Matt Wald
Feb 23, 99, 9:37 am
Why air fares
to Europe
are dirt cheap
Multiple airlines announce price cuts to the Continent
By Peter S. Greenberg
NBC TODAY TRAVEL EDITOR
Feb. 22 — A strange combination of extra capacity, a cutback in business travel and the time of year have created an incredible buyer’s market in air travel, especially if you want to fly overseas. The result: unusually cheap air fares to Europe, in some cases as low as $228 roundtrip from New York to London.
IF YOU DO THE MATH, that $228 round-trip fare is a little more than half what it would cost you to fly roundtrip from New York to Washington, D.C. on the shuttle! What’s going on here?
First of all, it’s the time of year. Northwestern Europe from now until March, for example, can be downright damp and cold. Second, business travel is slumping. Finally, there’s the issue of overall capacity. In the last year, major airlines have started to take delivery of larger aircraft — airbuses and Boeing 777’s — to replace older jets. The result: a lot more seats over the North Atlantic.
British Airways started the latest air fare sale push, but most other carriers have matched the deals and added a few of their own. Some airlines are even offering very attractive air/ground deals. Swissair, for example, is promoting four- and five-day extended weekend deals, with air and hotels as low as $574, to destinations ranging from Brussels to Rome.
Beware: You must act quickly to take advantage of these prices. In many cases, the fares are good until May, but some deals have to be purchased by midnight Feb. 24, or in some cases, March 5.
Here are some examples of the great fares.
DELTA AIR LINES
Atlanta to London: $298
New York City to Manchester: $228
Prices do not include taxes or surcharges, which will cost the travelers from $30-$80 extra. Flights require midweek departure, a Saturday night stay, and must begin travel on or before March 31, for a maximum 30-day stay.
CONTINENTAL AIRLINES
Here are some sample round-trip fares:
New York/Newark-Birmingham: $228
New York/Newark-Paris: $248
Houston-London: $348
New Orleans-Frankfurt: $398
Austin-Lisbon: $448
Cleveland-Rome: $438
Fares are good for travel through the end of March. Requires a Saturday night stay. Fares quoted are for travel on weekdays, Monday through Thursday. Weekend fares may be slightly higher.
BRITISH AIRWAYS
British Airways, which had originally set its sale to expire Feb. 24, now has extended its fare sale to March 5.
Here are some sample deals:
Philadelphia to London: $228
Miami to London: $278
Houston to London: $348
Denver to London: $328
Caveats: Tickets require a 7-day advance purchase and must be paid for within 48 hours. Travel must begin by March 31 and end by April 30. A Saturday night stay is required, and there is a 30-day maximum stay.
AMERICAN AIRLINES
As recently as Feb. 22, American Airlines weighed in with some very low deals to Europe. Here are some examples:
Los Angeles to London: $352
Denver to Paris: $390
This deal expires March 5. Tickets must be purchased 7 days in advance, and must be paid for within 72 hours. Times are Monday through Thursday for travel through March 31.
AIR FARE AND HOTEL PACKAGES
You know what else is great about these deals? You can take advantage of the miles.
Several airlines are offering some great air fare/hotel packages from now through the end of March.
Swissair has a package from Boston to Berlin that starts at $493 and includes air fare, hotel for four days/three nights (double occupancy), and daily breakfast. The same deal is available from Chicago to Geneva starting at $614 and from San Francisco to Rome starting at $759. Prices do not include taxes.
Sabena, Belgium’s national airline, is offering an air fare and hotel package departing from several destinations in the United States to Brussels. It includes round-trip air fare, two nights (with a minimum 3-day stay) at the Brussels International Hilton. Tickets are non-refundable and require a 7-day advance purchase. There is a $20 surcharge in each direction for trans-Atlantic travel on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The cost from New York, Boston or Chicago to Brussels starts at $409; from Cincinnati or Atlanta to Brussels starts at $489.
You know what else is great about these deals? You can take advantage of the miles. Rack up the mileage at these prices and then use the miles when the prices go up. (And they will go up!)
BUYER BEWARE
Now, some cautions. Whatever deal you choose, make sure it is locked in dollars, and doublecheck what it actually includes. Remember, you don’t want to find yourself in a great place — having to estimate how much a Diet Coke is going to cost you!
Few of these prices include taxes and surcharges, so always ask.
Finally, play a little bit of the waiting game. On a number of these deals, expiration dates were set, only to be extended at the last minute when the airlines wanted to fill even more seats. So plan accordingly.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Peter S. Greenberg is the NBC “Today” show Travel Editor.
to Europe
are dirt cheap
Multiple airlines announce price cuts to the Continent
By Peter S. Greenberg
NBC TODAY TRAVEL EDITOR
Feb. 22 — A strange combination of extra capacity, a cutback in business travel and the time of year have created an incredible buyer’s market in air travel, especially if you want to fly overseas. The result: unusually cheap air fares to Europe, in some cases as low as $228 roundtrip from New York to London.
IF YOU DO THE MATH, that $228 round-trip fare is a little more than half what it would cost you to fly roundtrip from New York to Washington, D.C. on the shuttle! What’s going on here?
First of all, it’s the time of year. Northwestern Europe from now until March, for example, can be downright damp and cold. Second, business travel is slumping. Finally, there’s the issue of overall capacity. In the last year, major airlines have started to take delivery of larger aircraft — airbuses and Boeing 777’s — to replace older jets. The result: a lot more seats over the North Atlantic.
British Airways started the latest air fare sale push, but most other carriers have matched the deals and added a few of their own. Some airlines are even offering very attractive air/ground deals. Swissair, for example, is promoting four- and five-day extended weekend deals, with air and hotels as low as $574, to destinations ranging from Brussels to Rome.
Beware: You must act quickly to take advantage of these prices. In many cases, the fares are good until May, but some deals have to be purchased by midnight Feb. 24, or in some cases, March 5.
Here are some examples of the great fares.
DELTA AIR LINES
Atlanta to London: $298
New York City to Manchester: $228
Prices do not include taxes or surcharges, which will cost the travelers from $30-$80 extra. Flights require midweek departure, a Saturday night stay, and must begin travel on or before March 31, for a maximum 30-day stay.
CONTINENTAL AIRLINES
Here are some sample round-trip fares:
New York/Newark-Birmingham: $228
New York/Newark-Paris: $248
Houston-London: $348
New Orleans-Frankfurt: $398
Austin-Lisbon: $448
Cleveland-Rome: $438
Fares are good for travel through the end of March. Requires a Saturday night stay. Fares quoted are for travel on weekdays, Monday through Thursday. Weekend fares may be slightly higher.
BRITISH AIRWAYS
British Airways, which had originally set its sale to expire Feb. 24, now has extended its fare sale to March 5.
Here are some sample deals:
Philadelphia to London: $228
Miami to London: $278
Houston to London: $348
Denver to London: $328
Caveats: Tickets require a 7-day advance purchase and must be paid for within 48 hours. Travel must begin by March 31 and end by April 30. A Saturday night stay is required, and there is a 30-day maximum stay.
AMERICAN AIRLINES
As recently as Feb. 22, American Airlines weighed in with some very low deals to Europe. Here are some examples:
Los Angeles to London: $352
Denver to Paris: $390
This deal expires March 5. Tickets must be purchased 7 days in advance, and must be paid for within 72 hours. Times are Monday through Thursday for travel through March 31.
AIR FARE AND HOTEL PACKAGES
You know what else is great about these deals? You can take advantage of the miles.
Several airlines are offering some great air fare/hotel packages from now through the end of March.
Swissair has a package from Boston to Berlin that starts at $493 and includes air fare, hotel for four days/three nights (double occupancy), and daily breakfast. The same deal is available from Chicago to Geneva starting at $614 and from San Francisco to Rome starting at $759. Prices do not include taxes.
Sabena, Belgium’s national airline, is offering an air fare and hotel package departing from several destinations in the United States to Brussels. It includes round-trip air fare, two nights (with a minimum 3-day stay) at the Brussels International Hilton. Tickets are non-refundable and require a 7-day advance purchase. There is a $20 surcharge in each direction for trans-Atlantic travel on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The cost from New York, Boston or Chicago to Brussels starts at $409; from Cincinnati or Atlanta to Brussels starts at $489.
You know what else is great about these deals? You can take advantage of the miles. Rack up the mileage at these prices and then use the miles when the prices go up. (And they will go up!)
BUYER BEWARE
Now, some cautions. Whatever deal you choose, make sure it is locked in dollars, and doublecheck what it actually includes. Remember, you don’t want to find yourself in a great place — having to estimate how much a Diet Coke is going to cost you!
Few of these prices include taxes and surcharges, so always ask.
Finally, play a little bit of the waiting game. On a number of these deals, expiration dates were set, only to be extended at the last minute when the airlines wanted to fill even more seats. So plan accordingly.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Peter S. Greenberg is the NBC “Today” show Travel Editor.