Venezia123

Really ck the weight on luggage before you fly Ryainar air,Two years ago i flew them from Ireland to Scotland ticket was $45.00 but it cost $200.00 for my luggage which weighed 45lb,So they are serious about how much weight you can take.

Also try Best travel store for tickets .

bratsandbeer

If you could fly in September instead of August, you can save close to $300 or more.

USAirways flies from both Milwaukee and Chicago Midway.

I have found that it is better to book direct with the airline than to go through Orbitz, or any of those "discount" ticket sellers. If you have a problem you can handle it easier through the airlines.

WillTravel

From Rome airport, the cost will be about 40 Euros one-way by train to Florence. From Bologna, I think in the range of 15-20 Euros.

I'd only choose the budget airline option if you are happy with the idea of spending at least one night each way in the city you are landing in, if that will be an enhancement to your trip.

For Paris or Frankfurt, Ryanair would generally be a terrible choice as its "Paris" and "Frankfurt" airports are hours away from the city. Take a look at www.whichbudget.com for other airlines with closer-in airports.

WillTravel

I don't disagree with using the airline site if it's the same price or cheaper, but I've also done fine booking with other sites and saving hundreds of dollars per ticket.

phieaglefan

ab10,

If you are going for a study abroad, did you check some of the student airfare websites? The one my daughter used was www.statravel.com but I believe there are others. She ended up with a not so great schedule, but a definite bargain price.

h

La_boheme70

I just traveled Barcelona-Boston, round trip, with Iberia airlines for $310, and I got a flight cancellation insurance for another $17. First, as I always do, I go to farechase.yahoo.com. The first two choices directed me to Cheaptickets and Orbitz, I went to Cheaptickets.
It was off season, of course, and spontaneous planning. The prices on Farechase.yahoo.com is the final price, and that's what I like about it. The was another company I've used, vayama.com, but now they don't include the taxes, and you see it added right there. Sometimes, the same date, same airline will give you different prices on those too websites.

madsuh

Try http://www.travelgrove.com/ you can also visit their cheap flights section to see what they have found before:

http://www.travelgrove.com/cheap-fli...to-Europe.html

Cheers

flpab

As much as I don't really like USAIR their site has the best times and prices for me. I also like the fact that the seats are two, four and two in coach. I just flew Continental to Ireland and they were three and three and a bit cramped. USAIR was cheaper to Paris and got me home before 6 pm. I like being able to pick my flight times and giving myself enough time in between flights is important to make it through customs on a return flight. We have paid over 1000.00 for the last two flights. I think those 700.00 flights are long gone.

Viajero2

BEWARE of the so-called "FARE ALERTS". There will be sales that they will NOT alert you about...

qwovadis

August is peak air travel season fares will be high.
farecompare.com great tips cheapoair.com kayak.com/buzz
Consider AAdvantage Cards AA.com my wife and I got 2 in Nov
got 80000 points booked 2 free FF flights cancelled cards
cheapest way to do it.If you do go into Italy Milan(MXP)
always saves.Sometimes I fly into LON fly ryanair.com
into Pisa very cheap. Lastly Air Transatt in Canada has
cheap sales and deals that sometimes makes it worth it.
Have done that a time or 2. airtech.com rarely if you
can be flexible will save. Lastly consider pushing into fall
for best fares.

TexasAggie

Old thread, but there was an article in the

TexasAggie

oops, posted too soon

The article was in the Wall Street Journal. It compared all the online fare websites and I believe Kayak came out on top.

mistermiri

I stick to one travel agency that gives the final cost time to time. So this way I can decide for my ticket. The staff are perfect for giving advises for trip internationally. www.italiajapan.com

Greeting to all.
Jon

AisleSeat

The timing of your flight will have a lot to do with the fare. As others have pointed out the high season is July and August when the kids are out of school and all the families can travel. The shoulder seasons in the Spring and Fall are a little less because of demand. Winter is the off season or low season where you will find the best deals. Then you need to be flexible on which day of the week you fly. Tuesday and Wednesday ususally have better fares than the other days.

We fly to Europe out of Seattle so the length of the flight is important to me. A 9.5 hour flight over the pole is worth a little more to me than a cheap fare that goes through Houston or Minneapolis that takes 18 hours.

The article saying that Kayak.com wins the price battle is probably good general advice but it doesn't mean they will win every time. I don't mind going to the trouble to check the others and sometimes I get a good surprise.

Also keep in mind the changes that have taken place in airfare oveer the past couple of years adding fuel, airport and other surcharges. Some of those stories may just be the good ol' days stories.

When I am planning a trip I go into a zone where I am checking all the sites daily for a while so I know exactly what the options are before I pull the trigger. Happy shopping.