European flights

[WakeboardMom]

I have zero experience booking international flights. My daughter is going to Florence, Italy for semester abroad, departing in January, returning in May. If I booked her flights today, it would be $1000 round-trip, which doesn't seem bad. Am I better off using a travel agent? Any other helpful hints?

 

[wa-loaf]

It seems a little high, but I haven't flown to Europe in a few years. My flight to the Philippines cost about $1300 ...

I've always just booked online. Check them all and take the one with the best price.

 

[hammer]

Seems a bit high for off-season.

Try any online site...for non-Southwest Airlines travel I've had the most success with Orbitz but YMMV.

 

[WakeboardMom]

Seems a bit high for off-season.

Try any online site...for non-Southwest Airlines travel I've had the most success with Orbitz but YMMV.

I went to Expedia and Orbitz and then to the airlines' site. I can send her to Florence out of Boston for the same price as NYC, with only one stop. After doing some research, and chatting with a couple of people who travelled to Italy earlier this year, I think the $1100 isn't a bad deal.

 

[wa-loaf]

I think the $1100 isn't a bad deal.

Guess I'm not heading to Europe anytime soon. Iceland Air used to be pretty cheap although it required a stop in Reykjavik.

 

[hammer]

I went to Expedia and Orbitz and then to the airlines' site. I can send her to Florence out of Boston for the same price as NYC, with only one stop. After doing some research, and chatting with a couple of people who traveled to Italy earlier this year, I think the $1100 isn't a bad deal.

looks like you have done your homework...

 

[Geoff]

I use the online sites to find the flights I want and then book directly with the airline.


Here is a timetable for Florence, Italy. It's going to be cheaper to fly to Florence than into Rome and take a train.
http://www.aeroporto.firenze.it/orario_generale/adf-orario-generale-01GIU10-30OTT10.pdf

For a student carrying the maximum allowable baggage, I'd pick flights with real jets with a national carrier for the European connection where the carrier offers several flights per day so you don't get stranded. Examples: Air France from Paris/Charles deGaulle, Lufthansa from Frankfurt

You can sometimes find the flight cheaper as a code share. For example, with Lufthansa, check the United web site. For Air France, check the Delta web site.

 

[hammer]

Guess I'm not heading to Europe anytime soon. Iceland Air used to be pretty cheap although it required a stop in Reykjavik.

Did that once in the summer when airfares to Germany were several hundred more with Lufthansa. Reykjavik was a decent place for a stopover and the overall flight time wasn't too bad.

 

[ctenidae]

Ireland tickets were $600 or $700 out of JFK, so $1,100's not out of the questions.

I like kayak.com for searching, since it catches the most random sites.

 

[Geoff]

Hint:
Look at the baggage allowance and extra baggage charges for each carrier. 1 bag and 23 kg is pretty typical with $50+ for the second bag. Most people going to Europe for a semester are going to have a lot of luggage. Tuscany is pretty chilly in January so you need winter clothes. By the time you get to May, you need summer clothes.

 

[ctenidae]

Hint:
Look at the baggage allowance and extra baggage charges for each carrier. 1 bag and 23 kg is pretty typical with $50+ for the second bag. Most people going to Europe for a semester are going to have a lot of luggage. Tuscany is pretty chilly in January so you need winter clothes. By the time you get to May, you need summer clothes.

2 words to solve that problem: FedEx.

 

[WakeboardMom]

Hint:
Look at the baggage allowance and extra baggage charges for each carrier. 1 bag and 23 kg is pretty typical with $50+ for the second bag. Most people going to Europe for a semester are going to have a lot of luggage. Tuscany is pretty chilly in January so you need winter clothes. By the time you get to May, you need summer clothes.

As I was reading this, I had the same thought as the poster before me. "I can probably ship her things." I know when my son did his semester abroad I shipped basics (like peanut butter) fairly regularly. (Kind of funny...packing wasn't an issue with him. He had a couple of pairs of skis, his boots, and not really a ton of clothes. I'm not sure this will be the case with her.)

I liked the flights on Swiss. They go out of Boston with only that one stop in Zurich. I will do what you suggest in the other post and check out "code share." You reinforced one other inclination I had when you said: "I use the online sites to find the flights I want and then book directly with the airline."

Thanks, guys. : )

 

[dmc]

I have zero experience booking international flights. My daughter is going to Florence, Italy for semester abroad, departing in January, returning in May. If I booked her flights today, it would be $1000 round-trip, which doesn't seem bad. Am I better off using a travel agent? Any other helpful hints?

Check other cities..
She may be able to fly into Frankfurt Germany on Singapore Air for cheap then take a train... Trains are easy in Europe..

 

[WakeboardMom]

Check other cities..
She may be able to fly into Frankfurt Germany on Singapore Air for cheap then take a train... Trains are easy in Europe..

If it were me, I'd consider that. I don't think I want to do that to a 19-year-old girl travelling alone in a strange country/continent. I'm sure after she's been there for a while, she'll be fine on the train; everyone else I know says the same as you. "Trains are easy."

 

[Geoff]

As I was reading this, I had the same thought as the poster before me. "I can probably ship her things." I know when my son did his semester abroad I shipped basics (like peanut butter) fairly regularly. (Kind of funny...packing wasn't an issue with him. He had a couple of pairs of skis, his boots, and not really a ton of clothes. I'm not sure this will be the case with her.)

I liked the flights on Swiss. They go out of Boston with only that one stop in Zurich. I will do what you suggest in the other post and check out "code share." You reinforced one other inclination I had when you said: "I use the online sites to find the flights I want and then book directly with the airline."

Thanks, guys. : )

If you're going to use Fedex for international, then you don't care how much the airline ticket costs.

 

[playoutside]

Check kayak.com in addition to Expedia, Travelocity & Orbitz. Then when you find the lowest airfare double check directly on the specific airline's site. If you can look at flights on Tues/Wed...prices are cheaper and greater shot at empty seats near you. If you don't want to play with the various airports in Europe, would you consider flying from JFK or Newark...more competition and options, usually less expensive. Watch flights with connections since you'll often pay taxes on the thru airport which inflates the tickets.

FWIW airfares to Europe are up considerably in the last couple years...think its the weak dollar, fuel costs and taxes. I used to find tickets in the 500-600 range, but I spent $820 to Rome this year and nearly 800 to Athens the year before. I chose to fly from EWR, since Boston was at least 100 higher and/or required connections.

 

[snowmonster]

My flight to the Philippines cost about $1300 ...

That's cheap. Unfortunately, I have to visit during the peak seasons.

 

[ctenidae]

If you're going to use Fedex for international, then you don't care how much the airline ticket costs.

FedEx is the generic term- like, if you've got a snot problem, think Kleenex. Or, if you have a can of Rotel tomatoes and a bag of Fritos, think Velveeta. Thirsty? Have a coke. Etc etc.

 

[WakeboardMom]

If you're going to use Fedex for international, then you don't care how much the airline ticket costs.

I usually use the US Postal service for international. (As much as it pains me to use them, I sometimes do.) Feel free to make recommendations.

 

[WakeboardMom]

Check kayak.com in addition to Expedia, Travelocity & Orbitz. Then when you find the lowest airfare double check directly on the specific airline's site. If you can look at flights on Tues/Wed...prices are cheaper and greater shot at empty seats near you. If you don't want to play with the various airports in Europe, would you consider flying from JFK or Newark...more competition and options, usually less expensive. Watch flights with connections since you'll often pay taxes on the thru airport which inflates the tickets.

FWIW airfares to Europe are up considerably in the last couple years...think its the weak dollar, fuel costs and taxes. I used to find tickets in the 500-600 range, but I spent $820 to Rome this year and nearly 800 to Athens the year before. I chose to fly from EWR, since Boston was at least 100 higher and/or required connections.

I did exactly what you said and looked at JFK first. Didn't think of Newark. Prices to go out of JFK weren't a whole lot different than BOS.

Something new thrown into the mix. Her travel companion's dad is a FF on United. If I want Nicole to fly with a friend, I may have to pay an extra hundred bucks for her to fly United/Lufthansa vs. Swiss International.

It's never as easy as it could be.