I was wondering if anyone has found any decent airfare for June? I have not found anything less than $1000.00 (I will be flying out of LAX to Rome) and am getting really frustrated. I tried Northwest / KLM and the operator was extremely rude and said that he had never heard of any airfare sales.
If any of you good people hear of something, please let me know. In the meantime, I will continue the search.
I purchased tickets last week for our June trip to Rome from New York (JFK), and paid $573 (inclusive) on Swiss International. It's not a direct flight, we have to change planes in Geneva on the way out, and in Zurich on the way home (or maybe it's the other way around; I forget) -- but the layovers are short (about 1 hour) so we don't mind. Also, we can accrue miles to our American Airlines frequent flyer accounts.
I checked just now on travel.yahoo.com and found a $700 fare from LAX to FCO on Swiss International. You'll need to add taxes, fees, etc. to that, so your final price will be closer to $825 each, but that still beats $1000. You must purchase the ticket before March 31, and fly by June 13. One advantage is that this fare is good any day of the week! We wanted to fly out on a Saturday and home on a Friday, so this worked out well for us.
If you want to replicate this search, enter your airport codes, but not dates. Instead, click on the box that says "my dates are flexible". For some reason, this fare does not come up when you select specific dates up front.
You might also try Hotwire; I've had good luck with them in the past.
Good luck!
Cary in NYC
Posts: 42 | Location: New York City | Registered: 27 January 2004
The Swiss air flights are the cheapest for the JFK-Rome trip in June, which I'm shopping for, but the Zurich-Rome trip is on a commuter plane -- I won't get on those. Bummer. I did take someone's advice and went online at 1 o'clock in the morning today, but the fares seemed to be about the same. American was a bit cheaper, but still more than $900 rt! I'm getting discouraged.
The Swiss or CrossAir option shows up on Orbitz also....I plunked in June 5-20 and the $818 LAX-FCO fare is available. And the plane from Zurich to Rome is an Airbus.
Here is the itinerary you've selected: Outbound:
Flight: 41 Aircraft: Airbus Industrie A340-300 (Jet) Departing: 6/5 at 2:55P Los Angeles Intl Apt (LAX) Arriving: 6/6 at 11:05A Zurich Apt (ZRH)
Flight: 1732 Aircraft: Airbus Industrie A319 (Jet) Departing: 6/6 at 5:20P Zurich Apt (ZRH) Arriving: 6/6 at 6:50P Rome Fiumicino Apt (FCO)
Return:
Flight: 1733 Aircraft: Airbus Industrie A319 (Jet) Departing: 6/20 at 7:45P Rome Fiumicino Apt (FCO) Arriving: 6/20 at 9:30P Zurich Apt (ZRH)
Flight: 40 Aircraft: Airbus Industrie A340-300 (Jet) Departing: 6/21 at 10:00A Zurich Apt (ZRH) Arriving: 6/21 at 1:10P Los Angeles Intl Apt (LAX)
Was that $600 all inclusive? If so, where is it? The lowest fares I could find advertised for Rome in June on the Bestfares site were $589 -- but this is BEFORE you add in approximately $125 in taxes and surcharges. (And in any case, those were all from the East Coast, not applicable to LAX.) My mother is thinkig of flying out to join us in Rome, and I'd love to be able to steer her to a better fare, if I can.
Thanks!
Posts: 42 | Location: New York City | Registered: 27 January 2004
i had the same problem as you - the fares from lax are outrageous to italy this summer. so i booked a flight directly from british airways' website from lax to london for about $560 total (incl. taxes). i am booking a separate flight from london to italy on yahoo travel. from heathrow to rome for june, i got a fare on alitalia for $182 total. my grand total will be under $800. the only hassle will be having to schedule the flight times (i may have to stay a night in london) and having to retrieve my luggage in london, and check it back in for my london to italy flight.
Posts: 11 | Location: Torrance, CA USA | Registered: 17 November 2003
Am I missing something? Why does a fare of $560 plus $182 for the Italian leg with the possibility of an overnight in London and having to claim and recheck luggage sound better than a direct flight with a good connection in Zurich for $818.00?
Your price isn't including tax and fees, is it? Either way it's still a more expensive option, and unless you are supremely lazy or carrying your entire closet, rechecking baggage isn't that difficult.
----------------------------------- Pekorino, my food blog On The Road, Again [travel stories from 2005-2006]
<<< the only hassle will be having to schedule the flight times [i may have to stay a night in london)<<
In addition to having to claim and recheck baggage, did you notice this part, Rar? What's that with the British VAT of 17.6% going to add to the total?
I'm with Jim: $ 818 sure sounds like a better deal to me for an easy schedule and no overnight. And since he was getting that from Orbitz, I've always found Orbitz rates to include all taxes.
A very small percentage of the people I deal with travel with just a carryon or one bag. For them and me, the hassle of just changing terminals and making connections in London, Paris, etc is stressful enough. This is without having to exit the security area, wait for luggage to come off the plane, go to another airline counter and check-in again, pass through another full security check and get to the new gate. For me and them, it is not worth the potential of "possibly" saving $50.00 or so.
But it is a decision that each person has to make individually.
Another advantage of being ticketed straight through on one airline is that if there is a delay and connections are missed, the airline has the (theoretical and contractual) responsibility for getting you to your destination. If you have separate tickets and you miss the connection, the responsibility shifts to the traveler.
VALUE is what I look for when pricing things, and that doesn't always always mean the cheapest. Do we always buy the cheapest refrigerator or cheapest car we can possibly buy? Most often, I think people go for VALUE, which means for me a fair price for what you get, rather than 'the cheapest.'
I have to agree with Jim on this one... as much as I LOVE a bargain. (I don't think this is much of one, though)
I had a close call doing this once (but not to save money... rather because I was connecting two trips)...
I was movng back home from Seville to Seattle with a layover in NY... The Seattle to NY return ticket I was going to use to go back to school later that summer.
Anyways, Iberia's notoriously late Madrid--JFK flight was (what a surprise) late... we sat on the runway for over an hour... and I of course missed my Seattle connection after having to do customs, change terminals (a taxi couldn't get me there fast enough) and check in at the United counter at the other side of JFK...
Needless to say, they were not responsible... and I was supposed to spend the night there to catch another flight... despite having possible places to crash in town, I was so upset that I started crying. After a long trip I was tired and just wanted to get somewhere. But luckily for me, they took pity on me and rerouted me. I had to fly with a layover through Denver out of Laguardia, and pay for a cab ride between the airports. But they were SOO nice. I swear I got unusually lucky on that one.
But would I consider doing it again? Probably not... unless the layover were several hours and the savings sonot to be passed up.... It was stressful and took several hours longer in the end.
Besides, 560 to Heathrow isn't that good of a price. You can get really good deals to London--- My friend is flying Seattle-London 99 bucks each way before taxes. That's a little more than $345 roundtrip.
I've gotten very picky about routing after losing luggage and being layed over or simply taking far too many hours to get somewhere.
That being said, I do agree with the original poster that over $1000 for an economy flight to a large international airport in Western Europe from LAX is too much...
"Many a trip continues long after movement in time and space has ceased." (John Steinbeck)
Posts: 372 | Location: Back in Seattle! | Registered: 07 February 2004
Sally: How would you define "value" in this circumstance? I'm interested because I think many of us have become cynical about air travel. Transatlantic flights in high season aren't the most pleasant experiences to begin with, so I think we're all looking for the cheapest price at which we will be herded like cattle into impossibly small seating areas. Still, I will pay more for a non-stop NY to Rome flight. TIA for your input!
Sera -- 'value' in this specific situation for me surely means paying a little more and having a one-change flight on one day with one airline, rather than piecing together different tickets with different airlines and the possibility of an overnight stay en route.
As someone in the travel industry, I'm acutely aware of all the things you mention about how obnoxious air travel has become, believe me! (This past Sunday's NYTimes has several articles about how the atmosphere has changed.) As has been pointed out before, piecing together several airlines ups the chances of lost luggage and missed connections - and things that do that are the opposite of 'value.' Seems to me one opens oneself to the possibilty of even more of the frustration of air travel by booking this way unless absolutely necessary.
I'd note that the two people who most quickly pointed out that the $ 560 and $ 182 fares aren't necessarily the way to go are travel professionals who work with this daily(and hear horror stories daily), who regularly get feedback from clients and who travel a great deal themselves; message there?
Sure, I like bargains, too. But if I have to buy a shirt and the shirt I want is $40, and another shirt of different-and-not-quite as-good-or-appealing color and fabric and style is $ 35, I'm sticking with the $ 40 shirt.
"Penny wise and pound foolish" comes to mind here.
Thank you, Sally. I guess we're thinking along the same lines (i.e., that I would pay more for a non-stop flight to minimize the hassles). I also feel like I'm getting too old to do the multi-leg trips! Just got a bit spoiled by getting a rt fare on American for NY-Rome for $450 last year.
I also read the Sunday NY Times articles and found the most interesting insight was that people feel very free to vent their frustrations in public and in the most vituperative way possible, whereas, a decade or two ago it just wasn't acceptable. I find it very unsettling to see people go ballistic in public. It's an advanced form of narcissism that doesn't take into consideration the experience and comfort of people around them. And, as one article pointed out, it gets the exact opposite of the result they're looking for!
While the debate over "value" has been defined, it seems to me that flying from Los Angeles to Rome is much more expensive than flying from any other part of the country (e.g.; New York). Is this true or am I simply being naive?
By the way, I may be pushing my luck (would another part of Italy be cheaper to fly into?), but I'm going to continue to search for airfare that is more reasonable - - $1000.00 plus is simply too much for my wallet.
Chipping in here where nobody asked me: I'm with Sally, at least when I make my own plans. This is, after all, a vacation! My guiding principle is to make my plans as hassle-free as possible. Even if all works out well, you've had a couple of months to worry about it, and a stress-filled flight. I certainly wouldn't do it in exchange for saving a small percentage of the airfare. With age comes not only laziness but a certain amount of wisdom, I hope, and for me at least, both point in the same direction: Save the stress for the unpredictable!
As many of you likely know, Swiss Air has been running a 2 for 1 sale with Mastercard. It's good for travel in June. Swiss Air gave me a quote of $1275, including taxes, for two people from Boston to Rome. The agent told me they no longer fly to Venice and that this special in only in effect for two more days. Their NY city number is 877-359-7947. They also have an office in LA. http://www.swiss.com.
Because of business and personal commitments that were tied into our last trip to Italy, we flew San Diego - JFK (overnight, the business part). The next day... JFK - London Heathrow (saw our friend) - shuttled to Gatwick then Gatwick - Genoa.... then pretty much the reversal on the way back, except that our friend from England met us at Heathrow and then flew home with us.
Needless to say, this was an exhausting, expensive (in the long run) way to travel and I would NEVER do it again!
In May we fly San Diego - Chicago - Paris...and back. Short sweet, and *hopefully* uncomplicated.
Travel is less predictable these days so really, in the long run, the less connections the better. It may seem like a flight is less expensive but as Sally says look between the lines (added taxes, possible overnights , added stress on you)....usually the most direct way to get there, the better.
Jody
Posts: 352 | Location: San Diego, Calif. USA | Registered: 19 June 2003
Topic Closed
Obviously if she has to spend the night the deal isn't as sweet. You are right about the tax however.
