Help with Airfare to Italy
Nov 3rd, 2000, 05:39 AM
#1
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Help with Airfare to Italy
Have a family of 5 flying into Catania Sicily and out of Florence or Rome 2 weeks later (Depart JFK July 13, arrive 14th, and depart 28th or 29th)...the airfares I am finding are outrageous ($1100 plus per person)...anyone have any clues on cheaper fares? Thank you.
Nov 3rd, 2000, 06:20 AM
#2
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Hi,
The airlines have sales for the summer usually around March. My husband and I went to Rome last May/June, and I remember the sale being in March. Normally, if one airline has the sale, all the airlines will match it.
The only problem for your trip is that since you're going in the middle of the summer, it's going to be tougher to find more reasonable airfare.
We took Lufthansa, out of Washington Dulles, but since you're leaving from JFK, your best shot at a better price might just be with Al Italia. I would wait, though, until after the New Year, and see about when they'll start having better prices.
Generally, for summer travel, you're lookinga at probably $800, maybe $700 if you're lucky. If you can somehow go in May/early June, the fare will be around $460-600/ticket.
Good luck.
The airlines have sales for the summer usually around March. My husband and I went to Rome last May/June, and I remember the sale being in March. Normally, if one airline has the sale, all the airlines will match it.
The only problem for your trip is that since you're going in the middle of the summer, it's going to be tougher to find more reasonable airfare.
We took Lufthansa, out of Washington Dulles, but since you're leaving from JFK, your best shot at a better price might just be with Al Italia. I would wait, though, until after the New Year, and see about when they'll start having better prices.
Generally, for summer travel, you're lookinga at probably $800, maybe $700 if you're lucky. If you can somehow go in May/early June, the fare will be around $460-600/ticket.
Good luck.
Nov 3rd, 2000, 08:47 AM
#3
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We bought tickets for Paris/Milan/Milan/Paris for March and paid $650 each. We got them through bestfares.com. I've been a member for 2 years and they've saved us a chunk of change. Look at the specials and if it is worth it to you, pay the $60 fee. With the fee there is a coupon for $250 off (if they are still giving those). Marilyn
Nov 4th, 2000, 09:28 PM
#4
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May not be relevant, but we just got back from Italy and had 'fun' with the airfare. We called several travel agents, and the best they could offer was about $1,000 (we were only 3 weeks ahead of the departure date). Then we tried the alitalia web site, and got two round trips - SFO -Milan-Florence - late October - for $625 each. We flew out Sunday, returning Monday 15 days later (not the best days). We could not believe this good price! Since we've just got back, I have to say, everything went fine.
As an aside, we started to rent the car through the alitalia web site, but got a terrible deal. I went through some web site and ended up with a Europecar rental that seemed to be an amazing price - $550 for a 'better than lowest grade' car for 11 days. Can't recall site name, but it's one of the sites mentioned in the fodors book in that badly organized front section on different colored paper.
As an aside, we started to rent the car through the alitalia web site, but got a terrible deal. I went through some web site and ended up with a Europecar rental that seemed to be an amazing price - $550 for a 'better than lowest grade' car for 11 days. Can't recall site name, but it's one of the sites mentioned in the fodors book in that badly organized front section on different colored paper.
Nov 5th, 2000, 03:33 AM
#6
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Roberta
Check out a website for Alitalia and then call them directly . you will no thave to pay any extras. We bought tickets for June 25th flying out of Newark to Rome than to Palermo and back from Rome for $542 each. Only to compare different fares I use expedia.com but I still buy directly from the airlines. I never got any good fares from bestfares.com Try to be flexible and use Newark.
Check out a website for Alitalia and then call them directly . you will no thave to pay any extras. We bought tickets for June 25th flying out of Newark to Rome than to Palermo and back from Rome for $542 each. Only to compare different fares I use expedia.com but I still buy directly from the airlines. I never got any good fares from bestfares.com Try to be flexible and use Newark.
Nov 7th, 2000, 03:33 AM
#8
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Unfortunately you are going at high season. We just returned from a six week stay in Italy and France, and we flew Air France to Nice, then picked uup our leased car and drove to Italy, our air fares were $ 600 and change.We got this through our travel agent, but I believe you should be able to do better than $1100 even in July.
Nov 7th, 2000, 06:25 AM
#9
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We flew in October to Naples with Lufthansa. I paid $485.00 per person. I basically checked all the websites a couple of times a week.
Check:
www.tiss.com
www.bestfares.com
www.travelocity.com
www.lowestairfare.com
also, depending on how long you wait you could try:
www.thedailyauction.com
for last minute type travel deals.
or
www.skyauction.com
Those are the website I look at whenever I am looking for the bottom of the barrell airfare. The key is to check frequently, have a realistic budget, and don't compromise until you have reached that budget, (or you leave tomorrow!)
Hope this helps!
Carey
Check:
www.tiss.com
www.bestfares.com
www.travelocity.com
www.lowestairfare.com
also, depending on how long you wait you could try:
www.thedailyauction.com
for last minute type travel deals.
or
www.skyauction.com
Those are the website I look at whenever I am looking for the bottom of the barrell airfare. The key is to check frequently, have a realistic budget, and don't compromise until you have reached that budget, (or you leave tomorrow!)
Hope this helps!
Carey
Nov 7th, 2000, 06:37 AM
#10
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Hi:
I just got a GREAT deal with tripmaker.com. $385 round trip from Minneapolis to Rome for two weeks stay. My agent was Celinia. She helped arrange everything. The taxes and fuel surcharges were also the cheapest I've seen - $69 total for a total ticket price of $454 each. They have a phone nubmer posted to book the flight. Unfortunately you can't book online, but for that price it's worth a few minutes on the phone. I am flying in the winter, though, so it is considerably cheaper. July is about the most expensive time to fly. I would still recommend calling them, though as they have fares through next summer already. The online posting will only go through about March, so you will need to email them or call for rates in July. Just a hint - almost all of the hotels in all of Italy can be booked online. I didn't bookmark the site, but I found it by using "italy" as the search word and hotbot as the search engine. At the top of the search will come up a little list of tips such as book hotels, culture, history, etc. Click on the hotels line and it will take you to a comprehensive list of bed and breakfasts, hotels, and private short term apartments around the country with links to photos and booking information.
I just got a GREAT deal with tripmaker.com. $385 round trip from Minneapolis to Rome for two weeks stay. My agent was Celinia. She helped arrange everything. The taxes and fuel surcharges were also the cheapest I've seen - $69 total for a total ticket price of $454 each. They have a phone nubmer posted to book the flight. Unfortunately you can't book online, but for that price it's worth a few minutes on the phone. I am flying in the winter, though, so it is considerably cheaper. July is about the most expensive time to fly. I would still recommend calling them, though as they have fares through next summer already. The online posting will only go through about March, so you will need to email them or call for rates in July. Just a hint - almost all of the hotels in all of Italy can be booked online. I didn't bookmark the site, but I found it by using "italy" as the search word and hotbot as the search engine. At the top of the search will come up a little list of tips such as book hotels, culture, history, etc. Click on the hotels line and it will take you to a comprehensive list of bed and breakfasts, hotels, and private short term apartments around the country with links to photos and booking information.
Nov 7th, 2000, 08:50 AM
#11
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Hi Roberta:
This is Mom again. I do check everyday and sometimes twice a day prices as soon as I know when and where is our next trip. And when I see some great price I just get it before any changes take place. Check all those websites that Carey mentioned and then call Alitalia or any other airlines directly. I wouldn't use a traveler agent as ssuggested. Take time and do research on your own. Good luck in finding the best possible fares.
This is Mom again. I do check everyday and sometimes twice a day prices as soon as I know when and where is our next trip. And when I see some great price I just get it before any changes take place. Check all those websites that Carey mentioned and then call Alitalia or any other airlines directly. I wouldn't use a traveler agent as ssuggested. Take time and do research on your own. Good luck in finding the best possible fares.
Nov 9th, 2000, 05:46 AM
#12
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Thank you everyone, I will try lots of the suggestions. I AM a member of bestfares, but was beginning to think I threw away the $60 bucks because it seems every fare I look at has some catch; with children we are sort of restricted to school vacation times so we do end up traveling in peak periods.Ill try direct airlines, the auction sites and tohers as suggested. Thanks, will let you know the results!
BY the way, our first stop is Taormina (will be staying there) so I assumed Catania would be the best place to land, over Messina...is this a correct assumption? I have a 2 year old so the driving time (reduction of it!) is worth extra cost.
BY the way, our first stop is Taormina (will be staying there) so I assumed Catania would be the best place to land, over Messina...is this a correct assumption? I have a 2 year old so the driving time (reduction of it!) is worth extra cost.
Nov 9th, 2000, 07:50 AM
#13
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Hi -
How about if you get R/T air from JFK to Rome (or another city in Italy) and then try to finagle a separate R/T (like Rome-Sicily)? Example: I tried to price an itinerary from JFK-Paris-Rome-JFK and the cost was $967. I priced it separately: JFK-Paris R/T - $354; Paris-Rome R/T - $221 for a grand total of $575 - BIG DIFFERENCE.
How about if you get R/T air from JFK to Rome (or another city in Italy) and then try to finagle a separate R/T (like Rome-Sicily)? Example: I tried to price an itinerary from JFK-Paris-Rome-JFK and the cost was $967. I priced it separately: JFK-Paris R/T - $354; Paris-Rome R/T - $221 for a grand total of $575 - BIG DIFFERENCE.
Nov 9th, 2000, 05:22 PM
#16
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Roberta, I highly suggest you go to www.qixo.com. This site spiders many other cheap ticket websites and will give you one really cheap price most likely for your trip. I got this link from this website, check um out. http://europe2001.cjb.net
Best Regards,
George
http://europe2001.cjb.net
"Travel Europe 2001, Priceless Travel Knowledge."
Best Regards,
George
http://europe2001.cjb.net
"Travel Europe 2001, Priceless Travel Knowledge."
Nov 15th, 2000, 10:03 AM
#18
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Thank you George & Beth. I visited both qixo and expedia (separately), even though QIXO includes expedia results); nothing less than $950 per person, and that's not even inclusding Catania...only JFK to Rome round trip! Guess I'm out of luck for the moment.
Nov 15th, 2000, 11:41 AM
#20
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I've got some of those coupons -- from nasty late or cancelled (indefinately postponed) flights, good on Continental or Northwest. Don't know if I'd trust flying Northwest since I'd have to go through Detroit or Minneapolis (and that was where I got hung up for 6 hours last time!) Think I'll just wait for the Spring fare sales...
