per year to be a member. However, his site also contains a page called Newsdesk where cheapos like myself can cruise his listings. Basically, he has staff that comb the airline fare listings everyday, trying to find the listings that initiate fare wars. He's got some good deals lots of them are very last minute, but not all. <BR>Hope that helps.

<BR>Jean, he was talking about all the major airlines and also recommended finding a good travel agent to find the cheapest fares. Didn't mention restrictions but am sure there must be some.

I became member of the Best Fares Club in order to have access to their magazine, their online specials, and their travel agency services. I have never encountered more incompetent travel agents (unbelievable!), their quoted prices have never been any better than deals I could have gotten on my own (I have called in five times for different travel destinations; have never found their prices to be the better priced), and the customer service is very poor. The magazine, on the other hand, is well put together with concise information. I wrote this one off as poorer, but wiser. I will not renew my membership, that's for sure....

After searching for cheap fares to Paris and Venice from Baton Rouge(Atlanta) or <BR>Lafayette, LA( Houston), the best I could find was Continental through Houston- $615 and various lines through Atlanta- $800- 900. I would like to know where the really cheap fares are!

Come visit us in cheap flight forum in the www.eurotrip.com website. We post specials as we find them. We don't recommend paying the $60 membership to Bestfares but you can use it as a base to find the fares and contact the airlines yourself. Here are some great new websites we recommend. <BR>www.thetravelsite.com- find the impulse fares on Virgin Atlantic, CityBird and MartinAir for London and Amsterdam <BR> <BR>www.tiss.com <BR> <BR>www.farebase.com <BR> <BR>www.flyluxair.com- $124 one way good from April l9 through Oct 31 (Newark to Brussels)Luxair is also offering $298 RT Newark to over 20 cities in Europe thru June. <BR> <BR>www.surplustravel.com- click on the destination city and all the specials come up. <BR> <BR>Thats just a sampling! Come see us!

Sorry- for SurplusTravel I met to say click on the departure city in USA you can leave from! <BR> <BR>Also check out www.corsair-int.com- for flights to Paris!!

Greetings - <BR> <BR>Well, I must disagree with a few of the above. We joined Bestfares and will renew this year. Time IS money. There is no way I would take the time necessary to scan all the news and ads to find airfare deals. The money we saved on our tickets to Hong Kong last November more than covered the $60. <BR> <BR>To us, it's worth the money just to have quick access to a list with all the best airfares compiled in one place. <BR> <BR>I've never used the agency so I can't speak to that. I find I can usually get better deals on my own no matter who I call so I don't call anyone. <BR> <BR>Good Luck

To Lynn: Your post seems to contradict yourself- all we are saying is yes, Bestfares compiles all the specials for ya- but if they have found it all you have to do is go straight to the airline website and book it yourself. I have heard numerous times they are hard if not impossible to work with. You say you love them, then you say you haven't worked with them??? How is that possible? You say you don't have time to scan all the newsdesks but then you say you don't use the agency but book them yourself?? ok....? I love www.frommers.com- sign up for their e mail notifications- they catch many of the specials bestfares does, and its free! Or go to www.airlines.com- that helps you find each and every website for all domestic and international airlines in case you find out say, that Sabena is having a special.. or Spanair!Or just visit www.eurotrip. for us time is money and we save many people $150 or more by helping them.. for us its just fun!

Tricia---- I checked the sites you so kindly posted!!! Quite a wealth of info! Thanks for sharing! I rather mail you the $60.00 fee bestfares charges; you have been of more help than they had ever been....Thanks again!!!!

Here is another website: http://www.mrcheaps.com. I had good luck buying a roundtrip ticket to Denver and renting a car from them. They also post prices for European travel.

Tricia, <BR> <BR>Glad to hear from you - some of your answers got me hooked on this site when you planned your trip to Holland several years ago. I've asked (Where Are You post) where you were, but no answer. Glad to hear from you again. Where are you? What happened to make you leave this forum for another?

Hi Tricia, I've wondered too! Come back! I'm going to Holland next year! I need advice! We miss you! Gina <BR>

We bought our tickets through cheaptickets.com. (I ended up having to talk to them on their 800#, but that was ok) When the local travel agents told me the cheapest I could get to Germany for was $1000 because the low fares were gone, I booked $600 from Chicago to Munich with cheaptickets. They were very helpful with seating assignments, and the tickets were on my doorstep the next day.

Dear Tricia: I too have missed you and I'm glad you came back to this forum even if only for a litle bit. I hope you've been well and that we'll hear from you again. All the best, Joan

Cheryl Z., <BR>Hello, I'm glad to hear fron you again. <BR>I will be flying to Glasgow on IcelandAir. They have some great fares posted if you get on their email list. I don't know where you are flying out of, but a sample is Boston to London for about $350. Of course they do a lay-over (2 hours) in Reykjavik, but they also offer a no-charge 1-2 day lay over in Iceland. You need to pay for hotel, but the lay-over is no charge. <BR>Kittie

Tricia - <BR> <BR>In response to your comments, I am aware of many of the sites you refer to. Some I am not, but I know about them now and I thank you. I will check with them in the future. Funny enough, when I went to Eurotrip.com, they referred me to Bestfares! <BR> <BR>As for emailed specials, we are signed up to several services, yes, including Frommers (smarterliving.com is a favorite) Lowestfare.com is good for booking specific flights. Why fly a consolidator when for the same price you can fly a regularly scheduled flight without all the hassles and unknowns? My experience with consolidataors has been less than desireable. In addition, I prefer not dealing with the people I have run across in the consolidator business. <BR> <BR>In general, the $60 charge for Bestfares is for extra access. As a non-member you can look at the newsdesk but you don't get to go any further than that. And yes, you could go to each airline site and track down the details but why bother? For that $60, all I have to do is click the blue line and find out right then and there about all restrictions, dates, and details. Timely access to information updated throughout the day, that's what Bestfares offers. In addition, they do offer member-only deals that Bestfares cuts directly with the airline, hotel, etc. These are not available to the general public. <BR> <BR>For today, Bestfares posted 200 additional messages to its site regarding specials, companion deals, "snooze alarm" specials etc. Do you know how much time it would have taken for me to go hunt down all of this information with all the details involved? I wouldn't even want to try. I wouldn't save enough money for the effort to be worth it. <BR> <BR>Our travel motto is this; a good deal pops up, we go. If no good deals pop up, we don't go. It's as simple as that. Fortunately, we are self-employed and don't have to worry about giving notice for travel plans. We can, and do, take advantage of last minute deals. I realize this is something not everyone can do. <BR> <BR>I'm sure there are people out there who have found a better deal than I on certain flights, hotels, etc. More power to them. So far, Bestfares has worked well and I will continue to send my $60 as long as it pays off. <BR> <BR

I have been waiting for a good fare from Spokane to London, <BR>finally got one on Northwest, 640$ from <BR>Spokane and I don't have to go thru Seattle, I go Spokane Mpls London <BR>

Lynn....just try and book one of those member specials. <BR>