Have flights to Europe always been this expensive

[stuNYC]

I haven't travelled to Europe by plane, in over 30 years. I just booked a cruise that leaves AT THE END OF MAY 2007 from Rome. I started checking airfare for direct flights from NY to Rome and found to my astonishment that the cheapest non-stop is over $1000. I presumed that booking so far out and not in peak season would result in lower fares. Should I book now or wait it out to see if fares come down. I always book my own air. You never find out what flight the cruiseline has booked in time to make a change to get a more direct flight or more convenient time.

 

WHAT HAVE YOU PAID TO FLY TO EUROPE?

[jtl513]

WHAT HAVE YOU PAID TO FLY TO EUROPE?

 

In June we paid $1289 pp Coach, but that was "high season" and from Orlando (via Toronto) and not NYC. I didn't try to "shop around", but just accepted what our TA said was a fair price. :)

 

Just now I went to an ebooker and priced a hypothetical JFK-FCO r.t. for 5/17 returning 5/29 and found four non-stops ranging from $858 (Alitalia) to $968. :)

[European_CruiseGirl]

That sounds a bit high to me (although I'm from Europe so I don't actually fly from US...). But still, I made a basic search from ebookers and got some prices around $850/pp.

 

Flights around weekend have usually the highest fares (leaving on Thu/Fri/Sat) so if you can fly some other days chances are greater that you will get a cheaper flight.

[grannynurse]

Compared to what we paid in 2003 to fly from Tulsa to Boston and Amsterdam to Tulsa in July (we sailed over) ($1289 pp), Our fall (oct)2007 RT from Tulsa to Rome and Ft Lauderdale to Tulsa is $789 pp using HAL air. We knew 12 weeks out what our itinerary would be in 2003.

I used www.kayak.com to price flights for next fall and couldn't find anything cheaper than $2038 pp for the Tulsa to Rome leg only. I guess I'll take my chances with HAL air for now and see if the independent prices drop in the spring.

GN

[bsa250cc]

Hi,

 

I booked our flights from London to Ft Lauderdale via Houston in July for our upcoming cruise flying Continental and paid the equivalent of $1160 for both of us. This was compatible with most other Major Airlines at the time. If there are cheaper fares from the US to London have you thought about a direct flight to the UK and then changing to a budget airline for the short flight to Rome. Easy jet flights booked in advance can be had for about $85 each return if booked well in advance. Easyjet do not release there summer 2007 fares until late December, and are always cheapest the earlier you book. If you had sufficient time London is good to see at that time of year. Just a thought.

 

Best Wishes

 

Bob

[hammybee]

Alitalia out of EWR is usually the best bet for the least expensive non- stop flight. If it were me I would lock in now and risk that fares might come down a tad. This is better than the alternative risk of an increase.

 

As BSA mentioned, you might do better routing through London or even Frankfort....depends upon the balance of savings, versus convenience.

[herb]

Unfortunately all the deals advertised on tv and the newspapers for "cheap" flights to Europe are in Mid-winter!! :mad:

 

It's definitely an eye-opener when you realize you're spending the same amount for your flight to Europe than you are on the cruise itself!! :eek:

[dakrewser]

It all depends on where you're going - and when. We're headed to Honolulu for Thanksgiving and flights are approx. $1100 (SFO-HNL). That same week we could fly to FRankfort for half that - $550 each! BUt who wants to spend late November in Frankfurt? :rolleyes:

[jhannah]

Our tix Las Vegas to Rome last July were over a thousand each. Seems the special deal offers we get via e-mail are never within our timeframe!

[Atomica]

It pays to keep watching the prices on the net, but typically the prices will go up in the spring. It's true what was posted above: plan on spending more on your airfare than the actual cruise.

 

I've looked at Europe cruises that clock in waaaay cheaper than Alaska, but the kicker for us living on the West Coast is that it's about a good $1200 per person to fly from Vancouver to Rome...unless, as posted above, you want to go in the off season.

[amusea]

Many years ago I think that the month of May was not considered high season. That has changed.

Don't feel bad about European prices. I travel from Miami to Cancun each year in December. It is a one hour flight and the cost is over $500. round trip!

It is all based on supply and demand and the number of Americans flying to Europe in the summer keeps increasing. That is why cruise lines are deploying more ships to Europe each year.

[agabbymama]

I like priceline.com for airfare. I watch expedia.com and travelocity.com to see what their prices are, then I go to priceline.com and bid what I want to pay. Sometimes you get it, sometimes you don't. I went from LAX to Zurich to Budapest in 2005 for $639 round trip per person the last week of May/first week of June. But with the fuel prices so high now, that may be why airfare is so high, and I'm sure you'd want enough fuel to get there. The alternative isn't too attractive. There are bargains out there to be had. You have to be a little patient, check every day and pounce when you see something you're comfortable with.:D

[twinkletoes4445]

A couple of summers ago, while my son was in Paris, the air was $1600 per person. We have a family wedding in Greece next summer. I need to start looking for flights and hotels.

[twinkletoes4445]

double post...whoops.

[x lindsay x]

I paid $350 R/T to Dublin from JFK last April, only booking about a month and a half before the trip. Two years before that I flew to Paris for a little less than that. Apparently no one wants to go to Europe for spring break.

Or maybe it just pays to live in NYC where all the flights are direct.

[BruceMuzz]

The price of jet fuel has gone up just a bit since your last transatlantic flight 30 years ago.

[Guienevere_Arianette]

I haven't travelled to Europe by plane, in over 30 years. I just booked a cruise that leaves AT THE END OF MAY 2007 from Rome. I started checking airfare for direct flights from NY to Rome and found to my astonishment that the cheapest non-stop is over $1000. I presumed that booking so far out and not in peak season would result in lower fares. Should I book now or wait it out to see if fares come down. I always book my own air. You never find out what flight the cruiseline has booked in time to make a change to get a more direct flight or more convenient time.

 

WHAT HAVE YOU PAID TO FLY TO EUROPE?

 

Sounds a bit high to me, as well; I have gone to Europe three summers in a row (All leaving the last week of May, 2004, 2005, and 2006). I buy my tickets around February; leaving from Amarillo, TX, which is MUCH more expensive than NY (I cruise the web specials often), I flew RT into London for less than $750 each time. So, I would keep looking; the prices don't sound right at all. I was just searching BA last week and found RT tickets from Amarillo to London for $700. I know you are going to Rome, as am I in June of 2007 for the Prinsendam cruise, but I am going to fly into London and catch an EasyJet from London to Rome for about $60 more. Good deal, no? :)

[whogo]

I think the "normal" May price for Chicago/Rome is $850. That is the end of shoulder season. High season summer prices mean even higher fares. I would have expected $850 or lower prices to be available from the New York area for May travel. Prices will be higher for weekend travel. Good luck.

[Pete Jackson]

One way to save some money is to find a cheap flight to Dublin or London, and then connect into the bargain airlines like Ryanair from there. But it can be a major inconvenience, of course, to do that unless you want to spend some time anyway iin one of those cities.

[dakrewser]

One way to save some money is to find a cheap flight to Dublin or London, and then connect into the bargain airlines like Ryanair from there. But it can be a major inconvenience, of course, to do that unless you want to spend some time anyway iin one of those cities.

 

But be sure to check baggage allowances on the bargain lines - some are very low.

[dougnewmanatsea]

I would say, flying nonstop EWR-FCO or JFK-FCO any time between May and September, you should be looking at fares of around $850-$1000 per person.

 

Purely hypothetically, I just did a quick search for an NYC-FCO round-trip leaving 20 May and returning 27 May. I'm seeing fares of $848 on Delta and American, $858 on Alitalia and $972 on Continental, after taxes and feels.

 

Keep in mind that all flights to Europe are not created equal. For example, I just looked at NYC to London fares on the same dates and got fares of $694. Paris was $666, Frankfurt $558, Amsterdam $681. These are the big four European hubs and are usually the least expensive because there are lots of flights.

[serendipity1499]

Last time we took a Trans-Atlantic cruise, we flew to ROM via FRA on Lufthansa & purchased RT Excursion tickets..As others have said it was much less than OW fares...

 

Unless it's absolutely necessary to fly non-stop, you will find better deals via FRA, AMS, LON etc..Also check to see if they have RT Excursion fares mid-week...

 

With Excursion fares you will be required to book a return flight, so be sure to cancel the return flight after your flight to ROM..You won't get a refund on the return ticket, but it still will be less than your one way fare..

 

Suggest you don't do what we did! We too had not been there for years & missed a great deal..Only spent 2 extra days in Rom & tried to cram everything in those two days..We were exhausted after that..;)

 

Good luck in your search & have a wonderful time on your Trans-Atlantic Cruise..:) Betty