Today’s questions comes from Joan, who asks:

Q.  How much would a flight to Italy be?  Before I go ahead, is there any pointers you might have?  Please point me in the right direction.  Thank you very much.

A.  First of all, I want to make it very clear that I don’t claim to be a guru of the air fare wars.  I am just as frustrated as everyone else with the nutty way of pricing that the airlines seem to have.  I may work in the industry, but that’s not to say I agree with the pricing model.  I want to know the full cost of a ticket, including all the taxes and special fees.  Don’t tempt me with superficially low fees, and then make me feel like I’ve been conned when I get to the part where I pay the bill.

I’m a fan of two sites that I use for every booking decision that I make – Kayak and Fare Compare.  While they may not work for everyone, and I have lots of friends who swear by other options, these are the ones that work for me.  I used Fare Compare and Kayak to watch prices for a trip to Italy last spring, and I also used my standard price checking process to make sure that I got the best deal.

For my trip to Italy this year (that’s where I am now), I used points to travel First/Business Class, which is an entirely different process.

The best advice that I can give is to do your homework, try to be as flexible as you can, and not lose sleep over $100.  I would never let the fact that I could have gotten a cheaper air fare ruin a wonderful vacation in Italy.

Buongiorno!

Post from: Fly Away Cafe