squirrelhead

I am getting married at the end of September, we were planning our honeymoon to Italy ( rome and the almafi coast) and airfare (nonstop from newark to rome) was $620 each. We waited and discussed and thought maybe Italy would be too costly, so started researching other places. Just this weekend we finally said what the hell, let's just do it, and went to book Italy, and the same flight is now $1,030 each!!
Does anyone think the airfare will go back down, or should we pick somewhere else (maybe Spain)? I'm heartbroken because my heart really was set on a romantic honeymoon in Italy, but we could barely afford the first airfare, now we could never afford over a thousand each!!
Thank you for any advice

Natalia

Wait, don't give up on Italy yet. Keep checking air fares, check out economytravel.com and some of the other outlets mentioned here (do a search). Just keep checking, the fares fluctuate.

in_wyoming

It's my feeling that it will go down. Have you looked at Bestfares or some of the other recommended sites. We are going in April from Denver and we paid $525 (taxes and all). We waited until a little over 2 months before we found this fare. You are probably still too far out.

rex

This is a real dliemma - - if it were not for your honeymoon, I would simply say wait it out - - your chances are very good that you will still get the fare you want.

But I can understand not wanting to leave all your plans to mid-summer or later.

I would give it thirty days for sure. And don't forget to consider a connection in/through London - - even perhaps a night or two there coming or going or both. A nice contrast. You can get from London to Italy (a lot of different destiations) for a song on ryanair.com or easyjet.com - - just to name a few.

Even BA night offer you a cheap onward fare. Likewise, perhaps Aerlingus.com if you would have an interest in Ireland as the connection point instead.

Whatever your decisions, congratulations on your new life in marriage... and...

Best wishes,

Rex
[email protected]

Weadles

Try American. I just booked our tickets yesterday for New York-Rome, for $823 per, going out in early July. I don't know what the price will be in September, or if they will even fly NY-Rome beyond the summer, but it's certainly worth a try. I would also call Autoeurope.com for a quote. They were running similar specials, only slightly higher about a month ago. Some people on this forum have booked through them with good success. If none of the above works, you could do what we did last summer: fly in and out of London,then take Ryanair or Easyjet from Stansted to Rome.

Good luck!

DougP

I second the www.autoeurope.com suggestion. They are currently offering air and hotel packages to Rome for cheaper than you are quoting.

beckonbecky

We got our tickets from NC to Rome for $584 on www.airtravel.net We leave Sept.1, and bought ours a couple of weeks ago. The last I checked they still had some.

ira

Hi
try www.tiss.com. They have flights for late Sept at $575 + tax.

tommy

I too have been watching airfares from NYC to Italy for this time period, and the same thing happened at the end of last month. Throughout the month of Feb. rates were in the $600-700 range. At the end of the month, prices jumped to well over $1,000. By the the end of the first week in March, prices starting going down again. By then end of March, I found a fare from NYC to Milan for $638. Low and behold, on March 30, that fare jumped back up to $1,300. My guess is that the sales end at the end of the month, and that's why the prices went back up. I think if you are patient, they will come back down as the month progresses.

squirrelhead

Thank you all so much for the great advice! I do feel better now, and all is not lost Thank you!

bobthenavigator

We are going in early Oct. into Rome via London for $520. It was the BA sale that happened last month. I would hold out and check the consolidaors and bestfares.com often.

kismetchimera

I never bought airlines tickets from consolidors.. are they reliable?

bookchick

Kismetchimera, I am in Rome right now, and got my tickets through Bestfares.com. I flew from DTW to Philly, had about a 2-hour layover, and then flew out of Philly to FCO. All my flights on this trip are on US Airways. I leave tomorrow for my return to America, and have to say that on the way over, everything went as smooth as silk. Years ago (when dinosaurs roamed the earth)when I was an impoverished student, I used a consolidator out of NYC (who I think is now defunct) for my fare to/from Milan for my first semester in Florence. I've gotten better fares on the occasions I've used a consolidator, I know for sure, than I would have on my own.

Squirrelhead, I'm with the crowd here. Don't give up hope! In January, I was supposed to go to Rome (this was the original flight I'd booked with Bestfares.com), but couldn't, because my mother was seriously ill. Bestfares agreed to credit me in full for the ticket, and I ended up booking myself online on Delta.com, using their web site a mere week prior to leaving. (It may have helped that it was February, "low season", and I was planning to leave on a Monday.) In any event, the Delta.com fare I got was about $60-$70 cheaper than my Bestfares rate! So I booked myself online, and saved my Bestfares credit for the trip I'm currently on. I, like Rex, think you should explore other resources, but give yourself a time deadline. And I also wish you the best in your new life.

BC

TimS

Two consolidators mentioned above, autoeurope and bestfares, get high marks from the Frommer's Budget Travel Web site. They're not the only ones with good reputations by any means. I bought tickets for my son for a Denver-London trip through autoeurope which he took back in February. I couldn't have ben more pleased with the service, both online and when talking to a customer service rep on the phone. As of a few minutes ago, autoeurope didn't have any fall specials posted. But you could call and ask. Bestfares does have some right now that fit your needs. However, you might do better if you keep checking for a while before you book your flights.

squirrelhead

any advice about non-stop flight?

TimS

The Bestfares special I mentioned above will take you all the way to Rome, but the description on the Web site says nothing one way or another about any stops enroute. For more information, try writing [email protected].

didi

Squirrelhead - I've been checking the airfare for early October from Newark to Rome with a return out of Venice, Milan, or vise versa as well and noticed the crazy jump in price. I've been checking everyday for about a month and wish I would've booked it last month when it was at $620 but we weren't exactly sure on the dates yet. After reading everyone's advice, I too will wait it out a bit and see if the airfare goes down and also check out the other websites suggested. I even noticed that Luftansa's flight connecting in Frankfurt is no longer available or at least isn't for the dates I wanted.

If I find a good bargain I'll let you know. We would also prefer to fly nonstop but will connect for a cheaper fare. I was really hoping to rack up some more frequent flyer miles on Continental!!

Did you book your hotel in Rome yet? I was wondering how far in advance to do that. Still looking at where to stay in Rome and Venice.

Good luck and Congratulations! Thanks to everyone for there suggestions!!

squirrelhead

Didi, no I haven't booked any hotels yet, because I'm waiting to see about the airfare...if I find a good deal I'll let you know

jor

I am also looking for cheap airfare to Rome. Been looking for around 2 months and decided to keep waiting for a "special". A few years ago I found a last minute RT fare to London for $187 from Dallas!

Canoodle

Squirrelhead, I had the same worries as you did. You just have to watch the fares every day.
One time I saw the same flight go from $1300 to $750 in one week. (I booked the $750 by the way and that was in early March for my late April trip).

But I would book the hotel rooms now so you can get the hotel of your choice (they can be cancelled anytime without penalty if done 4 days in advance)