Flying to Europe: 2004
How do you find the best airfare to Europe — on a flight that's cheap, convenient, and reliable? Rick and the ETBD team usually let their trusted travel agents do the work for them. But some people prefer to research fares online and and make the reservations themselves. What's your strategy and why?
If you have questions about flying, we suggest you talk to a travel agent. You can also check out Rick's advice on flying.
Read the Distillation: Best Tips for Flying Smart, 2005
USAir/United
I purchased about 3,000 additional miles from USAir for a recent r/t from Rochester NY to Prague CZ. It "cost" a total of 50K frequent flyer miles which I wanted to use in case USAir folds in the future.I flew to Prague through Philadelphia and Munich (via Lufthansa). Although I was a non-rev passenger, USAir was extremely accommodating when our outbound flight to Munich was delayed. I had a very tight connection in Munich which I ended up missing, but the gate agent moved me up to the "economy plus" section and I was in the third row of coach. It was a full but very comfortable flight. Due to the delay, USAir gave everyone their headphones for free, which I did not feel compensated for a 2 1/2 hour delay.On my return flight on United from Frankfurt to Washington, all alcoholic beverages were free and the amenities and entertainment choices were really exceptional. I had never flown United internationally and would not hesitate to do so. Too bad that the trip ended on a sour note with an uncomfortable overnight in Dulles airport as my last flight was cancelled!
Jill
Rochester, NY USA Tue 12/28/2004
Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) Advent Non-Sale
Earlier someone mentioned the annual SAS Advent Campaign, whereby you sign-up to receive a daily e-mail message with a link to a discounted fare from the U.S. to a certain SAS destination in Europe. Though the promotion is now over, I do want to correct the information that was given. The poster quoted a fare BEFORE taxes and fees. Taxes and fees (including some fees imposed by the airline itself!) amounted to over $200. The booking Web page was revised mid-way through Advent to reveal this $200 figure up-front. I priced various itineraries from Seattle (SAS' West Cost gateway), and the effective Campaign Fare was never less than $500. In each case I found a lower fare from Northwest or some other airline. According to folks on various online forums, the SAS Advent Campaign was once a bargain. It isn't anymore.
Paul Marcelin-Sampson <email>
Santa Cruz, CA USA Sun 12/26/2004
NW now only US airline with free booze
Traditionally beer, wine, and mixed drinks have been free in all classes on trans-Atlantic flights. They still are on European carriers. United recently started charging for drinks, leaving Northwest as the only US airline still offering this amenity.
I flew Delta for years to Europe but have now switched my allegiance to Northwest, and I am pleased with their superior level of service compared to other US carriers.
Steve
Greenville, NC USA Sun 12/19/2004
Luggage @ CDG
Watch out with those 29 cu. suitcases with the small expanable zipper liners. We were told at CDG that they were oversized and we were supposed to pay 3 taxes extra for each one of them @ 122 Euro per tax. Needless to say we did not but had to run to another terminal to purchase a extra suitcase so we could move stuff out of the 4 expanded ones.
Joe <email>
Fort Lauderdale, FL USA Sun 12/19/2004
Scandinavian Airlines
We reluctantly booked a flight on Scandinavian Airlines from Seattle to Munich via Copenhagen. I say reluctantly because I had never heard anything about the airline--good or bad, but Rick's recommended travel agent talked us into it and we sure were glad! We were so thrilled with our experience and will definitely fly SAS again. Endless water, decent food, friendly staff and the perfect flight times made us very, very happy. And all for only $510 round trip!
By the way, every December you can sign up for the e-news with daily specials for unbelievable prices. The catch--you have to book within 24 hours of the email.... but we are preparing for next year! The price for Seattle to Amsterdam was only $299 RT!
Hollie
Seattle, WA USA Sat 12/11/2004
Finding a Good Travel Agents
Rick recommends using a travel agent to book flights for the best fares in "Europe Through the Backdoor". Does anyone know of any websites or other resources where I could find unbiased reviews of travel agents in my area?
Richard M. <email>
San Diego, CA USA Fri 12/10/2004
BEST FARES.COM WARNING
Mark......I am not sure this will still be useful, but in the past I have bought tickets from bestfares.com without subscribing to the magazine and paying the $60 charge. I called the phone numbers shown on the special fares and asked questions about the carrier, flight departure times and other. The agent sold me tickets and did not ask if I was a member. I suggest anyone buying tickets from them to try without subscribing to the magazine.
LAMARR
TX USA Thu 12/09/2004
BestFares.Com Warning
Caution when using BestFares.com Last year I joined Bestfares.com for $60 membership fee. Immediately I realized that this was a BIG mistake. To make a long story short BestFares.com will automatically re-bill your VISA card each year. I would suggest that if you purchase tickets stay with the larger companies.
Mark <email>
Anchorage, AK USA Thu 12/09/2004
USAir -- Good Flights!
Finally took those flights that I booked back in September. I recently flew from Philadelphia to Paris, and then London back to Philadelphia. Great service on both flights. Security was quick. Only waited about 15 minutes for bags in Paris, and didn't have to wait at all in Philadelphia. The flight over was packed, but the one returning was fantastic -- they said they had about 100 empty seats, and feel free to move around. I had a row of 4 to myself, with nobody in front or behind! I felt like I was in first class! Only thing I didn't realize, you have to pay $5 for earphones, but you get to keep them for the next flight.
Sue
Philadelphia, PA USA Mon 12/06/2004
Italy
Does anyone have any advice about taking a trip to Italy before the peak season hits. I would prefer to go before or after the summer crowd, but can't find decent flights. Are some cities cheaper to fly into? I would be flying from Los Angeles.
Mary <email>
Los Angeles, CA USA Sun 12/05/2004
Orbitz ticket
Hi James,I dis purchase my tickets from Orbitz. They charged me the fedex + $10 fees + tickit is one bill.
I had a different problem. They send me a email just before departure date, indicating that the timings for the return fligh was changed. As a result I lost a full day at my destination city in europe. Instead of checking out the city I had to spend the full day airport.Does anyone know, what happens if the timings are changed after purchasing the tickets ?? ThanksAbhijit
Abhijit <email>
Boston, MA USA Tue 11/30/2004
Anyone purchased from Orbitz?
Hi all,
James
North Fork, GA USA Sun 11/28/2004
Cheaptrip.com not worth your time
To have a good gauge of the market price go to www.airticketsdirect.com. It turns up a lot of results and you see the real price ticket wholesalers are having.
Naya <email>
Montreal, QC CANANA Tue 11/16/2004
NW Airlines
I just took the flight from Memphis to Amsterdam and returned from Barcelona. No complaints about NW Air. Flights left on time. Service was good. Food was edible. Going through customs at Memphis is a breeze compared to Chicago!
Kellie <email>
Wichita, KS USA Sat 11/13/2004
New flight search www.kayak.com
Use http://www.kayak.com to search multiple airline sites all at once. It finds all the flights, sorts them by price and links you directly to the airline's or travel agent's (like Orbitz) site to do the actual booking. It finds stuff the others don't. Now that the agent sites are favoring their advertisers with better listings, its buyer beware.
Steve Dickey <email>
Pacific Palisades CA, CA USA Fri 11/12/2004
Shuttle Service from DeGaulle Airport
We used Airport Connection to pick us up at DeGaulle and take us to Gare St Lazare for our trip to Normandy. They also picked us up at the train when we returned and took us to our hotel. They are prompt, efficient, speak English and take Visa. I highly recommend using them! I found them on the web at www.parishotels.com.
Kris Minarsini <email>
Chicago, IL USA Thu 11/11/2004
Legroom on AA makes a difference
I just got back from a trip using award miles on American Airlines. Boy, I don't think I can ever go back to the usual coach class on other airlines. I am 5'3" and had about 10 inches from my knees to the seat in front of me. I especially like that the side seats on several of the AA planes are two instead of three seats. You feel much less cramped this way. The individual video screens and nice movie selection made my 11 hour flight pretty enjoyable. Won't hesitate to fly them again for long distances.
Zaida <email>
CA USA Wed 11/03/2004
Great Experience and price American Airlines to Paris
Just returned from RT flights from Oakland, CA to Paris on Amirican Airlines, and couldn't be happier. Flights left and arrived on time, hub airport of Dallas Fort Worth had helpful friendly staff both ways, including customs (all of two minutes to process through and make our connecting flight easily with help from a friendly senior citizen volunteer who zipped us onto a bus to a far terminal). Total price for RT tix including all fees and taxes was $536. I booked on line directly with American, and had the addes unexpected pleasure of their offer of 10,000 bonus miles each for flying to Europe. The flights were comfortable (great folding headrests, nice cabin crews), and meals, snacks, and drinks plentiful. Can pick your own seats on line. I would reccomend your checking American's offerings in your area. We were pleased and will fly them again.
K.Kleeh <email>
Berkeley, CA USA Thu 10/28/2004
Air France to Paris
We had a thoroughly bad experience on Air France, Boston to CDG and back. Items were removed from my checked bag on the way over, and the check-in and flight back gave new meaning to "cattle car". A group of older teens caused a continuous disturance all the way back....the crew did nothing to restrain them in spite of many passenger complaints. I would not fly them again.
Dick Nixon <email>
Amherst, NH USA Wed 10/27/2004
SF to France
I just purchased 4 tickets from San rancisco to Nice, France RT for less than $1,900 ($472 a ticket) mid-March to mid-April 2005. Air France website had a winter special. I have been looking for tickets for sometime but never run into anything less than about $620 a person. Returning, we won't fly from Nice to SF but we'll hop on the plane in Paris. Better deals available?
Michael <email>
Vacaville, CA USA Tue 10/19/2004
check-in luggage
Here's one more reason to pack light and carry on. I was actually going to China but was told to check the suitcase to San Fran and then again to Beijing. I locked it with one of the TSA approved locks that they are suppossed to be able to open and relock. I'm not sure security knows about this. They cut off part of the zipper (not the lock) on the first leg of the trip and the rest of the zipper on the second leg, making the suitcase useless as China requires locks on suitcases. Pack Light!
Kelly <email>
San Diego, CA USA Sat 10/16/2004
Alitalia
I had the opposite experience with Alitalia. I flew from Chicago to Rome and then from Florence back to Chicago. The staff was very accomodating at check in when it appeared that my sister and I were not seated by one another. They made some changes without any hesitancy and were able to get us in the middle row with an open seat. The food was decent for air travel, the beverage cart was kept open during the trip and the staff was very friendly.
The same can be said for our trip back -- the gentleman who checked us in made arrangements for us to sit in the exit aisle. We were pleasantly surprised with the amount of room and comfort level offered by Alitalia and would fly it again. The flights were also early on both legs of our trip!
Paige <email>
Chicago, IL USA Tue 10/12/2004
Alitalia Flights
I flew Alitalia for the first time this summer from Miami to Milan. The plane was extremely old and the plane was very cramped. I would not suggest using this carrier if you are looking for modern accomodations.
Alison <email>
Orlando, FL USA Tue 10/12/2004
US Air
Wife and I flew US Air from Seattle to Frankfurt 16 Sept 04, and Rome to Seattle 8 Oct 04. We got a light breakfast from SEA to PIT, and a hot dinner and light breakfast on the leg from PIT to FRA, about the same returning. Service was satisfactory. Airbuses on each leg. Economy class a bit cramped, but that's nothing new. Individual video screens with lots of selections on the transAtlantic legs. Departure from Rome was a nightmare...very poor organization. Not US Air's fault, but Rome airport authorities. Didn't matter if your flight left in 10 minutes or 4 hours, everyone was crammed into the same security check lines. Security was very thorough, though.
Gary <email>
Seattle, WA USA Mon 10/11/2004
KLM - Never Again
I disagree about the service on KLM. My husband & I had to book an emergency flight last November to Prague when my father-in-law had a major stroke. The only last minute reasonably priced flight was on KLM, so I booked it. What a mistake! The service & food to/from Amsterdam was terrible. It was a good thing I brought water & a few energy bars with me, as the flight attendents only came by once in between meals for drinks. My dinner on the flight from USA was still cold & it took almost an act of congress to get it warmed up. The seating was also like being in a sardine can it was so cramped. We travel to Czech Rep every year to visit family & usually take British Airways. We booked with them again for our December 2004 trip. We have always received top notch service & seating comfort when flying with them. The regular & diabetic meals have always been very satisfying for the both of us. Most of the time British Airways usually one of the cheapest airlines - if booked far enough in advance & you don't mind Heathrow.
Sunnyvale, CA USA Fri 10/08/2004
United Airlines
My family and I recently (September 2004) traveled to London and returned fron Paris aboard United. Would not fly United again. Going over the sound was unavailable for movies or music. Service was ok - nothing impressive. Flying home from Paris, the sound worked, but service was terrible. In 11 hours we received one meal and one small snack. 11 hours! Most of the time the steewards were talking in back instead of helping people. Very disappointing.
S. Robinson
Red Bluff, CA USA Fri 10/08/2004
Northwest/KLM experience - low fare, good svc, one security concern
Northwest Airlines consistently has some of the best fares from the U.S. to Europe. One can fly from the San Francisco Bay Area to Western Europe for under $500. These V-class fares are unusually flexible, allowing you to arrive in one city and depart from another, and to spend up to 24 hours at connecting points in Canada, the U.S., and Holland.Even the most complex multi-stop itinerary can be booked from NWA's Web site. First-time users receive 1000 miles for booking online, another 1000 for checking in online, and another 1000 for participating in the "Mile-Zilla" promotion (be sure to register and log-in before you begin). Unlike United and American, which restrict online check-in to passengers travelling within the U.S., Northwest offers online check-in to international destinations. It's a real time-saver.I was very pleased with the service I received from Northwest and KLM (most Northwest itineraries to Europe will involve a KLM codeshare flight to or from Amsterdam). Gate agents and flight attendants were polite. Boarding was orderly (except at Amsterdam -- see below). Each of the seven flights in my itinerary departed and arrived on-time or early.My vegetarian meal request was honored. Food was generous and tasty, except on the U.S. flights, where as a rule there is no food, or overpriced "food for purchase" (muffin = $7). I just brought my own snacks.I am concerned about security on return flights. At Amsterdam Schiphol, there is a segregated boarding lounge at each gate, with equipment to rescan all carry-on luggage (yes, all -- it's not a random thing). Unfortunately, the equipment was being used for some return flights (e.g. a Northwest flight to Detroit) but not all (e.g. my KLM flight to Toronto). This worries me, because Schiphol is a true international airport, with passengers connecting from all over the world. When you notice passengers with "Kuwait Duty Free Shops" bags boarding your flight and realize that their luggage might only have been inspected only in the home country, you can't help but worry. It's safe to assume that flights to the U.S. by U.S. airlines will be subjected to the toughest security standards. If at all possible, return directly to the U.S., and on a U.S. airline.Side note: Northwest and KLM still operate a surprising number of DC-10/MD-11 aircraft. The DC-10/MD-11 cannot be said to be the safest long-range passenger plane. When you have a choice, fly on a 747(-400), 767, 777 or A330/A340 instead.
Paul Marcelin-Sampson <email>
Santa Cruz, CA USA Thu 10/07/2004
Do NOT fly with American Air
I just want to warn people about flying with American Airlines. My husband and I flew with them on our honeymoon and had our digital camera stolen FROM OUR LUGGAGE BY SOMEONE ON THE AIRLINE. When we contacted the airline, the employees kept giving us the run-around, telling us to talk to someone else. It's been almost two months and we've still had no luck getting our camera back or repayment for it. Sad that an airline in this day and age does nothing to take care of their customers and encourages their employees to continue to wrong.
Kathy Shireman-King <email>
Newport Beach, CA USA Mon 10/04/2004
Heathrow Flight Connection Center
Just came back vactioning in Spain. Be ware if you transfer in London Heathrow to any European countries. Heathrow flight connection center only has three security points open for all the travelers and there is no clear monitor display of the gates for you connect flights. Give yourself plenty of time. We nearly missed our flight to Madrid.
Linda <email>
San Francisco, CA USA Mon 10/04/2004
One-way but coming back!
I am hearing from several sources that purchasing a one-way ticket to Rome from the states is commonplace. The reason, or, rationale for this is that return tickets to the states are easy to obtain and usually much cheaper. Could someone share what they know? Thanks
Joy <email>
wi USA Sun 10/03/2004
Travel to Europe
If the choice is Delta or Air France, and you are riding "up front," Delta's Business Elite is vastly superior to Air France's Business Class. The seats are much more spacious, the electronic entertainment systems more comprehensive, and the meal service in comparable. Air France does have a slightly better wine list. Of course, Air France does have a full-on First Class cabin not offered by Delta, but if riding in First, why not go with British Airways or United as they have suites. Or try Virgin's new Upper Class arrangments.
If you must sit in coach, Air France is slighly better than Delta, but either way it is a long, cramped trip.
Tom King <email>
Boise, ID USA Mon 09/27/2004
Recent trip to France
I recently traveled to France and want to share my experiences of the trip. For about $650 RT we flew from Albany, NY to Atlanta on Delta, then Air France to CDG, then Air France to Toulouse. Delta was fine, but I was surpised to see by going through Atlanta we added another two hours to the Paris leg and flew close to NY before going over the Atlantic. Air France service was good - two meals on the long flight, but planes were full and little leg room (I am 6'-5").
Heaviest security was boarding at CDG to come home. I was patted down and had my carry on searched twice. Because of the terminal closure, we had to take a bus to our plane and that caused an hour delay. People in France were great - they seem to appreciate my attempts to speak French.
Peter Shaver <email>
Troy, NY USA Mon 09/27/2004
travel / air arrival
I'm looking to spend a month or so backpacking around Europe next August or September, tentatively. Would one city be cheaper to fly to than another, for instance, Amsterdam rather than London or Paris instead of Dublin? Your info will help me plan. - shyviolet
jennifer <email>
Corbin, KY USA Sun 09/26/2004
US Air flights
I just completed a one-way flight on US Airways from San Francisco to Amsterdam by way of Philadelphia. On the first leg there was no "free" food service. $5 snacks and $10 box lunches were offered. Drinks (no alcohol) were offered and free. On the international leg, there was one dinner served at no extra charge (it was ok) and a small breakfast of coffee, juice, and buttermilk donut were served (if you walked back to the galley). Staff seemed reduced and they seemed to be serving dinners with too few people. They were handing meals across the center section from one side to the other. It was a better experience than I expected based on other comments on the graffiti wall.
Swan
USA Sat 09/25/2004
"Bargain Fares" on Expedia.com
I recently purchased a flight on Expedia.com RT from Los Angeles to Milan for $530 including taxes. They have an option called "bargain fares" after you do your search for your flight. I'm not sure if it is always an option, but it came up for us. Basically it works like Hotwire.com where you tell them the places and dates of travel and they give you a price, but you dont get to pick airlines or departure times. You will have 0-1 stops. Just for the money we were saving, we didn't care what time we left. I did try Hotwire for the same itinerary and found a similar flight for $30 more than what expedia was offering.
So if you are flexible with your departure times and airlines, you can save quite a bit of money using these services. BTW our flight goes from LAX to Zurich to Milan, with only a 2 hour lay over in Zurich.
LM <email>
Los Angeles, CA USA Sat 09/18/2004
Good Time to Go To Switzerland
Carmel,Right is now to mid-October is a great time to go. The airfares are low (around $500.00, almost as low as they will go, the weather is still good (fall like).
Robert
Boston, MA USA Sat 09/18/2004
Flying to Switzerland
I am looking into a trip to Switzerland next year for 2 weeks. I want to find a good time to go that's an "off-season" so I can save some money. I'm also going to be going to Holland and France. Any suggestions for a time of year that will be fun and lively, but not as expensive as the high travel season?
Carmel <email>
Portland, OR USA Mon 09/13/2004
Discontinuing Victoria Express
Just saw a story, posted today, on a site called, "This is London," reporting that the Victoria Express is going to be discontinued. It seems that it is running at low levels of use while the commuter trains are over- crowded. Trains will run in from the coast (Brighton?) and stop at Gatwick (East Croyden) for 90 seconds so you can jump on with all your stuff. It was great while it lasted! No effective date was given. Not such a big deal when you realize how many people schlep all their stuff through the Tube to get to and from Victoria!
Peggy <email>
Houston, TX USA Fri 09/10/2004
A way to check available fares
If you want to know if the ticket fare is a good deal go to http://www.itasoftware.com/. It shows you all (or almost all - the participating airlines)fares for the desired dates. You can even ask your travel agent to book certain fares using the fare codes.It aslo comes handy when using frequent flyer miles for your ticket - you can suggest itineraries that may have better availability.
I also found Priceline convenient and inexpensive when booking a package from Boston to London over Christmas week last December. One-week air and hotel deal was $450 per person including tax, which is pretty good. And it allowed me to choose the hotel.
Larisa D. <email>
Brookline, MA USA Wed 09/08/2004
carryon baggage-AlItalia and Delta
I"m flying to Rome on Delta and switching to Al'Italia soon. I'm trying to just bring a carry-on bag with me. Has anyone had experience with carry-ons with either of these airlines? I'm particularly curious about others' experience with Al'Italia because on their website they said that the weight limit is 5kgs. My bag seems to be within the size measurements, I'm concerned it might be too heavy.
Julie <email>
CA USA Tue 09/07/2004
K. Hogan, I think the airline will refund you the difference in the fare that you bought. Call them and see.
USA Tue 09/07/2004
Buying ticket too early?
I purchased an open jaw Wichita-Brussels returning Barcelona - Wichita back in January for $700. Now, two weeks before I am supposed to fly the fare has dropped to $536. I have always heard to buy as early as possible. Maybe that is only partially true.
K Hogan <email>
Wichita, KS USA Tue 09/07/2004
www.travelguard.com
I check this travel insurance website to see what they don't cover. The home page has a link their airline strike list. They will not pay for losses from strikes as shown on this page. Be aware of potential strike problems before buying your ticket. I would consider an alternative to Aer Lingus after their August 2004 strike authorization, but pretty much ignore United's April 2001 strike threat.
Travel Guard provides similar caveats for tour operators on their Travel Guard Alerts link.
Chip
IA USA Thu 08/26/2004
cheap flights
Try FlyCheapAbroad.com for great prices. I booked a roundtrip flight from Denver to Brussels for $398.
Michele Newton <email>
Lafayette, CO USA Tue 08/24/2004
I flew Northwest Airlines home from France a few years ago. They called for disabled passengers to board first, but when an elderly wheelchair-bound African-American woman's turn came, they brushed her aside and called for the 1st class passengers. On the plane a bearded steward passed my son and me with the dinner cart. When I politely told him he'd missed us, he literally toseed the plates at our trays and kept going as we sat looking at the spillage. In order to lodge a formal complaint I attempted to photograph him during the flight by holding my camera up whenever he came into range, but he'd notice and duck away. At Boston's Logan Airport we were outside greeting family members who came to pick us up. Coincidentally, this jerk emerged from a door next to us, took one look at the men in our party and ran like hell for the parking lot, looking over his shoulder with his earlier smugness replaced by fear! I was not at all surprised later to read in travel publications that among all airlines Northwest was listed as having one of the highest numbers of passenger complaints.
Carol
CA USA Tue 08/24/2004
luggage checkin
Returning to USA- not mentioned here before- when flying back to USA and having to make a connecting flight, we had to retrieve our luggage and recheck them- we made an initial mistake and got in the long check in line not realizing that because our luggage was already tagged, we could go to a line just to put in our luggage, saved much time and we made our connecting flight....usually lax has a better system, but machine was broken, so off we went....my advise is to know in advance the possiblities of what you may have to do with your luggage, as the workers at the airport were nice but not to clear.....and yes we started with just carryons, but after Rome and Paris, our luggage grew....
Triston
USA Thu 08/19/2004
USAIR
I wasn't kidding about US Air. You might want to read this. Think Union strike while you are on a layover BEFORE you get to Ireland. After...not so bad.
http://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/2004-08-15-usair_x.htm
Chris <email>
Tulsa, Ok USA Mon 08/16/2004
Flying to Ireland
I just got round trip from Tulsa to Dublin on AA for a few dollars more than I could have on USAir. 644$ vs 621$. 1st flight is on an MD80 to Chicago, and then Aer Lingus A330 to Dublin. Layover is only 2 hours. With all I read about USAir and money problems, I didn't want to gamble my vacation on them.
Chris <email>
Tulsa, Ok USA Sun 08/15/2004
Orlando-AMS Airfare
Max,you don't mention when you want to fly Orlando-AMS, but checking on The Travel Team site (through Rick's Links) I found a fare of $554 for September 21. (PS: questions are only supposed to be asked on the "Helpline".)
Darcy <email>
Lewiston, ID USA Sun 08/15/2004
AMS
What is a good airfare from Orlando to Amsterdam RT? is $700 good? is $900 good? Any advice?!
Max <email>
Orlando, FL USA Sun 08/15/2004
US Air - San Diego to Dublin
Regarding the comments about US Air...my mom and dad just got back from Dublin and gave me their opinions. San Diego to Philadelphia then onto Dublin. No problems going but there were problems coming back...all the international flights seemed to arrive at the same time in Philadelphia, so there were a lot of people waiting in security and the bags did not make the connecting flight, but my parents did. Food on the international segment of the flight was good. Domestic segment had food for sale, from Hardrock Cafe, which was expensive, but ok. Overall, it wasn't bad considering the price ($650 per ticket purchased on Cheaptickets.com). Now if Mom could just get over her jetlag...
Kathaleen <email>
San Diego, CA USA Fri 08/06/2004
Flying to London
Mary - I did this back in June. A friend and I bought a R/T from Seattle to Heathrow on United for $500. We then bought an open jaw (to Frankfurt and from Prague back to London) on British Airways for about $180. Total pricetag for the high season was $680 - not bad from the west coast. I'd recommend this just as long as you leave plenty of time between flights to compensate for delays, customs, security, etc.
Ryan W
Seattle, WA USA Wed 08/04/2004
sue ---airbus 330
sue, the movies on us air are free
have flown phil--t0--london [lgw]
the past 3 years on a-330 you will enjoy!
mike
mike
plymouth, pa USA Wed 08/04/2004
small commuter airlines
Took a small commuter airline -American Southeast Airlines - (operated by Delta) on the 1st leg of a trip to PAR b/c I'd have a shorter layover in ATL instead of Delta's earlier flt. on a larger jet. The aircraft was overweight & all luggage was taken off, even 'tho the crew assured us that int'l. luggage would remain on board. This was a huge problem for me when I got to Paris since we'd done a house trade & someone had to stay there to receive my suitcase. Whole group returned to our apt. before the promised delivery time the 1st nite. The 2nd day I cancelled plans until I was lucky enough to find someone willing to stay while I went to dinner & my suitcase did arrive. My easy to slip-off shoes (airport security) had rubbed blisters on both feet & made walking a true pain the 1st week. Had to cancel my walking tour. Think twice before taking a small plane on a long trip.
Lucie
LA USA Wed 08/04/2004
Sale on US Air to Europe
US Air is having a sale right now for select cities. Munich, Paris, Madrid and one more I can't remember. You have to get your ticket by August 13. I think travel extends into September. The fare is about $500 without tax.
USA Tue 08/03/2004
USAir -- Airbus 330
Thanks for that info -- but hopefully, if all goes as planned, I'll be on one of the newer Airbusses. They have the 2/4/2 seating configuration, so you only ever have to climb over 1 person. Plus, they have video screens on the back of each headrest with on-demand video (not sure if all of this is free, though). My flight on BA last year had them, and they were great -- on the way back. On the way over, however, they didn't work at all! No movies, no music, nothing. It was kind of eerie, though, they glowed blue all night. Wished I had brought a CD player with me since I don't sleep well on planes. They did send us vouchers for future on-board purchases, but they expired before I could use them.
Sue
Philadelphia, PA USA Mon 08/02/2004
US Air to Europe
Sue, I have flown on US Air on several trips to Europe with no trouble. One time I was seated under the "projecter" thing that does the movie and commercials on the screen in the center section. It was very hot. It could be that there was no air conditioning vents since that thing was there, but be sure you are not seated under it.
USA Sun 08/01/2004
Flying to Europe
I want to know if anyone has flown to London with the intent of finding a good deal on flights to other European cities from there.
Mary K <email>
Winona, MN USA Sun 08/01/2004
USAir...
Thank you Kay, for posting another viewpoint. I'm starting to feel a little better about my airline choice. I admit after those 2 negative posts, I was really questioning my flight choice. But in reality, USAir had the only non-stop flights that I wanted on the dates that I needed (both on weekends). I've flown USAir domestically, and both times encountered delays (up to 4 hours) but the staff did their best to accomodate everybody. I figure if I do run into delays again I'm still ahead, since waiting for connecting flights would have eaten up several hours anyway. However, I do appreciate all posts, both good and bad - what others have experienced will help me to prepare for the unexpected (and that's what this board is all about, right?).
Sue
Philadelphia, PA USA Thu 07/29/2004
Flying on US Airways
I have flown to Europe seven times on US Air and have always had a pleasant experience with them. My flights have always been on time and everyone was nice and helpful. I totally disagree with the bad post on US. Air. My experience has been the exact opposite.
Kay <email>
Tn. USA Wed 07/28/2004
USAir is a disaster
Exactly the same kind of "service" I experienced from USAir. The worst customer experience I have ever had, period. Rude, unhelpful employees who disappeared at the first indication of any trouble and left everyone twisting in the wind. I don't care how cheap their fares might be, I wouldn't fly USAir if it were free. Beware.
DB
Seattle, WA USA Mon 07/26/2004
Try to avoid US Air
We had very bad experiences with US Air (booked by travel agent)in both directions. Got our luggage in Rome on the 3rd day, with no apology. They refused to answer calls. Returning from London, we were delayed repeatedly, told to re-ticket,and at midnight the US Air rep announced "this desk closes in 5 minutes" - one employee stomped her foot and said she wanted to go home! A planefull of customers had to sleep on the airport floor - hotels were full. No concern of theirs, they made clear.
Rudi <email>
Marshfield, VT USA Sat 07/24/2004
Clarification
Just noticed my message below might be confusing... I booked my flight with USAir for $365 (not BA).
Sue
Philadelphia, PA USA Fri 07/23/2004
Open Jaw Paris/London
I booked a ETBD to Paris for this fall and have been watching the ticket prices for months. I plan to fly into Paris, take the Eurostar to London, and fly back to Phila from London. I checked Expedia/Travelocity frequently to get an idea of the prices/airlines for direct flights. Cheapest price for this ticket was with USAir, generally $525, sometimes $475. Since I flew roundtrip last year on BA to London for only $370, I thought I could do as well this year, and I was right! Two days ago, the price dropped to $425, and yesterday to $365!! I booked right away, directly with the airline. Today, the price bounced back up to $475. My advice: get an idea for what you think is a good price, check frequently (daily), and don't hesitate to book when you know the price is right.
Sue
Philadelphia, PA USA Fri 07/23/2004
Air fare to Paris
Jennifer, My husband and I are planning to travel to Paris in April for our 20th anniversary. I have already been watching the fares and keeping an eye out for a good deal. I think most airlines won't be putting their fares on sale this far in advance, but it doesn't hurt to check.
That being said, British Airways has a good seat sale on now for travel this winter before the end of February. Here is the link http://leisure.travelocity.com/Promotions/0,,|2125|air_main,00.html
Being in Chicago, you should be able to get a good deal.
Judy <email>
Lethbridge, AB Can Wed 07/21/2004
Germany &Austria trip
just a few remarks about our recent trip to europe, Rick Steves Germany Austria & Switzerland book is very handy...consulted it daily.
Rick is right about the Rhine River only needing about an hour worth of cruising. after about two hours we got off the steamer and went on our way to Rothenburg which is not to be missed in my opinion. we spent two days there enjoying the Night Watchman's Tour and Rick's Town Walk (in the book).
david
o'side, ca USA Tue 07/20/2004
I liked Air France FA's
We flew Air France from Boston into Venice and home again from Rome and found the FA's to be just fine. Our problem was with the Rome to Paris connection that was handled by AirItalia. The flight was 3 hours late causing us to miss connections. My daughter was very airsick and we received no assistance from the rude FA's, not even a wet towel. They were too busy in the galley trying on sun glasses from their in-flight shopping cart, all while I went back and forth to the toilet with little paper bags. Shame on them.
The following day I was sick on the Paris to Boston leg of the trip, and the Air France FA's tried to assist me with offers of medication and soda. They also knew when to keep the food away. Just my opinion.
Kay Lindblom <email>
North Attleboro, MA USA Sat 07/17/2004
Searching for best fares
I've found Travelocity's "Flexible Dates" option on http://www.travelocity.com/Flights/0,,TRAVELOCITY||Y,00.html to be the best single search engine for cheap flights. It is the only one I know if that allows flexible date searches world-wide, most others (Orbitz for example) allow flexible searches only in the US. We used Travelocity to find cheap seats on BA from DEN - MAD, then booked directly from BA. I hesitate to use 3rd party bookings for flights, since the airlines will normally put you in the worst seats. Not worth the $20 savings to me. BA from DEN - LON was great! Nice, new aircraft, good food, and a neat little bag of goodies (slipper sox, toothbrush/paste, eyeshades) for everyone.
Colin Melville <email>
Broomfield, CO USA Fri 07/09/2004
Bestfares result
Just back from 2 weeks in Italy. After MUCH searching back in January,signed up with bestfares.com and scored a major deal, but that entitled 2 stopovers to Italy from Seattle,not just one ( SeaTac-Dulles-Heathrow-Milan Malpensa). For a savings of several hundred dollars per ticket, that made it worthwhile. Worked for us.
Gerard> <email>
Mt Vernon, WA USA Fri 07/09/2004
Discount airfares to Europe
I used to book direct, online with the individual airline, but got stuck one year. I patronize a local travel bookstore (GREAT!, and they have had Rick Steves visit there, and they recommended STA Travel (originally Council Travel, for students and teachers). I am neither, so I didn't get a discount, but I got savvy assistance on the first flight, and absolutely nerve-saving help on the second.
I was booked on AirFrance to Paris and they cancelled the flight. I only found out about it because the STA agent called me. Took the flight the next day, which was scheduled to leave earlier. Then IT was delayed. I had brought my local cell phone with me, so I was standing in line, talking to him while everyone else around me was going crazy. He rebooked twice my connecting flight (Paris to Toulouse) and ultimately, everything turned out ok. (the cabin crew were very nice).
My first trip with STA they recommended Virgin Atlantic to London, and BA to Toulouse. It worked so very, very well...I loved the VA service, and consequently, I am taking that route (except I take National Express to Gatwick for the flight to Toulouse) again. I had the choice of VA or AA, and while I have read criticism of VA, it would be my choice anywhere they went.
I would not have thought of that routing if not for the agent, but it worked, and allowed me to pick up all the wonderful British newspapers I usually read on line.
If you have a local travel bookstore, support them, they are a great resource for information, advise, and yes, books.
and, if you're lucky, Rick might show up sometime.
Lynda Akin <email>
Los Angeles, CA USA Mon 07/05/2004
JFK -> FRA
After many weeks of investigating online fares (Orbitz, Expedia, Travelocity, etc) I decided, despite grave reservations, to try Hotwire. A $556/pp/rt fare was offered from JFK to FRA for the dates 8/10/04-8/19/04. I was fearful that such a low price would mean bizarre connections or long layovers. I'm happy to report that the flight, upon payment, turned out to be nonstop from JFK to FRA on Delta, with very desirable flight times. I think I got a good deal.
Damon <email>
Marblehead, MA USA Wed 06/30/2004
Sleeping in-flight
This hint occurred to me when I got a seat assignment recently. I prefer window seats, so I can lean against the window to sleep. When making your reservation, consider what side you sleep on at night. I sleep on my left side, so I made sure to reserve a window seat on the left side of the plane. Save yourself a crook in your neck! It's a logical thought, but probably one most wouldn't think about. Every bit of comfort helps on those long Trans-Atlantic flights!
Zaida <email>
CA USA Tue 06/29/2004
Flying USAir to Ireland (or anyplace)
Yeah, but you have to fly on USAir - by far and away, the worst airline experience I have ever had. Last time I flew to Europe on USAir, they cancelled my flight with no notice - as I was stnding in line to check in! - and all their gate agents literally ran away and abandoned all the angry passengers lined up at the counters. All the USAir staff just disappeared and left everyone to fend for themselves - I couldn't believe it. I vowed then and there I'd never fly their excuse for an airline ever again, even if they paid ME!
Too bad, good fares to Europe are tough to find now. Good luck!
david <email>
seattle, WA USA Fri 06/25/2004
USAir Deals to Dublin and Shannon
Just wanted everyone to know that I bought a ticket from Pittsburgh, PA to Dublin, from USAirways website, leaving July 1st, and only paid $594 + tax, which ended up being $673 total. I thought this was an excellent deal, considering that I am staying for a little over a month and this is high season. You have to book your flight prior to July 2nd, and return before August 31st.
Brandy
Morgantown, WV USA Fri 06/25/2004
Cheap Flights SFO-MUC-SFO
If all works out,Im hoping to RETURN to Germany in mid or late October. I would like to fly direct to Munich from SFO( San Francisco).I know it might be early,has anyone come across any real cheap flight to Germany from SFO?
Mike <email>
Svale, CA USA Sat 06/12/2004
To TED-
Ted Langston-
Don't buy that off priceline!!! I just priced your dates and got lots of flights on AA for $645 (the cheapest I found). We always fly AA to Europe, the extra legroom is great.
Air Canada was 663, Continental was 684. All had 1 stop.
British, which has horrible legroom is 704, but non-stop.
Bob M.
Dallas, TX USA Thu 06/10/2004
Open Jaw Flying
Does open jaw always save money? I'm flying into Gatwick from Philadelphia (or Pittsburgh, if I could get a good price) and then back to the U.S. from Edinburgh or Glasgow. Most of the prices are horrendous when I try to "guesstimate" the tickets on the internet. What's the best way to go about this?
Jan Shellenbarger <email>
Indiana, PA USA Thu 06/10/2004
Rude Fligt Attendants
John,
I don't think the Air France FAs are any ruder then some I have had on US airlines. That just seems to be the trend now.
My recent business class trip from Europe on Delta had both rude and nice attendants (One spilled wine on a passenger and did not apologize!)
Carol
ATLANTA, ga USA Sun 06/06/2004
Flying to London
I am flying roundtrip to london this Sept 9th - 27th, and have found two tickets on priceline for 995 with taxes. Is this reasonable? Has anyone had issues with priceline.com?
Ted Langston
Seattle, WA USA Tue 06/01/2004
BA is all right with me
Recommending British Airways...
On each of my BA flights, and there have been more than a few, I must say they make a coach passenger feel welcome.
The Flight Attendants have been very pleasant, the food decent, the video screens very enjoyable, and the flights punctual.
On one recent flight (B747), my friend's video and audio system was not working. After trying to resolve the problem, the FA said that we could both move into the next higher class (World Traveller Plus.
That was great! Thanks, BA!
Pete McNall
Diamond Bar, CA USA Mon 05/31/2004
"Legendary" rude French?
I've always heard of the legendary rude French but all the French people I have encountered were wonderful to us (including one woman in Lyon doing doctoral research while working at a museum who had my wife and I to dinner at her apartment). That is ubtil I met the flight attendants on board Air France. We had two flights (JFK to Paris and Paris to Budapest). We even were traveling business class but that didn't stop them. The rudest people I have met.
John Pezzano <email>
Hendersonville, NC USA Wed 05/26/2004
Applause for BA
My husband and I planned a 6-week vacation and found a great rate from British Airways, open jaw, from SeaTac to Frankfurt, then Rome back to SeaTac. However our trip was abbreviated unexpectedly due to illness, and we had to fly home after only 11 days. When we called BA to rebook, we were told we would either have to wait a week for an available fare, or buy new one-way tickets home. Since we needed to get home, we decided to suck it up and pay $1700 a piece to get home on the next flight out (we were in Munich by this point in the trip).
A couple hours later, the BA agent who had helped us called back to our hotel and said she found a way to get us on the next day's flight for only $440 a piece, saving us over $2500. Now, she didn't have to do this, since she had our credit card info and we had already agreed to the higher fare. When she called back we almost cried, she was so kind and helpful. Also, the agents at the airport were very nice. Our entire experience with British Airways was quite pleasant and we highly recommend this airline.
Martina
Portland, OR USA Wed 05/26/2004
Charles de Gaulle Airport
Just returned from France and missed the terminal collapse by a day and a wing. Just to let people know I experienced no disruption.
don marsh
eugene, OR USA Wed 05/26/2004
Only a few days left to take advantage of the NW airlines refer a friend program.
Send me your name and Wp # and you'll get up to 3500 extra miles towards your next ticket.
doglover <email>
USA Tue 05/25/2004
Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport
Has anyone flown into Paris Charles de Gaulle since terminal "E" collapsed on 5/24/04.I'm flying with Air France into Paris, I wonder how bad of a mess it is now, it's not going to be fun, we have a 2 hr lay-over so i wanted to know how bad it was.
Lizzy
Fort Lauderdale, FL USA Tue 05/25/2004
Update on last posting
Better late than never! After waiting over a week and writing the last post, I finally recieved a response from American Airlines about the problems I encountered. They sent me a $300 voucher for future travel. More than fair! That and the leg room have won me back. Thanks AA!
Jeff Omalanz-Hood
Shoreline, WA USA Mon 05/10/2004
AA gets an FF
I recently traveled to and from Europe on American Airlines. It was my first trans-Antlantic trip on any American Carrier, and all was fine--until the end. When we got to the last leg of the trip home (Chicago to Seattle) it took FOUR!!!! tries (all seperate planes) to get home--and they have not even bothered to respond to my email complaint. THe first plane had mechanical difficulties--understandable. They told us to appear for a replacement plane which would arrive at 4, board at 4:15 and leave at 4:50. We got a bite at the food court, checking the board at one point and seeing our plane still on that schedule. We arrived at the gate at 4 (15 minutes before time to board)--as the plane was preparing to leave. they refused to let us board, yelled at us, gave our sets to others and left at 4:05--apperently they had gotten a different plane and decided to change plans without caring about the announced plans. We tried to complain and were told there was no one else to which we could complain. We eventually were put on another plane and had to sit on it for almost an hour before it to was grounded for mechanical problems. Our fourth plane did finally leave. I emailed them a couple days after arriving home. It has been over a week and they have not even aknowledged my email. I will update this if I hear from them.
Jeff Omalanz-Hood
Shoreline, WA USA Sun 05/09/2004
Using Orbitz.com
For my trip to France this summer, I was trying to find a good deal on round-trip airfare for American Airlines. One day, I found the flights I wanted for $664! Being a newbie at traveling, I was very excited and couldn't wait to purchase the tickets once I got home to my own computer. Well, that night, less than five hours later, that price was no longer available, and I was in a bind as to what to do! So, after hours of looking at other online discount websites, I finally logged onto American's website and purchased my tickets directly from them. Never again will I use the discount websites when I can buy directly from the airline for a decent price!
Becky
Vicksburg, MS USA Sun 05/09/2004
Web ticketing lesson
I found a set of flights from Newark to Naples on Travelocity but was told when trying to book that the first outbound flight was no longer available. Went to Expedia where the 'unavailable' flight was just fine. However they did not have the outbound flight I needed (which Travelocity did). So on to Orbitz who had both flights for $500 more than the original price. Then directly to Alitalia where I booked the exact flights I wanted for the original price. Lesson: don't trust the information on any one web ticket source.
Marvin <email>
Livingston, NJ USA Thu 05/06/2004
Getting More Legroom
I got 5 extra inches of legroom by arriving early for my UA flight from London to SFO. They have put in some Coach Plus seating that is available on a first-come-first-served basis. It was great!
Swan
Calistoga, CA USA Mon 05/03/2004
Bad Experience with justfares.com
In case anyone is looking into purchasing a flight through www.justfares.com, thought I'd share my story. They advertised low fares in the SF Chronicle, so I thought I'd give them a call. I asked for a flight quote, they gave me a decent quote I told them I'd consider, but did not want to commit at the moment. I received three phone calls from different justfares.rep that afternoon, all trying to strong-arm me into purchasing the tickets by telling me the prices would expire within some ridiculous amount of time (and all three calls stated a different length of time, ranging from 4 to 36 hours). I finally asked them to stop calling me, but have since received emails from a travel agent of theirs with the baiting subject line "Your Confirmed Itinerary." It's amusing, because they're still trying to sell me the same tickets they swore were not going to be available.
I have since purchased tckets with the TravelTeam (recommended by Rick's site) and my experience was awesome--fantastic customer service, consultation (they saved me $200 by suggesting I move my departure date back 5 days--I'll take it!). Except for short US hops, my supposedly cheapo internet ticket-buying days are over!
Stephanie <email>
San Francisco, CA USA Fri 04/23/2004
New Cdn transatlantic airline
www.flyzoom.com
Just a note to people living near to Vancouver, Ottawa, and Toronto. There is a new airline starting regular scheduled transatlantic service. Shoulder season has some great deals if your dates are somehat flexible. Ex. Sept. 30- Oct. 20th Vancouver to London Gat rtn for $616 CAD (thats about $450 USD) with taxes and fees *included*.
Adriana
Vancouver, BC Canada Fri 04/16/2004
Finding Cheap Airfare
A great trick is to check all of the websites ( onetravel.com, travelocity.com, orbitz.com etc..) and also the airlines themselves ( airfrance.com, united.com, britishairways.com etc..) then take the lowest price you've found, lower it by a couple hundred and try priceline.com. I flew to London from LA last summer (july) for $430 taxes included, round trip. Two summers before that i flew in the middle of August for $450.
JPG
san diego, ca USA Thu 04/15/2004
Discounted Fares to Europe
Several earlier postings have asked questions about purchasing discounted airline tickets and the timing. A Wall Street Journal article today (April 14,pg D1) is suggesting that discounted airlines fares for this summer will be very limited. Since the weak dollar is filling the airplanes with Europeans coming to the US, the airlines have less need to use discounted fares to fill their planes. Anyone considering European travel air travel should read the article.
Frank P. <email>
Centennial, CO USA Wed 04/14/2004
Air France Stewardesses
When flying AirFrance with our nine year-old son and year-old daughter, my husband and I were enchanted with the kindness and attention we received from the flight attendants. Not only did they dote on our daughter whenever they walked by, their overall service was superb. I would fly AirFrance again in a heartbeat!
Katy
Snellville, GA USA Mon 04/12/2004
Iceland Air
I will be studying in Europe for six months starting in August. Through my search, I found an amazing price for a ticket through Icelandair, which is wonderfun because they were my first choice all along because they allow a free stop over in iceland for up to a week. I am very excited about my stay that will be for two days! I called them to try ordering the ticket and figure out how to do the stop over. The lady was very helpful, and tried very hard to get me a cheaper deal than I called about. At times it was annoying cause I knew what I wanted, but she came very close to being able to save me yet another 100 dollars! Very helpful airline, I am sold.
jmf
Baltimore, MD USA Fri 04/09/2004
Online tickets
A tip when you look for inexpensive airfares online. Find your best rate and then call the airlines direct. You can usually get an even better price. The airlines pay a commission to the online travel web pages that you can sometimes avoid by buying direct. You might even get a better schedule.
Dick Carlson
Nisswa, MN USA Fri 04/09/2004
Inter Airline Transfers
Just a note on connections in Europe.
If you have TWO tickets, you will have to recheck any checked bags. Inter airline agreeements are really only useful if you book the whole trip on ONE ticket.
Allow yourself lots of time for this adventure. (I gave myself 6 hours in London!)
Carol
Nashville, TN USA Sat 04/03/2004
cheaptrips.com
I have been with cheaptrips.com for a year. I find that their customer service is abysmal, not to mention that I have never used their services for booking a flight. I bought the lifetime membership and wished I'd never have joined.
Darren
Salt Lake City, UT USA Thu 04/01/2004
Discount web sites V. Airlines website
Be careful when purchasing tickets through discount websites. I am travelling to Nice from Boston through London. I purchased my Boston to London roundtrip flight through Virgin Atlantic. I purchased my London to Nice roundtrip flight through Expedia.com and recieved British Airways tickets. I later learned British Airways and Virgin Atlantic no longer have a baggage agreement. I would have to re-check my bags in London and would miss my connection. I called Expedia.com inquring whether I could change my Nice to London flight to an earlier time since there were more Nice to London flights. Plus the flight was shorter (and cheaper) than the London to Boston flight. Expedia.com stated I would have to call British Airways directly to change the time since they were the airline I was flying. I called Britsh Airways and they said to call Expedia.com. since they were the travel agent in which I purchased the tickets. Needless to say, after numerous phone calls, both Expedia.com and British Airways stated the flight time could be changed but both stated the other had to make the change. I finally called Virgin Atlantic to see if they could assist. After one phone call, Virgin Atlantic changed their flight time for no cost and was extremely helpful. So please remember my experience using discount websites. Plus most airlines websites our now competing with the discout web sites and I only paid $350.00 for the roundtrip flight to London from Boston.
Thomas Chagnon
Enfield, CT USA Thu 04/01/2004
Seattle/London Air Canada
Summer fares on Air Canada (Mon-Wed travel) adult = US$581, child = $485 (tax included). SEA-Vancouver-LHR. Booking directly w/ AirCan saves $75 over Travelocity & Expedia. AirCan website does not display all flight times; use Travelocity & Expedia to research. The only current better deal is Virgin Atlantic (see below), but must depart on/before 6/15.
Erik
Redmond, WA USA Wed 03/31/2004
Cheap Airfare
I just bought airfare for two separate trips(spring & summer) on Onetravel.com. The first trip is roundtrip Atlanta to Frankfurt for travel in mid May. The fare was only $401 taxes included both direct flights on Delta. I have been looking for the past two months and have found nothing cheaper than $700. This was such a good fare I decided to look at summer travel and I booked a flight from Atlanta into Zurich in July and out of Munich to Atlanta in August for only $472(taxes included).(Had I wanted to fly into and out of Munich the fare was only $395 taxes included). I'll be honest with you, I thought I was seeing things. I literally closed out the browser and reopened it and put the information in again to make sure it was all the same. I check constantly for summer travel and never find anything less than $900 which makes the ticket I bought half price. I bought both airfares at about 11:45 at night, and after midnight I looked the fares up again and they were all gone. Both of them were back in the $700-$900 range.
So my advice to everyone out there looking for cheap airfare: look everyday twice a day on numerous websites. Hit the major sites (Travelocity, Orbitz, Expedia) but also check the airlines websites. You never know where you might find a 24 hour promotion. Eventually you will stumble upon a deal like I did that will be just what you are looking for. So now I'm just looking forward to getting on the plane knowing my hard work every day paid off!
As Rick likes to say:
Keep on travelin'
Chris
Atlanta, GA USA Wed 03/31/2004
Seattle/London Virgin Atlantic
On 3/31 booked RT Seattle to London (Heathrow) departing June 14th and returning July 8th for $458 + tax adult and $336 + tax for our 11 year-old. Booked online through Yahoo Travel (Travelocity) traveling on Virgin Atlantic.
You can customize your Yahoo home page to retrieve best fares between cities automatically. I have best fares to favorite destinations that display each time I visit my MYYAHOO page. It's a great way to get a heads up on good fares right when they break.
Mike
Salem, OR USA Wed 03/31/2004
Secret: Book Direct
Here's a secret: Go to orbitz.com and find out who's flying to your destination and prices (this may not include all the airlines that do however). Then book direct with the airline. You usually can get a better price and you have peace of mind knowing that they have your information. These priceline.com's and oritiz's are just middlemen who mostly offer no value - except seeing who flys to your destination.
James
USA Wed 03/31/2004
Student Universe
Student Universe can be cheap, but always check the airline too. I found airfare on Air India from Chicago to London and it was $5 cheaper on AirIndia. com...and most people would feel better booking with the airline itself.
Daniel
Blacksburg, VA USA Mon 03/29/2004
Flights to France
I spent the better part of November and December researching flights to Paris for June. I found Sam's Club to be the cheapest. It's well worth the membership fee.
Brian
Nazareth, PA USA Mon 03/29/2004
Air France Stewardess'
Not not harp on Air France, but I found the flight staff very rude when I flew with them. Upon boarding the air plane, the stewardess informed me that I was 'required' to switch seats with a man who was seperated with his wife. I would have done so willingly, if asked, but to be rudely shoved to another seat was not what I expected. Later during the dinner, there were the normal two choices of turkey and pasta. I asked for the pasta and was informed that there was only pasta left. I accepted it, but when the person next to me asked for turkey, the stewardess gave it to them. I may to making a big deal about nothing, but this behavior offended me. I wasn't being an ugly american, and even after this treatment, I kept my mouth shut. Maybe I was treated this way because I'm 19, but still, age is no excuse for rude treatment!
Paris though was beautiful, and the staff at De Gaulle Airport was very helpful.
Kat
Houston, TX USA Fri 03/26/2004
Cheap summer travel to Europe
Our family is going to London then returning from Copenhagen in July and I have found most airfare in the $1100 to $1200 pr person range before taxes. I looked through the travel section of the SF Chronicle and called one of the advertised travel agencies, Bargain Airfares - 800-837-6611. They were very helpful and found a fare for $799, before taxes, of course. Booked on BA with really great itinerary. Have no experience with this company, so keeping my fingers crossed that nothing goes wrong.
Lisa
Orangevale, CA USA Fri 03/26/2004
studentuniverse.com
If you are a student or a faculty member at a 2- or 4-year college/university in the US, you MUST try www.studentuniverse.com. The original price shown doesn't include taxes, but even after the taxes are added, our tickets were $150 less than the best price offered by the airline for the SAME flights!
Jennifer
Mankato, MN USA Thu 03/18/2004
Air France Service and Luggage Suggestion
We just returned from Italy and we flew Air France. The service was nice and the seats were roomy. The only problem we had was the transfer at CDG. We flew from Florence to CDG to transfer to SF. We had a 1 hour layover and our plane from Florence was about 10 minutes late departing. We almost missed our CDG-SF flight and our luggage did miss the flight! If we did it again, we wouldn't check our luggage in Florence but we would carry it. Although it is too big to put on the plane, we saw others put their luggage on a cart outside the airplane and they retrieved it right after the flight. Then they gate checked it again for the next flight. That way you know your luggage will be getting home with you.
Lara
Berkeley, CA USA Tue 03/16/2004
Cheap flights
We just got back from Europe, and while we were there, we flew Germanwings from Vienna to Koln (Cologne) for 50 euros each! Cheaper and much faster than the train, 1-1/2 hour flight vs. about 10 hours for train, gave us a whole extra day to spend seeing the sights. Nice big planes, comfortable seats (I'm 6'4", and I fit just fine). Try it! They fly all over Europe, their hub is Koln, which is a nice town, especially at Karneval. We had a blast!
Leo
Minneapolis, MN USA Mon 03/15/2004
Frequent Flyer Miles
NYC,
I stand corrected. I was confusing Skymiles with qualification miles.
Sorry if I caused any confusion. However, I would always caution that you should check if miles are important to you. The airlines are showing an alarming tendency to "devalue" miles. For example Delta increases the milage for international flights by up to 10,000 miles per ticket starting tomorrow.
Carol
nashville, TN USA Sun 03/14/2004
BEWARE airfare.com
I am in the middle of a 10 day nightmare with airfare.com. I have used several other internet sites in the past with no problem. I wish I had not heard of airfare.com BEWARE
USA Sat 03/13/2004
Watch out for nonsense.
Detla gives full mileage credit for discounted tickets; what it has done is to reduce mileage credit toward elite status to 50% of miles flown. It has also raised some of the mileage prices of "free" tickets a small amount. This should be a lesson to be very careful with what one reads. The truth is an endangered species.
NYC, USA Sat 03/13/2004
Frequent Flyer Mile Accumulation
Just an FYI. A LOT of the major airlines are not giving you full milage credit for discounted tickets anymore. I know both Delta and Contiental have implemented a discounting plan and basically cheap fares are only getting 25% of the actual miles.
Carol
Nashville, TN USA Fri 03/12/2004
BA Frequent Flyer
Add to the post below. Go to Frommer's then Community then Europe then Great Britain then "Restrictions on British Airways FF Exec. Club".
Gary S. <email>
Surrey, BC Canada Fri 03/12/2004
British Airways Mileage Ripoff
Last Nov. I made my 3rd trip to the UK in 2 years using Britsh Airways. I was surprised to find that I only received 25% mileage for this, but full points for the previous 2 tickets. Ironically I paid more for this last one than the previous ones. Evidently BA has changed their awards system and have 10 (yes 10!!!) letter designations for "discounted" economy fares. The problem is that nowhere in their online booking procedure does it tell you if you are purchasing one of these "discount tickets. But it appears your chances of getting full points for an economy ticket are remote. I was very happy with BA up until they started this shifty practice and will definately be looking for another airline to serve my needs. There are several other complaints re: BA F Flyer changes on Frommer's "Community" site.
Gary Shook <email>
Surrey, BC Canada Thu 03/11/2004
Ryan Air
My family lives in Germany and we fly Ryan Air all the time. If they are eliminating the Brussles route, you can also fly into charleroi, Belgium and catch a bus or train. Ryan Air is no frills, you are not served beverages or snacks, but you can bring on your own. The planes are clean and the staff is helpful.
Holly
Kaiserslautern, Germany Wed 03/10/2004
Air Canada Denver-Paris
To Jodi. Do I ever have experience with Air Canada Denver to CDG. I was in Holland on 9/11/01. The trip over was fine, as good to better than a major US airline. But when 9/11 happened we rushed back to CDG to get home. The airline found us a hotel while flights into the US were grounded. Then they called to let us know they had planes attempting to get to Toronto. Finally they had staff mingling through the crush of people at the ticket lines looking for Americans in order to put them on planes to at least get them closer to home. Don't hesitate to fly Air Canada for a moment!
Gary <email>
Denver, CO USA Wed 03/10/2004
flying to europe
if you are a college student or work for a college, try www.studentuniverse.com
for a free membership, you can book flights. I travelled to London last summer and saved about $100 booking from them.
chere <email>
kelso, wa USA Mon 03/08/2004
I was thinking about flying to Frankfurt from Newark/JFK at the end of March. I usually fly with Continental but they're not competitive this time. Continental's fare is $511, Singapore is $375, Delta is $379 & Lufthansa is $381. I've noticed this price difference for the last 3 weeks. BTW, Continental's EWR-London fare is about $120 more than AA, Virgin & BA for the same time period.
Ted
USA Sun 03/07/2004
Flying to Europe
I concur with the post by Angela. We just booked a trip to Heathrow out of Sea-Tac rather than Portland. We saved $150 each for the 3 of us that are traveling, so it is well worth the extra couple of hours to drive up there. The flight schedule is also much better, as British Airways offers non-stop flights. Leaving out of Portland would have meant lengthy layovers in Chicago or Dallas. We also booked our hotel and rental car via British Airways and got GREAT prices!
Lynn
Salem, OR USA Fri 03/05/2004
Flying from Seattle instead of Portland OR
For anyone flying out of Portland, Oregon, I found that travel from SeaTac airport was much cheaper! I just booked my flight from SEA to Heathrow for May/June and it was $150 less than from PDX! Luckily, my husband is willing to drive me up there. The savings of $150 versus tank of gas and time alone without the rugrats is worth it to us. Not to mention you have more airlines and flights to choose from.
Angela
Beaverton, OR USA Wed 03/03/2004
Ryan Air
Ryan Air is a great deal for travel within Europe if you are prepared to get what you are paying for. In other words, it is a discount airline, and it shows through the beat up planes, lack of services on the flights and charges every time you turn around. If you can follow the rules to the letter, especially those regarding weight restrictions and check in times, you will probably be fine. I have flown on Ryan Air more times than I can count, but it always ends up being more expensive and/or fustrating than I expect. The deals are great, but they do have their price.
Email me if you want to know more.
Kristie <email>
Poitiers, France Wed 03/03/2004
RE: Ryan air to Brussels
Regards Ryan Air to Brussels: That flight is being eliminated. I don't know how soon and you don't mention when you are going. However, if the flight is still available for your trip, I can tell you I have done that flight before and it is a great way to go if you understand that it does NOT go into Brussels International but a small regional airport a good 30-45 minute bus ride from Brussels. Again, if you are not rushed go ahead. The bus ride was quite pleasant.
Gary
Denver, CO USA Mon 03/01/2004
Ryan air to Brussels
british airways has good flights to get to london. from there, we are flying to brussels for 4.99 euros each, then from paris to milan for 14.99 euros. we havn't booked ryan air yet, so if anyone has been on ryan air before, let us know. the specials were great.
cari <email>
houston, tx USA Sun 02/29/2004
Bestfares.com
I also have spent hours on the phone with Bestfares and have never found the fares they advertise available. I am disappointed too. So far, it looks like a bad investment.
Linda <email>
Forestville, ca USA Sun 02/29/2004
Bestfares.com
I joined Bestfares.com and have been disappointed with the service. I have found similar or lower air fares on the Web. Also, when you call their access number to inquire about reservations I had to wait up to 45 minutes...not a happy camper!
Wish I could get my money back!
Mark S. <email>
Anchorage, AK USA Sat 02/28/2004
Good travel agency
Just wanted to tell everyone about the wonderful service we received from Elizabeth Holmes travel agency in Seattle (1-800-588-8361). They were referred to me by ETBD. We got open jaw tickets - LAX-Amsterdam, then Paris-LAX - just under $700 with British Airways in Sept. We are thrilled because we just couldn't find airfare for less without an open jaw. I originally called the ETBD team for train schedule info and EH was recommended since the train from Paris to Amsterdam was $100 per person. We were slow on the Delta sale and was kicking ourselves until I read the post about the different airports. . .yikes.
Jo <email>
Granite Bay, CA USA Fri 02/27/2004
Air France
We searched everywhere for cheap flight flying in to Paris and out of Rome, to NY or Philadelphia area. We were about to book a flight from JFK by British Airways with a stopover each way. But we found a reasonabl flight on AirFrance.com out of Philadelphia, direct to Paris with only one stop in Paris from Rome to PHL. The total per person was only $599, the lowest fare I found. This is after searching justfares.com, airlineconsolidators, orbitz, expedia, you name it. Good luck everyone!
Traveler
PA USA Fri 02/27/2004
Delta Fare Sale
Delta is having a fare sale to various destinations is Europe (Paris, Zurich, Rome, etc) from Atlanta, Nashville, Knoxville etc. I just bought to rt tickets from Knoxville to Zurich in June for a basefare of $430 - Atlanta and Nashville are usually always cheaper departure points than Knoxville. I booked through Travelocity.
Tim Mynatt <email>
Knoxville, TN USA Thu 02/26/2004
Watch your airport
Watch you airports when using travelocity! Flying delta to CDG, they kept making me connect in New York.... the city. They were perfectly willing to sell me a ticket that got into LaGarudia, and left JFK less than 2 hours later!
I didn't catch the games they played for my intra-europe ticket, though. I searched for flight between CDG and BCN (the specific airport codes for Bacelona and charles degaule). I selected the cheapest flight for my trip (Iberia), and it took me to the flight screen. After retracing my steps I found that at the top it says CDG, but next to the flight number it does say Orly. I didn't catch this, and will need to take a bus to get to CDG and catch my flight home.
Doug <email>
Portland, or USA Thu 02/26/2004
NW refer a friend
NW airlines is running this refer a friend program, where u get extra bonus miles for joining.
If you are flying NW between now and the end of June and haven't flown NW since Jan 1 2003 then drop me a line!
It could be worth as many as 3500 extra FF miles for you (per trip). And a few extra for me as well.
doglover <email>
Portland, OR USA Wed 02/25/2004
Good Canadian site
I have a website for you if you are interested in flying to Glasgow or London. There is a airline that does one ways for as little as 199.00, or can book a round trip for under 400.00 (plus taxes of course)... but how can you go wrong with that. The URL is https://www.flyzoom.com/index.cfm
Toronto Pete
Toronto, ON CAN Mon 02/23/2004
Airfare prices
From what I've read, two months from the date of the trip seems to be the time to book airfare. My husband and I are going to Europe the first 2 weeks of May, and I've waited to book. Today, I checked, and airfare is up from $650 to $850! (KC - London, Prague - KC). Will this come down again?
Ashlee
Kansas City, USA Sun 02/22/2004
Cheap flight to Europe
After several hours of searching on line for a good fare I came across airfare.com. I believe worth checking out. We booked RT JFK-AMS (Amsterdam)on 06/08/04 for 450.00 included all taxes and fees. They responded quickly with the confirmation and seat assignments.
Rich Rayburn <email>
beaverton, or USA Sun 02/22/2004
Czech Airlines? Absolutely!
I recently flew CSA from NYC to Prague and back; and I have nothing but good things to say about it. I flew an aging yet well maintained A-310 in business class. Crew was pleasant and helpful, food was equal to, if not better than other major airlines, check-in was smooth, and flying time was actually quicker than scheduled (about 45 min both ways). My co-workers regularly fly to Prague, and they have always used CSA with no complaints. I would suggest anyone looking to fly to eastern Europe look into flying CSA.
Derrick <email>
New Haven, CT USA Fri 02/20/2004
Inexpensive airline tip for college students
Travelocity.com offers student rates for airfare. Go to the webpage, and scroll all the way down to the bottom. Click on the link that says "student airfare". You will be redirected to a new page. You can search for flights, and be sure to sign up, it's free, and you select your university from a drop down box and fill out stuff and get even more discounts. A friend of mine flew from Chicago to Athens, Greece for around $350!
Nicole <email>
Ada, OH USA Wed 02/18/2004
Check out Aer Lingus
I just returned from a quick jaunt to Ireland and England and think that my experience with Aer Lingus is worth mentioning here.
First, the price: $198 (pretax) roundtrip from Baltimore to Dublin. Service and food was more than adequate, especially for the price. The only annoyance was that the plane stopped at Shannon airport in West Ireland both going over and coming back.
While overseas, I also used Aer Lingus for a roundtrip flight from Dublin to Manchester, England. Again, no problems or complaints. Also, the cost of the flight was significantly cheaper than anything I could find on Ryanair's web site.
While my cheap airfare was a mid week winter special found on the internet, it gets no cheaper than $99 one way to Europe. Although I'm not sure the special is still underway, add www.aerlingus.com to your favorites when looking for a cheap flight to Europe.
Jonathan <email>
Harrisburg PA, PA USA Tue 02/17/2004
Standing in the aisles for the toilet
Actually, the passenger asking about a ban on standing for toliets did hear right...almost.
I fly every week and depending on the airline, the policy is "no congregating around the lavatory." Some airlines state no congregating around the lavatory by the cockpit door. Generally they do not want you to do this for security but it also helps the flight attendants serve the passengers quicker.
Alisa
Chicago, IL USA Mon 02/16/2004
Fly NWA from Detroit to Frankfurt
Fly NWA from Detroit to Frankfurt. The A333 is with the LCD screens that you can watch any movie you want on them. The ticket also only cost 500 round trip. They where also nice when they seated me next to an Abercrombie and Fitch model. The start to a great vacation.
Eugene <email>
Fremont, OH USA Sat 02/14/2004
Czech Airlines: Good
I couldn't disagree more with HB about Czech Airlines. While I didn't fly across the Atlantic on them, I did use them for flights from London to Prague to Edinburgh, and they were easily the best flight experience I've had. The food was great, the service was outstanding, the flight was plenty comfortable, and the price was right!
Phillip <email>
San Francisco, CA USA Fri 02/13/2004
Czech Airlines: Bad
Stay away from Czech Airlines. I travel to Europe on a fairly regular basis and out of all the flights I have ever had Czech Airlines was the worst. In general all the Eastern-European airlines tend to cut way too many corners including on the quality of the food, the comfort and customer service not to talk about their "luggage" policies that go against FAA laws.
I have since made it a rule to pay extra for a direct flight to Europe so that it cuts down on travel time. I also only fly with well established European airlines such as Lufthansa, SAS, British Air, KLM and Swiss Air. I spend about $100 more on the round trip fare but I arrive refreshed, happy and satisfied, without a need for a shrink or a chiropractor AND I get there in 14 hours instead of 23 hours it takes me to get there from Seattle. That includes flight time, delays, transfers and anything else that might happen. I'd rather not take 3 different planes to get to Europe.
Pay the extra as it will go a long way. But you should never pay more than $1000 for a round trip ticket to anywhere in Europe from the US. I usually pay about $600 in the off season and $800 in the high season to get to further destinations such as Greece or Croatia (gorgeous beaches, beautiful sun and about ? of the price of anywhere else; the whole of Europe goes there to vacation so why wouldn?t you?).
I hope that this helps and if not you can always e-mail me for more questions!
HB <email>
Seattle, WA USA Fri 02/13/2004
AA
We took two trips to Europe last year (2003). The first time we were booked on American Airlines. The next time we were on United. We were so unhappy to fly United after AA. AA has more room in coach on their transatlantic flights and it made a huge difference. You'd be suprised how great 3 extra inches of legroom is when you are crammed in coach for 9 - 10 hours. For us, it was surely worth the US$100/pp difference in cost. We arrived feeling relaxed and in a much better mood.
Justin <email>
Dallas, TX USA Wed 02/11/2004
Bad Experience with Flights.com
I recently tried to book a flight with Flights.com and it has turned into a huge mess. I ordered my tickets useing the web page, but was unaware that my order was actualy being processed by a travel agency in New Jersey called ELT Express. They were more than happy to take my credit card number, but they didn't book my tickets and are now ignoring my emails. Due to their suspicious behavior I have since changed my credit card number and started looking for another place to book my tickets. All I have to say is that ELT Express (flights.com) is terrible, and they have zero custimer service.
Jon
Bozeman, mt USA Sun 02/08/2004
Re: Standing in the aisle
The only issue with standing in aisles waiting for the bathroom is the bathroom at the front of the plane near the cockpit. Only one person at a time can wait there. Mid and aft restrooms have no new restrictions.
Gary <email>
Denver, CO USA Wed 02/04/2004
Air Fare Envy from Down Under
How lucky are you guys to live in the Northern Hempsphere! Cannot believe some of the prices. I live in Adelaide, South Australia. It costs me as much to fly to Sydney (2 hour flight) as it does for your guys to get to Paris!! I had a bit of a chuckle at someone complaining of an 11 hour flight - try 23 hours Adelaide to London.
I am off to catch up with my daughter in Ireland in April.
The cheapest return fare I could get was AUS $1,997! I sacked my travel agent (he was totally useless) and have done all our flights, accommodation etc. via the internet. Saved hundreds and hundreds of dollars. Flying Ryan Air, Easy Jet, Virgin Express, Europe by Air flight - Air Portugalia.
I found the cheapest fares out of the UK on the site: ebookers.com.
My daughter saved $500 on a one way flight London/Adelaide.
Judy Uren <email>
Adelaide, SA Australia Wed 02/04/2004
Watch out for short connection times!
One more thing to anyone flying Air France, or any airline transferring at DeGaulle: last summer I realized after I bought the ticket that I had 45 minutes to catch my connecting flight (which was in another terminal). Sounds reasonable, right? Little did I realize what a joke this would turn out to be.
Although we actually landed right on time, it took 15 minutes just to get off the plane. Then, sprinting down endless corridors trying to reach my flight, I ran smack into a long customs line that poked along sloooooooowly... until I was forced to become what I've always despised: the Rude American Traveler, desperately pushing my way to the head of the line. Continuing my marathon with minutes to spare, I followed the signs towards the terminal, which led me out to a curb, to wait for a bus! (Yes, you can walk to the connecting flight terminal, but it's so far, you really should wait for the bus, M'sieur.)
My hopes were dashed and, tired and jet-lagged, I marched to the Air France counter where they admitted that although 45 minutes was cutting it close, they were legally allowed to schedule connections in that amount of time! How could this be? I literally RAN the entire way, and was nowhere near close enough to make it!
Anyway, I was given a seat on the next flight to Athens (in 3 hours) and a 'voucher for breakfast' which turned out to be for merely a couple of Euros discount on a very expensive airport breakfast. Perhaps Air France has woken to reality, as I noticed on the return flight they had attendants waiting to escort some passengers to their connections. So, I chalk it up to lesson learned, and will ALWAYS check my connection times from now on. Bon Voyage.
P.S. My girlfriend had the same thing happen to her on Lufthansa in Frankfurt that very day!
Dave <email>
Manassas, VA USA Tue 02/03/2004
Yes, you can stand on flights
To Ben from Cleveland:
You heard wrong. I flew four times last year (three transatlantic and one domestic) and people were always allowed to stand in line for the restrooms, walk around, etc. (One new trend I like is when attendants leave juice and soft drinks out in the galleys for passengers to 'self-serve' after meals- I hope this catches on to all airlines.) Anyway, perhaps whoever told you was on a flight with some kind of security problem. It shouldn't normally be a problem for you. Happy travels!
Dave <email>
Manassas, VA USA Tue 02/03/2004
Standing in the Aisle
I heard that while flying now, people cannot stand up in the aisle and wait for the toilet. Is this true or just an urban myth?
Ben
Cleveland, OH USA Tue 02/03/2004
airfare to munich & rome
Recently booked spring break trip for family of 5 thru Bestfares.com. I joined for $60.00, then paid $518.00 for RT San Francisco to Rome thru Munich , then free stop in Munich for one week, AND then I get a rebate of $49.00 per ticket when i send in the boarding pass & itinerary upon return- so $469.00 per ticket for both Italy and Germany- considered as high season in Rome, so not bad. Check out the website, they have all kinds of amazing fare - I checked with Lufthansa, ( the airline we got) and they wanted over $3,000 for same ticket!
Leslie Scappatura <email>
Coto de Caza, ca USA Mon 02/02/2004
Flying to Europe
I have been in the market for good fares to Paris for some time, and have been visiting various sites. I also requested reservation info from JustFares.com and go no response. I didn't go back. I did have great luck with Discount-Airfare.com I purchased roundtrip tickets, Dallas-Paris in June for $592. I am very please! They responded to my reservation request within 24 hours.
Another good site showcasing great low fares is: AirlineConsolidator.com
Though I never actually purchased from them, they have great low fares that are much in line with Discount-Airfare.com the less reliable justfares.com.
Good Luck Low Fare Shopping. My perosnal opinion is that they will continue to drop for another month or two.
Pam McCroskery <email>
Austin, TX USA Fri 01/30/2004
Discount Travel coupon.
KLM from SFO into Venice and out of Rome two weeks later, $627.02 roundtrip per person mid May-04.
We are so happy this little coupon came in a package of all different kinds of coupons. Normally I throw these these packages away without looking inside. Glad I looked. Good luck to you all! See you in Europe.
Sam Waters <email>
Petaluma, Ca USA Fri 01/30/2004
Don't tolerate fondlers
My girlfriend had a bad experience last fall when flying to meet me in Athens. On the US-Frankfurt overnight flight, as she was trying to sleep, she woke three times to find the jerk next to her was fondling her leg! For some reason, my usually-assertive friend didn't say anything, just forcefully pushed his hand away. She now realizes that she should have stood up and loudly called for a flight attendant; at the very least, she could have gotten a different seat, and hopefully would have gotten the slimeball reported to the authorities.
Dave <email>
Manassas, VA USA Fri 01/30/2004
Good experience on Lufthansa
Last spring, I flew Lufthansa from Portland to Paris and had excellent service.
I can't say that about the food, but it was no worse than any other airline
food i've had (since alaska started cutting costs on food service, anyway).
I don't have anything to compare the leg room to - it was my first intercontinental
flight. Aren't all airlines' coach seats almost unbearably tight when you're
stuck in one for over 10 hours?
ka
Seattle, WA USA Thu 01/22/2004
Confirm web "deals"
I looked at justfares.com and found what appeared to be a great fare. They
had to re-contact to confirm fare. Then they called me and said that the
price was really far and above what was quoted on the web site. I looked
again today and found the same thing.
Ryan Blonien <email>
WA USA Thu 01/22/2004
Justfares.com
I have been searching for flights to Frankfurt in June '04 to late July
for quite a while now. The cheapest price I have seen so far is $1200, until
a few days ago. I checked out www.justfares.com and www.1800flyeurope.com
and the prices are excellent. I'm seriously considering using them for my
trip to Germany.
Molly
USA Wed 01/21/2004
air fares
Today the AAA travel agent quoted me 950.00 dollars to fly from JFK to Frankfurt
(FRA) in July 04. I did not buy. I also asked about flying "open jaw" from
JFK to Cologne (Germany) and then from Salzburg (Austria) back to JFK but
the quote was 900. I'm checking out bestfares.com right now...looks like
they have some great fares !
david underwood <email>
o'side, ca USA Tue 01/20/2004
Cost cutting on NWA
We flew from Detroit to London in December and found that there were no
amenity packs given in coach, hence no eyeshades for the overnight trip
or magazines to read. Second, no wine was offered with dinner and, lastly,
no alcohol at all was offered for sale. NWA's new cost cutting? Pack your
own now!
Dot <email>
Detroit, MI USA Mon 01/19/2004
Priceline
I got a roundtrip airfare to Sao Paulo (Brazil) from Minneapolis for a total
(tax and all) for 606 dollars at priceline.com. I was skeptical to use them
at first but it paid off. Remember, low ball your bid because they might
accept it!
Lala <email>
Sioux Falls, SD USA Wed 01/07/2004
Flying from Orlando
Orlando is one of BA's most popular airports in Florida. Call BA and ask
for prices out of Tampa or Miami if you are willing to drive a little. As
a BA employee we try to avoid Orlando due to it being a popular destination.
BA
USA Tue 01/06/2004
Priceline.com
From my personal experience, the Web is definitely better. It only requires
time and patience. Back in October, I had been diligently searching for
a reasonable and low fare to Paris in May 2004 on several travel sites.
I'll just say this.... October is not a prime time to locate cheap fares
to Paris if you plan to go the following Spring. But I'm an Advance Planner,
therefore, I wanted to finalize things well ahead of time so I could proceed
to reserve my accommodations, etc. I tried comprehensive travel search engines
and individual airline websites with no great deals in sight. Taking a recommendation
from a friend, I went to Priceline.com to see if I could get a great deal
and lo and behold, I did! I paid $488.40 to fly from Atlanta to Paris (with
a transfer) round-trip for a 2-week stay. This price includes the optional
$25 travel insurance (always a wise choice to include). This has definitely
been a long awaited dream of mine (and I'm only 22)! As Langston Hughes
would say, "What happens to a dream deferred?"
Angela <email>
Augusta, GA USA Sun 01/04/2004