US Airways Dividend Miles (Pre-FlightFund Merger) - No cheap Spring European trips?

Anyone else notice that the European fares get really expensive past March 20?

That date is the end of the latest discount fare set. They go from $250 one day to $900+ the next.

I need to make a PIT-FRA run at the end of March, but thats a bit steep. Anyone know when late winter/early spring fares might show up? Odd since taking UA through Dulles is only $500 for the same dates.

Ironically, the cheapest B class fare is $930 but requires 7-day and Sat stay. Note to newbies - B class fares can be upgraded with miles, thus the enticement. Other discounted fares require SWU or pure luck.



[This message has been edited by hscottm (edited 01-03-2002).]

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by hscottm:
Anyone else notice that the European fares get really expensive past March 20?

That date is the end of the latest discount fare set. They go from $250 one day to $900+ the next.

I need to make a PIT-FRA run at the end of March, but thats a bit steep. Anyone know when late winter/early spring fares might show up? Odd since taking UA through Dulles is only $500 for the same dates.
</font>

Simple answer for the fare-hike: It's holiday-time in Europe.

Over here the Easter-holidays are celebrated in many European countries, and in most of Germany for example school is not in session from March 23rd to April 6th this year. So this makes the usual winter/spring fares end on March 21st this year instead of March 30th or so when the Easter-holidays are later to prevent families taking advantage of low fares...:-(!

Greetings - Dirk

Conveniently (for US and not us mile junkies) the double miles promo also ends on March 20th.

I've been looking for a combo of cheap fares (systemwide upgrades) and B fares (miles upgrades) for a trip to Europe in late March. What I found interesting was PVD-CDG (via PHL/PIT) priced at $1600 B fare, while BOS-CDG priced at $900 B fare.

And I'm very disappointed that double miles for B fares (for status) ends on 3/20. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif

djohannw-

I understand the 'holidays' argument, but why is US the only carrier 'observing' them? I can fly for nearly 50% less on at least 3 other carriers.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by hscottm:
I understand the 'holidays' argument, but why is US the only carrier 'observing' them? I can fly for nearly 50% less on at least 3 other carriers.[/B]</font>

I'm looking to travel March 20-30 also and have found the same problem. However, US has a $217 r/t fare WAS-LON right now, departing by 3/14 and requiring a Saturday-night stay, but returning anytime within a month. Maybe that's a harbinger of things to come?

David

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by hscottm:
djohannw-

I understand the 'holidays' argument, but why is US the only carrier 'observing' them? I can fly for nearly 50% less on at least 3 other carriers.</font>

Not sure what the fares look like "the other way round", but here in GERMANY every good fare is limited to March 21st...

I assume that either US is the only airline that got the "change" from low- to shoulder-season right (usually this break happens in the first days of April but the Easter-holiday is pretty early this year), or others just do not see the need to adjust their fares due to the booking-situation.

Greetings - Dirk

So maybe US 'did something right' for the first time by setting the fares?

Anyway - just a note to everyone here - flights.com has $370 fares for PIT-FRA beyond March 20th. I checked a few dates at end of March and mid-April.

A colleague has used them for C-class tickets before and everything is fine (although they attach a surcharge for people who 'choose to use a credit card' - how else would we pay?).

Not sure if the H class tickets they sell are upgradeable yet. Anyone know?