cafegoddess hmm really? everyone says even 3 hours lay over is not enough because of the long lines and that it is expected to get worse in July.
You think one hour would be enough to check in and get through security and flight?

suze no that is what made me think it's a scam. He said he would call me on Monday to finalize the itinerary and issue the tickets. I said are you sure you can hold them that long. He said yes, but no call on Monday. I called him, they said he would call me back in 20 min. He didn't, the next day I tried to contact him multiple times and no response. 3rd day he finally came on the line and said he is going to issue the tickets but the phone got disconnected right when he was "issuing them", I called back and they said he would call me in 2 hours. He said they are the "reservation desk for Lufthansa" when I asked multiple times "you're definitely Lufthansa ? I don't want to book through a 3rd party", he said yes mam, they have outsourced their calls to us...the only email I received has no booking number. when he took the credit cards on the phone, he said can you respond to the email and say Ok to the itinerary, and I did. In Retrospect, I should have known the flight and rate was too good to be true but it was so accurate, even the seats numbers. Regardless - it's been 6 days and I still don't have a booking number with them, or tickets and both Lufthansa and Condor do not have our names on a reservation. When I brought it up to a couple of friends, they said Lufthansa sometimes takes a long time to send the email confirmation (over a week), so I thought that's what happened. The officer said they are aware of the increase in travel this year and they are hacking travel phone lines and reservation sites. He did say the sites are meant to look and act exactly like the actual website.
I think if I wasn't dealing with the family emergency and being pulled in so many different directions, and sleep deprived, I would have not missed this. I feel really stupid about it and violated and some members on here seem to be getting satisfaction in kicking someone when they are down.

mlgb Crap- this maybe what they are doing! because I still have no charges on my two credit cards. Will I still be able to go to Europe if they steal my identity? We were going to apply for a credit card that has no exchange fees (someone recommended Chase Sapphire) as last time we paid hundreds in exchange fees with our credit card.

If you have not been charged anything to your credit card, I say it's pretty sure you don't have plane tickets.

As others have kindly suggested perhaps this is not the time to be planning such a complicated trip. You can still go in your time frame, just simplify everything. And don't try to go to Montreux last minute without a reservation when it is the Jazz Festival.

You can use cash in local currency to avoid paying "hundreds in exchange fees".

In my experience, you still pay exchange fees when getting cash from an ATM, unless you have a debit card that does not charge a foreign transaction fee or a fee to use an ATM not from that particular bank. Charles Schwab debit cards are what I use when I need cash overseas since they do not charge a fee or a foreign transaction fee, and will reimburse you if the ATM you use charges one. A credit card is still the best bet though as you get some protection with it.

One of my credit cards (Citibank AA card) charges 1% in foreign transaction fee, so if I spend $10,000 that adds up to $100 in fees. In order to spend hundreds in fees, I'd need to pay for $20k to $30k.
I could reduce those hundreds by either a) using a different credit card - my Chase UA card has no foreign exchange fee, or b) spend less total...

When I spend $20k to $30k on a trip, that $200 to $300 in fees doesn't make a dent compared to actually spending less.

Some cards charge a 3% foreign transaction fee but you are correct, you would have to spend a fortune to pay hundreds in fees. I have several credit cards that do not charge a foreign transaction fee, my Chase Sapphire Reserve and Amex Platinum, and my husband also has a couple. We only bring those cards overseas.

You still have one credit card that hasn't been hacked. And should get a new card within a week for the hacked card. So yes you can still go.

If it were me, I would initiate the credit freezes and not apply for a new card. You have been compromised.

Depending on your card, you will get charged up to 3% in forex fees. In my experience it is probably still less expense after factoring the poor exchange rates you get to take out cash and ATM charges, not to mention who wants to walk around with 1000s in Euros, lol. Very poor advice IMO.

You can also book hotels and pay in advance with USD using the sites such as booking.com, Expedia, etc. Then you are locking in your exchange rates. Be sure to book refundable rooms. Usually you won't have surcharges on your credit card for using those websites with pay in advance.

My main overseas card is a Capital One Quicksilver Mastercard which is 0% and I also carry a Visa (the Amazon card from Chase is at 0% forex).

Just to clarify -- suze was merely quoting the OP who said they paid 'hundreds in exchange fees' on a prior European trip.

Thank you janisj. And yes that is what I was referring to.

I get local currency for daily spending in advance, I do not walk around with 1000s of dollars, I do not pay "hundreds in exchange fees" using a credit card, and you do not get a "poor exchange rate" when using a debit card at a bank ATM.

suze seemed to be suggesting that they use cash instead of a credit card to avoid forex charges, that is how most of us interpreted her response.

Never said you get a poor exchange rate, only that you may pay both foreign transaction fees and a charge for using a foreign ATM or ATM not connected to your bank debit card.

Yes, that is exactly how I read it.

I don't know for sure - but with the 20 or more Fodorites who have been helping Lilly2016 over several emergency threads, offering countless suggestions, each of which ends up unworkable because of one problem or another, I think suze's comment wasn't actually a recommendation - just another option.

Not sure why you are harping on this, but I was just pointing out that the option of using cash when getting it from an ATM also comes with its downside. The OP said that she paid hundreds of dollars in fees, which does seem to be an exaggeration, but even so, suze's option, while viable, also has fees attached. In fact, using an ATM could be more costly than using a credit card since many debit cards not only charge a 3% foreign transaction fee, but also the ATM may charge for using a card not from that bank, and, your home bank may also charge a fee. That is all I was saying, and giving OTHER OPTIONS of using a debit card without a fee.

laurieco J62 all of our credit cards charge 3% exchange fee, and yes we have had hundreds of dollars on transaction fees. The point was I was going to apply for the Chase sapphire, but I guess it's risky now.

Why don't you check a credit reporting agency to see if there has been any suspicious activity. It is not risky to apply for a new credit card. One card that has been compromised has nothing to do with another card or applying for one. Having a credit card compromised is not the same as identity theft. You don't even know if your card has been compromised. You are making things much more complicated than they need to be. Take a deep breath, collect your thoughts, and start over. And if that fails, have a glass or two of wine (or your poison of choice).

I don't understand why you think it would be risky to apply for a new credit card now. You can apply.

Assuming the OP is not a troll (a big assumption), the best course of action would be to fly into/out of Frankfurt, and take connecting flight to Switzerland, or rent a car and only visit places within driving distance of, or between, Frankfurt and Geneva. Scrap any plans to go to Italy. Based on this and the other "emergency" thread, the OP is not capable of planning or booking a trip that includes Italy as a side visit. I'm sorry, but it is what it is. There are some things in life that each of us are not capable of, and a side trip to Italy is beyond the OP's capability given the time/physical limitations/other constraints the OP has shared.

So I just found out the one credit card was charged by them for $837.10 the merchant is listed at "Travel Agent", and it has their phone number on it. The name is called Flight Condor. Whereas the condor flights I booked myself are showing up as Condor. BOA says we have to wait until your travel date to issue a dispute because they may still come through with the ticket....... I talked to the manager and he put the dispute through. The officer today was sure it's a scam, and said he has been seeing a lot like it. I received 3 messages from others that this happened to with Lufthansa.
the charges did not post on the actual date. They have 2 of our cards the main 2 we use, I hope my hotels and trains don't get canceled.

Mlgb, I was thinking that too... with our luck carrying thousands around in Europe esp Italy may not be the wisest. No problems with using MasterCard in Europe? No actually the have the info on both cards, but didn't charge on the one the initially took that I was checking more, they charged $837 on the other one.