Deirdra

Now besides the usual arrival and departures times and places and money what other important questions would you ask when booking your flight. How far ahead did you book. I'm leaving mid May for two weeks. I plan to book everything myself either via the internet or direct calls to the airlines. I've never done this before and could use some advice NOT snippy comments PLS.

Liz

I found good fares for late May, early June in mid-February this year. I had been watching carefully for a while. Prices only went lower once, about a week AFTER I bought. Oh well, only $30.

Janice

I would start looking at air fares now, but not book anything (unless you see something less than - maybe $300) until after Christmas. The more you look, the more comfortable you will become with the fluctuations in prices, and the more you will have an idea of what an appropriate and reasonable fare is. Otherwise, just make sure that you're flying on the actual airline - or if it a "codeshare" what airline it is. (for example, to fly from Chicago to Madrid, if you book through American, you usually fly Iberia - NOT the same quality) Ask what their policies are for carry-on luggage, what kind of plane it is - seating configuration, in-flight entertainment etc. But mostly just pick a price you can live with, buy the tickets, and enjoy the other aspects of planning. The flight is just the boring tedious part of the vacation.... Good luck.

JP

Find out if you get frequent flyer miles for the fare you are booking. Make sure that you sign up for the airline's FF program first, and then see if there is any special offer going (double miles?). You'd be surprised how quickly you can earn a free ticket these days.<BR><BR>Also see if the fare's cancellation policy is acceptable to you. If not, you may want to buy cancellation insurance.<BR><BR>If you are flying to a city with more than 1 airport (especially London), make sure you know which one you are going to. One may fit your plans a lot better than another.

doc

If your dates are flexible, you may save money traveling on different days. you may want to wait for some fares to change. May is a long way off,unfortunately,we arent always rewarded by the airlines for booking early. I check lots of internet websites and the airline sites directly for weeks until I purchase if I have the time you have

carol

It depends where you are heading. Some good value charter companies don't sell for May until March. I would find a good travel agent who is familiar with your destination and he/she should know when the seat sales tend to happen.

Ann

Wait until around February, but follow the fares along before then, in case a great sale pops up.<BR><BR>The only questions you need to ask when booking are, if you have any connections, is that ample time to make the connection.

airwise

Check out the size of the seats, in relation to your own size. There's been much discussion on this issue already, both in this forum and in the Airlines forum.<BR><BR>If you need to change planes in any other airport BEFORE the flight that hops the pond, make sure that you've made ample allowances for delays in your connection times. Some North American departures require 2 to 3 flight segments. Choose the most direct flights, even if the price is higher. <BR><BR>If you avoid a Friday, Saturday or Sunday departure or return, ticket prices are cheaper. Sometimes Sunday is not considered a "week-end fare" day - check.<BR><BR>Make sure that you book your seat assignment at the time that you book & pay your ticket. It's harder to get "bumped" when you have a seat assignment already.<BR><BR>Unless you're a top-points frequent flyer, don't wait 'til you get to the airport to get your seat assigned. Bulkhead and emergency exit seats are spoken for, even if some are still not assigned on the day of the flight: don't hold your breath for one of these or you may end up in the last row. (where you'll have to hold your breath for a different reason!)

Marilyn

These are all really good points. I would add:<BR><BR>1. Besides getting frequent flyer miles on the airline you are flying on, many airlines are part of an "alliance" and you can sometimes get credit on a different airline if you ask. This is useful if you are trying to concentrate your miles on one airline to get a reward.<BR><BR>2. Special meals are usually available if you book them at least 24 hours in advance. Often these are much better than the standard fare, but sometimes not. It's a bit of a gamble.

elvira

What are the fees for cancelling/rescheduling, and what if the price of the ticket goes down after you pay for it? If a cheaper fare for the same flight shows up after you've booked & paid, you're entitled to the lower fare - BUT you have to pay the fee to change your ticket. Worth it if the savings are greater than the fees.<BR><BR>With so many delays, cancellations, etc., ask the airline about their policy for missed connections. They have responsibilities ONLY if you book the whole flight with them (if you book XYZ Airlines to New York, then call ABC Airlines to book from New York to Oslo, and XYZ flight is late, you're SOL - neither airline has any obligation to help you out).<BR><BR>Make your seat reservation as soon as possible; ask the airline when you can make the selection (usually, no more than 30 days before the flight, but there are exceptions. ASK, then call a week later and ask. You'd be surprised how the info changes from rep to rep).<BR><BR>ASK ASK ASK about checked and carry-on luggage restrictions - size & weight.<BR><BR>Ask about special meals - a nice fruitplate or seafood salad is better than that stuff they call lasagne.

Matt

Apply Magnasco's Law (named after me )<BR><BR>If you don't like an answer that one agent gives you, hang up, and call back 10 minutes later. You'll have a 75% chance of getting a different answer.<BR><BR>Even if you DO like the answer you've been given, keep calling back seeing how many different answers you can get. ;-)<BR><BR>Seriously, I was calling Delta all last year trying to book a business-class frequent flyer ticket to Italy. I would ROUTINELY speak to three people and get at least four different answers. I'm not exaggerating, either.

Dayle

Agree with all of the above, although I have not traveling to Europe nearly as many times as some of our regulars.<BR><BR>My additonal comment is: My prime strategy is to get to Europe in a single bound! Fly out of a major airport & NO connections/stops allowed until reaching Europe. Less chance of missed connections due to delays & much less chance of lost luggage. Once in Europe your transporation options are many & frequent - if someting goes wrong at that point!<BR><BR>Buon viaggio!