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Finding Lowest Airfare Return USA-Italy with 3 Month Flexibility



 
 
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  #1  
Old January 10th, 2008, 02:18 AM posted to rec.travel.usa-canada, rec.travel.europe, rec.travel.air
PeterOut
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Posts: 8
Default Finding Lowest Airfare Return USA-Italy with 3 Month Flexibility

I am living in the USA and would like to find the cheapest return air
fare to Italy. I am very flexible as far as time goes. It could be
any time in the next 3 months. I would be grateful if someone could
tell me the best way to get the cheapest air fare under these
circumstances.

Many thanks in advance,
Peter.
  #3  
Old January 10th, 2008, 03:00 AM posted to rec.travel.usa-canada, rec.travel.europe, rec.travel.air
Iceman
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Posts: 877
Default Finding Lowest Airfare Return USA-Italy with 3 Month Flexibility

On Jan 9, 8:18 pm, PeterOut wrote:
I am living in the USA and would like to find the cheapest return air
fare to Italy. I am very flexible as far as time goes. It could be
any time in the next 3 months. I would be grateful if someone could
tell me the best way to get the cheapest air fare under these
circumstances.



In your local paper's Sunday edition travel section, look for small
black and white box ads that only list cities and prices. Those are
discount travel agents called "consolidators", who airlines use to
dump large blocks of unsold seats cheaply, and they normally have the
best fares.

Generally the best fares are when you book at least 3 weeks in
advance, but not more than 3 months in advance, of when you leave.
  #4  
Old January 10th, 2008, 05:49 AM posted to rec.travel.usa-canada,rec.travel.europe,rec.travel.air
John L
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Posts: 226
Default Finding Lowest Airfare Return USA-Italy with 3 Month Flexibility

I am living in the USA and would like to find the cheapest return air
fare to Italy. I am very flexible as far as time goes. It could be
any time in the next 3 months.


Fares to Europe vary a great deal by season, with the cheapest season
being the winter, right now.

The always helpful search at www.itasoftware.com finds a $550 fare from
Dulles via Toronto on Air Canada (not a bad airline) on Feb 12th.

It's worth checking the newspaper ads for consolidator tickets, but
I'd be surprised if you found a better deal there to Rome.
  #5  
Old January 10th, 2008, 06:52 AM posted to rec.travel.usa-canada,rec.travel.europe,rec.travel.air
Calif Bill
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Posts: 991
Default Finding Lowest Airfare Return USA-Italy with 3 Month Flexibility


"John L" wrote in message ...
I am living in the USA and would like to find the cheapest return air
fare to Italy. I am very flexible as far as time goes. It could be
any time in the next 3 months.


Fares to Europe vary a great deal by season, with the cheapest season
being the winter, right now.

The always helpful search at www.itasoftware.com finds a $550 fare from
Dulles via Toronto on Air Canada (not a bad airline) on Feb 12th.

It's worth checking the newspaper ads for consolidator tickets, but
I'd be surprised if you found a better deal there to Rome.


We used http://www.1800flyeurope.com/
a couple of years ago. Was lots cheaper than anybody else. We flew Delta
from SFO from via Cinncinati to Rome for $450 in Sept.


  #6  
Old January 10th, 2008, 09:02 AM posted to rec.travel.usa-canada, rec.travel.europe, rec.travel.air
mono
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Posts: 46
Default Finding Lowest Airfare Return USA-Italy with 3 Month Flexibility

On Jan 9, 6:18*pm, PeterOut wrote:
I am living in the USA and would like to find the cheapest return air
fare to Italy. *I am very flexible as far as time goes. *It could be
any time in the next 3 months. *I would be grateful if someone could
tell me the best way to get the cheapest air fare under these
circumstances.

Many thanks in advance,
Peter.


Peter - You may find several of the databases at my international
travel report site helpful.

http://internationaltravelreport.com...rch_engine.htm

Regards,

Nicholas Crowder
  #7  
Old January 10th, 2008, 11:13 AM posted to rec.travel.usa-canada,rec.travel.europe,rec.travel.air
Jim Ley
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Posts: 862
Default Finding Lowest Airfare Return USA-Italy with 3 Month Flexibility

On Thu, 10 Jan 2008 04:49:26 +0000 (UTC), (John L)
wrote:

I am living in the USA and would like to find the cheapest return air
fare to Italy. I am very flexible as far as time goes. It could be
any time in the next 3 months.


Fares to Europe vary a great deal by season, with the cheapest season
being the winter, right now.

The always helpful search at
www.itasoftware.com finds a $550 fare from
Dulles via Toronto on Air Canada (not a bad airline) on Feb 12th.


Haven't Delta got a $300 to LGW at the moment, and LGW-Italy is
generally easily available well under $100 there ($55 at the moment
beginning of feb to Pisa or Milan on EasyJet)

But you have the seperate ticketing issues there, still saves a good
bit.

Cheers,

Jim.
  #8  
Old January 11th, 2008, 12:28 AM posted to rec.travel.usa-canada,rec.travel.europe,rec.travel.air
Király[_1_]
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Posts: 276
Default Finding Lowest Airfare Return USA-Italy with 3 Month Flexibility

In rec.travel.europe PeterOut wrote:
I am living in the USA and would like to find the cheapest return air
fare to Italy. I am very flexible as far as time goes. It could be
any time in the next 3 months. I would be grateful if someone could
tell me the best way to get the cheapest air fare under these
circumstances.


I second Iceman's suggestion for checking out prices at local
bricks-and-mortar discount travel agents. Don't assume that the best
price will be found online. In 2005 my local discount agent got me the
transtlantic flight I wanted for hundreds less than I would have paid by
booking it anywhere online.

--
K.

Lang may your lum reek.
  #9  
Old January 11th, 2008, 04:19 PM posted to rec.travel.usa-canada,rec.travel.europe,rec.travel.air
SMS
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 899
Default Finding Lowest Airfare Return USA-Italy with 3 Month Flexibility

PeterOut wrote:
I am living in the USA and would like to find the cheapest return air
fare to Italy. I am very flexible as far as time goes. It could be
any time in the next 3 months. I would be grateful if someone could
tell me the best way to get the cheapest air fare under these
circumstances.

Many thanks in advance,
Peter.


First step is to go to "http://vayama.com" which is the only on-line
international consolidator I've found.

I bought one ticket from them to Italy last November. It was about $200
less than the same flights bought from the airline.

Note that the Vayama price is the total price, including taxes and fees,
while the advertised prices in the newspaper by airlines and travel
agents usually exclude the taxes and fees, which can be more than double
the advertised price.

What you should do is find the cheapest price on Vayama, then ask a
local consolidator for a quote on the same itinerary. One advantage of
Vayama is that they take credit cards, while very few consolidators take
credit cards.

Another thing I noticed, from SFO, is that the best price always seemed
to be outbound on United (on a flight operated by Lufthansa, and inbound
on Lufthansa. But I couldn't buy this itinerary on the airline web sites
or on the normal travel sites, only on Vayama. I think it's because the
consolidators are buying a bunch of segments that the airlines release
to them, and then they piece them together without regard for having to
be on the same airline.

Also check sidestep.com, which compares a bunch of the sites like
Expedia, Travelocity, Orbitz, and lets you check off "my dates are
flexible."

As an example,

LV Fri, Feb 22 SFO
AR Sat, Feb 23 FCO

LV Wed, Mar 5 FCO
AR Wed, Mar 5 SFO

Vayama has a bunch of itineraries for $577.

SideStep comes up with some similarly low priced itineraries _only_ on
Orbitz--every other reseller is far more expensive, with CheapTickets
starting at $873. This leads me to believe that Orbitz may be doing
consolidation as well, perhaps they have a deal with Vayama.
  #10  
Old January 11th, 2008, 04:28 PM posted to rec.travel.usa-canada,rec.travel.europe,rec.travel.air
SMS
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 899
Default Finding Lowest Airfare Return USA-Italy with 3 Month Flexibility

Király wrote:
In rec.travel.europe PeterOut wrote:
I am living in the USA and would like to find the cheapest return air
fare to Italy. I am very flexible as far as time goes. It could be
any time in the next 3 months. I would be grateful if someone could
tell me the best way to get the cheapest air fare under these
circumstances.


I second Iceman's suggestion for checking out prices at local
bricks-and-mortar discount travel agents. Don't assume that the best
price will be found online. In 2005 my local discount agent got me the
transtlantic flight I wanted for hundreds less than I would have paid by
booking it anywhere online.


This is true. A good B&M consolidator will beat most of the on-line
prices, which almost always don't include consolidator fares.

If Peter would say where he's starting from, maybe someone could point
out some consolidators in the area.

Otherwise, check out "http://vayama.com". I used them for a flight from
SFO to FCO last year. They're an online consolidator (the only one I
could find actually). Here's an article about them "

What really hurts now is all the very high fees and taxes, which
unfortunately consolidator fares have to include as well. An advertised
$300 r/t to Europe easily turns into $600.

I could have gotten a slightly lower fare by flying to London, then
taking Easyjet, but it would have been a hassle because Easyjet leaves
from a different airport in London.
 




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