Do tour companies use undesirable flights?
 

The tour we are taking to Milan has us on a 3 legged flight!! We have to change planes twice. The company insists that airlines have limited flights to Europe this summer and their hands are tied. They want us to pay a lot more for a 1 connection flight. I think we are being taken advantage of. Are flights really being limited?

Yes they are. Decreased demand for certain routes coupled with the economic hardships of many airlines have forced them to suspend or cancel some flights.

I agree - even with tourism way down, airfares this summer are as high or higher than in years past. Why - because the inventory of seats across the Atlantic has been decreased. Lots of flights have been canceled or combined w/ others.

Hi Lindam,

You are both right.

In order for the tour operaters to give you a low price, they book you on the least desireable flights.

Also, seats have been reduced in order to maintain ticket prices.

We are going on a package tour in a couple of weeks. The tour's flight option would have been nonstop from Philadelphia to Rome, but would have cost $1000 per person. So we booked our own three-legged flights that will save us hundreds of dollars.

I couldn't find any real bargains on transatlantic flights, even going through consolidators. Everyone tells me that the airlines really cut back on transatlantic flights this year, keeping flights full and prices relatively high.

There have been several very good sales, depending on where you are going (e.g., the Singapore air $258 deal from New York). But generally, prices haven't been all that great.

ttt

No, I don't think so at all. When my parents booked a tour with Trafalgat I was wondering the same thing. I had asked them to consider purchasing their own airfare. It turns out TT had a promotion where 2nd person flies free. They booked my parents on the best route (the one I was wanting) for $800 less.

Second, on a much more expensive tour last May other members booked their nonstop air with the tour company. A few months before the flight Delta changed it's nonstop route and the only flights left were lousy, they had 2 stopovers. It had nothing to do with the tour but the airline industry downsizing flights. Just curious, are you flying out of Boston? That's where the others were rerouted from.

No,not Boston. We are leaving from Detroit. But, the tour company found us a new flight. We go to Atlanta, then a direct flight to Milan. And, we are very happy that those Delta miles can be transferred to our NWA ff account!!