I was wanting to start planning a trip to Italy for my parents and my husband and I. I just checked airfares and was astounded by the fares. For September the coach fare is around $1000. Unfortunately my dad has a bad knee and does not like to travel anywhere far away. In order for him to agree to go I suggested travelling first class but those fares were $6500! Any helpful tips on airfares. We do have Delta FF miles but only enough for 3 tickets not 4.

You don't tell us where in Italy you want to go to. If it is in Northern Italy, you might want to look into flying to Zuerich, and then going by train to your destination. I got a $2330 business class fare Colorado Springs - Zuerich.

Hi metcarl, personally I am amazed how reasonable the airfares are compared to years ago. In the mid 1970's we went to Italy. Now it was for 2 months, not for a maximum of 3 weeks which is generally the lowest fares.

We paid $950.00 per round trip ticket.

We are now in 2005, and the ticket is $1000.00. I know that the fare for longer then 21 days would be more but still considering inflation (mid 1970's to 2005), the cost of gasoline, security expenses etc. I am always amazed that airfares are as low as they are.

That doesn't mean I too do not cringe with the cost of travel. But comparing airfares over the years leaves me no doubts why most airlines are having financial problems.

Regarding you Dad. Can you use your Delta FF miles to get him a business class seat and the rest of you buy coach seats. Try to be inventive as to how you and your family can work this problem out without breaking the bank.

Maybe your Dad just does not want to travel as much as you would like him to. And imagine your mother would like to take the trip.

I sure don't have any clever suggestions except for what I just mentioned. Maybe your dad would rather stay home. Some people do not really like to travel. Would your mom and dad be agreable to your mom taking the trip why you dad stays home? Probably not, but just a thought. Best wishes to you in solving this problem.

It's always worthwhile to seek the advice of Don on the cheap flights forum of www.eurotrip.com - - especially with a specialized need like this.

Best wishes,

Rex

Did you say where you are flying from? I regularly pay ~$1000 for a ticket to Europe, prices has been the same over the past 10 years.

I will be flying from Louisville, KY. We are only 1 and 1/2 hours from Cinncinati which I noticed has a direct flight from Rome, so may be cheaper. I am just in the very beginning planning stages so am flexible as to what city to fly into.

This trip is mainly for my parents. I have been married for 2 years and have travelled with my in-laws to Patagonia, the Galapgos Islands, Spain, Portugal, and Hawaii. My parents have never been ones for traveling so I guess I am "making" them go on this trip in hopes of enlightening them to the world outside of KY. We can probably make the airfares work, if it means using FF miles for 3 tickets and purchasing one full fare (just not a $6500 business class ticket).

A couple of suggestions. First, a trip in November would almost certainly result in substantially lower airfare and it's not a bad time to travel. The lowest fares for fall are not likely to be available yet. Cincinatti may produce a lower fare, as you pointed out, so keep it in your sights. Personally, I wouldn't hold out the idea of upper class seats. They're very expensive (as you already know). Even upgradeable coach seats tend to be pretty pricey compared with the lower fare class alternatives. If that's really a necessity, one has to think about how this kind of condition might impact on other aspects of the trip.

If it was me, my spouse and I would fly on paid tickets (so we could continue to earn miles/status) and the parents would fly on award tickets -- but I wouldn't be "making" them go to enlighten them. (In fact, if this trip is such that it isn't worth any of their own money, it might not be worth yours, either.)

I have to agree. Don't "make" your parents go. If they haven't traveled yet, and they have some means to do so, they probably aren't that interested.

I'm going to France in early Sept, and Delta FF seats were sold out for all trans-Atlantic flights since November. I was on a waiting list, but finally gave up. Check with Delta to see the availability of seats if the FF deal is a go, or no go for you. They told me that "sometimes" seats are later allocated, depending on the paying traffic.

Stu Dudley

Oh my! well, hi then neighbor (I live in Floyds Knobs). Please see http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34598144

I helped to organize and "host" the first ("annual"?) IN/KY/OH Fodors' GTG last year.

Be aware that fares from Cincinnati are frequently way out of line higher than any other airport in a 250 mile radius - - that Delta monopoly causes it on doemstic flights, and the lack of another trans-atlantic gateway anywhere near just exaggerates it for international flights.

Still, it has happened on occasion...

Oddly, the best fare I ever got to Europe was from Evansville! $900 RT EVV-FCO (Rome) in <i><b>business</b></i> class! Six tickets, together, at that price too!

Hope you can come in June.

Hi Met,

Normally I would never suggest this, as I don't feel it's a good solution for really seeing Italy/Europe, but as you say that your parents don't really like to travel, and your dad has a bad knee, I'm wondering if a cruise wouldn't be a good solution for them.

They could do a pre or post stay (not through the cruise line though - their prices are ridiculous -- either do that portion for them or go through your local travel agent).

Perhaps you could all fly in together before or after the cruise, and then let Mom and Dad enjoy a relaxing cruise, visiting various ports. It could be fun!

The cruise line will have discounted airfare as they buy in bulk, or ask your travel agent to check fares for you. We work through consolidators and depending on the time of the year, availability, etc, can usually find something less expensive.

Just a thought...Hope this is helpful!

Melodie

up...

Hi met,

Check www.mobissimo.com. They have Louisville/FCO RT in late Sept for $850.
Same for Evansville.

I just booked two of my colleagues from Portland, OR to Rome for $869. a piece on NW airlines.

They have never been to Europe and I am organizing their trip for them. I have been watching fares for months and I found this fare 2 days ago.

You have not told us which site(s) you are using to check fares and from which airports.

As stated above, look for fares on mobissimo as well as on the consolidator site www.onetravel.com and www.itasoftware.com and www.kayak.com before making any final decisions.

Airfares are based on route competition as much as anything and I wouldn't &quot;wait&quot; expecting some lower fare to necessarily show up. It might and it might not.

If anyone actually knew <b> for certain when </b> lower fares would always show up a lot of people wouldn't be booking now.

..Loveitaly..I totally agree. It is amazing the reduction in airfare over the last 30 years if you look at airfare and look at it as say percentage of average wage or as a percentage of the price of an average car...now once you get there, that is another story!

Hi Travelbunny, your comment got me thinking. When we purchased our first trip airplane tickets to Italy for $950.00 per person r/t our colonial style 2500 sq.ft. new house was valued at about $40,000.00 That very same house a couple of years ago sold for $750,000.00! No big shock to anyone that lives in CA of course.

I am just grateful I was able to be in Italy for visits when it was so inexpensive. And I would go this year except for unexpected business problems and expenses that I had not planned on this year. So I will wait until 2006.

And I do know that while we here in the US have complained about the prices in Europe most friends and my SIL family in Italy have found the change to the Euro has caused a large increase in cost for them for their day to day living. My SIL said their gasoline price alone in Italy is about the equivalent of $5.00 plus a gallon. The saving grace of course is their good public transportation system which we could sure use here in the US.

Guess we are all going to have to learn to budget better to take the trips we desire.

I wanted to echo Melodie's suggestion of a cruise as another possibility. While it's not the way I would choose to travel in Europe, it's particularly good for people with mobility problems. My father walks with a brace as the result of polio, and has to use a wheelchair much of the time; he really has enjoyed the cruises we've taken, while he's been grouchy about many other trips. My mom very much wants to see St. Petersburg, so we're discussing a Scandinavia-St. Pete cruise for next summer as one way to accomplish that without too many &quot;getting around&quot; issues.

Of course, that doesn't address the price issue (though Melodie may be right that the cruise line might have a consolidator fare for you; I don't usually book airfare through a cruise line so I don't know), nor the problem of discomfort for your dad with the bad knee in coach.

I will say this: when traveling with my father to London, we were once upgraded (without even requesting it) to business class on BA, I guess simply because the gate agent had seen he was in a wheelchair and decided to upgrade us when the space was available. I doubt this happens very often, but it couldn't hurt to try asking at the airport--especially if there's some way to &quot;see&quot; that your dad truly does have a bad knee, such as crutches, cane or a brace or wrap.

Try pricing flights to various European cities and then go to www.tarom.com and price their flights into Romania.

Also you can try calling USI Travel in Mishawaka Indiana. They used to handle all the Tarom flight when Tarom flew from the U.S. They may have some good consolidator fares. You'll have to call information for area code 574 for phone number cause they recently changed.

Oops! Sorry (red faced).... wrong post to reply to!