HELP - Why is airfare so ridiculous for summer travel to Europe?
 

I am finding that airfare is so expensive for summer travel this year to Europe. I want to fly out of Chicago, and am flexible with destinations. I can fly into Paris, Rome, Barcelona, Venice...I'm flexible even with dates. Everything is coming up $1200 - $1500 per person. Ahh. I have tried lots of websites (orbitz, travelocity, aa, united, etc), and it's all the same. And all the mileage tickets are booked up too.

Does anyone know if these will drop in the next few weeks or months. I've flown to Europe twice in the last 5 years in the summer, and paid $600-700 each time. What gives? Any insight would be really helpful

Do you drive a car? Have your fuel costs gone up a tad in the last coupla years?

Those airplanes use a lot more fuel than your car does.

Not the only reason for increased airfares, but certainly significant.

Whoa...a little harsh in your approach. Yes I drive a car. But if you have been paying attention, domestic fares have not doubled recently. Not even close. We have been paying basically the same price for domestic tickets for 10 years now. Why has international increased so dramatically, as compared to domestic???

I think the number I saw a few days ago was that airline fuel costs have increased 165% in the 12 months . . .

I get the fuel thing. It's a real bummer that it's affecting the cost of flying. But a flight to Paris in April is $700, vs. $1300 in June, July, and August. It's frustrating.

You are also booking in high season. In January I was looking at tickets to Italy for early March. i found plenty of options for $550-$600. There are many influences on airfare . . .

I found a fare for $1141 on Kayak.com, leaving in the middle of the week and coming back in the middle of the week. Another reason for fare increases may be due to the decreasing value of the dollar, whereas prices may have increased less for those earning and paying in euros.

supply and demand...

econ 101

The $700 vs $1,500 fare has been that ratio for the last umteen years. Several years ago it was $500/1,000 from where I live. Americans prefer to go to Europe & Europeans prefer to come to the US in May - Sept and the airlines have no trouble filling seats then. They don't like to fly half-empty planes in Oct - April so they fill them with people who take advantage of the half-fares. It's been that way as long as I can remember.

Stu Dudley

Agree with other posters. The airlines are charging that price because they can. It is peak season in the summer and capacity hasn't increased that much in the last few years.

However, there is speculation that there will be fewer European travelers this year because of the economy and weak dollar. It is possible that there might be a sale in the next month or two if you dare wait that long.

I am finding the same $1000+ fares from Boston to Europe (Paris, Milan, Frankfurt) in October. Maybe the prices will drop but I don't think the higher prices are limited to the May-Sept period. I'd also note that I paid $650 last May for an Oct 2007 ticket.

It's why we travel at spring break.....we always can find a deal, like 460 from dfw to munich in march......including taxes. Couldn't pass it up. If you didn't want Germany, it would be easy to catch another flight somewhere, but we find summer travel just too high! We usually end up in NYC for the summer and it is great! Well, obviously we don't live in NYC....Jane

How does anybody afford Europe in the summer with these types of fares? I am looking at New York area to London (about the cheapest route you can get!) and finding nothing less than $1000+ per person, by the time you add taxes etc., for flights in June. I am flexible on days and dates - can fly out of Newark or Philadelphia (JFK is a stretch), but we are a family of 4 - that's $4000+ before we even land in England (where, fortunately my Mum lives and we then get free room and board!)
I was also wondering if the prices may drop, since the economy and exchange rate may well deter many US tourists. Any other thoughts?

<i>I was also wondering if the prices may drop, since the economy and exchange rate may well deter many US tourists. Any other thoughts?</i>

Those pesky planes fly both ways, and it's perfectly legal to buy a ticket <i>to</i> the USA as well as <i>from</i> the USA. One person's weak exchange rate currency is another's strong one. Ask the good mice of Orlando.

After Sept. 11, demand went into a nosedive, airlines went tango, and fares got cut to where they were way less than half the inflation-adjusted prices from <i>1972.</i> Over the past couple of years, demand has increased, and the airlines (like the oil companies and the people that sell popcorn at the movies) have attempted to recover their losses from before.

Comparing today's fares to those from a few years ago is using a faulty baseline for analysis.

lesm,

As far as the mileage being booked up - did you try mileage flights that aren't non-stop? We used miles out of ORD to CDG with a layover in Boston and plane change. On the way back it's Rome to Heathrow (I know, I know, Heathrow, but hey, it's a mileage ticket) and then Heathrow to ORD. I'm flying AA. I called them directly after having no luck on the internet and they were able to help me.

Good luck.

I paid $400 RT for my first trip to Europe in 1976. This fall, leaving right after Labor Day (Sept.3), we found RT AA tickets from St. Louis through Chicago to Brussels for $940 total with taxes. Given that it's 31 years later and prices have just more than doubled, and my income has multiplied many more times than than, I'm pleased as heck!!

As others have suggested, if you don't like the realities of supply and demand for summer, then try a different season.

How about a long winter weekend instead?

You can buy this ticket, Detroit-Rome ROUNDTRIP, <b>all taxes and fees included<b> for $273 on Priceline, right this minute...

...for travel Feb 27 to March 3

=================================

Good news! We were able to find an even lower price for this itinerary. The new price is shown below.

Price Summary
Price includes all taxes and fees based on e-ticket. Prices are not guaranteed until purchase is complete. Total Trip Price:$273
Per Person Price: $273

Flight #1 - Wed, Feb 27, 2008
Flight 7604
Departs: DTW 6:00 AM
Arrives: IAD 7:26 AM

Flight #2 - Wed, Feb 27, 2008 Flight 966
Departs: IAD 4:43 PM
Arrives: FCO 7:25 AM
Thursday, February 28, 2008

Flight #3 - Mon, Mar 3, 2008
Flight 967
Departs: FCO 10:55 AM
Arrives: IAD 3:24 PM

Flight #4 - Mon, Mar 3, 2008
Flight 7120
Departs: IAD 10:00 PM
Arrives: DTW 11:29 PM

==============================

Okay, it's not the best routing in the world (long-ish layovers - - so, what the heck - - go see our nation's capital on departure day!)

It's four days in Rome! for $273 all inclusive!

Or $398 from ORD...

Best wishes,

Rex
</b></b>

Funny.. I just checked the first website for cheap flights I ran into (expedia) and got a quote for rt flight Munich-New York of &euro;512, equals $750, for a 1 week stay in mid-June with Northwest via AMS.

Whoops! sorry for all that boldface text!

Hi, I am not sure where you are all from , but those near to Canada border should consider flights out of our cities.
I can get flights from Vancouver B.c. which is as far west as you can be in Canada and not be on an island, and July flights were 1100 all in. Flying from Toronto or Montreal is cheaper even for you north easterners.
Try Zoom Air, it is a Canadian cheapo airline, hubby has used it and thought it was fine, I am booked with them this July .