Hello, I've really enjoyed reading the Paris forum and seeing posts from so many knowledgeable people. I need help with my trip to Paris. A friend and I are traveling to Paris for one week in October. Can you tell me what sites you recommend for finding good airfares? And how far in advance do you purchase your tickets? Thanks so much for your consideration.

Hi Emily, I think some of this depends on your home airport so you may get different theories here.

I like to plan <b>FAR</b> ahead and start looking at airfare (using daily KAYAK alerts) about six to nine months ahead. I "pull the trigger" at least three months ahead, just for my own comfort level.


Hope you have a wonderful time in the City of Light.

I've been booked for my October tripa since March so get to it!

I use http://www.itasoftware.com to check fares. I usually end up booking direct as I have FF miles and Delta allows using part miles part cash. I paid $700.00 RT from Florida

Well fear not - I booked mine in March at what I thought was a decent rate but I think int. airfares have come down. I am flying from Atl to Paris at the end of Sept. When I check the flight there are PLENTY of seats on the plane. The everyday price is the price I paid in March so I would guess there will be sales to fill up that plane. Either sign up for price alerts, if you go tha route, or check daily on the flights you want - I would expect a good fare to come your way. But it also depends on where you are flying from.

I use www.kayak.com.

I always just buy tickets from regular airlines, but for searching, I use Kayak and www.itasoftware.com. I haven't bought a ticket from a consolidator in many years (they don't have as good deals as they used to, at least not for where I tend to go). I think Kayak gives them, anyway, if you want to check them out -- Vayama and Lesno or something are on there, I think.

I usually buy several months ahead of time, or when I see a good deal. I bought a RT to Paris for September a month or two ago when Air France was having a big sale I couldn't resist. YOu can check and see if their fares are still good for that period, maybe they are (about $600 RT was what I paid from Wash DC).

On another point, I think you are not aware that October is one of the busiest periods in Paris for business reasons, and hotels have their peak rates then and are booked up far ahead of time. So you do have to make reservations as soon as you can to get a good choice, if you decide to go then.

www.igougo.com and also directly with the different airline websites. Happy Travels!

Watch the usual sites(Expedia, Orbitz, Kayak, etc.) Plus the individual airline sites.

My big piece of advice is if you see a fare that you like, buy it. If you even wait 5 min. and go back in, it may be gone. We learned the hard way.

Just paid a little over $700 for Air France from Chicago direct to CDG in Sept.

Hi EL.

www.kayak.com
www.mobissimo.com
www.1800flyeurope.com
www.flycheapabroad.com/default.aspx

Good hunting.

PS,

The lowest price on my airfare, RT ATL/CDG in Sept, was reached in July - about $10 less than it was on a one-day sale in March.

Prices for one-stop on the same route have come down about $80 from that sale.

My newspaper says that airlines will cut flights rather than lower fares for fall travel.

I've read the same thing as Travelnut said.

There are several airlines offering Fall Europe sale right now.

The lowest Europe fares I saw (so far), were about 4 weeks ago. I waited 2 weeks before I purchased them (Boston/Berlin roundtrip), and the fares have gone up about $100. A few days after my purchase, the same tickets have gone up $60. I just checked the tickets again now, and the fare has gone up another $50. So, in just a few weeks' time, the fare has gone up a total of >$200.

I just saw in the paper or somewhere that either Aer Lingus or Icelandair has some very good sale fares now, and they do fly to Paris (with a connection, of course). I forget which one it was, but the fares were very good. Checking, you can do RT Boston-Paris for only $533 on Icelandair in mid-October, and $655 on Aer Lingus. Those fares include taxes.

I would be very grateful for more advice as I seek to book my roundtrip ticket to Paris in October.
I've studied many itineraries and have a few basic questions:
1. Are there any airlines doing international flights that have the best service? From where I live in Ohio, I can fly United, American, Delta, Air France and Continental. The only airline I am trying to avoid is US Air thru Philadelphia, but I'm open to all others.
2. What is a good amount of time for the layover on the return trip? I don't want to have to rush and try to get through customers, so what's acceptable?
3. There are no direct flights from Columbus,OH, so I have choices to connect through these cities -- Atlanta, Cincinnati, Newark, Boston, Washington, Chicago and New York-- any recommendations?
4. Which type of plane/aircraft do I want to seek out or avoid?
Thank you so much for your input!

Here are some personal opinions:

1. I like Air France. Be aware that some Air France flights are codeshares with Delta and vice versa.
2. 2-3 hours, but book the entire flight on one ticket. If you miss your connection, you have recourse. If you fly AF from CDG to BOS and USAir from BOS to CMH, you have a problem if AF gets you to Boston late.
3. Well, ATL and Cincinnati are both Delta hubs, so that is obvious, but I personally hate flying away from my destination to get there (CMH-ATL-CDG). This may just be my neurosis.
4. Avoid 757's (Continental from Newark in particular), though if you fly Icelandic with a stop in Keflavik to walk around, it isn't so bad. I hear that waits are now longer in Keflavik than they used to be, so this layover is less desirable now. 777's are my favorite.

Consider USAirways BUT out of CLT instead of PHL.

I just look for the best price and thats it. All coach seating is bad so price is the only thing I care about. When your checking your sources put different combinations of days in and check on different days of the week. Make sure you know what a good price is and when you see something you like be prepared to buy right then. Also, tickets may be cheaper in November, October is a popular month to travel. But who knows.

Another useful site is seatguru.com. If you have choices among several flights, you can look at which may have better seats availabile.