Airfares to Europe from the USA have always been higher during the summer season of course but they're no longer dirt cheap during the winter...not too long ago, after the xmas season I could, during sales, almost always find return trips between NY and London as low as $298 + a bit in taxes and that was until about 2 or 3 years ago...

Well that $298 has gone up say to $398 which was the fare I was quoted for a return JFK-LHR-JFK but then there was the little matter of

1. Fuel surcharge

2. US government taxes

3 UK government taxes and voila I was paying close to $600

Have been pricing summer NY London and with all the taxes the best you can do today is around $800 to $900

ouch ouch ouch

Here's the fare construction for a two-week round trip economy trip (on AA but identical for BA, CO, VS, AF...) between JFK and Heathrow in June:

Fare (A1): AA NYCLON VHX7EGB fare (rules) $318.00
Fare (A2): AA LONNYC VHX7EGB fare (rules) $318.00
Tax: US September 11th Security Fee $2.50
Tax: US International Departure Tax $15.40
Tax: US Passenger Facility Charge $4.50
Tax: US International Arrival Tax $15.40
Tax: United Kingdom Passenger Service Charge £17.60
Tax: United Kingdom Air Passengers Duty £40.00
Tax: US Customs Fee $5.50
Tax: US Immigration Fee $7.00
Tax: USDA APHIS Fee $5.00
Tax: AA YQ surcharge $182.00
Total for 1 adult passenger: $986.90

The "YQ" surcharge is a fuel surcharge.

And here's the fare for the same dates, but in reverse. Note the westbound fare is in "N" - a cheaper fare class than "V" above (although both are economy seats and the difference is invisible except to AA frequent flyers who receive fewer elite qualifying points for the trips.)

Fare (A1): AA LONNYC NJXRCUK8 fare (rules) £81.00
Fare (A2): AA NYCLON NJXRCUK8 fare (rules) £81.00
Tax: US International Arrival Tax $15.40
Tax: United Kingdom Passenger Service Charge £17.60
Tax: United Kingdom Air Passengers Duty £40.00
Tax: US Customs Fee $5.50
Tax: US Immigration Fee $7.00
Tax: USDA APHIS Fee $5.00
Tax: US September 11th Security Fee $2.50
Tax: US International Departure Tax $15.40
Tax: AA YQ surcharge £101.00
Tax: US Passenger Facility Charge $4.50
Total for 1 adult passenger: £348.70

At today's exchange rate, the fare ex-London is US$681, or around 45% less than the fare if bought in the US. Fuel surcharges and taxes account for 36% of the US-originating ticket and 54% for the British.

It's almost certain AA is losing money on the British-departing ticket and making up for it (but probably not all the way) on the US-departing one. Other carriers with higher seat/mile operating costs, like BA, are taking it in the neck comparatively, which is why they're so focused on the business and first class sectors of the market.

I found and bought roundtrip tickets from Chicago to Munich for June 14-30 for $880 each on www.vayama.com. If you're intersted in Germany, I think it's up to $890 or $900 now. It does go through Heathrow, which I know many people won't do.

Fares have gone up. But, if you want to live dangerously and have flexibility, I have always found really good last minute prices (looking 2 to 3 weeks ahead and having some flexibility as to dates and airport in Europe.) This has been the case for summer departures too, although we typically do not prefer mid-July to mid-August.

My next door neighbor just booked tickets MSP to Geneva for mid-July at $1600 per person (ouch!). They were also locked into certain dates and a certain airport.

Obviously, this summer isn't here yet, but if I wanted to visit Europe I'd want to do way better than that.

Last year I found tickets 2 weeks out for end of May (granted not peak summer) MSP to Istanbul at $900. The summer of 2006 I found late June tickets, looking about 3 months out, MSP to Dusseldorf for around $560. Will those kinds of opportunities be around this year, I don't know. But, often I have found it pays to not be someone who plans way ahead.

I bought plane tickets from SFO to London Heathrow about 6 months ago for a trip in may and paid $1700. $500 was taxes alone. And it was economy class. As for transportation over there it has really gone up as well. Busabout has gone up alot. We called to find out about cancelling the trip as it is almost unaffordable only to find our tickets non refundable. We have to go or loose our investment. Needless to say my family wont be going to europe again for a VERY long time. Central America and the caribbean is a lot cheaper.

Prices may have gone up since a couple of weeks ago, but we purchased NYC-CDG (transfer Frankfurt) for the last 2 weeks in August, shuttle pick up at CDG to hotel, 4 nights at a 3 *** Hotel w/bkf in Paris, and 8 days car rental (Mégane).

We got a better deal doing a package deal through europeandestinations.com than we could do on our own--$4,004 for 3 adults total. I felt we did really well, especially after reading all of the above.

Couldn't hurt to check them out. We called and talked to a real person. It was much easier than trying to do it online.

Caitroselin,

Thank you for the Vayama tip. The tickets for my summer trip to Great Britain are $293 dollars cheaper on Vayama than what I bought them for using www.cheaptickets.com.

I found vayama through a multi-site search engine that was recommended to me by another Fodors member: www.mobissimo.com, so I'm happy to be able to return the favor!

Fares are funny. I though we would just have to live with high fares for the end of May (to Paris from Northern California).

So we bought at $1400 pp. after watching fares for a couple of months.

OF COURSE, a couple of weeks after we bought, the fares went down to $900 pp!

Lesm,

I feel your pain. We are a family of 5 -- we are hoping to go to the Dordogne this summer. (We were going to take our nanny too but that idea was quickly dropped as soon as I saw fares.) We have flexibility and can go in May also. We're flying from Washington, DC and are flexible to fly anywhere in Europe and can train or take commuter flight from that city.

The fares are ridiculous...especially harsh because one of our children will have just turned 2 a week prior and yet we still have to pay $1100-$1500 for her seat. Many people on the forum told me to make more than one connection but we only have 10 days and have a 2, 4 and 6 year old. One connection is fine but too many stops will make for a terrible trip.

So now we're reconsidering the Europe trip. I have 200K United miles and the blackouts are ridiculous. I can get one coach ticket for 105K and that amount will take almost all of us to LA and back to see the grandparents.

Currently researching an adult, romantic location in Europe so we can save $4000 and still have a luxury getaway or staying in the US. I am very disappointed as I have wanted to go to the Dordogne for years and it's my 40th bday and 10 year anniversary trip.

Such a shame -- I think if they offered some decent "bailout" fares like $800/pp so many more people would be traveling.

Good luck! ET

shaytravels: "<i>I bought plane tickets from SFO to London Heathrow about 6 months ago for a trip in may and paid $1700.</i>"

That's nuts IMO. About 5 or 6 weeks ago I bought tix SFO>LHR>SFO in May on Virgin for $879 all inclusive. I even thought that was a bit high - but my dates were inflexible so went w/ it.

janis,
you are responding to a post from Feb 2008

as posted by <b>Lulu</b>,

<i>I think if they offered some decent "bailout" fares like $800/pp so many more people would be traveling.</i>,

You're missing one important point, the planes are full.

Airlines cut capacity, so that's why you see today's fares reflect the reality of doing business, not the over-capacity fares that we saw in the past.

What's the point of having few more planes flying just to satisfy the budget market if the flights would be losing money?

The airlines are a business, not a charity organization.

Tell Obama to <b>nationalize</b> the airlines and then offer you the cheap fares to Europe.

sheesh - sorry

Lulubelle -- and you topped a year old thread why???? I doubt lesm is still looking for tix to Europe for last summer.

Janisj

Didn't notice it was last year -- searched Europe airfare and it popped up!

Oh and to AAFrequentFlyer, none of the planes I looked at were full, not even close, according to the seat maps.

Airlines have cut capacity. They calculate that the seats will be filled. Doens't mean NOW. Most people don't buy their tickets this far out, even though many of us here do.

lulu,
My Summer Euro flights are EMPTY. Ive never got to choose any seats I want. Im normally the guy thats who has to break up his party all over the plane

But widebody intercontinental and hawaii flights are generally full.

Seat maps are NEVER a good indication of how many seats are sold.

This has been discussed few times around here.

<< Seat maps are NEVER a good indication of how many seats are sold.

This has been discussed few times around here. >>

But the website www.seatcounter.com might be reliable for this - - it just doesn't show as a map (it couldn't... the same seat can be sold in more than one fare class).

Best wishes,

Rex

perhaps for other airlines, but not for AA. Do the above mentioned flight on Nov19 and it shows zero availability for all fare codes. It's the same for 7/11 and or any date you pick.

Another issue with sites like seatcounter.com is that the highest number it will show for sale for a particular fare bucket is 9. If you see "Y9", it may mean 9 seats left in economy for sale, or it may mean the cabin is totally empty.

rkk,

When you buy your seat, you can immediately pick your seats on many airlines. When I bought be dirt cheap fares recently, I was shocked we were just about the only ones on the plane(so far with confirmed seating). Maybe the other buyers havent gotten around to getting their seats? not
lol

<b>FrankS</b>,

nobody is saying you can't pick seats, but the debate is about "certain" preferred seats.

For example, as AA status holder I get to chose seats that are not available to the general public, but yet there are certain seats that are not available even to the status holder. They automatically go under airport control and won't be assigned until people check in at the airport.

That's what this discussion is all about.

Go to www.airfarewatchdog.com and sign up for their newsletter. I have seen $600-$800 tickets but they are 2 or more stops. These are unpublished fares. I just received an update and it is $508 round trip to London from Phoenix all taxes included, on British Airways stay a Saturday fly by May 25th. It is on Orbitz, Travelocity you just have to sign up
for some of the sites, like Booking Buddies, Farecast, etc.