If you could pick any airline to Paris? and also airfare is not cheaper on Tuesday
 

If you could pick any airline to Paris which would it be? Also I waited until today to book a flight I had been undecided about because I read airfare is cheaper on Tuesday. The same trip is $300 each higher today that yesterday. I guess I learned a lesson. I don't even know If I'll be able to talk my husband into going now.

On my first trip to Paris, I book with Hotwire for $800.00 round trip for 2. It was on Lufthansa, had to fly Philly-Frankfurt-Paris and return on same route. The largest cost for my travel is airfare, as I travel for work and earn hotel points.
I base my airline choice on where I am going first and cost second. Even if I need to make a connection, the fare may be cheaper but, is it worth the extra time in transit. SOmetimes it is.

The airline I'd pick is the one that is least expensive as long as it isn't Air India. Although they have good sales I hear too many horror stories of canceled flights and poor customer service to solve problems that arise.

Its not a 100% guarantee that prices drop on Tuesdays. Prices fluctuate daily. Plus its usually after midnight that you get those seasts that have been rereleased from cancelations that create temporarily lower prices. I sometimes set the alarm to get up to check fares then. I have yet to find any huge bargains.

How far out is your planned trip? Two and a half to three months out is when fare sales usually occur. All bets are off for summer travel. Fares sales might not ever happen.

I'm currently waiting to see if prices go down for my dates in June. I can see by looking on orbitz that only half the seats have been sold on my dates for most flights so there is no pressing reason to jump on a high priced flight just yet.

If you don't like the high prices figure out when low season will be and plan your trip then if possible. I can fly for $400-600 in the off season (roughly Nov. - May) and I'm currently looking at $1300 fares for my dates.

Consider driving to an airport within 100-200 miles of your "home" airport and check for prices there to see if it might be worth the drive for significant savings.

For me its a little like gambling and I kind of enjoy the hunt for good fares. Good luck.

Cindy, I just booked airfare to Paris on Air France a few weeks ago. I've noticed that their fares still seem to fluctuate dramatically and I was told that they often drop their fares on the weekend. It's worth checking.

I guess it depends on where you are flying from. I always book by the price of the ticket. I have flown from BOS to Paris on AA, Air France, Continental, Virgin, and Iceland Air. My choice in order would be Air France, Iceland Air, AA, and the combo of Continental and Virgin. I have had great experiences with Air France and a terrible experience with Virgin. I think in many cases it just depends on the individual circumstances as to whether you enjoy your flight.

Air France is my favorite airlines, good food (for airline food) wine, etc...

Don't give up, a travel agent friend of mine suggests trying to book your tickets on a Tues or Weds, I try odd times of time, I use different computers. You just never know when the cheap airfare is going to be there. I book my trips after I have the airfare. I don't worry about the airline if the fare is good.

As someone else mentioned, the answer depends on where you live - it also depends on which airline alliance you belong to. I prefer Air Canada for direct flights Paris-Canada, but often fly British Airways because I like flying Premium Economy (and I have Gold status, so I get treated reasonably well).

If cost is the main issue and you live near Toronto or Montreal (or have good cheap flight connections to get there), Zoom Airlines is a possibility. Zoom is a discount carrier that flies to Paris and to a few destinations in the UK. For a slightly higher price, you can fly in Zoom's equivalent of Premium Economy, in either or both directions. I think Air Transat also flies to Paris from Canada, but only in the summer.

If you wanted to splurge a little, and live near NYC, you could fly the new all business class airline, L'Avion.

Sometimes, the indirect flights are a better deal. At Christmas, when I had to book a ticket fast because our BA flights from Paris to Canada via London got cancelled because the fog, the Air Canada and Air France tickets were astronomically expensive, but Lufthansa (connecting in Frankfurt) was a steal. Likewise, you might find KLM connecting in Amsterdam to be a good value (and you can usually stop over for practically free - just the cost of higher taxes because of the stopover - so you could visit the Netherlands or Germany, too.)

When are you going? I just got notice of a fare sale from Air France. Tickets have to be purchased by March 30. I didn't check any further because I'm not traveling right now. Before you get "all excited", check the fares because sometimes by the time they add the tax and all the other charges, it's not as much of a deal as it seems.

Hi Cindy-

Did you clear the cookies from your computer before putting in your airline search on Tuesday?

Sometimes you have to clear cookies or the travel booking engine (orbitz, for example) doesn't give YOU the lower prices since it knows what it already showed you, if that makes sense. (I am honestly not sure if it is Orbitz that does this, I just know it happens with some of the booking engines.)

I usually fly Air France, and from where I fly, the fares have definitely NOT been fluctuating a lot recently for this summer. I wish they were, but for the couple of dates I'm checking, they have remained very high and about the same for some weeks now, regardless of day and time I check.

I would go with a nonstop, and then cheapest, basically. From where I live, that is AF or United only. I prefer AF if they were equal price. But basically any major airline is probably going to be okay if it suits your price and times.

I've never noticed airfare being any cheaper on Tuesdays (at least for buying on Tuesdays, which I'm assuming you mean, not the days of travel) in any consistent manner at all. In fact, I think I've noticed it dropping more on Fridays than early in the week, but again, that could all be random.

We have flown Air France to France the last few years and had good flights. We just got back from a trip on an Air France 747 flight which was awful. It was like a cattle car. An old plane with just one movie screen in each section and side. It had been refitted to get more seats in so we didn't even have a window. I will fly Air France again but not on a 747.

If the flight has gone up $300 in a day or two, just wait. The prices fluctuate and it can go down again as fast as it went up. Check at least several times a day. As far as traveling off-season, our friends got a great deal on flying to Europe in early March and hit major snowstorms leaving and returning to the US. They were delayed, stuck in airports, missed connections, your basic nightmare.

We want to go the 1st week of June and fly out of Atlanta. It doesn't seem like anyone flys out of Atlanta at a reduced rate. I'm afraid if I wait much longer they will just go up again. Air India is still the cheapest but there have been so many negative comments I don't want to risk it. Also there are 3 of us and you can't pick your seats on Air India.

If your dates are a little flexible, I just checked on Kayak, and you can get airfare to London, or Paris from Atlanta leaving May 27th in the 600 and 700 dollar range, but leaving the first week of June it's almost double.

Try http://www.airlinequality.com/ for some airline quality reviews. Click on Star ratings to get some ideas. Lots of good ideas on this site.

Don't forget, once you choose an airline, click on www.seatguru.com to make sure you don't get a dog of a seat. Try and do this before you book so you don't have the bother with trying to change your seat.

I was looking into flights from Paris to Nuremberg. Most were $700 for 2. On a whim I check using Orbitz and found a flight for $77 one way. It's even cheaper then the train. It's on Air Berlin. Don't know if that helps.

Singapore Airlines offer best service though it is now being challenged by Emirates.

I just returned from 4 flights on Air France, and could NOT have been happier with them, really, their food is quite excellent in economy, and their redesigned interiors, with foot rests, individual audio/video on demand, and very nice and helpful flight staff, from check-in to on-board service, could not have been better.

Even on my little over an hour flight from Venice to Paris CDG, they served a full lunch meal-but my pre-ordered seafood meals on the flights to and from the US were just excellent. And of course, there is that great French champagne which you can drink for free as well, not to mention their good red and white wine served onboard.

And by the way, contrary to complaints on this website, I still have had NO problems connecting from terminals in CDG whatsoever-I will say though, that security is very strict at CDG right now, more so than in the East Coast airports in the US-I had to take off my shoes, and the metal detectors are set very low, so where I did not set off any alarms at Venice Marco Polo, I did set off alarms at CDG and was subjected to a full body search. You declare your on-board liquids up front, but I've been carrying all make-up, including half used bottles of liquid hand sanitizer, and have gotten nary a blink, both in the US and in Europe.

And about duty-free shopping in CDG, I saw the cutest Lancel handbag for a most reasonable on sale 80 Euro at CDG on the way in, and figured, yes, I will come back through and buy this-but then, when I had to switch to Terminal 2E, for the outbound international flight, thinking that same shop would be in that Terminal? Wrong! There is virtually NO DUTY-FREE SHOPS where the international outbound flights to the US are located in 2E, nothing other than cigarettes, liquor and perfumes, and you CANNOT go back out, do some shopping in Terminal 2F, and then go back to Terminal 2E-not possible-will not let you do that. I was quite disappointed, so remember that if you want to do duty-free shopping, make sure you do it in the other Terminals, before getting to your gate in 2E. This is the second time this has happened to me, where I found a really great handbag in duty-free on sale, and failed to purchase it when I saw it, so never got the opportunity again. I do like those Lancel bags very much, and they are not carried on the discount designer handbag websites, I've noticed, unlike the Italian brands-there are some Longchamps, but not Lancel.

Btw, Wednesday seems to be the cheapest airfare day, on average, I've found.

I shop airfares WAY ahead for the most convenient times and non-stop flights. We've flown Air France, Delta, and American. We prefer Air France, but choose based on fare if the difference is significant.

You haven't mentioned when you plan to go, but we've had fantastic luck with www.1800flyeurope.com in recent years. You must shop there directly. Paid $631 for May, $552 for September, and $794 for this September (fares have increased significantly and lowest today is $914).

You may want to just wait and plan your trip for next year.

May 27 is the start of the French Open tennis tournament and Monday, May 28 is Pentecost. I'm not 100% sure if Pentecost is generally considered a day off in France (we got it last year where I work). If so, those dates might explain why the fares are high for the dates you're looking at. It might be a busy travel weekend in France.

Predicting when French holidays are going to result in heavy weekend travel and long weekends is a little tricky this year because of the French presidential and parliamentary elections. For example, ordinarily, you'd see a lot of people taking a super long weekend just before May 8 (even a 10-14 day holiday because May 1 is also a holiday), but this year May 6 is the second round of the presidential election, so more French likely will stay home. Maybe that's pushing more into taking a long weekend at the end of May, around Pentecost Monday.

What we are really wanting to do is fly into Paris and out of London which makes it more difficult and expensive. We are really not very flexible on our dates because my son has friends that will also be in Paris the first week of June and he would like to be there at the same time. I guess if you're going to be so picky you have to be willing to pay the price. Flying out of Atlanta also limits your options.

You might check roundtrip to London and the cost of roundtrip on the Eurostar from London to Paris as an alternative.

I actually did check that amwosu and it's about $1000 dollars cheaper. Because of the days we want to be in Paris and my son is graduating from high school on the 26th has something on the 27th so as you can see it gets complicated. The only way it would work is if we flew into London and went straight to Paris on Eurostar that day. That would make for a loooong day.

I'm heading to Paris in a few weeks and only recently bought my tickets.

I've had good experience with Air France in the past. I went to book with them again but noticed on Orbitz that a Delta flight for $200 less with the exact same times and dates as the Air France flight I wanted. I went to book the Delta flight and noticed that it was to be "operated" by Air France under the same flight number of the more expensive flight I almost bought. I understand that they are code share partners but the $200 difference seems strange. Has anyone ever noticed this?

The Air France and Delta prices on the code share are almost always different when you go to the Delta or Air France website. I have noticed this also. Sometimes Delta is cheaper, sometimes Air France is cheaper.

That is interesting, Fraggle-when I booked my $481.00 fare to Venice all taxes included on the Air France website, that same fare was more on Delta-and it is operated as a codeshare. But opaldog is right, sometimes Delta fares are more or less, and sometimes Air France runs a sale on their website-you have to check both, or go to kayak.com to see what it comes up with in terms of websites with the lowest airfare.

cindynpp

I was reading the NY Times on the weekend and I saw a full page Delta ad for a Europe sale. I don't remember if Paris was on there, and the ad was basically for out of JFK (other airports listed in small print for different fares) but the fares looked in the range of $600 -$900 RT depending on destination.

I didn't pay much attention since unfortunately I need a flight in - ugh - high season due to traveling companions, and travel for these fares needs to be completed by June 15th. If that works with your dates, check out the Delta website.

American is also doing a pretty major spring sale including flights to Paris.
The big question is when are you going and from where?

And in coach, I think American is as comfortable as it gets -- certainly more room than most carriers.

From L.A., my choice is Air Tahiti Nui. Non-stop, decent food and very nice flight attendant.

((H))

Great points from AGMCapeCod and RastaGuy. Seatguru was very helpful and I always check on the type of aircraft when booking (holdover from my Air Force days, I guess). My wife and I are flying to CDG on United out of Washington Dulles a week from Sunday. I used AmEx points, but the rates were all pretty close at the time I booked. I had a choice between two directs: Air France and United. First, I'm a United frequent flyer, so the miles appealed to me, but what really sold me was the aircraft. AF offered an Airbus with a 3-4-3 configuration. That meant if we could get on one side or the other, we'd have to take an aisle and a middle. With almost the same arrivals and departures on the dates I wanted, UA is flying 777s with the 2-5-2 config. I booked in time to get us on the sides both going and coming, so we get to cozy up to no one but each other! It might sound a little silly, but that was a huge selling point...it definitely helped me make up my mind.

We are flying out of Atlanta. I don't think anybody has a sale out of Atlanta. Not that I can find anyway.

American has sales through May -- I was even looking at open jaw into CDG and out of London or vice versa from Atlanta -- 2 weeks for $388 ($561 with taxes). I saw on another post you are planning on doing London AND Paris, so this could be ideal. And into the first week of June, they still have prices in the $500 range, (around $ 700 with taxes).
It seems that American flights are all cheaper if you go into or out of London one way instead of round trip Paris. Or if you're doing London and Paris, maybe just check round trip London.

Sign up for US Air's e-savers via their website. I just got e-saver info for Indy to London for $199 one way but it only goes thru May 22.

I did see that Atlanta was also on the list for flights into Manchester England for $249 for the same time frame. I know that isn't YOUR time frame but maybe the next esaver next week will have another good fare pushing into June.

NeoPatrick
I wish I could find a fare for $700 to Paris. I just went to American ( i actually already searched there once today), clicked on multi-city leaving from ATL on May 31 to CDG, returning from LHR on June 9 $1155.00 Am I doing something wrong? Maybe I've searched so much they won't show me any low fares. We're really considering flying round trip to London ($645 RT) and taking the train to Paris mid-week to save $1000. I rather fly into Paris and out of London but a $1000 is 1/2 room price. I may look another day or so to be sure. Then it'll probably be $900 RT.

I was in the exact same situation two years back, trying to schedule inbound to Paris to coordinate with my niece's graduation date. Because it was during the French Open, everything was harder to find at a discount. We wound up leaving the night of her morning ceremony because it saved a whole lot of bucks.

And about Tuesdays - in addition to the day you check posted fares, midweek (Tuesday - Thursday) flights are often cheaper than those on Friday through Monday

Thanks for the reply Seamus. I'm glad to see your name. I actually posted a question to you because I someone posted a link to a thread from last year where you commented on VRBO 74510. We have been corresponding with Giancarlo to rent it while we are in Paris and I'm a bit uncomfortable about long distance apartment rental, Just wanted to confirm from your previous post about the apartment and Giancarlo. He does not ask for any deposit which makes me a little uneasy. I just don't want to get down to the wire and have to stay in a dump because everything is booked. Any comment would be appreciated.

Ouch. No you aren't doing anything wrong -- other than flying out Memorial Day week. I suspect that's the real issue. Once Memorial Day hits, the fares go up. For those other fares I was looking a week earlier.

Thanks to everyone for the info. We don't have a choice but to leave after Memorial day, my son graduates from high school the Saturday before. I guess if we want to go we will just have to pay the price. From what everyone has said I don't see airfare coming down a significant amount so we better hurry before it goes up

Hey, I just got an idea from StuDudley to fly into Brussels Belgium (BRU) and it saved me $375/person even though I'm doing a mulit city trip and flying home thru CDG. From Brussels you can hop on a TGV and be in Paris faster than from London.